Athena
Athena stood frozen, her body trembling as she stared at the massive serpent.
Owen stepped in front of her, his grip tightening on his sword. "This is Venomfang," he said grimly. "A highly venomous serpent. One bite is enough to kill in seconds."
With that, he unsheathed his weapon. "Stay back."
Nate, lounging under the shade of a nearby tree, barely lifted his head. He glanced at Owen, then let out a lazy sigh. "Suit yourself," he muttered, closing his eyes again.
Owen wasted no time. He charged forward, bringing his sword down in a powerful arc. But before he could land a hit, the serpent lashed out with its thick tail, striking him with immense force. The impact sent him flying, crashing through several trees before he hit the ground hard.
Athena barely had time to react before Venomfang's golden eyes locked onto her. It lunged, fangs bared—
A blast of fire shot from the direction where Nate had been resting, striking the serpent's face and halting its attack.
Turning, Athena saw Nate standing, his palm still raised.
"As much as I'd love to fight you," he said nonchalantly, lowering his hand, "I'd rather wait for the Holy Knight to stop wasting time."
Venomfang let out an enraged hiss, its burnt scales sizzling. It turned its full attention toward Nate, surging forward with terrifying speed—
Then, suddenly, it stopped mid-charge, its massive body yanked back as if some invisible force had restrained it.
Athena's breath caught in her throat.
What… is this man?
---
Nate
Nate analyzed the situation calmly.
If he fought Venomfang head-on, he had an 80% chance of victory—but only if he used Beast Part Change or fought alongside his contracted beast. Unfortunately, neither was an option.
Athena was here. A royal.
He couldn't afford to reveal his full abilities just yet.
Instead, he leaned back against the tree and shut his eyes.
"You're seriously taking a nap in the middle of this?" Athena asked, disbelief in her voice.
"What else do you expect me to do?" Nate replied, feigning indifference. "If Owen wants to play the hero, let him."
Of course, he wasn't actually sleeping. His mind was running through every possible strategy.
Every calculation led to the same conclusion: 12% chance of victory.
That was unacceptable.
---
Owen
Owen groaned as he pulled himself up, brushing dirt from his armor.
"Owen!" Athena's voice rang out as she rushed toward him, worry etched on her face. "Are you okay?"
He forced a smirk. "Just caught me off guard."
Turning back to face Venomfang, he steadied his stance.
The beast's scales were too thick, its hide barely scratched by his sword. Dodging its attacks was getting harder. Every strike from its tail carried enough force to shatter stone.
Damn it… this thing is built like a fortress.
With no magic of his own, this was turning into a losing battle.
---
Athena
Athena clenched her fists.
Owen was struggling. Nate was still standing back, watching.
She couldn't take it anymore.
Stepping forward, she released her mana. A radiant white aura flared around her, illuminating the battlefield.
Owen's eyes widened in alarm. "Athena, don't!" he shouted. "You know you can't control your power!"
But she ignored him. This was her only chance to help.
Suddenly, Nate placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, startled, meeting his gaze.
He smiled.
"Do it."
She hesitated for only a moment before nodding. The mana in her hands condensed into a glowing sphere of energy.
---
Nate
The moment Athena released her power, something unexpected happened.
A system notification materialized before him.
> [System Alert: Shadow Panther Synchronization Detected]
[Initiating Shadow Seal Domain...]
Nate stiffened.
No way…
This was different from anything the system had shown him before.
He exhaled sharply. "Alright then… let's test this out."
Darkness surged beneath him, spiraling outward in intricate patterns.
"Second Shadow Panther—Evaluation Skill…" he whispered, mana rushing through his body.
"Shadow Seal."
Black tendrils of energy erupted from the ground, engulfing Athena and him in a swirling domain of shadows.
---
Athena
Darkness.
One moment, she was standing on the battlefield. The next, she was surrounded by an abyss.
A low growl echoed through the void.
Two glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows, piercing through the darkness.
A massive black panther stepped forward, its gaze locked onto her.
"Who are you?" she asked, instinctively stepping back.
The beast prowled closer. "Do you wish to save your friend?"
Owen.
"Yes!" she answered without hesitation.
The panther nodded. "A wise choice."
Then, its form shifted.
Its body became fluid, transforming into a dark fabric that wrapped around her like armor.
"Call me Nate Rayes, if you ever remember this moment," it whispered before vanishing into her.
---
Nate
The moment the Shadow Seal faded, Athena stood transformed.
Owen, barely able to stand, was still facing the serpent.
"Athena…" he muttered in shock.
She turned to him, her voice calm yet commanding. "Owen, can you still fight?"
He gritted his teeth, using his sword to steady himself. "Yeah, I can—"
"Sorry," Nate interrupted, raising his hand.
A shadow swallowed Owen, teleporting him right in front of Nate. He landed on his knees, blinking in confusion.
"You've done enough," Nate said. "Now, watch the fun."
---
Athena
With silent determination, Athena stepped forward.
The energy sphere in her hands began to shift—splitting into countless glowing swords.
With a snap of her fingers, they rained down.
Each blade pierced Venomfang's armored hide, driving deep into its flesh. The serpent let out an ear-splitting roar, its body convulsing as dust and debris exploded into the air.
As the dust settled, she exhaled slowly. Turning back with only this thought on her mind.
I don't fully understand how I got to control my powers but thanks to Nate's trick I can.