From an outsider’s viewpoint, it was seen that, in the light, shadows jumped aside, hiding in tall grass. When, for an instant, it became dark, they jumped out of the grass and, as vampires, sucked the lifeblood and energy out of the fighter.

Then, in a moment, the fighter lost all his strength; he staggered and fell first on one knee, then on both, and, finally, collapsed on the ground.

The light pulsation was instantly stopped, and the light became dark blue. Bright red creatures, looking like short and fat half transparent snakes with big teeth, started to devour the fighter.

The combat was continuing. Some earthly web-footed creature with big snakelike head and thick and short tail was fighting the enemy this time.

The fighter was persistently beating off all attacks, setting his back against a rock and not making it possible for enemies to attack from the rear. His enemies, fitted with strong long paws and half-round heads without eyes, but with antenna-like outgrowths on their shoulders, were keenly catching the fighter’s every movement.

A big energy octopus was floating in the air, in front of the earthly fighter. It was transparent like water.

Its feelers instantly responded to the fighter’s movements. They copied all motions of the fighter’s arms, as if they were its own arms. The motions were copied by all its feelers over and over again, but much faster.

When the watery octopus hit an enemy, the rear part of the latter flew off, and it was dying in fits, as from an electric stroke.

When its feelers hit an energy ball sent by the enemy, it fell on the ground with hissing and crackling, and then quickly evaporated.

The fighter was retreating and attacking. From outside, it was seen that his enemies were having a hard time. Dozens of them, scattered here and there, were killed or dying. The fighter artfully avoided attacks and then struck, like lightning, effectively using his energy animal.

Carried away by the combat and forthcoming victory, the fighter, however, did not notice that in the process of the battle his enemies were emitting some light, volatile green gas. It was going up into the air, and at some height was merging into a single whole. The process of gas coalescence finished very quickly, resulting in an acid-green cloud.

The enemies felt this. They stopped the battle, quickly moved away, forming a semicircle, raised their paws with palms up, and stayed put. Thin light winding lines came out of their paws and set against the acid-green cloud.

It was quickly changing, taking the shape of a tube aimed at the earthly fighter. Soon the tube was formed in full and compressed. Suddenly, a blue fire lightning, aimed directly at the fighter, dashed with a crash out of the middle of the tube.

At the same moment, it was blocked by a barrier – the energy octopus co-opted the whole power of the produced blow. The blow was followed by a short sharp whizz.

The energy octopus got out of the earthly fighter’s hand. Its feelers were producing spasmodic, aimless movements. The whizz was heard again.

«It looks like the octopus started sucking something in», Julia thought.

Its transparent watery body was being filled with bright golden dust, overflowing from the fighter’s reservoir on his back. Its feelers were becoming shorter and shorter. Their contents were being swollen until the feelers disappeared entirely. One big ball was formed, filled with bright golden dust. In the background of the swelling whizzing orb, small lightning was rushing among specks of dust.