"ARTUR, WAIT!!!"
Artur ignored Robert's shout as he focused on the camp ahead. Even though he had only seen her from behind, he was convinced that the figure he glimpsed earlier was Anna.
He couldn't be mistaken; Anna was the first person he saw when he was born. When Cila gave birth to Artur, she immediately fainted, and it was Anna who bathed and cared for him until Cila woke up. Every time he returned from school, Anna was the one who was always eager to hear his stories.
Artur would never misidentify Anna, even if he only saw the back of her hair.
Why was Anna in the demon camp?
Where had she been all these years?
What happened to her?
Why didn't she come back home?
What could have happened that prevented her from returning home?
Various questions started flooding Artur's mind, making him run faster and faster. Worry crept into his heart as he knew that demons preyed on mana species.
What was happening to Anna right now? Was she about to become the demons' meal?
The thought made Artur's face turn pale. He couldn't just run; he had to reach that place before his worst fears came true.
[Sonic Boom]
Artur's body was suddenly enveloped in blue electric currents. His silver hair stood on end, transforming into a shade of blue. Like a rocket released from its launcher, Artur shot forward, leaving Robert, who was almost catching up, behind.
*WHUSSH!!
His speed was so incredible that the grass he passed through caught fire, and black scorch marks were left in his wake. In a blink of an eye, Artur stood in front of the closed gate of the demon camp. His sword, which had been drawn since earlier, was raised high.
He noticed various invisible diagrams projected on the walls before him, but Artur didn't care. He didn't have time to knock or fight the demons guarding the walls.
So, Artur's choice was to break through.
All the mana flowing within Artur's body, previously used to support Sonic Boom, surged toward the sword in his hand. Converging and colliding, they created a spark of mana, resulting in a massive energy explosion concentrated at the tip of his blade.
Artur's sword vibrated intensely and radiated a blinding light. From the edge of the blade, a surge of tremendous energy burst forth, equivalent to a full-force punch from a Level 4 Constellations Mage. A power that rivaled the full-force punch of the Mana God, revered as a deity in their time.
[LIGHTNING BLAST]
*BOOM!
*CHIRP! *CHIRP! *CHIRP! *CHIRP! *CHIRP!
The explosion, accompanied by the deafening chirping of birds, reverberated through the entire camp. A blue electric current-like light crashed into the gate, effortlessly breaking it down. It was as if a colossal hand had slammed into the wooden walls around, causing them to shatter and scatter into the air.
The diagrams guarding the walls were obliterated, along with the demons atop and behind them. The lightning blast continued its path, engulfing other unsuspecting demons who were still unaware of what was happening. They became victims of a power equivalent to that of the Mana God.
Unlike before, when he immediately fainted after using the Lightning Blast, Artur's current body managed to remain conscious. Nevertheless, the tremendous mana he wielded quickly reached a critical point, taking a toll on his weakening body.
Sweat drenched Artur's body, and his breath became labored. However, he paid no heed to it. He forced himself to move deeper into the camp, surveying the destruction caused by his ultimate spell.
But he still couldn't find the person he was looking for. His breaths grew more desperate, and his vision began to blur. Artur collected his strength and shouted.
"ANNA!"
He was convinced that his voice would be heard throughout the camp. Yet, he doubted if the person he sought could hear him, so he repeated it.
"ANNA!!! IT'S ME, ARTUR! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"ANNA!"
"ANNA!"
Relentlessly, Artur called that name over and over again, but all he received was silence. Until he sensed danger closing in on him. He compelled himself to move, and just before the sharp horn would pierce his chest, Artur's sword blocked the attack.
*CLANG!
However, the demon's physical strength was far greater than that of a human. Without the aid of mana, Artur could only be flung backward when his sword collided with the horn.
He crashed into several tents and tumbled before coming to a stop. Coughing up blood, Artur glared at the creature that had nearly killed him. It was a demon with horn-like tusks on its head.
Quickly, Artur forced his body to stand once again. There was no time to lie down when facing a formidable foe like this. From the mana stored within the demon's body, Artur deduced that he was facing a Level 2 Demon Core.
However, Artur still didn't know what type of Curse spell faction this demon possessed. He raised his sword and prepared himself. Even though he was currently in a weakened state, Artur didn't want to give up easily.
The horned demon clenched both fists and instantly a diagram formed in its hand. Artur studied the pattern of the diagram, and his face paled. It was the most dreaded diagram possessed by a Level 2 Demon Core.
The Corrosion Curse diagram.
In the demon language, the diagram was called Kawasabocor, which meant rust. It could instantly rust any iron it touched. This meant that a sword without mana coating or one that wasn't a Mana Weapon would be destroyed upon contact with the Kawasabocor diagram.
Not only that but human blood containing iron would also be affected if it touched the Kawasabocor diagram. It would cause the blood to freeze and harden, damaging the veins where it flowed. Ultimately, the victims would die, tortured by their own rusted blood.
However, Artur possessed the Lightning spell faction, allowing him to channel electricity into his body, which could negate the rusting effects of the Kawasabocor diagram. But at the moment, the mana he possessed wasn't enough to fight and nullify the effects of the diagram simultaneously.
So, his only hope for victory was to avoid the horned demon's attacks without getting hit.
[Mana Shield]
A protective film enveloped Artur's body. Though the current mana shield he had wouldn't fully protect him, at least it would slow down the horned demon's attacks, giving him time to evade.
[Lightning Sen--
Before Artur could finish reciting his second spell, the horned demon's fist appeared right in front of him. Artur immediately tried to dodge, but his body was too slow to avoid it completely.
His shoulder was struck by the horned demon's punch, and a grinding sound came from his bones.
Artur was once again flung backward, and his grip on the sword almost faltered.
*BOOM!
"Damn..." Artur winced, unable to believe how fast the horned demon had moved, catching him off guard. The only way he could read its movements was with the Lightning Sense spell, but it seemed like the horned demon had anticipated that he would use sensory-enhancing spells.
Before he could fully recover, the horned demon's fist was once again in front of him. This time, Artur, lying on the ground, had no room to evade. There was only a split second between the moment his head would be crushed and the looming fist.
However...
[Sun Slash]!
Suddenly, a scorching beam of light struck the horned demon. With lightning-fast reflexes, it managed to block the attack with both hands. But the strike was so powerful that it sent its massive body flying.
"Pant... pant... pant..." Artur was catching his breath.
"Are you okay, siscon?" Robert said, now standing beside Artur.
Looking at his friend's angry yet relieved expression, Artur could only whisper between breaths, "Sorry."
"ARTUR!" A loud cry was heard, and a red-haired woman immediately hugged Artur.
"Why did you charge in alone? At least if you want to go crazy and spit in Robert's face, include me in it!" Rini said, full of anger.
"Hey!"
Artur could only smile, "Pant... pant... pant... sorry," he said softly.
"You're hurt," Rini noticed Artur's shoulder, now yellowing from the scratches of the Kawasabocor diagram. She took out three potion bottles: Health Potion, Mana Potion, and Stamina Potion.
"If you want to get intimate, do it quickly. Your madness earlier seemed to have pissed off our host," Robert said, scanning their surroundings.
The horned demon rose again, walking slowly towards the three of them. It didn't seem to be in a hurry, and there were no visible scratches from Robert's earlier attack on its body. Not only that, but several other red figures began to appear, surrounding them.
Seeing this, Artur knew that a new battle was about to begin. He quickly consumed the three potions, starting with the Health Potion, followed by the Mana Potion, and finally the Stamina Potion. Although the potions couldn't fully restore him to his original state, they at least allowed him to fight again.
"Robert, Artur!" Sergei's voice shouted as he entered the camp with the other members of Class A15.
With Rini's help, Artur stood up. Robert took the front position, with the rest of Class A15 students behind him. They knew this was a real battle, and there was no guarantee they would make it out of here alive.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺