The second female lead Dual Cultivates

'Will you risk it and come here or will you turn tail and run away. Choose wisely' the echo had been quiet for a while now but it had picked up again a few minutes ago. Maria hoped it was because of her companions.

Had they managed to save the node and provide it with enough nutrition to keep it alive? Must be so since the place had not collapsed fully yet.

"Hey, hey. Where are you looking?" Maria dodged the incoming attack and replied with her own. She fended off the chimera away from the tired body of Daniel behind her. The kid was tired while the chimera looked like she was not even breaking a sweat.

Fuck Rocci and her inhuman stamina. How was someone able to keep up with her and her such a huge amount of stamina alone? Or maybe Rocci just did not do one person at a time.

"Sorry for making you defend me. I know you must be itching to go to your companions" Daniel's voice sounded full of regret and Maria instantly felt Suna's and Nao's dead bodies flash before her eyes. But she shook it off since it was not going to happen. She would not let it happen.

(She was only delaying the inevitable but Maria would fight it off if she had to)

"Don't say that now. We all made this decision so no one is at fault here" Maria explained as she fended off another attack. The chimera was getting faster but Maria could also feel her reaching her limit. It was only a matter of time before the other broke down completely.

However, the desperation in the chimera had brought forth what Maria had hoped for. The zombies were beginning to come back and most of them were starting to cross the blood pool. It was time now.

Maria flared her aura and the blood shone with the spells it had been embedded with. The zombies were being absorbed and it turned the gleeful expression on the chimera's face to fury. Maria felt it the instant it drew on Rocci's face what they had done.

"You! What did you do? How did you do it? The node should have been destroyed and the magic freed" Rocci yelled but the smile on her face did not falter. Rather, it forced a laugh out of her throat.

It sounded wrong and crazy on those lips. Especially even more so when Maria could feel the anger physically taking shape around her. The chimera was getting out of control and Maria flared her magic as well.

She would only get one chance before the heat would take over for her but she could utilize the potential of her chains. It was going to suck and be painful but it was the only way to keep the monster down. She had never even heard of someone having this strong of a will.

"Daniel, cover me. I'll bind and drag her down into the depth of the pool" Maria explained as she readied her chains.

This might be her last attack. There was no guarantee that this would even work for her but she had no other choice. The chimera did not look like someone that stayed down.

But she had only just started to yank the chimera down when she felt something else take control of her chains and drag the chimera away.

"I'll handle this. I can't let an outsider make such a decision for us after all" Daniel smiled and Maria felt her heart get caught up in her throat before she saw the two bodies disappear down the blood pool.

The chimera would die in the chains but Maria couldn't help but feel like the kid was lost as well. The pool would dry them as soon as the spell caught hold of them.

"Suna, Nao. I should find them now" Maria remembered the other two members of her team she needed to find before they sealed this place. She couldn't help but focus on the bad feeling she was having regarding the situation.

There had just been something in the other two's expressions she had ignored before. But now her brain decided to pick up on any details it had been missing beforehand. It made Maria feel frustrated and helpless in a way she had seldom been before.

"Darn it. Where are you both? Why did my system have to go on a vacation now?" Maria complained as she ran around to find her friends. Logically, she knew there was only one place where her companions could have gone buMaria mind was coming up blank now.

It was not only the heat but her exhaustion catching up with her now. It left her lethargic and in need of a lot of rest. But she kept on pushing to find her companions.

Maria could not leave them to die just like that. Not when she knew she could do anything about it. The zombies were already down after all.

"Maria. I'm here. Where's my brother?" Samuel was the first one of the bunch Maria saw but she did not have an answer for him. There was only one correct answer for that question and it would break the man.

However, her silence must have been enough for Samuel to fall quiet. Maria did not have the heart to tell him the whole story, nor did she have time to do so.

"I see. You should go to Nao and Suna then. They are in the center platform and who knows how long we have left" the man replied with a choked-up voice. It told Maria of suppressed emotions as well.

Maria wanted to tell the man that things would be alright but it was not her place to do so. The man had just lost his brother so Maria had to give him space to let his emotions out. She should not interfere.

Besides, she had a place she needed to be as well. She needed to find Nao and Suna since she had no idea what they were doing in her absence.

"This is too much work. I want to go on a vacation after this is over'' Maria complained as she ran toward the thickest vein. It was finally starting to show its vibrant bloody color and Maria just knew that it would sustain her weight this time.

And it would have to since it was her only option left. The pool was already a deadly place for anyone to step into and Maria did like to stay alive.

And somehow she made it to the other side without many problems. But things seemed out of control and Maria felt her heart choke up fright.