283 Confusion
"This bastard," Nathan grumbled, his gaze fixated on the behemoth monster still standing despite multiple injuries marring its body.
The ground beneath was stained with its blood, yet the creature showed no sign of fatigue.
Nathan's armor bore a few cracks, but he himself was still uninjured. However, the same could not be said for Joseph Cranston, who bore the brunt of his own attacks.
Yet, this was not the only thing causing Nathan worry. Another concern was his dominating mana, which weakened him slightly as they battled in a confined space.
The aura surrounding Nathan turned a deep, menacing red, his sword vibrating, disturbing the air around them. The more intensely Nathan fought, the less aware he became of his surroundings, creating problems for Joseph.
Boom
A shockwave pulsed through the air as the monster slammed its leg into the ground, the surrounding space shimmering in response.
Nathan and Joseph steeled themselves, prepared to handle whatever came their way.
Joseph immediately moved behind the monster, leaving Nathan to charge his sword as mana swirled around him. Then, without warning, the monster's eyes began to glow, small red fragments materializing in the air around them.
The creature's blood began to evaporate, revealing a wound, while the small shards hardened, the monster's eyes ceasing their glow.
The space filled with countless sharp objects, a vortex forming near Nathan and Joseph. Inhumanly fast, these shards hurtled towards them, yet Nathan wielded his greatsword with extraordinary speed, parrying every shard.
Slash Slash Slash Slash Slash Slash
Joseph responded in kind, though the monster seemed more intent on Nathan. Nathan's sword darted in all directions without losing momentum, his sword art enabling him to do so.
While countering the incoming shards, Nathan kept his eyes on the monster. He noticed it was absorbing mana to heal itself—something he couldn't afford to let happen.
Nathan's mana erupted around him, obliterating all shards within a 10-meter radius the moment they entered his range.
"One with space," Nathan muttered. The rune of Eirdin became visible beneath his armor.
Nathan's greatsword, now coated in his aura, traced an upward arc. He made a vast horizontal slash between him and Joseph, destroying all the shards and creating a temporary film that blocked Joseph's view.
Nathan vanished from his place, appearing directly beside the monster in a fraction of a second. His eyes narrowed in focus, and his mana erupted even more violently.
Alerted by an unknown attack, the monster braced itself, its mana creating a protective shield.
But when Nathan swung his sword, it disregarded the surrounding mana, and a vacuum of space was created - the fundamental aspect of the sword art Nathan tried to teach Asher.
His sword pierced the monster's skin, and countless cuts appeared, all inflicted by a single swing of Nathan's blade.
As the red film subsided, Joseph saw Nathan closing in on the monster. "What did he do?" Joseph frowned, but he didn't squander the opportunity that Nathan had created.
At present, the monster had sustained numerous injuries, providing them an opening to strike before it could recover.
So engrossed was Nathan in his attack, he disregarded the shards erupting from the monster. Some managed to pierce his powerful armor, but none could penetrate his body.
Joseph was hit by a few shards, the cuts burning from the violent mana of the monster mingling with its blood.
'Is he planning to end this?' Joseph thought as he dodged the monster's tail and noticed Nathan battling the creature head-on.
The mana Nathan was releasing was sufficient to terrify even an SSS Rank Calamity. Joseph inferred that Nathan intended to finish this fight quickly.
Despite its size, the behemoth-like monster was far from slow. It held its own against both Nathan and Joseph, but Nathan's consistent attacks and his bloodline ability gradually weakened the monster as the battle progressed.
Nathan stepped back as he attacked the monster's horns, forcing the behemoth to retreat due to the sheer force behind his strikes.
While Nathan and Joseph were entering the final stages of their fight, things were not as straightforward for the rest of the 3 SSS Rank Monsters.
"Mear Storm," Silvus chanted as a strange silvery energy started to wrap itself around the monster.
"Flame Guide," Silvus cast a combinational spell that he had crafted himself to suit his unique mana technique.
A blue flame appeared, enveloping the monster, yet it didn't harm the other two SSS Rank Hunters.
Five days had passed just like this, and the unease among the masses was escalating daily.
This was due to the fact that no news about any of the SSS Rank Hunters had come in, and until it did, there was no real way to assuage the fear of those concerned about the aftermath.
If an SSS Rank Hunter died, it represented a massive loss for the entire world, as it meant the odds of clearing an SSS Rank Dungeon, if one appeared, went down.
There had never been a single instance in history known to the current world where 4 SSS Rank Monsters or Dungeons had appeared at the same time.
This made people even more frightened as they had seen the records of what happened when an A Rank Dungeon explosion occurred.
Just S Rank Monsters were enough to destroy a city, so they couldn't fathom what an SSS Rank Hunter was capable of.
"Professor, will this affect the World Academy?" one of the students asked.
Classes had resumed in the World Academy, and many students were curious about what was happening in the outside world.
Although they were safe, the same couldn't be said for their families, and not all of them came from rich or privileged backgrounds.
"You guys don't have to worry about it," Elsa reassured them.
"Just focus on your studies, things will return to normal soon," Elsa stated, though even she wasn't certain about what the future held.
However, as a professor, she couldn't share information that could distract them from their studies.
After all, Xander had instructed all the professors to handle any confusion in the best way possible.
"Classes have resumed, so concentrate on learning," Elsa said,
"But Professor, there's still no news about the perpetrators," one of the boys questioned.
"As I mentioned earlier, it's something we don't need to think too much about that," Elsa responded.
"The World Association and various authorities will handle this situation properly," Elsa reassured, and she was correct.
Not only the World Association but various authorities and even the elite families were searching for any clues about this unknown group.
But no traces had been found.
"Okay, enough of these questions, class is over. You all can leave," Elsa announced as everyone stood up,
They didn't know that the man who currently held the most notoriety in the world,
The leader of the infamous Zephyr, was sitting among them.
Asher stood up and went towards Elsa, who was waiting for him.
"Vice Principal Xander told me about the permit," Elsa informed Asher.
"But I would advise you not to venture too deep into the Great Forest," Elsa warned as she tapped on her ID Bracelet.
"The map has been updated in your ID Bracelet, so make sure to only hunt in the areas that are permitted for you," Elsa reminded Asher.
This was the first time a first-year student had been allowed to enter the Great Forest to hunt monsters.
Even many senior-year students avoided this area as the Great Forest housed numerous types of monsters.
Although the information about almost all of them was provided to the students, the risk of getting injured was high in the Great Forest.
Asher exited the classroom and saw Amelia and Damian waiting there for him.
"Hey, Mom is still asking me about that topic," Amelia spoke out as soon as Asher arrived.
Sylvie had returned a bit late, and Asher had already left for the World Academy.
So she had asked Amelia to tell Asher to contact her as soon as possible, but Asher had ignored all the messages he had received till now.
"She keeps asking me about that girl," Amelia stated with an irritated look on her face.
"I will talk to her later," Asher replied, but Amelia wasn't convinced.
"Hey, I think we should set this matter aside for now," Damian whispered, believing Asher didn't want to disclose this information at the moment.
"But, what... Okay, I will just tell Mom that he doesn't want to talk about that," Amelia said, giving up on convincing Asher.
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