God Magnus

His body launched over the river and landed on the other side of the bank, right next to Nikki's body. Hesitating for a few seconds, he checked, panting, if she was still alive.

"Come on, man!"

Oliver placed his hand near her nose and sighed in relief when he felt a faint breath.

"There's still time!" He grabbed his trusty hollow stone and started mixing everything more precisely and carefully this time. The black veins had already spread across nearly her entire body, and it was a miracle her heart was still beating.

It didn't take long for Oliver to see the notification on his forearm:

[Ointment Rank – 1]

[Weak acidic and neutralizing properties...]

"There has to be a way to remove the acidic properties, but I don't have the right tools, or I'm not good enough."

"Look, Nikki, this is gonna hurt like hell, and you can scream all you want. Just don't spit it out. I don't have any more nuts and no clue how to find more. This is your shot at surviving! So fight, woman!"

Honestly, Oliver had no idea if she could hear him, but it felt wrong to force acid down an unconscious girl's throat, especially after experiencing the pain she was about to go through.

Without further hesitation, he opened her mouth and poured the entire ointment down her throatand hell broke loose. Nikki's body started convulsing, and the black veins looked ready to burst. Blood flowed more intensely, and a brutal grunt came out of that girl.

Birds flew off, and small animals scattered. But he couldn't stop now. Swallowing his deep pity, he rinsed the hollow stone with river water and quickly began preparing the second ointment, the one that might actually save her life.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream startled him. When he looked at Nikki, her skin was starting to peel. The blood was now black and foul. Her eyes rolled back, and her body twisted like it was being possessed.

"I went through all this? I knew the pain was hellish, but this… this is the definition of insanity!"

He finished the healing ointment, and the familiar notification appeared. Out of habit, he read it, only to be completely surprised.

[Ointment Rank – 0]

[Weak cleaning and healing properties.]

"More info? Did I change something? No, it's the same recipe... So, hidden properties are now visible? Was it something she did to my body?"

More questions flooded his hyperactive mind, but again, he shoved them aside to focus on the convulsing girl in front of him.

He ran toward the redhead and had to use all his strength to hold her down. She was much stronger than he had imagined, and the adrenaline from all the pain must have numbed her.

After a tough struggle, Oliver managed to straddle her and pressed his knee to her chest. She punched his leg and had tried to bite his hand at least a dozen times.

He grabbed the hollow stone and forced the ointment deep into her throat. He had to use one hand to open her jaw, but in the end, she swallowed all the liquid. For several long seconds, she was finally at peace.

"Damn, finally!"

His arms were scratched all over, and he was sweating like never before. Killing dozens of those vipers would've been easier than keeping one girl pinned down.

"Is this why they say women are every man's downfall? Nikki is definitely a monster..."

His peace only lasted a few seconds. The moment the burning effect of the herb kicked in, Oliver watched the monster reawaken in that woman. He had to tense every muscle just to keep her from hurting herself any further.

Several minutes of wrestling passed until she finally calmed down. That's when he saw the ointment starting to work. The wounds began to close, and although the gaping hole in her abdomen remained, it stopped bleeding.

"This must be due to that monstrous constitution. No other student could heal like this. Not like this demon at least. I'm starting to wonder if she's even human."

Oliver dragged his body toward a tree near the riverbank. The struggle had made them roll meters away and they were nearly in the river. When he laid her down, he covered her with his jacket like a blanket and finally allowed himself to rest.

"Hahahaha! I did it, dammit! She's alive! Fuck you, stupid angel and this whole damn initiation!" Oliver shouted alone, with only the wind in the silent forest and the sound of flowing water keeping him company.

"Silence? Shouldn't the birds be back by now? Or the sound of curious rodents?"

A chill ran down his spine. He'd seen this before. Instinctively, he grabbed his blades and looked toward the damn river. His breathing was already heavy, and it only worsened.

It didn't take long for what he feared to appear.

Slowly, a column of water rose from the river, flooding the bank. Several seconds passed as that thing was revealed beneath the falling water, like the cursed waterfall it lived in.

Its scales were white, and under the strong sunlight, it shimmered majestically. Its tongue flicked the air, and its deep red eyes revealed its albino nature.

"The damn white snake! Fuck, why did I tell Nikki she could scream all she wanted? Her screams must have drawn this demon!"

SSSSSSSSSSS!

Its hiss was just as imposing as always, but this time, Oliver couldn't run. Nikki wasn't going anywhere, and fleeing with her on his back would be suicide. They wouldn't be fast enough.

Its face came close to Oliver's, and he slowly stepped in front of Nikki. His eyes locked with those crimson slits, and his body gradually calmed. Oliver was just some little human in front of a predator that could weigh tons, but behind him was someone who needed him.

"You know what, you vitamin-D-deficient spaghetti noodle, you're not even half as scary as the eyes in my dream. So come on… I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"