Hunting Practice (5)
Four meters long. Matching that, a colossal body of immense size. Every time it moved a foot, the ground trembled.
Prepare. Princess Ariel lowered her voice in command. The thing had sharp ears. We adjusted our formation, bracing for collision with the golem. And right after, its head turned our way.
Thud thud thud! The moment the golem spotted us, its red eyes gleamed as it charged. Its massive frame made it look sluggish, but it was anything but. It was faster than anyone present.
The golem kicked off the ground and hurtled toward us. The combination of insane speed and sheer mass delivered devastating destructive power in itself. Everyone here knew that all too well.
Evan! Don't block it—dodge!
Got it!
No matter how seasoned a knight, blocking that head-on was impossible. The two of them stepped aside from its path. Standing behind them was Rana. She didn't dodge; instead, she moved her arms.
The earth spirit Nok responded to its master's will.
Rumble! The ground surged up in an instant. A wall large enough to block the golem fully formed. Nok didn't stop there, channeling Rana's mana to reinforce the wall's strength.
Kaboom! The wall and golem collided. A deafening roar shook the air itself. The shockwave sent nearby grass and trees whipping wildly.
Attack! Rana shouted.
The princess and Evan charged at the golem's legs.
Evan, hit the center of the left leg!
Yes!
Two blades infused with sword aura sliced toward the golem's leg. But the damn thing's body was tough as hell—such attacks barely scratched it. At best, a 5cm-deep gash.
Evan, seeing the golem still unmoving, tried to swing again, but—
Evan, don't rush. We've got plenty of time.
Yes, Princess.
He stopped at Princess Ariel's advice. I called out to the two as they pulled back.
Keep attacking. I'll make an opening.
I leaped high above the golem's head. It shook off its daze and showed signs of moving. I infused my sword aura with poison and stabbed its head. Even made of solid metal, it couldn't withstand the corrosive poison.
Sizzle— Smoke rose as the head's core began to melt. The golem faltered for a moment. But the pause lasted only a second. It reactivated immediately and rose.
Unless you destroy the cores in sequence, the others regenerate. Still, that split-second was enough. Its massive body tilted to the left.
Hit the remaining one too.
Sounds good.
Another opening. Plenty of time to shatter the last leg.
Magic, go~!
B-Be careful!
That's when the two mages shouted. A magic circle formed beneath the right leg, flames erupting. Unable to withstand the intense heat, the metal melted away, exposing the core.
Through the gap, sharply honed rock spikes burrowed in.
Crack! A fracture appeared on the core. Dien's spell wasn't strong enough to pulverize it. But it helped immensely.
All three of us thrust at once, and the core shattered with a crunch. The golem's lower body collapsed completely. Without its core, that leg wouldn't regenerate.
But it was no pushover. A golem without legs entered its second phase.
The golem's eyes burned even redder. The metal composing its body took on a red hue. Steam leaked from its head. It was visibly pissed.
Right then—
Whoosh! The golem launched into the air using only its arms. It vanished high into the sky.
Moments later, it plummeted back down like a shooting star across the night sky. Accelerating as it fell, it was practically wreathed in flames.
Dodge!
Getting hit means instant death!
An attack maximizing its strengths. Its destructive power would dwarf the earlier charge. Sure, the protective magic would bounce us out of bounds even if hit, but that wasn't our goal.
Cloi, Dien—you two stay way back.
Its targets were the four of us. It wouldn't reach them, but better safe.
Gotcha, senpai~
Y-Yes!
I watched them hide behind trees, then turned to the princess.
You can dodge, right?
Me and Evan are fine, but...
That's all that matters.
Those two had the mobility to evade easily. So did I, but Rana worried me. Her summons boosted her speed, but she might draw its obsessive pursuit.
Besides, our objective was to kill the golem. Just running would let it rampage unchecked.
Rana. Stay still.
Okay, Kyle.
I positioned myself in front of her and took my stance. I looked to the sky. The golem was plummeting straight at us—us as its target.
I circulated mana through my body, gathering it in my arms and sword. I focused every nerve on the falling light. My senses sharpened.
The timing of impact, the force on collision—it all calculated in my head. Soon, the massive metal hunk streaked down in a blaze.
And in that instant, I swung my sword.
Arden Swordsmanship, Form 3 Variant—Tide Deflection.
A thin membrane formed along the blade. Then immense impact crashed over me.
BOOM!!
Crushing force transmitted through. I controlled my mana to disperse it across the sword membrane.
This technique's true worth wasn't mere deflection. The scattered force wrapped around my sword and body. I absorbed it up to my limits.
The golem bore down with its full weight, pressing harder.
Now!
The moment to add power. I flicked my sword upward briefly at the opponent. The coiled force unleashed.
Toward the golem. All the power redirected flawlessly back at it.
A sword art that controlled even natural disasters. Trivial for a mere monster.
The shockwave erupted. The golem, absorbing it full-body, launched into the air. Not as high as its jump, but sufficient.
Rana moved without my prompting. Nok and Silpi possessed her hands. The two spirits manipulated nature at her will.
Compressed air slammed down from above. Reinforced earth surged up from below. Wind and earth crushed the golem.
It flailed helplessly in midair, unable to budge.
Eye contact with the two knights. No words needed—we knew what to do.
Princess Ariel and Evan leaped to its position and struck the cores. I slashed the opposite one.
With the central core gone, its form crumbled. All that remained: massive torso and head. Phase 3 incoming.
Kaboom! Cloi blasted it with her signature 1m fireball, forcibly skipping the phase.
Senpai~ I did good, right?
I ignored Cloi and eyed the torso. Nearly done, but one massive danger lingered.
The red golem's body turned black. Tremendous mana reaction emanated from within.
Wait! That much mana...!
Princess Ariel, with her keenest senses, recognized the peril.
The golem's phase 4 was self-explosion, taking all nearby life with it. The issue: wide radius, and it chased humans.
Solution: destroy the heart core. But as the final hurdle, the torso was its toughest part. Even second-year Evan barely managed it. Current Evan couldn't even attempt.
Rana and Ariel would strain. Cloi could, but... she wouldn't step up.
Rana, release the bind and drop it to the ground.
You sure?
Yeah.
The lower rocks vanished; wind burst from above, sending the torso crashing down. I swung my sword instantly.
Arden Swordsmanship, Form 1 Variant—Mountain Pierce.
A super-high-speed thrust erupted, a single streak of light. The wind blade on my sword cleaved all; the embedded earth's solidity backed it.
And silence fell. Not even a breeze; only the settling hair that had briefly floated.
I sheathed my sword. A fist-sized hole pierced the golem's heart area. The core was utterly erased.
Its color returned to normal. Without a central drive, it collapsed atop me.
Watch out, Kyle!
Wind yanked me away. Rana's wind spirit. It grumbled but obeyed its master.
I was whisked to Rana's side in an instant. The metal slab crashed where I'd stood.
Thanks.
Hehe, you protected me too. Rana beamed happily for some reason.
A team has taken down the zone lord in Zone 1!
That meant the boss was dead. And that I'd finished it.
Hyyyuuungnim! Evan came charging over, totally hyped. I ignored him and plopped down right there. My whole body creaked from the earlier impact and overexertion.
Then soft wind cushioned beneath me.
Good work, Kyle.
You too.
Cloi approached, calling out.
Senpai~ you put in some real effort, huh?
Yeah.
Such a lukewarm reaction...
Just leave me alone, please...
Next came extra Dien, mumbling something; I gave a vague reply.
You did well.
Thank you, Princess.
With the princess last, the bracelet's magic activated. And so the hunting practice ended.
Hahaha! To think just three teams took down the zone boss! Professor Mailon boomed with laughter.
The magic department professor beside him chimed in. For a team thrown together last-minute, that level of coordination... incredible.
No one got hurt. No one dropped out midway. With just three teams, no less. Plenty to praise there.
Above all... students Rana and Kyle Arden showed exemplary teamwork between knight and mage.
To think that wastrel's improved this much. See? Effort pays off!
As the one giving the highest praise among the professors, his words brimmed with goodwill. A total shift from the start.
Ah, not the time. They must be beat—can't keep 'em here.
The professor dashed off and returned with the repair hunt prizes. Boxes, one per person. But no time to check.
Check prizes later. You six head back. Rest up today!
The practice was still ongoing. We were the only ones pulled out. Consideration for our efforts.
Hyungnim! I'm starving—cafeteria?
Everyone felt the same; they agreed with Evan. Guess a quick sandwich wasn't enough.
Growing boys.
My stomach growled too.
Sure.
And so we headed to the student cafeteria.
Princess Ariel twirled pasta onto her fork and brought it to her mouth. Tangy tomato sauce filled her senses.
Delicious...
A taste that brought a smile unbidden. Ariel thought this tomato pasta beat any palace dish. A humble preference unworthy of a princess.
After stuffing her empty stomach and filling up, she glanced left—at the two, no, three of them. Kyle Arden and Rana sat side by side, with Evan opposite.
The two pestered him eagerly.
Hyungnim, prof says eat meat after battle. Try this.
Kyle, want a bite?
This is plenty for me. You two eat up.
Watching him stirred a whirlwind of thoughts. Her mind tangled endlessly with him. What he was hiding. If his words and actions were genuine. And...
That skill level...
What muddled Ariel's head most was the swordsmanship he'd shown today. She knew he'd been training hard since the trial. She'd seen his weekly improvements.
But it wasn't anywhere near that level. She'd seen it during the hunt: Kyle Arden's swordsmanship was at best second-rate.
Deflecting and countering the golem's attack? Uncommon judgment for a student.
Attacking a blackened golem without knowing what it hid? Even veteran knights wouldn't rush that.
His actions were that shocking.
Did his soul really change?
Nothing else explained it. His talent had been rock-bottom at the academy.
But Ariel shook her head. An absurd assumption. Besides, she knew soul possession better than anyone—thanks to certain imperial figures.
Kyle Arden's state was utterly different.
Sigh...
Ariel sighed inwardly, fiddling her fork aimlessly. The motion mirrored her troubled heart.
She'd barely thought of him before, but after Evan's words, her mind tormented her.
Sigh...
The inner sigh slipped out unconsciously. Frustrated, Ariel shoveled more pasta.
Meanwhile, Cloi...
......
She ate while watching Kyle and Rana.
Way too focused over there...
Not quite dissatisfaction, but close. Casual replies to her, more effort for big sis. She knew they were close—rumors of them sticking together pre-enrollment.
She, approaching later, was the interloper. Made her even more irked.
Does sis even grasp senpai's potential?
That dopey-smiling sis probably didn't. Senpai's true qualities.
What to do~
Cloi toyed with her straw. Removing sis would create an opening with senpai. A huge one. No one closer in his circles.
Elraim the watcher? But they'd seemed distant when she'd checked before.
Almost never apart.
Sis and senpai together always, bar classes. No alone time. Her classes misaligned too—no visits possible. Had to play good student.
And then sis spoke.
Kyle, no need tomorrow or next day.
Something up?
Yeah, grandpa needs help. Busy.
Got it.
Cloi smirked inwardly at the exchange.
Timing... perfect?
No one present noticed her scheming thoughts.