Bren clutched the staff tightly, his eyes wide with awe.
"I've never held anything this precious before. It feels like I'm going to break it just by holding it wrong."
He muttered.
Fenrir, still hooded and calm, gave him a sharp look.
"Then don't break it. Just focus and cast the spells you need to. That staff won't forgive sloppy handling."
He warned.
As if on cue, the system chimed in all their minds:
[Warning: Wide-area attack incoming. Party members advised to retreat to safe distance.]
Karl, the team leader, didn't need a second warning.
"Everyone, back to formation around Bren! Make space!"
The others scrambled, quickly spreading out and forming a half-moon behind Bren, leaving a clear line of sight between him and the encroaching monsters.
Bren's face was tight with concentration, but this time, the fear was replaced by something else—control.
"Flame Burst: Ring of Annihilation!"
He called out.
