The Thunder Serpent dissolved into fine arcs of electricity, leaving the acrid smell of ozone in the air. The crow was blown apart, unable to hold its form, and became a piece of crystal bone resembling a bird's skull that clattered to the ground.
Avera was sprinting through that very spot. With a nimble tap of her toe, she flicked the crystal-bone skull into the air without breaking stride and snatched it with one hand.
Fang Zhen could still feel the lingering electrical energy in the air, making the skin beneath his armor tingle.
He glanced at Avera as she ran toward him, a look of appreciation in his eyes.
No words were exchanged, but Fang Zhen's favorable impression of Avera grew—not because of her looks, but because she clearly understood the principle of returning a favor.
He had saved her, and she hadn't proven to be ungrateful.
