The dungeon boss lunged toward Nina with a roar, claws slicing through the air. She threw herself to the side, barely dodging the blow.
Its strike crashed into the stone where she had stood a moment before, splintering the floor with a thunderous crack.
Her Patron's voice echoed urgently in her mind.
[Take care of it, Nina. Quickly.]
"I can't. If I take care of it the usual way, I'll blow my cover!"
Nina hissed, rolling away from another slash.
[And if you don't, you'll be dead. Your life is more important than pretending to be a normal human.]
That shut her up.
Not because he was wrong—but because she didn't have a better argument.
The boss charged again, and Nina ducked behind a shattered pillar. Her mind raced. Her Patron had a point.
But there had to be another way. She couldn't reveal herself, not with two high-ranking hunters nearby.
If she used her full power now, there would be no hiding it.
'Think, Nina. Think.'
