"You stupid moron, a detection spell at your level would drain your remaining energy in a matter of seconds. Stand down, Nick. It's an order." 

Riley shouted at him in the loud noise of the thunder brought by the storm his technique created as she strained to slowly move toward him against the strong winds. It was a powerful spell even for someone at her level.

He didn't halt, not for a second as he sent those glittering fragments of his crank flying in the direction of a crystal wall to their right. 

It was nothing out of ordinary then why would he focus only at that part of the floor, was the question crawling in each one of their minds. 

Before they could bring their query to life, his radiating grains moved through the wall like it was not even there. And it wasn't.

He vacuumed them all together back into his palm before reviving his bone slicer into its original configuration. 

But it couldn't hold the form any longer as it vaporized into fumes which he then retrieved by inhaling into his system in a single breath. The fierce storm that immobilized everyone it trapped inside was over then.

"An illusion technique to conceal hidden passageways," Ryan said, his face looked pleased, traces of joy and slight amazement could be found over it.    

He darted nearer to Sir Nick in time to brace him when he fainted in his standing posture and collapsed onto the ground.

"Please madam Riley, I beg of you. Liss's life is in your hands. Save her and I will forever be in your debt." Sprinting towards her, Zoe raised her hands and joined her palms to desperately ask for her assistance.

"This is no time to entertain our ego, madam. You loved her as a sister, did you not? You owe it to yourself to find out." Ryan said, collaborating with Zoe in her earnest attempt toward imploring Riley to consider her plea.

Sir Nick, his body propped against Ryan's, came to his senses and got back on his legs. He then bent forward and began apologizing to Ryan for the inconvenience he put him through. 

And he continued to do so even after Ryan told him that it was fine and that he didn't mind it at all.

The situation got real awkward for Ryan as his inner self chickened at Sir Nick's over-the-barrel politeness, but he wielded his profound acting skills against it as well. 

And he very much managed to shield his cry-baby alter-ego from exposure to the cruel outside world once again.

Riley flinched as she drew back a bit away from Sir Nick when he got down on his knees and fell at her feet.

"Bind my soul in your master-slave pact. For as long as I live, I shall abide by it. My soul will be yours to master. And I shall be but a mere servant at your service twenty-four-seven for three-six-five days of this lifetime of mine. I just want my daughter to live."

Ryan and Zoe, there being absolutely nothing they could possibly do about what's happening in front of their eyes, kept gazing at Sir Nick's helpless situation in desperation and despair. Tears in their eyes were beginning to blur their vision.

Riley had sprung her sight at a woeful Liss lying like a cadaver. And she felt nothing for her in that stone-cold joke of a heart underneath her chest. 

But she couldn't give up on a once-in-a-never offer like mastering a slave soul around just for serving her attitude, which she could do at any time given the power stature of her crank.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's get going." she said, her hand waving over her wrist as if she was shooing off a dog. 

It was her gesture for Sir Nick to quit his knees-palms-forehead-to-the-ground posture. A dim ray of hope seized an impotent Ryan and Zoe and brought a slow smile to their lips.

"But first transfer your soul's entitlement onto me," she said looking at Sir Nick as he stood up on his feet. 

A wry smile twisted her lips, her gaze partly ardent, and at the same time faintly annoyed. The expression on her face could tell she had found that dreadful and unsettling turn of events quite amusing.

"You sly, devious bit..." That sardonic smile across her face, and the glint of sarcasm and mockery flashing her eyes stung Ryan deep into his patience as he couldn't contain himself and lashed out at Riley. 

But before he would say something he could've paid for, later on, Zoe halted him by pulling him back, her hand clasped his wrist.

"Madam Riley, Renouncing one's claim to the soul demands a huge amount of time. And time is what she would be running out of every second we waste arguing." Zoe knew better than to try and reason with her, but she went ahead and did it anyway.

"We better hurry then," Riley replied. There was nothing more appealing to her than the desperate and helpless begging of her fellow team members. 

She'd always been very cocky and full of herself and the most self-centered person they'd ever seen. But that was a whole new low even for her. 

Zoe and Ryan were rendered speechless listening to her revolting dialogues. She didn't just disappoint them. She disgusted them. The smell of her very scent felt sickeningly nauseating to them.

Ryan and Zoe stood far from each other across the room, both clenching onto one end of the energy mat each. 

Creating an energy mat was a two-person job at the least and it wouldn't consume much of the energy of either party. It's like a stabilizer to a high voltage electrical appliance. It wouldn't cost much to have it around, and it would be a lot safer once you installed it.

... to be continued.