Chapter 35: The Baumgarten Underground Empire V.


    The monster, surprised by Zeke''s sudden charge, was toote to dodge as the staff connected with its skull. A loud crack echoed through the forest as the creature''s head caved in, blood and brain matter sttering the ground. Zeke didn''t wait for the other creatures to react, he knew that he had to take advantage of the element of surprise while itsted. He pushed his body to move even faster, his blood magic flowing through his veins, giving him the strength and speed he needed to take down these beasts.


    The other creatures, now alerted to Zeke''s presence, began to howl and snarl in rage as they turned to face him. Zeke didn''t hesitate, he knew that he had to take them out as quickly as possible before they could surround and overpower him. He activated [Perfect Spatial Awareness], his space magic spell that gave him perfect awareness of everything happening within a sphere around him. This spell was a game changer for him, it allowed him to react to any situation with lightning speed and precision.


    As the monsters closed in on him, Zeke activated another spell, [Spatial Barrier], a space magic spell that created a barrier in front of him. The barrier was made ofpressed space, and it was strong enough to block most physical attacks without a problem. The monsters mmed into the barrier, but it held strong, protecting Zeke from their jaws and ws.


    Vi, at the very start of the fight, had activated her own spell, [Levitate]. She lifted herself off the ground and flew above the monsters, giving her a clear view of the battlefield. She began to chant the incantation for her wind magic spell, [Gale], and a powerful gust of wind began to blow, pushing the monsters back and giving Zeke the opening he needed to make his next move.


    Zeke lifted his palm towards the remaining monsters and then proceeded to clench his fist, activating his spell, [Spatial freeze]. He channeled his magic into the space surrounding the monsters, blocking their movement. He didn''t need to tell Vi to act, the moment the monsters stopped moving a barrage of wind des came crashing down on them, cutting them to pieces. The monsters let out a final howl of agony as they fell to the ground, dead.


    Zeke breathed a sigh of relief as the adrenaline began to subside. He knew that he couldn''t let his guard down yet, there could be more monsters lurking in the forest. He looked up at Vi, who was still floating above him, and gave her a nod of gratitude. She smiled back, d to have been able to support him in battle. Together, they moved on, ready for whatever challengesy ahead.


    The monsters here were unlike anything Zeke had ever seen before. They were twisted abominations of nature, with multiple eyes, limbs, and mouths. Some of them even seemed to be a fusion of different creatures, with the heads of wolves and the bodies of bears, or the wings of bats and the venomous fangs of snakes.


    Despite their grotesque appearance, these monsters were incredibly powerful and dangerous. Their attacks were relentless, and their physical strength was nothing to be underestimated. Zeke and Vi had to use all of their skills and spells just to keep themselves alive.


    Zeke, with his blood magic, was able to increase his physical strength and speed, allowing him to fight more efficiently. He also used his space magic to create barriers and traps, slowing down the monsters and giving him the upper hand. Vi, with her wind magic, was able to control the surrounding air, creating powerful gusts of wind that knocked the monsters off their feet, throwing them through the air like sandbags. Together, they were able to work in sync, supporting each other and taking down the monsters one by one. It was clear that Vi was a much stronger fighter thanks to her versatile spell arsenal, but Zeke did all he could to keep up with her.


    Zeke had just finished a grueling battle against a monstrous creature that seemed to be a twistedbination of snake and crocodile. As he turned to check on Vi, who was in the midst of battling a swarm of reptilian birds, he suddenly felt a searing pain in his chest. ncing down, he saw three lines of blood across his chest muscles, deep gashes that cut through his flesh.


    Though he had been wounded several times during their hours-long series of fights, this was different. He had not seen his attacker sneak up on him, and it was only when the creature entered the range of his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] spell that he became aware of its presence. But by then, it was toote for him to react.


    Zeke grit his teeth, trying to push through the pain as he searched for the source of the attack. His eyes finally fell upon a small creature, one that appeared to be a cat that stood on two legs, but with long, thin des for fingers and toes. It was fast and agile, and had managed to evade his heightened senses. He had made a game out ofing up with names for all the bizarre creatures they were encountering, and he decided to call this one: sher-cat.


    Reaching for his core, Zeke channeled his blood magic into his wounds, using it to heal himself and stem the bleeding. It was a dangerous move, as heavily drawing on his blood magic over extended periods of time could leave him weakened, but he had no choice. He needed to be able to fight.


    As the wounds on his chest began to close, he saw the sher-cating at him again. This time, he was ready. He activated his space magic spell, [Spatial freeze], halting the creature''s movements in ce. He quickly ran towards it, maintaining line of sight to keep the spell going and seizing one of its ded paws and using it to strike the creature, killing it instantly.


    Vi reached him and saw the creature''s lifeless body on the ground. She looked at him with concern in her eyes, "Are you okay?" she asked.


    "I''m fine," Zeke said, trying to sound confident, "But we need to be more careful, these creatures are more dangerous than we thought."


    Vi nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation, "We need to find a way out of here," she said, "Before it''s toote."


    Zeke knew that she was right. They needed to find a way out of this nightmare, and fast.


    Zeke and Vi were well aware that they needed to find a safe haven before the hordes of monsters surrounding them could overpower them. The possibility of turning back was no longer viable, as they had ventured too deep into the unknown, and the monsters seemed to be growing in number as they progressed. The only option was to press on and hope for the best.


    As they ventured further, the gravity of their situation became clearer with every new enemy they faced. The creatures that lurked around every corner were twisted and grotesque, born from generations of inbreeding and crossbreeding in this unnatural environment. Each step forward was met with resistance as they fought for every inch of ground.


    Despite the exhaustion and injuries sustained in battle, Zeke and Vi refused to give in to despair. They hade too far to turn back now, and the thought of being ovee by the monstrous swarms was not an option.


    Zeke and Vi had been fighting for what felt like days, and the strain was starting to take its toll on them both. They were wounded and exhausted, but they knew that they couldn''t give up. They couldn''t turn back now, not when they were so close to their destination.


    Finally, they could see the target in the distance, the research facility that held the promise of safety and sanctuary. However, standing between them and their goal were roaming hordes of creatures, a formidable obstacle to ovee. They could see that the grounds of the facility were clear and free of monsters, but the problem remained of how to reach it.


    Zeke''s mind raced as he assessed their options. He knew that the distance to the facility was roughly 500 meters, a distance he could easily cover in under a minute even while carrying Vi. Flying there was not an option, as the air was teeming with creatures that would overpower her in such numbers. He began to devise a n, an idea forming in his mind. If he carried her in his arms, and she used her wind magic, perhaps they could make it to the facility in one piece.


    It was a risky n, but it was the only one they had. Vi was not thrilled by the idea, but she knew that they had to reach the research facility at all costs. She didn''t have a better n, so she agreed to the idea. Zeke picked her up and began to boost his body with blood magic, pushing himself to his limits. He started running, the hordes of monsters instantly noticing them, but most quickly gave up the chase as they had no hope of catching him. The first hundred meters he ran with ease, nothing getting in his way. As they passed the halfway point, a pack of scale-wolfs tried to cut them off, but he leaped over them easily, boosted by Vi''s wind magic. Hended smoothly, not breaking stride.


    Halfway to the target, Zeke was not injured yet, but as they reached the final 200 meters, they started to run into trouble. A swarm of de-birds took notice, drawn to Vi''s silver hair. Zeke hugged her tighter, leaning forward to protect her the best he could while preparing for the final section of the sprint. The birds descended upon them like hail, cutting into him as he continued to rush forward, but he pushed through the pain and with one final leap, they reached theplex. The monsters gave up the chase as if there was an invisible wall blocking their way. They had made it to safety atst.


    As soon as they entered the grounds of the facility, Zeke copsed onto the floor, bleeding from dozens of cuts that were freely flowing onto the ground. With a tremendous force of will, he used his blood magic to stop the bleeding for all of them. Slowly and carefully, he began to heal each cut one by one. Vi, meanwhile, was practically unharmed, but she was covered in Zeke''s blood. She had tears in her eyes as she looked down at Zeke, his body a tattered mess from shielding her.


    As Zeke looked up, he saw Vi looking worriedly at him, and he tried to y it off by saying, "It looks far worse than it actually is." Vi just nodded but didn''t say anything. Zeke closed his eyes to focus, and after a couple of minutes, the worst of his wounds were patched up. He sat up and tried to smile at Vi, but she was kneeling on the floor, covering her head with both arms. At that moment, Zeke could feel it, a targeted Mind magic attack, right at Vi. He recognized the magic signature - it was ''the heart''.


    Zeke tried to shield her somehow since she didn''t look good at all, but before he could do anything else, Vi rxedpletely. Zeke breathed out a sigh of relief, thinking that she somehow managed to beat the spell.


    But when she stood up and looked at him, she lookedpletely different, the look in her eyes alien. Without another word, she started to fly towards the research facility and crashed through a window on the third floor, disappearing from sight.


    Zeke was stunned, watching as Vi left. He couldn''t believe that she had fallen under the spell''s influence so quickly, and he was filled with a deep sense of dread and uncertainty about what was toe. He knew that he had to act fast, and he knew that he would do whatever it took to get Vi out of this ce safely.