Boss Zone Scouting (3)

The tentacles stopped just short of touching me. The Kraken's attack veered off course.

With a horrific screech, it slammed its tentacles down again. Explosions rippled across the water's surface in rapid succession.

"Yulian!"

"Lord Yulian!"

I signaled to the two worried voices through Sylph that I was unharmed.

"I'm fine. You two keep the Kraken pinned down."

The Kraken seemed utterly enraged now that its attacks kept missing. As if it couldn't believe it, it lashed out relentlessly, trying to hit me.

But not a single blow landed.

I hadn't vanished from that spot with some invisibility spell. This was a high-tier 2nd form beast—it could detect even concealed presences with its acute senses.

Yet even with me right in front of it, the Kraken couldn't lock on properly. No wonder it was pissed.

This Dream's Afterimage skill... it's working exactly as I thought.

The Dream Demon trait had evolved, granting me this new skill. Just as the notification described, I could infuse my reality with dream-like qualities.

A hazy, fleeting dream. Like a daydream that lingers in your mind only to slip away moments later. Using this skill, I'd turned my very existence into something dream-like.

That's why the Kraken can't recognize me properly.

It was akin to a perception-lowering spell, but far more efficient.

Since it wasn't magic at its core but a dream, standard dispel spells had no effect.

Boom boom boom boom boom—

Zzzzzzzzt—

In that moment, Rozette's lightning struck once more. Simultaneously, Chloe's alchemy activated.

Both of them have ramped up their attack power. And they timed it perfectly into the Kraken's openings.

As expected from the order representatives. Real combat against a 2nd form beast like the Kraken—and competing in the heat of battle. Whatever they learned here would push them straight into 4th tier soon.

I couldn't lag behind. I heightened my senses further, probing for the Kraken's vital points. Among its countless tentacles, the areas it subtly defended—those were the weak spots.

I didn't slack off in Monster Lore class for nothing.

I kept slicing away the interfering tentacles with Lion Heart Sword techniques, relentlessly targeting its vulnerable parts.

Finally, I thrust my imperial sword into the junction where a tentacle met its main body.

Grraaaaaah—

The blade bounced off the high-tier beast's barrier, but it was definitely a solid hit.

"Yulian hit a vital spot!"

"My lord! It's time to retreat now!"

Chloe was right. Our desperate stand—especially that last vital strike—had shifted the Kraken's demeanor. The flow ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of demon aura around its body changed drastically.

It now saw us as a genuine threat. And that meant the boss's new attack phase was beginning.

I raised my hand in a retreat signal.

"Rozette! Take Chloe and fly up now!"

The Kraken was on the verge of rampaging. No time for hesitation. Rozette swiftly hoisted Chloe onto her magic staff and pulled away from the lakeside.

I maxed out reward mana into an alchemy spell, crafting an icy escape path.

The berserking Kraken shattered the entire ice trail. But by then, I'd already cleared the lakeside.

This is more than enough scouting for the boss zone.

Now it was time to escape this damn dungeon. I rendezvoused with the others and hurried back to the starting point.

***

Breaking out shouldn't have been easy in the first place.

The Kraken had immediately alerted its minions to the intruders. The dungeon's alert level was several times higher than before entering the boss zone.

But our group escaped without issue.

"We can use the return stone here, right?"

For the boss zone scout, I'd prepped an escape route in advance. It avoided as many troublesome beasts and monsters as possible.

And on the way back, we didn't need to sneak around like during the initial recon. So the three of us unleashed our full power.

We wiped out every minion monster and beast in our path, returning to the start. The two-day scout took just four hours to reverse.

"Let's head back. This is plenty for recon."

At my words, Chloe infused mana into the return stone. It flickered, forming a small blue gate.

The scouting mission was complete.

Stepping out, the instructors were still waiting.

A three-day mission in reality time—but it was still the same day we'd started the combat evaluation. Though enough real time had passed that night had fallen.

"Instructor Mithers! The last group is out!"

"No kidding. Did that team finish the full scout?"

The instructors buzzed at the sight of our unscathed trio.

It was an artificial dungeon, not reality, so no physical wounds. But our calm expressions surprised them.

"Three days in a territorialized 2nd form dungeon, and they look totally fine?"

"They didn't just hide at the start point and do nothing, right?"

We must've seemed too nonchalant. Instructor Mithers, among the group, spoke up.

"As if. These three topped the prelim combat eval. They obviously spent the time on thorough scouting."

"True. If they'd slacked off, the dungeon beasts wouldn't have let them."

"Yeah. They'd have retired early, like the others."

I glanced around at his words. The coliseum was cleared out compared to morning. The other cadets had already left.

Makes sense. They sent back anyone who retired or finished scouting early, even in demon king subjugation sims.

We were the last out. With survival and recon as tiebreakers, our late exit meant top results.

"And record mana stones don't lie. We can check. Good work anyway. Lord Yulian, Chloe, Rozette."

Instructor Mithers took the record mana stone from me. He infused mana, reviewing it briefly. His face lit up in astonishment.

"What's up, Mithers?"

Another instructor asked. Mithers held out the stone.

"See for yourselves?"

The reserve squad instructors checked the records.

"They scouted all the way to the boss zone... A territorializing 2nd form beast? Not easy."

"And not just any scout. Look at the route to entry!"

"Minimized detection, optimal path. Too polished for cadets—sophomores, no less."

The recon I'd led matched the combat order textbook perfectly. The ideal method.

Great party helped, but executing it flawlessly is another story.

Mithers scratched his head in disbelief.

"Textbook-perfect is impressive enough, but they triggered the boss's phase 2? Even provoking it is tough..."

"Means the boss felt threatened. Possible for 3rd tier cadets?"

"If the stone's accurate, yeah. No one else in there but them. They did it. Though provoking phase 2 and dying would've been pointless..."

"But they returned safe."

"Exactly why it's baffling. Perfect mission clear. S-rank scouting for sure. If true..."

The instructors eyed a small chest on the ground.

"The badge we planned for them won't cut it. Agreed?"

"Yes. Gap with other Golden Wing squadmates is too wide. Report to order council first."

The instructors nodded. The squad leader qualification badge—our results were bumping up its grade, as I'd hoped.

Can't give us the same as slackers. Fairness issue.

All good for me.

Pantheon activity items synergized double with my 'Official Cadet of the Sacred Academy Pantheon' title.

"Understood. Badges in a few days. Get checked by medical staff first, then head home. Yes, Lord Yulian?"

Mithers wrapped up, gripping the stone again and staring at me in awe.

***

Friday.

Two days post-combat eval. During free period, I was in my atelier.

Before coming, I'd picked up the squad leader badge from HQ and checked it via system.

As shown, the squad leader badge was made from manarite, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a rare mana-amplifying ore.

Manarite. Special metal with mana boost effects.

Prized by all mana users, but hyper-sensitive to temperature and air—loses properties fast.

Forging it was impossible for average artisans.

But Pantheon—especially craft order—with master artisans and funding, could manage.

The badge's effects were huge. My base mana jumped to 100 MP. Enough for two back-to-back White Nights.

They said 1st place badges use purer manarite. Didn't expect this much.

Not just that. Our S-rank extra eval earned rune enchants from the order council—for us three only.

Small badge, manarite material—tough enchant. Only Pantheon profs could pull it off.

Council invested big in future talent.

Chloe at HQ spilled details. Unprecedented for cadets.

Even she, party member, was smug.

...Though the party leader's lead was key.

She credited me outright. This marquess lady seemed nicely tamed.

I read the system's enchant details.

Mine had Tenacity rune. Boosted strength to 30, stamina to 35.

3rd tier swordsmen need ~30 strength for real damage. Solid bonus.

But not perfect.

I checked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the new quest unlocked by 1st place reward.

The ultimate goal of aiming for 1st: Roia's Laurel.

For ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the 6 Temples trials to gain Jedin's power—key item for Roia, god of combat.

Clear this trial to hit 4th tier.

From commoner to 3rd tier in months. But Chloe and Rozette were already there.

For Binding spell, I needed to match, then surpass them. Long road ahead.

Especially my combat order picks—Lucia's skills lagged too far.

Lost in thought, Eirin announced a visitor.

"Young master. Her Highness Lilia has arrived."