Chapter 182: Lydia’s Energy
The creature’s word hung in the air.
"Life..."
Liam remained motionless.
Lydia’s small copy was still inside his jacket.
Pix watched the monster with a worried expression.
"Why is it reacting like that?"
The creature took another step, and the ground trembled again.
Its violet eyes were completely focused on Liam’s jacket.
"Life..."
This time, it sounded different.
Not like a word, but like a desire.
As if it had identified something it needed.
Liam pressed the jacket against his body.
"You’re not touching her."
The creature slowly opened its mouth.
Intense violet energy began gathering around its body.
Pix appeared beside Liam.
"Liam, I think it wants to absorb Lydia’s energy."
"Can you be sure?"
"No."
Pix looked at the withered plants around the creature.
"But ever since it appeared, it’s been absorbing the energy of this dimension."
Liam looked at the small copy.
Then he looked back at the monster.
"And now it’s interested in her."
"Yes."
Liam gritted his teeth.
’I’m not going to let it.’
The creature lunged forward.
Jordan reacted first.
"I’ll handle it!"
He charged forward and took the impact head-on.
BOOM.
Jordan was sent flying several yards.
"Jordan!"
"I’m fine!"
The massive hunter got back to his feet.
But the creature was already advancing again.
Carol appeared from the side and struck its leg.
Emily unleashed a blast of electricity.
The electricity coursed through the monster’s body.
The creature roared but continued advancing.
"We can’t stop it!"
Liam fired.
The bullet struck its shoulder.
The creature barely staggered.
"We need something stronger."
Then Liam remembered an idea.
He had thought about it many times, but had never tried it.
He took one of his gemstone bullets, then looked at Carol and Emily.
’It could work...’
He immediately dismissed the idea.
’No. It’s too dangerous.’
Gemstone bullets weren’t simple projectiles.
They were capable of storing and releasing an enormous amount of energy.
Carol could transform her body into the material she touched.
And Emily could transfer electricity.
If they combined both abilities...
Liam had already imagined the result.
But he had also imagined what could happen if something went wrong.
One mistake could seriously injure Carol.
"Liam!"
Chloe’s voice brought him back to reality.
The creature was advancing again.
"We have to do something!"
Liam gritted his teeth.
’We don’t have any other choice.’
He took one of his gemstone bullets.
Carol looked at it.
"What’s that?"
"A gemstone bullet."
"And what do you want me to do with it?"
Liam approached her.
"I want you to use your power."
Carol raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?"
"No."
She smiled.
"Perfect."
Liam handed her the bullet.
"Transform only your arm."
Carol closed her fingers around the gemstone.
Her arm began to change as her skin slowly disappeared.
The gemstone material spread from her hand all the way to her shoulder.
Her arm took on an intense glow.
Liam stepped back.
"Now, Emily."
Emily immediately understood.
"You want me to hit her with a lightning bolt?"
"Yes."
Carol’s eyes widened.
"Wait, Boss."
"What?"
"Didn’t you say this was dangerous?"
Liam was silent for a second.
"Yes."
"Then we definitely have to do it."
"Carol."
She smiled.
"Let’s do it."
Emily placed one hand on Carol’s shoulder.
She activated her ability, and electricity began coursing through her body.
Then it flowed into the gemstone arm.
The material began to glow.
Small arcs of electricity jumped around the arm.
Carol’s eyes widened.
"This is incredible!"
Liam shouted:
"Don’t lose control!"
"I’m trying!"
The creature charged at them.
Jordan tried to stop it.
"Now!"
Carol charged forward.
The monster raised a claw.
Carol dodged the attack.
Her gemstone arm glowed intensely.
The creature tried to strike her again.
Carol ducked, spun around, and unleashed the blow.
BOOOOOOM.
The impact shook the entire valley.
The creature was sent flying.
It crashed through several rocks before hitting the ground.
A massive cloud of dust covered the area.
Everyone remained silent.
Carol was breathing heavily.
The gemstone arm began losing its glow, and small cracks appeared across it.
Emily dropped to her knees.
"That..."
She took a deep breath.
"...was too much."
Liam looked toward where the creature had fallen.
"It worked."
The cloud began to dissipate, and the monster stood up.
Several parts of its crystal armor had been completely destroyed.
One of its legs seemed to have lost stability.
But it was still alive.
Lena’s eyes widened.
"After that, it can still get back up?"
Chuck let out a nervous laugh.
"I definitely wouldn’t want to take that hit."
Carol looked at her arm.
The gemstone material slowly began to disappear.
Her arm returned to normal, though it was covered in a few bruises.
Carol dropped to her knees.
Emily caught her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
Carol took a deep breath.
"But I don’t plan on doing that too many times."
Liam nodded.
"That’s exactly what I was worried about."
Carol looked at him.
"You’d already thought of this?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
Liam looked at the gemstone bullet remaining in his hand.
"Since I learned about Carol’s abilities."
"And you never wanted us to try it?"
"I didn’t want to risk hurting her."
Carol smiled.
"Then you did the right thing."
Liam looked at the monster.
"But now we know it works."
Pix appeared beside him.
"Liam."
"What?"
"There’s a problem."
Liam’s expression changed.
"What is it?"
Pix pointed toward the creature.
The crystal covering its body was regenerating.
But this time, it wasn’t absorbing energy from the plants.
It was staring directly at Liam.
At his jacket.
Lydia’s small copy began to move.
Plop.
Liam looked down.
"Lydia..."
The creature took a step.
All the violet energy in the valley began to move.
But not toward the monster.
Toward Lydia.
The jacket began to vibrate.
Liam held it tightly.
"Pix!"
"I know."
"Is it trying to absorb her?"
"Yes."
Pix flew around the jacket.
"But I don’t understand how."
Liam felt a chill.
The small copy slowly emerged from the jacket.
Her body began to glow.
The creature’s eyes widened.
"Life..."
Lydia trembled.
Liam immediately picked her up.
"Stay away from her!"
A massive amount of violet energy shot toward them.
Liam raised an arm, but the energy didn’t hit him.
It passed straight through him.
Directly toward Lydia.
The small slime began to rise into the air.
"Lydia!"
Liam tried to grab her.
But an invisible force pushed him backward.
"Liam!"
Jordan ran toward him.
"I can’t reach her!"
The energy surrounding Lydia intensified.
Pix watched in horror.
"Liam..."
"Do something!"
"I can’t."
"Pix!"
"It’s not the creature controlling the energy."
Liam froze.
"What?"
Pix pointed toward Lydia.
"The dimension is reacting to her."
The small copy began glowing even brighter.
The creature extended its arms.
As if it were waiting to receive something.
Liam understood.
’It’s not trying to attack Lydia.’
’It’s trying to use her.’
The creature wanted her energy, but it didn’t seem to want to kill her.
It wanted to absorb whatever was inside her.
"Let her go!"
Liam charged forward.
The invisible force struck him again.
He fell to the ground.
"Liam!"
Chloe tried to approach.
But the energy pushed her back as well.
The small copy trembled.
Then a message appeared in front of Liam.
[Lydia: Liam...]
He looked up.
[Lydia: I’m scared.]
Liam’s heart stopped.
He got back to his feet.
"Don’t be scared, sweetheart."
The creature began absorbing even more energy.
Liam tightened his grip on his pistol.
"I’m not going to let anything happen to you."
The small copy looked at him.
And her body began to change.
Liam’s eyes widened.
’What’s happening?’
A new form began to appear over the small slime’s body.
Something Lydia had never done before.
Pix watched the transformation.
"Liam..."
"What?"
"I don’t think the creature found a source of energy."
Pix looked at Lydia.
"I think it found something much more important."