Chapter 103: Discovering Oneself

That was why nobody complained about the danger anymore. Tina and the others wanted to become someone like Alex. Who wouldn’t want to stand before terrifying monsters and still come out victorious?

Because of that, they were taking every battle much more seriously than before, even if it meant exposing themselves to greater danger.

...

Alex watched the battle while continuing to refine Mana Sense Spell. A portion of his mind remained focused on improving the expanding mana ring while using it to make sure no monsters were planning to ambush them as everyone’s attention stayed on the fight. Other portion of his focus remained on his companions.

He could see how determined they were. Every one of them was willing to take risks they would have avoided just an hour ago if it meant winning the battle. Watching them, Alex couldn’t help but wonder if his fight against the mantis had changed something.

Were they trying to become stronger by taking the same kinds of risks he did?

Surely not.

Contrary to what they probably believed, Alex took risks, but he had never fought with his mind drowning in despair, desperately struggling to survive. Well, that had been true at the very beginning, when everything was still unfamiliar and he had been figuring things out.

Now, if he was being honest with himself, he enjoyed the battles far more than he probably should, and he wanted to improve himself even if it brought risks.

That realization was both surprising and a little concerning. He wasn’t sure what it said about him, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. Pushing those thoughts aside, Alex returned his full attention to the battle just as the second Doom Bull reached Tina.

She jumped sideways at the last possible moment, narrowly avoiding the Doom Bull’s charge. As her feet landed, she twisted her waist and drove a full-powered punch toward the monster’s temple. Alex raised an eyebrow as he watched the movement.

He recognized it immediately. It was something he had done during one of his own fights, and Tina had clearly been trying to imitate it. A faint smile appeared on his face, though he already knew the attack alone wouldn’t be enough.

The punch landed with a loud thud, causing the Doom Bull’s head to jerk slightly. Instead of falling, however, the monster merely shook its head before swinging its horns sideways in an attempt to impale Tina. She quickly moved out of its path, avoiding the attack by a narrow margin.

Kevin was already in position on the opposite side. He swung the rebar with both hands, and just before it connected, Body Reinforcement Spell likely surged through his arms. The strike became faster, and it landed heavily against the Doom Bull’s neck.

Once again, the attempt was good, but it wasn’t enough. The Doom Bull staggered for a moment before roaring in anger and turning toward Kevin. By then, Kevin was already moving towards Ophelia alongside Tina.

The Doom Bull paused for the briefest moment as it turned to face them. A sharp bang echoed through the street, followed by a small streak shooting through the air. The projectile pierced straight through one of the monster’s eyes before reaching its brain.

The massive beast collapsed immediately. Tina and Kevin had never intended to finish it if they failed on their first attempt. Their job then became to create an opening, and Rae had calmly taken advantage of it.

At the same time, Ophelia’s team found themselves in a far more dangerous situation. The first Doom Bull hooked one of its horns beneath Ophelia’s shield before violently jerking its head upward. The shield flew out of her hands and skidded across the road.

Alex couldn’t see her expression from where he stood. Even so, the slight twitch in her arms told him enough. The impact had almost certainly injured her hands.

Surprisingly, Ophelia didn’t retreat. She remained crouched in place as the Doom Bull lowered its head for another charge. The monster rushed directly toward her, its horns aimed at her chest.

Alex continued watching without moving. He could tell Ophelia was terrified because her muscles twitched involuntarily, but she still forced herself to wait. Only when the horns were inches away, and Alex was about to intervene, did she finally act.

Aura likely surged through her body, and she rolled sharply to one side. The burst of speed was sharp and fast. The Doom Bull missed her completely before crashing headfirst into a parked car. Its horns pierced through the metal and became firmly lodged inside.

The monster immediately tried to pull itself free. It even managed to lift one side of the car, but the weight prevented it from escaping immediately. That brief delay was all Tina needed.

She rushed into the Doom Bull’s blind spot and unleashed three rapid punches against the same spot on its head. None of the punches were especially powerful on their own, but each landed before the force of the previous one had completely dissipated.

The repeated impacts combined into something remarkably similar to Piercing Punch. The force traveled through the Doom Bull’s skull and shook its brain. Moments later, the monster collapsed, its head dropping beneath the weight of the car.

Silence settled over the street for a brief moment. Alex looked over the battlefield before giving another simple order.

"Go."

Sophia immediately hurried toward the injured fighters while bringing Charlotta along. The two Priests quickly began healing bruises, strained muscles, and Ophelia’s injured hands.

Alex simply continued refining Mana Sense Spell while they worked.

His expanding mana ring was close to completion, but it still became unstable after traveling a certain distance. He repeatedly adjusted the mana density and the force pushing it outward, correcting every flaw he noticed. After several more attempts, the ring finally expanded evenly for the first time without breaking apart.

The mana wave spread outward in a smooth circle before gradually fading into the surroundings. Although the detection was only one-dimensional, its range was large. Anything touched by the wave immediately entered Alex’s perception.

Just then, the healers finished their work. Several notifications appeared before Alex’s eyes almost at the same time.

[Level 10 Doom Bull killed.]

[Mana Sense Spell has leveled up. Level 5 → Level 7.]

..

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