小嫂子的味道

"Mobiulus Noctendius!" Xara screamed as she pointed her staff toward the plant monster's mouth.

A charging up sound was heard as the gem on top of her staff absorbed light from the surroundings and then shone a white color, the next moment a flaming ball of energy appeared in front of the gem.

It looked like her normal fireballs but was much bigger, and it burned in red color. The ball of energy was then shot inside the tree monster's mouth.

The energy collided and then exploded inside what seemed to be the monster's throat, the explosion had a certain amount of energy that blew off the tree and burned it to a crisp within a matter of seconds.

The vine holding Xara also burned and crumbled into black dust, and she was freed into midair. She landed on her knees to the ground before the burned monster by somersaulting.

She got up and looked at Spene, who was now frozen in his tracks. He had a pale face and the expression he had seemed as if reality itself had betrayed him.

"Why are you dozing off like that?" she asked him, shooting him a piercing glance at the same time.

"What?! I-I mean, I don't know. If you were able to save yourself, then why were you waiting the entire time?" he appealed hurriedly, his voice trailing off.

"What type of question is that!? I just waited for the right time, that's all. If I'd attacked him while I was at a distance, then maybe he wouldn't have died in one shot," she stated and then walked past him.

"Where's Favian?" she queried as she looked at me and then back at Spene.

He turned toward us and then rolled his eyes and scanned the place in search of Favian.

"He was just there a few moments ago," he stated as he pointed toward a spot behind.

What he was saying was true, Favian had been behind me when he fired the arrow toward the tree monster, I also turned around to look, but now he really wasn't there.

"Then where'd he go now? You can't say he just disappeared! Don't give me that shit!" she barked at Spene; the irritated air she had quickly turned into anger, and she started searching for Favian all over the place.

Her face clearly depicted tension as her eyes desperately searched for him. Spene also started running over to each corner and looking for him, he went to the way we came from, but he wasn't even there.

Meanwhile, I too pretended to search for him but in reality, I couldn't care less.

However, as I was walking, the chain that was attached to Challes's handcuffs suddenly tightened, I looked over in that direction and saw that he was standing there alone and staring up at the ceiling with visible sweat on his face.

"We don't have all day," I commanded as I pulled his chain, but he still didn't move from his place.

Then he turned his head in Xara's direction, "Hey girl." He said, "I think your friend is up there."

"Huh? Where?!" upon Xara's question, he pointed at a certain part of the ceiling.

Following his line of sight, Xara looked up and as she did, she froze in her place. Her eyes widened as a scream left her mouth.

Hearing the scream, Spene also came back, glanced in the same direction, and reacted the same way as she did. In the end, I also did the same and then understood the reason behind their actions.

In the corner, between the wall and the ceiling, was Favian. He was completely surrounded by the thick, dark-green vines that were coiled around him like snakes, and he was glued to the ceiling due to them.

All of his body was covered with them, his mouth too—maybe that's why he wasn't able to scream and ask for help. As for why he got caught without anyone noticing, well, he was an archer and not good in close combat.

So if a monster had taken him by surprise at close range, then I don't think he would've been able to put up much of a resistance.

"Get yourself together, Xara! We can't be stunned like that. And as for you, you bastard!" said Spene loudly as he stared at the monster that was holding Favian captive and pointed toward it with his sword.

Growling like a mad dog he ran in the monster's direction, reaching close he put a foot on the wall, applied pressure, and jumped upward. He threw a slash at the monster with all the power he could gather in his hands.

The monster fended with a large vine, the blade and the vine clashed but at the same time, another of the vines came at utmost speed and slapped Spene hard on his stomach. Before he could even think about a way to defend himself, he was thrown back to the ground.

With a "THUD" he crashed onto the ground, blood came out from his mouth and his sword landed at a hand's distance away from him.

He groaned in pain as he tried to get up but then fell again, he hit the ground a little too hard I guess.

Well, this was bound to happen. The monster that had taken Favian captive—and was probably slowly squeezing him to death—was fully made out of thick and strong vines. Plus, he had the upper ground which was the ceiling, and reaching there wasn't easy.

Even if Spene somehow jumped there as he did just now, he won't have the type of balance as he had on the ground, and he wouldn't be able to stay there and attack either.

So, attacking that monster physically was the most illogical thing you could do. Maybe it would've worked if Spene was a pro swordsman, but he was just a normal adventurer.

In this case, the best way to save Favian as quickly as possible was by attacking the monster with long-range magic spells. Though I doubt even that will be possible; Xara was good indeed, but she doesn't have the type of mana to fight this monster, nor do I think she knows such spells—after all, all she'd used till now were basic level spells.

At this point, saving him was practically impossible. Unless I interfere and do something.