Elemental Magnetic Star

Chapter 180 The Reunion at Last

After stabilizing, Raina Grace immediately surveyed her surroundings. She found herself in a very strange space, where the physical existence around her seemed blurred, as if it were in the process of being rebuilt or collapsing. The next moment, she was tightly embraced by something emanating the aura of the abyss. Before she could even cry out in surprise, she heard WeeStick's voice warning, "Be careful, Raina Grace, Flicker Shadow has gone mad!"

Flicker Shadow? Since WeeStick was there, it wasn't surprising that Flicker Shadow would be too. Raina Grace hesitated for a moment but didn't push him away immediately because she didn't feel the madness WeeStick mentioned. Indeed, this embrace, mixed with the abyss's, blood's, and other scents, was unmistakably Flicker Shadow's.

"Flicker Shadow?" Raina Grace hugged him back, "Are you okay? Why is your aura so chaotic?" She thought Flicker Shadow was just overly excited to see her, hence the enthusiasm.

Soon, Raina Grace understood that Flicker Shadow must have also come to the abyss for her. She couldn't imagine how many dangers he had faced or how many difficulties he had overcome in the abyss to find her in such a state.

However, the next moment, Raina Grace finally realized why WeeStick said Flicker Shadow had gone mad. Hearing her voice, he said nothing but hugged her even tighter, then bit into her neck. His teeth pierced her blood vessels with precise control, thirstily licking the blood that seeped out.

"Raina Grace!" Flame Wave, who had landed a bit further away, finally rushed over. From afar, he saw a humanoid monster embracing Raina Grace and raised his hand, ready to fight back forcefully.

"Don't, it's Flicker Shadow," Raina Grace quickly stopped Flame Wave, "He's a bit off."

"Flicker Shadow?" Flame Wave lowered his guard but was displeased with Flicker Shadow's condition, "What is he doing? Doesn't he know it's dangerous now? Expressing joy at the reunion is enough. Holding on like this..." Flame Wave left the last half of his sentence unsaid: As if I'm dead?

"He's," Raina Grace hesitated before telling the truth to Flame Wave, "He's sucking my blood."

"What?" Flame Wave's heart raced, nearly driving him mad as he struggled to grasp the reality of Raina Grace's words, "Sucking blood?"

Then, suddenly realizing the gravity, he forcefully pulled Flicker Shadow away, careful not to hurt Raina Grace, "He's biting you? Why aren't you resisting?" Then he fiercely choked Flicker Shadow, "Let go, Flicker Shadow, have you lost your mind?"

Forced to release his bite due to the chokehold, Flicker Shadow turned to attack Flame Wave, swinging a fierce punch towards his head, without hesitation or pretense.

Flame Wave quickly dodged, and his grip loosened, allowing Flicker Shadow to lunge at Raina Grace again. This time, Flame Wave kicked Flicker Shadow without restraint, but Flicker Shadow dodged agilely and countered. The two began a fierce battle.

This gave WeeStick the chance to fly to Raina Grace's side, anxiously asking, "Raina Grace, are you okay?"

Raina Grace caught WeeStick, "You came too? It's been tough." But it wasn't the time for catch-ups. She urgently wanted to know about Flicker Shadow's condition, "What's wrong with Flicker Shadow?"

Although Flame Wave and Flicker Shadow were caught in a fierce fight, Raina Grace felt this intense activity might actually help with Flicker Shadow's madness, so she wasn't overly worried. Standing aside, she listened as WeeStick jumbled through their experiences in the abyss.

From its disjointed narration, Raina Grace occasionally asked questions, also keeping an eye on the skills both men had honed in the abyss. Flame Wave swung punch after punch at Flicker Shadow, each aimed at subduing him. Flicker Shadow turned into a whirlwind of darkness, evading Flame Wave's attacks and countering with storm-like ferocity...

"Eh, you said you've been here for nine years?" WeeStick, particularly adept at calculating time, emphasized this detail carefully.

Raina Grace could finally confirm that, aside from herself, everyone else had experienced the same time in the abyss as in the star domain.

In other words, Flame Wave, Flicker Shadow, and WeeStick had all been trapped in the abyss for nearly ten years because of her, yet she couldn't fully comprehend their trials and hardships since her experience was much shorter.

Overwhelmed by guilt, Raina Grace shouted, "Hey, stop fighting. Let's find a way out of here."

But the two men were deeply engaged in their battle.

Flicker Shadow had actually regained his senses earlier but seized the opportunity to genuinely fight Flame Wave, a desire he had harbored for a long time.

Flame Wave, noticing Flicker Shadow focusing more on skill than brute force, knew he was lucid. Flicker Shadow's beast-like intuitive attacks and dodges intrigued him, providing a chance to apply the combat skills he had honed over the years against a worthy opponent.

Hearing Raina Grace's call, Flicker Shadow was the first to break from the fight, not minding exposing his back to Flame Wave: "Raina Grace, are you okay? Just now I..."

During his madness, Flicker Shadow was internally lucid but couldn't control his actions, which led to him hurting Raina Grace. He was remorseful and feared what might have happened if Flame Wave hadn't intervened.

"I know, you were just acting on instinct, influenced by the abyss's power," Raina Grace, through WeeStick's account and her own deductions, understood what had happened to Flicker Shadow, "Your instincts saved you again."

"What? Instinct?" Flicker Shadow was puzzled.

Flame Wave also approached, "Seems like he does have the instincts of a beast."

"You're not wrong," Raina Grace agreed with Flame Wave, also explaining to Flicker Shadow, "You've been living in the Verdant Thistle Forest and the abyss, dealing with various beasts, learning their sharp intuitions. Just like beasts have the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm, you knew my blood could suppress the abyss's power, so you came directly for it, but you were careful not to cause serious injury."

Touching her neck, where only a slight sting remained, hardly a serious wound, Raina Grace explained why she let Flicker Shadow draw blood.

"Is that true?" Flame Wave frowned at Flicker Shadow, "You knew Raina Grace's blood could help you?"

Flicker Shadow, feeling a sense of clarity and relief as the oppressive sensation in his chest dissipated, owed his awakening to Raina Grace, "I didn't know, I just..." He couldn't explain, only that instinct had driven him.

"Now is not the time to dwell on this," Raina Grace pointed to the collapsing environment, "Let's leave this place and find the exit to the abyss."

Raina Grace wanted to ask Flicker Shadow if he knew where they were or what those bizarre devices were. This place, connected to the Whale-Beard Beast's space, could be key. But Flicker Shadow was previously disoriented, and WeeStick's account was chaotic.

Hearing Raina Grace mention the collapsing environment, Flicker Shadow felt guilty, "The collapse of this place might be my fault. When I went mad, I think I smashed everything..."

It seemed Flicker Shadow remembered some things. Raina Grace seized the opportunity to ask, "WeeStick mentioned many light and shadows here, and in the shadows, there was me?"

Flicker Shadow recalled what had triggered his madness, "Yes, I saw you, and him, so I went mad."

He obviously meant Flame Wave but barely glanced at him.

Flame Wave, confused but accustomed to Flicker Shadow's hostility, didn't probe further, focusing on another matter, "So, you're saying your rampage destroyed the devices here, actually freeing the Whale-Beard Beast, allowing us to leave?"

Raina Grace nodded, "Likely. The Whale-Beard Beast's tentacles were forcibly connected here, perhaps to devices capturing light and shadows, like countless eyes observing the abyss. Flicker Shadow's unintentional intrusion and destruction freed the Whale-Beard Beast, aiding our escape."

Though unclear about the Whale-Beard Beast, Flicker Shadow felt lucky if his madness inadvertently saved Raina Grace. Yet, was it merely luck? He later realized his arrival here was guided by something.