“Leo,” Ria whispered.0

“... Yeah, I know,” Leo replied.0

Ria’s throat tightened as her nerves spiked. The mid-boss before her—Deculein—was no ordinary professor. He was a demon hunter, the head of an ancient family famed for exterminating demons. Her best option was to flee. With Carlos at her side, there was no way she could defeat a Yukline.0

“Run!” Ria yelled, throwing a dagger straight at Deculein.0

The attack and impact were nearly simultaneous. The dagger embedded itself in his arm, thanks to her Absolute Hit attribute. 2

Yet Deculein didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he commanded the Wood Steel. Dozens of shards responded to his will, swarming like a hive of bees. Ria unleashed a burst of mana to repel them, but the Wood Steel lodged in the floor vibrated under his Telekinesis, ripping up the tiles.0

Ruuuuumble—!0

The ground shifted beneath her, throwing her into the air, but she didn’t fall. Suspended midair, her arm hung limp as Deculein’s Telekinesis locked onto her artifact bracelet, holding her aloft.0

"… I didn’t come for you. Killing children is not something I indulge in," Deculein said, his voice as cold and sharp as a blade.0

Ria glanced at Leo, who was dangling upside down like a monkey, groaning and making odd noises as he swung back and forth from the ceiling.0

“I only need that one,” Deculein said, pointing at Carlos.0

The boy lay crumpled on the ground, tossed aside by the explosion, his small body trembling under the weight of ghostly aura and the fever coursing through his mixed...0