Third Person's POV
It happened so quickly that he barely had time to react.
The sphere, which he had spent so much effort constructing and maintaining, disappeared into the weapon in the blink of an eye, leaving not even the slightest trace of the terrifying mana fluctuations it had contained.
However, the dark maw showed no sign of satisfaction.
A long, thorn-covered tongue suddenly slipped out from between its rows of teeth.
It curled across the weapon's hilt in a disturbingly lifelike manner, almost as though the creature were licking its lips after enjoying a delicious meal.
Before Ethan could make sense of the bizarre sight, the tongue extended toward his hand and latched onto his skin.
A sharp sting immediately shot through his palm.
The next moment, blood began flowing from the wound, drawn toward the maw by a sinister devouring force that Ethan had never encountered before.
