Chapter 146 - 145: Challenge
Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Challenge
Monster Hunting, Day Four.
After crossing the last rugged mountain path covered in glowing ferns, the squad came upon a secluded trail leading uphill.
They followed the trail until, at last, they set foot on solid ground.
With that, they had officially left the Moon Bay Basin behind.
The long-awaited warmth of the sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves, gently shining down on everyone.
The damp chill of the basin gradually began to fade.
Zelir let out a comfortable, long stretch, his mood excellent.
"We can finally see the real sun."
"Yeah."
Bev replied from beside Zelir.
For the past two days, all they had seen was the fluorescent scenery of Moon Bay.
It was beautiful, but the constant lack of sunlight was unsettling. They couldn’t even tell day from night.
Zelir pulled out his map and took a look.
After the dotted line on the map marking the Moon Bay Basin, there were no more symbols for any Demon Creature Communities.
That made sense. The area beyond the Moon Bay Basin was a place where even the most daring Adventurer Squads would not tread lightly.
Naturally, that meant no one had scouted the area for information on Demon Creature Communities.
From now on, every step would be a step into the unknown.
"Instructor Lena, which way do we go now?" Zelir asked.
"Just keep moving forward."
Lena pointed a slender finger toward the horizon. "We aren’t too far from the Hengduan Mountain Range now."
Everyone squinted, peering into the distance.
Where the sky met the earth, beneath the hazy edge of the clouds, the faint, undulating silhouette of a black ridgeline was visible, like the spine of a Giant Dragon stretching for a thousand miles.
Even from such a great distance, they could still sense its sheer scale and majesty.
"So that’s...the Hengduan Mountain Range," Lante couldn’t help but breathe in awe.
Of everyone in the squad, Marcus was the most well-traveled adventurer, and even he was captivated by the sight.
He had never been this far before.
It couldn’t be helped; his Power just wasn’t high enough.
"Alright. From now on, Leiden, you’ll be a permanent member of Zelir’s squad."
Instructor Lena reassigned the teams.
"The Demons we’ll encounter beyond the Moon Bay Basin will be far more dangerous than before. Don’t let your guard down."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.
Something cool and damp landed on the tip of Zelir’s nose.
Zelir looked up and saw that at some point, the bright sky had been completely covered by vast, leaden-gray clouds.
"Looks like it’s going to pour..." Bev said, also looking up as a raindrop landed right on her cheek.
"Should we find some shelter?" Marcus asked, looking at Zelir.
"That won’t be necessary."
It was Instructor Lena who answered Marcus, a faint smile on her face.
With a light tap of her Magic Wand, the scene around them began to change.
A gentle field of wind expanded upward and outward from Lena, forming a vast, invisible dome over twenty meters in diameter.
Every raindrop that was about to fall within the squad’s perimeter was instantly blown aside by the current of wind.
’Is...is this some kind of advanced Wind Magic?’
Zelir immediately looked at his Technique Celestial Calculation display.
But after waiting for a long while, no new task appeared.
’Ah, I see...’
Zelir understood.
It was a high-tier application of the Vortex Skill.
To think that a simple Level Two Magic could have such an effect when cast by Instructor Lena.
It was truly astounding.
The rain grew heavier, and beyond the wind field created by the Vortex Skill, everything was a sheet of white.
Rain hammered against the leaves with a dense drone, but not a single drop penetrated the field of wind to affect the squad.
Seeing this incredible sight, Zelir’s interest was piqued, and he wanted to give it a try himself.
He walked to the front of the squad and, mimicking Instructor Lena, cast the Vortex Skill as well.
However, Zelir quickly discovered that while he could blow the rain away, he couldn’t maintain a stable, precise output of Power like Instructor Lena could.
He either used too much force or not enough, and any area he managed to clear was immediately reclaimed by the downpour.
’My Intelligence Attribute still isn’t high enough... My Magic Manipulation Level isn’t up to par,’ Zelir sighed to himself.
The world was a hazy blur in the rain. Distant scenery was shrouded in a white mist, like a free-flowing ink wash painting.
Rainwater gathered in the grooves on the ground, forming rivulets that flowed toward lower terrain.
The squad advanced steadily toward the magnificent mountain range at the horizon, their figures soon vanishing into the curtain of rain.
...
With no Demon Creature Communities marked on the map, the journey became unpredictable and fraught with uncertainty.
They were attacked several times along the way, but everyone handled the threats well.
Tempered by numerous bloody battles with Demons, the expressions on the Mage Students’ faces had changed.
The naivete they had when they first entered the Gray Wood Forest two days ago was gone, replaced by composure and vigilance.
During these encounters, Zelir generally didn’t intervene as long as the Demons were rated [Simple], letting the other squad members handle them.
However, when faced with foes rated [Difficulty], Zelir would step in and kill them himself.
During one such encounter with a Goblin Community, Zelir took down two Beastman Goblins.
His Experience Points increased, bringing him to Level 14 (298/425).
The silhouette of the Hengduan Mountain Range grew increasingly distinct.
The towering gray trees gave way to rugged rocks and cliffs, and the ground underfoot hardened into typical mountainous terrain.
But...
Zelir, who was leading the squad, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He frowned, his eyes fixed on a boulder the size of a millstone ahead.
There, in the very center of the boulder, was a clean, circular hole the width of a bowl that pierced straight through the entire rock.
Zelir crouched down and ran a finger around the edge of the hole.
The rock around the edges was scorched black, as if it had been melted by intense heat.
’This couldn’t have happened naturally... It’s too strange.’
Zelir’s vigilance heightened, and he warned the others aloud, "Careful. Something feels off."
Everyone nodded.
The corner of Lena’s mouth twitched upward slightly.
The squad pressed on. The surroundings grew unnervingly quiet; even the chirping of birds and insects had vanished, leaving only the sharp whistle of the wind through the rock crevices.
They began to see more and more of the same circular holes in the ground and on the rock faces on either side.
A sense of unease grew stronger in Zelir’s heart, and he looked ahead.
’There’s no way Rivaya could have missed these anomalies. Why hasn’t he come back to report?’
Just then, a series of heavy THUD-THUD-THUD footsteps, growing closer, answered the question in Zelir’s mind.
A hundred meters ahead, among the trees, Rivaya’s disheveled figure burst into view.
Gone was his usual composure and elusiveness. He looked utterly battered, leaping between trees and rocks at top speed as he sprinted toward the squad!
"Demon!"
Rivaya yelled, his voice laced with a rare note of panic.
"It’s a One-Eyed Giant!"
A chill went through everyone at his words.
The Mage Students were unsettled merely by Rivaya’s reaction and expression.
’A One-Eyed Giant... It sounds a little scary.’
But Zelir and Marcus knew exactly what that name represented.
Adventurer’s Association Universal Monster Atlas
[Tier Seventy-Two]: One-Eyed Giant
Individual Threat Rating...
[Challenge]!
’So we’ve finally encountered a [Challenge]-rated Demon...!’
With a deafening CRASH, a behemoth smashed through the trees blocking its path, exposing itself to everyone’s sight.
A One-Eyed Giant!
It was exceptionally burly, standing nearly five meters tall. Its body was covered in overlapping layers of fat, its skin was tough and coarse, and bony spikes even protruded from its joints.
The One-Eyed Giant’s head was massive and deformed. It had almost no neck, its head connected directly to its broad shoulders.
The most horrifying feature on its face was the single, oversized eye that took up nearly half its facial area.
The eye had no pupil; the entire eyeball was a bizarre shade of purple.
Just then, the single eye flashed, and a torrent of Magic Power focused in an instant!
A beam of purple light shot out!
Rivaya, who was still sprinting for his life, felt the lethal threat coming from behind.
He didn’t dare turn his head, relying solely on his Assassin’s combat instincts to throw himself into a desperate dive and roll out of the way!
The purple ray practically grazed his scalp as it shot past, scorching a large hole in the back of his fluttering robe!
The ray then pierced a boulder behind him, leaving behind another one of the circular holes they had seen earlier, before finally slamming into a cliff face and kicking up a spray of shattered rock.
A new analysis task appeared on his Technique Celestial Calculation display.
Aurora Energy Beam, Analysis Progress—2%
The One-Eyed Giant displayed an astonishing speed that betrayed its massive frame. Upon seeing the squad, it picked up its pace and charged straight for them!
"Alright, I’ll take care of this," Instructor Lena said, stepping to the front of the squad.
"You might be able to handle other [Challenge]-rated creatures, but not a One-Eyed Giant."
"Your current Power isn’t enough to face it. Just consider this a stroke of bad luck."
Instructor Manlin, however, seemed to have other ideas.
"Zelir, want to give it a try?"
"I... Can I?" Zelir asked, surprised.
’The difference in our Power is too great. This wouldn’t even be good training, would it?’
"With your current Power, you can’t defeat a One-Eyed Giant. But I can provide gains."
A subtle smile appeared on Instructor Manlin’s face.
"Speed, Power, Constitution... I can enhance all of them, including your Magic Power. So, what do you say? Do you have the guts?"
In the few moments it took for them to speak, the One-Eyed Giant closed the distance even further. There was no more time to hesitate.
Zelir glanced at Marcus and the others, a fervent battle lust igniting in his heart.
’This is a rare opportunity.’
’When will I get another chance to fight with buffs from an Upper Level Empowerment Mage? What’s there to be afraid of?’
"Alright! We’ll give it a try!"