“Roar — !”
The Abyss Tearer’s massive body was sluggish due to the onset of its weakened state, but the pressure emanating from the high-level magical beast still made the air stagnant.
“Move!”
Lilith was the first to charge. This time, she did not swing blindly.
On the edge of her flaming greatsword, the fire condensed into a single line, scorching and blinding.
“POINT BREAK!”
She let out a sharp cry, using a combat technique passed down through her family. She concentrated her entire body’s strength into a single point and thrust fiercely toward the gap in the knee joint that Lomio had previously attacked.
*Pfft!*
The tip of the sword successfully pierced through, drawing a burst of black, foul-smelling blood.
“It worked!” Joy flashed in Lilith’s eyes.
“Don’t get distracted!” Elena’s cold reprimand followed immediately.
Countless emerald vines no longer tried to bind the beast but instead transformed into sharp ground spikes. They thrust frantically from beneath the Abyss Tearer into its softest part, the abdomen.
At the same time, her other hand pulled out several alchemy cards, which shimmered with light.
“WIND ELEMENT AGGREGATION — SHARPEN!”
“AMPLIFY!”
Several halos fell precisely onto Lilith and Ibuki Rei.
“Thanks!”
Ibuki Rei’s figure drew close with lightning speed.
While using the blade in her hand as a weapon, she also continuously parried the beast’s attacks to buy time for the team. From time to time, she would reach out to cut at the Abyss Tearer’s joints and wounds, ensuring its attention remained focused on her.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The sound of clashing metal echoed incessantly. Each strike made the giant beast’s movements stiffen slightly more.
On the other side, Annie’s figure flickered through the shadows. She appeared occasionally in the beast’s blind spots, using poisoned daggers to attack the regenerating buds of flesh on its body, slowing down its healing rate.
“FREEZE.”
Karenina’s voice was cold as she raised a finger and pointed.
A bone-chilling cold precisely covered the wound Lilith had created. A layer of frost spread rapidly, stopping the flow and regeneration of the black blood.
In the distance, Kexia’s team stopped shooting at the hard carapace. Instead, they used enchanted arrows with paralysis and slow effects to harass the giant beast’s eyes and joints.
For a moment, under Lomio’s precise command, this makeshift “all-star” team actually managed to suppress the berserk Level 5 magical beast!
“What a persistent beast!”
Lilith panted heavily while looking at the scene before her in disbelief. They were actually fighting back and forth against a Level 5 magical beast on the front lines!
“No, something is wrong.”
Elena’s expression grew more solemn.
“Its regeneration speed is still too fast.”
“The frost won’t be able to suppress it for long!”
Just as she said, although the wounds on the giant beast’s body were increasing, they were also squirming at an eerie speed under the bloody light of the magic circle.
This was a war of attrition. A war of attrition they were destined to lose.
“Our mana…” the voice of a White Queen team member trembled, “is almost at rock bottom!”
“Come to my side.”
Annie, who had not used her alchemy cards until now, pulled out several Grade 2 Mana Recovery cards.
“It seems you weren’t able to prepare everything in advance.”
“Don’t act like you’re completely innocent! You’re the ones who messed up the schedule!”
Despite her vocal dissatisfaction, Lilith could only lead her team members closer to Annie. They recovered as much mana as possible to resist the sense of weakness brought by the magic circle.
“Wait, where is that man, Lomio?”
After recovering slightly, a team member finally reacted.
“Is he not going to do anything?!”
“…”
Elena frowned, looking toward the direction where Lomio had been earlier. The latter looked completely relaxed, as if he didn’t take this situation seriously at all.
“Lomio Arkadi!” Elena finally could not help herself. While maintaining her spells, she turned back and shouted, “What on earth are you waiting for?!”
“Is it still not the right time?!”
“Shameless!” Lilith was also anxious. “Do you not have even a shred of integrity?!”
“Are you all not having fun?” Lomio raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see any problem with how things are going.”
“Could it be that everyone’s strength is insufficient and you require nanny-level service?”
“…”
“…”
“I just want you to understand exactly how much of a value-for-money service you’re getting for 100 credits a month.”
Lomio glanced at the Abyss Tearer.
“Do you like my advertisement?”
“I… I… I like it!”
Suppressing her temper, Lilith practically shouted through gritted teeth. A Level 5 magical beast! She knew perfectly well that in her current state, it was impossible for her to defeat the opponent!
But this guy was just too infuriating!
“Very well.” Lomio nodded. “I’ll make my move now.”
Then, under everyone’s stunned gazes, he turned around and, without looking back, suddenly rushed out in the complete opposite direction of the battlefield!
“?!”
“Where is he going?!”
“Huh?”
Lilith’s brain stalled for a moment.
“Wait!” Elena’s pupils suddenly contracted as she saw the direction Lomio was sprinting.
It was a patch of dense forest that looked completely ordinary.
‘The flow of mana…’
Realizing the potential truth, Elena sensed everything around her. By resonating with the little remaining vitality of the withered plants, she saw it. Within the woods, several figures had appeared at some unknown point, staring at the teams.
“There are people there! They aren’t from the Academy—they might be black mages!”
“Defense!”
Lilith and Ibuki Rei stood apart to stabilize the team’s formation.
At the same time, Lomio’s figure was as fast as a bolt of black lightning skimming across the ground. With the support of the Dragon Ninja class, his pure physical strength had reached an inconceivable level.
“Stop him!”
Deep within the dense forest, a scream of shock and anger pierced the air. It was the voice of a black mage, the same one who had been commanding from behind the water mirror earlier.
*Whir — *
The bloody magic circle on the ground glowed intensely. Three Flesh Golems, even larger in size and with skin shimmering with a metallic luster, suddenly erupted from the ground in front of Lomio, blocking his path.
“You’re only reacting now?”
Lomio’s footsteps didn’t falter for a second.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
With two consecutive Swallow Slashes, the magic on two of the golems was broken, and they were instantly reduced to ashes. Combining the strength of his waist and arms, Lomio swung another slash.
*Crack!*
With one strike, he cut off the arm of a golem that had not fully formed yet. The Blood Kill technique was activated instantly.
Instant cast! Instant kill!
“FLAME!”
The moment he shattered the golem’s core, Lomio released True Dragon Flame Burst once more.
*Boom!*
Five fireballs completely cleared away all the black magic blocking his way, burning the surrounding woods to cinders along with them. This also revealed the hidden figures of the black mages.
“Found you.”
“You… you stay back!”
A black mage extended a withered hand from beneath his robe, tightly clutching a scroll that shimmered with an ominous purple light.
“This is… *Gah!*”
Before his threatening words could leave his mouth, the Dragon Blade had already severed his throat. The immense force sent his entire head flying.
“This is mine now.”
Lomio casually placed the scroll into his storage.
“For the sake of my peaceful and beautiful future life, please reincarnate sooner.”