The giant monster loomed as tall as a building, its sheer size casting an oppressive shadow over everything below.
The humanoid giant was a grotesque fusion of sinewy muscles and jagged, glistening scales, each radiating an aura of pure malice.
Both the monster and Alex locked eyes in a fateful moment. A guttural growl rumbled from the creature's chest, rising into a deafening roar that tore through the air. The sound shook the earth, sending waves of dread throughout. The weak-hearted either fled in panic or froze, paralyzed by fear.
Alex, however, stood firm. He had prepared himself for this confrontation, his resolve bolstered by Aurora's steady voice resonating in his mind. "Stay focused, Alex!" she urged, her tone sharp and unyielding, slicing through the encroaching panic.
'I need to get out of here.' Alex thought, his teeth clenched as his instincts screamed at him. 'One hit from that thing, and I'll be nothing but a meat and bone paste smear on the ground.'
His eyes scanned the chaos around him, searching for an opening. When he spotted it, he didn't hesitate. With a determined exhale, he launched his counterattack. "
Summoning one of the most lethal Tier-4 spells in his arsenal, Alex conjured a dark magic circle. From its center, energy crackled and swirled, forming into a spear that radiated an ominous, otherworldly power.
Lacking a spell with sufficient firepower, Alex asked Aurora to teach him one, reminding her that she owed him a Tier-5 spell. However, instead of a Tier-5 spell, she offered him the perfect Tier-4 spell:
Earlier he was wary of using dark magic, fearing the suspicion it might bring. In the eyes of others, he risked being mistaken for one of the very monsters that spilled from the rift.
But with death bearing down on him, caution was a luxury he could no longer afford.
The spear surged forward, tearing through the void like a bolt of darkness incarnate. It consumed the light around it, a streak of black energy moving with unrelenting precision. The weapon struck true, piercing the monster's massive eye.
The monster let out a howl of pain and fury, its voice shaking the heavens. Black ichor gushed from the wound as it thrashed wildly, the ground trembling beneath its rage.
Alex knew better than to revel in his small victory. Acting swiftly, he activated every movement-enhancing skill in his arsenal. Insta-Move and Berserker worked in tandem, transforming him into a blur of motion.
He darted through the battlefield, leaping over debris and evading the relentless swipes of smaller monsters.
"Damn it!" Alex hissed under his breath, his mind racing. Despite its enormous size, the monster's speed was otherworldly. It defied all logic, closing the gap between them in an instant.
Desperation clawed at Alex's resolve as he gripped his sword, its blade glowing faintly with dark energy. Taking a deep breath, he lunged into the air, channeling all his strength and momentum into a single, decisive strike.
The sword's black blade shimmered ominously as Alex brought it down in a powerful arc.
But the monster was ready. With a sweeping motion of its massive arm, it swatted him away like an insect.
The impact was devastating. Alex barely managed to raise a
He was flung through the air, spinning uncontrollably before crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. Pain erupted through his body as dust and debris settled around him.
Aurora's voice cut through the haze clouding his mind, frantic and tinged with desperation. "Alex! Are you okay? You need to move, now!"
Groaning, Alex forced himself to his feet, his limbs trembling with effort. Blood dripped from his forehead, mingling with the sweat that stung his eyes. Tightening his grip on his sword, he looked up at the giant monster.
It loomed over him once more, its remaining eye glowing with a mix of hatred and primal fury.
A sinking realization clawed at Alex's chest. 'Am I gonna die again? For the second time?'
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Far away, atop a towering building, stood a tall woman with a curvaceous figure and a breathtakingly beautiful presence. She observed the chaos below with an air of detached curiosity.
Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back, while her piercing icy blue eyes, tinged with a hint of crimson, glimmered like shards of frost under the sun.
Standing like a goddess overlooking her domain, she sighed, 'Huh, why does a monster rift have to break out now, of all times?' Her tone carried equal parts exasperation and indifference as she contemplated whether to intervene.
Moments before, she had been about to leave the Adventurer's Guild building when she felt it—a ripple in the air, unmistakable. A monster rift had opened in the city.
The Guild Master had intercepted her, desperation in his voice as he begged for her aid. Despite her reluctance, she had agreed.
"Whatever," she had muttered dismissively. "I'll just close the rift. The rest can be handled by others. I couldn't be bothered with anything more." Her plan was simple: seal the rift and leave.
From her vantage point, she could see adventurers already converging on the scene. Ordinarily, she would have left the task of cleaning up to them, but something gave her pause.
She could sense the faint yet distinct presence of a newly evolved A-rank monster exiting from the rift.
An A-rank monster was no trivial threat—it would devastate the city if left unchecked. The adventurers on-site wouldn't stand a chance against it. With a resigned sigh, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Leaping gracefully across rooftops, she closed the distance with swift precision. As she approached, something unexpected caught her attention—another presence.
Halting abruptly, her gaze locked onto a teenage boy, roughly 16 years old, standing defiantly before the monstrous creature.
He had pale skin and pitch-black hair, as dark as the night itself, but it was his eyes that struck her. They were a stormy grey, shimmering like distant stars, filled with an unwavering resolve.
The monster's guttural growl reverberated through the air, yet the boy stood his ground, undaunted by the giant's display of power.
With a single glance, she could discern his power level—he was barely a C-rank. The realization that he was standing his ground against a monster two full ranks above him left her utterly astonished.
She blinked, momentarily taken aback by his audacity. And then, to her astonishment, he made the first move.
With a swift motion, he cast a spell—a high-tier one, no less. Her sharp eyes widened as she recognized the affinity. It was rare, almost unheard of, and what shocked her further was his mastery. The spell materialized instantaneously, without incantation or even a whisper of a chant.
The spear he conjured disappeared into space, reappearing an instant later to strike the monster's massive eye with unerring precision.
The resulting impact wasn't just a scratch; it inflicted real damage, eliciting a furious howl from the creature.
The woman's gaze lingered on the boy, now pivoting for a better position. It was then she saw him fully—his movements sharp, his demeanor unyielding.
A sudden shift in his aura startled her. It grew wild, feral even, as he activated a movement skill and darted through the chaos.
The enraged monster closed the gap with terrifying speed, yet the boy didn't falter. Instead of retreating, he faced it head-on, attempting to fend it off with every ounce of strength he possessed.
For a moment, she stood frozen, her curiosity morphing into intrigue. 'Just who is this boy?' she wondered, as the battle raged on before her eyes.
As expected, the giant monster swatted him away with a casual flick of its massive wrist. The boy was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud.
Blood trickled from his wounds, yet he stubbornly staggered to his feet, using his sword as a crutch to steady himself.
It was clear he was moments away from death.
Watching this, the woman snapped out of her stunned reverie. Her icy blue eyes narrowed with renewed focus as she finally made her move.
'Whoever he is, I don't care.' she thought, her lips curling into a determined smirk. 'He's going to become my disciple. Mine… and no one else's.'
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As Alex fumbled to drink a health potion, desperate to recover and strategize an escape, he noticed something strange. The giant monster's incoming attack suddenly ceased.
Confused, his mind raced to make sense of the situation. Before he could grasp what was happening, his surroundings erupted into chaos.
Blood sprayed in great arcs as the monster's colossal limbs and head were severed with surgical precision, falling to the ground in a deafening crash.
Amid the carnage, a figure emerged—a woman, standing poised and unbothered in the midst of the destruction. Her presence exuded an aura of unparalleled power.
Alex tried to focus, but his vision blurred. The blood dripping from his wounds and the pounding in his head made it impossible to see her face clearly. All he could make out was her graceful form and the gleaming blade sheathed at her side.
Through the haze, he heard her voice, calm and commanding, yet tinged with something almost possessive. "Be my disciple." she said, her words the last thing he registered before his body gave in, and he lost consciousness.
As his limp form collapsed, the woman caught him effortlessly. She cradled his frail body, her icy blue eyes studying his face up close. A faint smile tugged at her lips as if she had found something precious.
"He looks perfect up close." she murmured to herself. "Soon, you'll inherit my teachings—and surpass me. My disciple… It seems as if the world itself has brought us together."
Alicia Valtoria spoke with quiet conviction, her voice carrying a sense of destiny as she vanished with Alex securely in her arms.