My Magical Girl System

Chapter 156: A Desperate Cure

Andrey moved first. He dashed forward using Phantom Step and slashed at the giant beetle monster with his Ki Blade. The energy blade left a deep gash on its glossy black exoskeleton, causing purple sap to spray out.

The monster screeched angrily and counterattacked, its sharp mandibles snapping toward him.

Lumy immediately opened fire from the side.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Her bullets struck the monster’s armor accurately, but they only left small sparks and scratches. The exoskeleton was far too hard.

"Bullets aren’t working!" Lumy shouted, reloading quickly. "Its armor is too thick!"

Andrey dodged another attack and replied, "I’ll finish it!"

He channeled more Ki into his blade and delivered a powerful upward slash.

"Ki Blade: Arc Strike!"

The attack cut through a weak joint in the monster’s armor, severing one of its front legs. The beetle roared in pain.

Andrey pressed the advantage, moving in close and stabbing his blade deep into the gap he created. With a burst of Ki, he exploded the energy inside the monster’s body.

The giant beetle convulsed violently before collapsing onto the ground, its body twitching before going still.

Andrey exhaled. "One down—"

But before he could finish speaking, rustling sounds came from all around them.

From the dark bushes, twisted trees, and shadows, dozens of smaller beetle-like monsters began pouring out. Their glossy black shells reflected the dim purple light as they clicked and screeched, surrounding Andrey and Lumy from multiple directions.

Andrey’s expression turned grim.

"...This is bad," he muttered.

He immediately moved closer to Lumy, standing protectively in front of her.

"Stay behind me. There are too many of them."

Lumy gripped her pistol tightly, her face serious. "I’ll cover you as much as I can."

The swarm of beetle monsters charged at them from all sides. Andrey fought fiercely, slashing and using Ki Burst to repel them, but their numbers were overwhelming. He was forced into a purely defensive stance, protecting Lumy while trying to thin out the horde.

Every time he destroyed one, two more seemed to take its place. The clicking sounds of their legs and mandibles filled the dark forest.

Andrey gritted his teeth as he blocked another attack.

"We can’t keep this up forever... We need to find Felix and get out of here quickly!"

Lumy fired shot after shot with her pistol, aiming for the gaps in their armor. Some bullets managed to penetrate and injure the monsters, but most only bounced off their glossy black exoskeletons.

"Damn it... their armor is too strong!" she muttered through gritted teeth.

She kept shooting to support Andrey, but one of the faster beetles suddenly broke through and slashed at her with its sharp forelegs. Lumy tried to dodge, but the attack grazed her side deeply, tearing through her skirt and leaving a painful wound.

"Gah—!" Lumy gasped, stumbling backward as blood flowed from her side.

"Lumy!" Andrey shouted.

He immediately used Phantom Step to appear beside her. He grabbed her waist and pulled her behind him, slashing the attacking beetle in half with his Ki Blade. However, in doing so, several other monsters seized the opportunity and attacked him from the side and back.

Sharp legs and mandibles tore into his body. Andrey grunted in pain as fresh wounds opened across his back and arms. His Damage Absorb skill worked at full capacity, rapidly storing the incoming damage, but the sheer volume of attacks was pushing it close to its limit.

"Retreat!" Andrey ordered, his voice strained. "We can’t fight this many at once!"

Lumy pressed a hand to her bleeding side, her face pale but determined. "But Felix—"

"We’ll come back with proper preparation," Andrey said firmly, supporting her with one arm while slashing away the closest monsters with the other. "Right now, we need to survive first."

He activated Phantom Step repeatedly, carrying Lumy and dodging through the swarm as best as he could. They fought their way back toward the gate entrance, both of them injured and breathing heavily.

They almost reached the gate exit when a large group of beetle monsters suddenly burst out from the sides, blocking their path. More monsters poured in from behind, cutting off their retreat.

"Shit—!" Andrey cursed. "We can’t go back!"

He grabbed Lumy’s arm and pulled her deeper into the forest, running as fast as he could while supporting her. Lumy gritted her teeth, one hand pressed against her bleeding side.

They ran for several minutes before spotting a large, hollow dead tree. Andrey quickly pulled her inside the dark cavity.

"Hide here," he whispered, breathing heavily.

They pressed themselves against the inner wall of the dead tree, trying to stay as quiet as possible. The sound of clicking legs and screeching monsters passed by outside.

Lumy leaned against the tree, her face pale. She looked at Andrey guiltily.

"...I’m sorry," she whispered. "I became a burden."

Andrey shook his head. "Don’t talk. Save your strength."

But Lumy’s condition was getting worse. The wound on her side had swollen badly, turning an angry purple color. Dark veins were starting to spread from the injury.

Andrey’s expression changed. "The wound... it’s poisoned."

He quickly opened the System shop and searched for an antidote.

System: Sorry~ There is no antidote potion that can neutralize this specific venom. It’s a rare mutated toxin from inside the gate.

Andrey frowned. "What do you mean there’s no antidote?"

System: The most effective way is manual extraction. You need to suck the poison out with your mouth.

Andrey froze. The wound was indeed high up on Lumy’s inner thigh, very close to her crotch. He glanced at Lumy, who was biting her lip in pain, sweat dripping down her face.

’This is bad... I can’t do that. She already has feelings for Felix. And the location....’

System: There is no other way. If you don’t extract it soon, the poison will spread to her vital organs.

Andrey clenched his jaw. Lumy looked at him weakly, clearly in a lot of pain.

"...Andrey?" she whispered hoarsely.

He took a deep breath and made his decision.

"...I’ll extract the poison manually," he said quietly. "It’s going to be uncomfortable, but it’s the only way."

Lumy’s eyes widened slightly, but she was too weak to argue. She simply nodded, her breathing ragged.

Andrey helped her adjust her position, gently spreading her legs a little so he could reach the wound on her inner thigh. The location was extremely intimate, only a few centimeters away from her most private area.

He lowered his head, hesitated for a brief second, then pressed his mouth against the swollen wound and began sucking out the poison.

Lumy’s body tensed. A soft, pained moan escaped her lips as she gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Nngh...!"