Neela's eyes flared open with a jolt of danger, and her instincts surged. Water Essence exploded from her body like a crashing tide. She raised her right arm and conjured a Coral Spear, parrying two of the blades—but the third slashed across her shoulder, sending a spray of crimson into the air.
"ASSASSINS!" she screamed, though her voice vanished into the soundless void of the talismans.
Voril grinned and stepped forward. "You're strong, princess. But we didn't come unprepared. This poison is drawn from the Moon Eels of the Abyss Trench. It disrupts Yin balance... bit by bit. The more you fight, the weaker you become."
Neela's eyes narrowed in pain. Her spiritual core trembled—the poison was already beginning to affect her Qi circulation. Her vision blurred for a moment, and a chill seized her limbs.
But the fire in her eyes didn't dim.
