CHAPTER 148: [TIME TO THINK]

Kairo was never the kind to be impulsive.

He was never the kind to charge without thinking, never the kind to abandon formation, never the kind to attack his own teammate.

He was precision.

He was discipline.

Until this damned dungeon.

Now, Kairo was doing everything he swore he never would—charging head-on at a monster that dwarfed him tenfold, blood aura boiling like wildfire across his arms.

He could hear the chaos behind him—Zaira screaming his name, Mio shouting orders that dissolved into panic, and somewhere, Mel’s broken voice echoing through the cavern.

If that was even Mel at all.

But Kairo didn’t stop. He couldn’t.

Eli’s terrified eyes were on him, wide and glowing faintly yellow against the dark. And still—Kairo didn’t waver.

He could see it in those eyes: fear. Fear of him, fear of the monster, fear of what he might do next. And maybe that should’ve made him hesitate.

But instead, it just hardened something in him.

Because deep down, Kairo knew—if Eli hadn’t been there, none of this would’ve happened. The chaos. The distraction. The loss of control.

And yet, when Kairo thought about that damn kiss—about the trembling in Eli’s voice when he said "than you"—his entire chest twisted in something he didn’t want to name.

He hated that.

He hated that this small, reckless hunter had somehow managed to throw his entire rhythm off.

’I should’ve regrouped. I should’ve waited.’

But instead—he jumped.

Water exploded under his boots as Kairo propelled them upward, carrying Eli with him.

The octopus roared, a thunderous, guttural sound that vibrated through the cavern walls as tendrils lashed out like whips.

Eli’s fingers dug into Kairo’s arm. He was holding on tight, breath hitching every time the water surged around them.

"Kairo! Tentacle on your left!"

The shout came sharp, panicked—but clear.

Kairo twisted instantly, his instincts kicking in. He caught the blur of motion out of the corner of his eye—a massive tendril slicing through the water like a blade.

His hand moved without thought.

The blood around him crackled, coating his arm as he swung with pure, practiced strength.

SHHK—!

The impact split the air, the tentacle recoiling as a streak of red burst through the water.

But before Kairo could even catch his balance—

"Below you!" Eli shouted again, voice breaking.

Kairo looked down.

Too late.

From beneath them, another tentacle surged upward, thicker and faster than the last, aiming straight for his legs.

He tried to move—tried to shift his weight midair—but the water resistance dragged him down. His reflexes, perfect on land, felt dull here.

He was going to get caught.

’Shit.’

Kairo’s eyes flicked toward Eli, whose expression had gone pale with terror.

The tendril was inches away—

And then—

"N-NOT ON MY WATCH!"

The voice came from behind, loud and raw.

Kairo’s head snapped back just as the ground trembled.

Thick vines erupted from the water, bursting upward in a spiral of green and thorns. They coiled around the tentacle in mid-strike, the spikes digging deep into its rubbery flesh.

The creature screamed, its cry bubbling through the water, thrashing violently as the vines tightened.

Mel.

It was Mel.

He was standing half-submerged, his expression tight, veins glowing faintly green as the vines spread from his outstretched hands.

Steam hissed where the spikes dug in, the monster’s blood bubbling into the flood.

Kairo landed hard, water splashing up to his knees, Eli still in his arms. He exhaled once—sharp, controlled—his black eyes darting toward Mel’s figure.

The hunter’s aura was unstable. The vines trembled, shaking like they were fighting two masters at once.

Eli looked too—his voice breaking. "So it actually is Mel!"

It seemed both Kairo and Eli shared the same realization—Mel could’ve

been controlled. His reappearance was too sudden, too perfectly timed.

But he wasn’t.

The green glow in his veins was steady, his aura strong, not the warped shimmer of someone under control.

And that—thank the gods—officially confirmed it.

The octopus could only control minds when it was invisible.

’So that’s its weakness.’ Kairo’s thoughts sharpened like the edge of a blade. ’If it’s visible, it can’t manipulate. That means it’s vulnerable.’

He wasted no time. Using the living lattice of Mel’s vines as footholds, Kairo bent his knees and launched himself upward. Water exploded beneath him, the shockwave cracking through the air.

He landed hard on one of the larger vines, then another, each step coiled with raw force until—

BOOM.

He vaulted away from the monster, soaring through mist and spray toward his team.

Red aura flared faintly around him as he descended, hitting the ground in front of Mio, Zaira, and Mel with a force that made the water surge outward in a wave.

Eli’s voice barely reached him through the ringing in his ears, but Kairo didn’t need to hear it. His mind was already several steps ahead.

He exhaled once, steadying his stance. "Mio. Mel. Combine your attacks," he ordered, voice crisp and unwavering. "Wrap its tentacles—threads and vines together. Make sure it doesn’t get a chance to move."

The two hunters didn’t hesitate. Mio’s silver threads burst out first, slicing through the damp air in a blur of light.

Mel slammed his palm against the flooded ground, and vines erupted upward in a storm of motion, thick and spiked, intertwining with the threads mid-air. The cavern filled with the hiss of cutting and the whip-like snap of binding magic.

"Zaira." Kairo turned, his gaze sharp but calm. "I know it’ll drain you—but I’m asking this once."

Her jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as she already pieced it together.

"We need time to think," Kairo continued. "Use your ability on the octopus. With Mel’s vines and Mio’s threads pinning it, it can’t escape. Now that it’s off the ceiling, your illusions should hit full range."

Zaira nodded, wiping blood from her temple. "I understand."

"Good. Just keep it distracted. Confused. Buy us time to plan how to kill it."

At his command, Zaira stepped forward, pressing her hands together. A pulse of cold blue light flared from her body, rippling across the cavern. The air warped, heavy and still, as her magic took hold.

The octopus froze mid-thrash. Its many eyes flickered erratically, darting between dozens of phantom images now surrounding it—hundreds of false reflections of the team, each radiating faint mana signatures.

It struck at one illusion, then another, its tentacles flailing against shadows that vanished the instant it touched them.

"Now!" Kairo shouted.