Chapter 101 Chapter 25.3 - Joint dungeon
"Get ready for the battle."
With Irina's words, everyone's attention turned to the monster standing there.
The Lesser Magma Wyrm loomed before us, its fiery scales glinting ominously in the torchlight.
"Grrrr...."
Its eyes, a fierce orange hue, were fixed on us, and it let out a deep, rumbling growl.
It was a type of draconic monster that was on the lesser part of the evolutionary tree.
"It's a Lesser Magma Wyrm, alright," Nora whispered, her grip tightening on her sword. "This is going to be tough."
'Ho….It seems she did her homework.'
Even though the academy is cruel when it comes to practical exams, they are also fair. The academy knows not all Hunters excel in combat, and there are several of those that pursue utility in this place. And to test those skills, the monsters we encounter inside this place would always be taught in lessons before entering the dungeon.
But, of course, since we learn about quite a lot of monsters, only those who are either lucky or those who know everything would be rewarded in that aspect.
It seemed like Nora was on the latter side.
Byron, trying to muster his waning bravado, took a step forward. "Fear not! Together, we shall conquer this creature!"
It was as if he had just come from a medieval world-based novel.
"Pffft…."
Even Nora and Erika, the mage of the other party, couldn't contain their laughs at what Byron just said.
"What is so funny?"
"Nothing."
"Tch."
Though, seeing him grumbling, they didn't say anything. And simply pursed their lips.
"ROAR!"
However, someone was not happy at the fact that its space was intruded, and the intruders seemed to laugh at its face. Even monsters somehow had a pride, it seemed.
THUMP!
As the Magma Wyrm released a hearty roar, it lunged, its fiery maw open wide.
SWOOSH
Irina reacted quickly, attempting to unleash a stream of fire, only to see it absorbed and negated by the creature's fiery nature.
"Tch."
The fire mage gritted her teeth, frustration evident in her glare towards Byron. The monster's resistance made her main offensive abilities nearly useless in this battle, and this was what I was implying.
The creatures born in a fire-type field would be harder to get damaged by fire-related skills, and this was the proof.
SWOOSH
However, she immediately turned her attention to the front once again as she dodged the maw of the monster by blasting herself back.
"Nora, George."
Calling Nora and George, she immediately signaled them both with her head.
"Got it." "Yes."
Nora and George moved to the front, expertly coordinating their attacks to distract the creature.
'Ho…..Their teamwork improved…..' Looking at them like that, they were different from the time when I commanded them. It seems they took it seriously when I showed them their weaknesses while training.
THUD!
George's shield crashed with the monster as he absorbed the effects of the attack.
"HA!"
SLASH!
Immediately, Nora jumped over George, her sword slashing the Magma Wyrm's face with her skill activated as mana concentrated on her sword.
SPURT!
And following that, a small wound appeared on the monster's face, blood spurting from there.
ROAR!
The monster released another roar filled with pain.
THUD!
The two immediately got behind George while I distanced myself from the boss.
"Support them!"
Byron shouted as he conjured a small mana barrier to fend off the attack of the boss.
'He is quite good for an extra.'
It seemed even though he was an extra; there was a reason for him to become a captain of the team. The other members were also not bad, as Jake, the tank, immediately went to protect the mage, and Leon increased the distance just like me.
Of course, that should have been like that since they were students of one of the best Hunter academies.
"Jake, join George and take the aggro. Erika, can you use a water-attributed attack?"
"No. I am not proficient enough to damage it."
"I see. Then, make sure to support us from behind. Leon, you will cover us from behind and will look for opportunities to strike lethal points. Clear."
"Yes."
"Good, let's go."
With those words, immediately, Byron grabbed his sword and dashed to the monster just like Nora with Jake behind him.
SWOOSH!
The battle was a noisy one, filled with the struggle of inexperienced fighters coming face to face with a strong monster that countered them.
The Magma Wyrm, with its scorching breath and mighty tail, proved to be a significant challenge for the team that had just grouped up.
Even though Byron and Irina were not that bad at leading, they were still not good enough. The orders they gave sometimes clashed with each other, making it harder to fight.
Moreover, Byron and Nora, though displaying enthusiasm and courage, were far from flawless.
Their attacks often lacked synchronization, leaving openings for the Magma Wyrm to counter. Their swings and strikes were filled with vigor but lacked finesse, at times colliding with each other rather than the intended target.
And there was Irina.
BOOM!
"Tch…..This bastard!"
Irina's frustration grew with every failed fire spell, the creature's resistance destroying her attempts to deal significant damage.
She grumbled in annoyance, her confidence taking a hit as she struggled to find an effective way to contribute to the fight.
"Why is this bastard out of all monsters?"
Of course, it was a response I was expecting from her. As a hot-blooded kid who always did everything she wanted and beat everyone without tasting the defeat, this would be the first time her spells hadn't worked.
However, even though her attacks didn't deal significant damage, they were still quite effective, thanks to the team's efforts.
'Especially that girl, Erika. She is quite good at supporting.'
Most mages had egos and they disliked supporting and they would boast about their attacking spells. But, Erika was pretty good at reading the enemy and adjusting herself for her team.
Whenever Irina tried to hit with a spell, she immediately conjured an ice-attributed spell and attacked the same place where Irina's spell hit. The change of the temperature from hot to cold would always disturb the monster's balance.
George and Jake were also quite good at managing the fighting scene. There was a weird assumption of the tank role being easy, but that is far from being true. As a tank, one needs to know when to take aggro and when to leave it.
And they were doing it quite fine, even though it was still far from being perfect.
And lastly, Leon.
SWOOSH SWOOSH
'To think this guy boasted for being a good archer.'
If that was what the academy offered for archers, the quality was quite low. I now understood why the level disparity was this high for archers.
His arrows were strong, and his mana control was not bad, but he lacked one important thing.
'His intervals for attacking are the worst I have seen so far and his positioning is also questionable.'
For a ranger, that was one of the most important things, and the way to acquire it was not through the status window.
Turning my attention to the fight once again, I observed what Irina was doing. Her eyes were on the blade Nora holding as she sighed.
'The fight will be over soon.'
And just as to prove my point, Nora's blade slowly started shining as she looked surprised.
"What is this?"
"It is an enchantment."
"Enchantment."
"Yes. Be careful, though. It will be quite strong."
As Irina spoke while gesturing to Nora's sword, Nora also turned her attention there, and before her eyes stood a shining plasmic weapon.
'So, you finally understood.'
Every monster has a weakness that could be exploited, and the Magma Wyrm also had one. Even though it was resilient to fire and his skin was tough, once you went past that skin, the body underneath was weak.
And how could you go past behind a tough skin? By concentrating the energy on one point. The fire magic she had used was the most destructive, but that destructiveness didn't focus on one point but rather on a general surface, and this was where her attacks became useless.
Everything in this world can burn; the only important thing is when.
That was the same as Nora and Byron.
Their swords didn't contain enough strength to simply cut through the tough skin of the monster, but that was different now.
"Understood. I will be careful." As she finished assessing her weapon, she looked at the battle. Jake and George were fending the monster off, and it was not that hard
SWOOSH!
Nora, her eyes gleaming with a clear desire and fighting spirit, lunged at the Magma Wyrm with her enchanted blade. The plasmic weapon cut through the air, trailing a shimmering arc as it descended upon the creature.
SLASH!
The blade connected, finding its mark and cutting through the Wyrm's tough exterior.
SPURT!
A spray of molten blood erupted from the wound, and the creature roared in pain, momentarily disoriented.
ROAR! FUSH!
However, the Magma Wyrm was a monster that honed its instincts. Thus, it quickly realized the threat. It first released a loud roar, and following that, it released a wave of vapor, blasting everyone off.
Then, it shifted its massive body, instinctively guarding the vulnerable area and allowing its natural regeneration to start healing the wound.
"It's healing itself!"
Nora exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice. The feeling of elevation from her initial success was tempered by the realization that the Wyrm could heal its injuries.
"It's not over yet," Byron encouraged, eyeing the situation. "We just need to find a way to bypass its regeneration."
He darted in, his blade whistling through the air as he sought to distract the creature, keeping it focused on him.
Meanwhile, George and Jake took turns drawing the monster's attention, using their roles as tanks and diversions. Their coordination had improved, their movements more precise and calculated. They were not ranked in the middle high for no reason.
But, then, even though the group found a way to defeat it, they lacked the strategy.
Despite their efforts, the Wyrm's regeneration seemed insurmountable.
The beast was adapting, becoming more aggressive as it countered their attacks. It was a race against time; they needed to finish the fight before the creature overwhelmed them.
Irina's face looked frustrated as she looked at the wound they had made. She knew her options were limited, and she needed to find a solution quickly.
And she finally looked at me, her face looking annoyed.
"You."
And she called. But of course, I didn't respond. After all, my name was not you but rather something else.
"Sigh…..Astron…."
Understanding what I was doing, she released a sigh, looking at me.
"Can you deal with it?"
It was a phrase containing five simple words, but those words were the ones that showcased she believed in my skills.
"I can. You just need to open the way." I simply replied, looking at the blazing sword in Nora's hand. If she cut the monster, I could easily follow her attack with my arrows, destroying the monster from the inside.
"..."
She looked skeptical for a second, probably measuring the pros and cons of accepting that fact. If she accepted it, she would need to change her attitude probably. But even while she was thinking, she still supplied the magic she was using.
'She really deserves her seat.'
She was doing three things at the same time, and that was why she was ranked this high. For her, using fire magic must be a reflex, just as it should be.
"Come on! Leon just hit him from here."
"I fucking know it. Do you think it is that easy?"
At that moment, her eyes picked up the sound of Leon and Byron chatting. Byron was urging Leon, the archer of the other party, to attack the monster from the place Nora had wounded, but Leon's aim was quite off.
"Tch."
Seeing it, she clicked her tongue as she turned her attention to me.
"Do it."
"Really? I think you should say it like you are talking to a 'person,' not a tool."
"..."
"I will ask you this only once. Do you believe those rumors?"
"…. Shouldn't I have?"
"I am not asking you if you should. I am asking you whether you believe them or not?"
"..."
As she stood there without answering and only looked at me with annoyance, I got my answer.
'In the end, you are no different.'
I thought as I grabbed my bow and nocked an arrow.
"This prejudice of yours…..One day, it may bite; you should be careful."
Eyes of Hourglass.
Dash.
The moment I activated my skills, I felt the time around me slowing down, as well as my body feeling lighter. My head started hurting since information continuously started pouring down from all around.
I focused my vision around on the wound of the monster as I aimed my bow.
SWISH!
With my arrow imbued in the color of green, I attacked the monster from the side.
SWISH!
Following that, the moment the first one hit the mark, I fired the second one, this time using my blue-colored mana.
In a matter of a second, I fired two arrows, each filled with a huge amount of magical power.
THUD!
The first one simply reached the wound, marking it.
THUD! BOOM!
And the second one followed the green tendrils the first one created. The moment the second one hit, an explosion occurred from inside of the monster.
SPURT!
With the blood pouring from the wound.
THUD!
And with a final sound, the monster fell to the ground, its body lying on the ground.
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