[Ground Floor of the School Campus]
Masha, Axel, and Zane sprinted through the dimly lit corridors of the underground levels, their breaths ragged, hearts pounding with urgency. They had seen the raw power Sam wielded, and they knew that if he was trusting them with a task, it had to be of utmost importance. There was no time to waste.
"Are we close?" Zane asked, his voice tight with anxiety.
"We're almost there," Masha replied, her eyes darting to the map etched into her mind. "The mana storage is just ahead."
But as they rounded the final corner, their path was suddenly blocked by a massive figure—a hulking Orc, its skin a dark, mottled green, its eyes burning with a savage intelligence. The creature was easily twice their height, its muscles rippling under its thick hide. It carried a massive battle axe, the blade stained with the blood of those who had crossed its path.
The three Imperial Students skidded to a halt, their eyes widening in shock and horror. They had trained for years, faced countless challenges, but nothing could have prepared them for this. Orcs were known to be physically powerful and nearly immune to magic—an enemy few could defeat in a one-on-one fight, let alone in a confined space like this.
The Orc let out a guttural roar, the sound echoing through the narrow corridor. It raised its axe, its gaze locked on the students, ready to strike them down where they stood.
"This… this is bad," Axel muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Magic doesn't work on these things…"
Zane clenched his fists, his mind racing. "We have to get past it. If we don't, we'll never reach the mana storage in time."
Masha, her face pale but determined, stepped forward. "We've faced worse odds before," she said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. "We decided to sacrifice our lives the moment we became Imperial Students, remember?"
Axel and Zane exchanged glances, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. But then, to their surprise, Masha let out a small, nervous laugh. "Besides, if we do this together, the chances of us dying are pretty low, right?"
Zane couldn't help but smile, the tension easing just a bit. "Right. We've gotten out of tight spots before. We can do this."
Axel nodded, his resolve hardening. "Together."
Masha, Axel, and Zane stood their ground, their resolve hardening as they faced the towering Orc. It was a battle they weren't sure they could win, but they had no choice. The fate of the school, and perhaps their lives, hung in the balance.
As the Orc roared, raising its massive axe for a devastating strike, a chill ran down Masha's spine. She could feel the overwhelming power of the creature—its physical strength far surpassing anything they had encountered before. And yet, they had to move forward.
"Together!" Masha shouted, and the three Imperial Students launched into action, their movements synchronized by years of training and trust.
Zane was the first to engage, darting in with incredible speed, his blade aiming for the creature's vulnerable spots. But as his sword struck the Orc's thick hide, it barely left a scratch. The Orc swung its axe in response, and Zane had to leap back, narrowly avoiding a blow that would have split him in two.
"Damn it, it's like cutting through stone!" Zane hissed, frustration evident in his voice.
Axel flanked the Orc from the side, his daggers flashing in the dim light as he aimed for the creature's eyes. But the Orc was quicker than expected, raising an arm to block Axel's attack and then retaliating with a powerful backhand that sent Axel crashing into the wall.
Masha, witnessing her comrades' struggle, knew they were outmatched. The Orc was too strong, too resilient. Magic, their usual trump card, was useless here. She needed to find a way to weaken it—or at least buy them some time.
But as she prepared to cast a spell, she suddenly felt a presence—Sam's presence. It wasn't physical, but a whisper in the back of her mind, a connection forged by desperation and the bond they had formed in this battle.
"Please don't die," Sam's voice echoed in her thoughts, filled with a quiet determination that cut through her fear. Masha knew Sam was still fighting the boss, holding his own against an enemy just as formidable as the Orc they faced. But despite the distance, he was reaching out to them, urging them to hold on, to survive.
"We can't let him down!" Masha cried, steeling herself for the next round of the fight.
The three of them pressed on, their attacks becoming more desperate, more focused. Flashbacks of their training, their moments of camaraderie, and the sacrifices they had made as Imperial Students flashed through their minds. Each strike they landed, each blow they endured, was a testament to their unbreakable bond.
Zane remembered the day they had first met, their youthful arrogance pushing them to train harder than anyone else. Axel recalled the countless nights they had spent studying together, driven by their shared dream of protecting the kingdom. Masha thought of the promises they had made—to each other and to those they had sworn to protect.
But the Orc was relentless. It shrugged off their attacks as if they were mere annoyances, its rage growing with each passing moment. The students were exhausted, their strength waning, their bodies battered and bruised.
Just when it seemed the Orc would overpower them, Masha saw an opening—a momentary lapse in the creature's defense. Summoning the last of her strength, she charged forward, her sword aimed at the Orc's exposed side.
"Now!" she shouted, and Axel and Zane followed her lead, attacking in unison.
Their combined assault hit the Orc with the force of their resolve, driving their weapons into its flesh. The Orc let out a final, deafening roar, its body convulsing before it collapsed to the ground, defeated at last.
The three students stood over the fallen beast, panting heavily, their bodies trembling from the effort. They had won, but the victory felt hollow. They were too weak, too drained to continue.
[Ground Floor of the School Campus]
Up above, Sam was locked in his own battle. The boss he faced was formidable, a seasoned warrior with an arsenal of dark magic and combat skills honed by years of experience. But Sam, fueled by his determination to protect everyone, fought with a relentless ferocity that left the boss struggling to keep up.
The fight was intense, a clash of power and skill, but Sam was never truly in danger. He was in control, his movements precise, his strikes powerful. The boss threw everything he had at Sam—dark spells, physical attacks, and cunning traps—but Sam countered each one with ease. He moved with a confidence born of his previous life's experiences and the sheer power he now wielded in this world.
Despite the boss's efforts, Sam gradually gained the upper hand. It was a battle of attrition, and the boss, despite his strength, began to falter. Every time the boss tried to retreat or cast a powerful spell, Sam was there, his speed and precision overwhelming.
"This is taking too long," Sam muttered under his breath as he dodged another dark spell, the ground beneath him cracking from the impact. He could feel the energy from the mana storage growing unstable below them. Time was running out.
With a final surge of effort, Sam decided to end it. He dodged a wild swing from the boss and closed the distance in an instant, his fist glowing with intense red energy. The boss's eyes widened in shock as Sam drove his fist into his chest, the impact sending a shockwave through the air.
The boss gasped, his eyes locking with Sam's in disbelief. "How… how are you this powerful?"
Sam didn't answer. He simply twisted his fist, the red energy exploding outward, obliterating the boss's chest and sending him crashing to the ground, lifeless. The fight was over.
Sam stood over the fallen boss, his breath steady, his body radiating a calm yet powerful aura. "Should've ended this sooner," he muttered, brushing the dust off his hoodie. But as he did, he sensed something was wrong—something much worse than the battle he had just won.
The ground beneath him rumbled ominously, and he felt the surge of dark energy from the mana storage below. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening. The mana storage was nearing a catastrophic failure, and Masha, Axel, and Zane were too weak from their fight to stop it.
I need to get to them… now! Sam thought, his body moving before his mind had fully processed the situation. He dashed toward the underground levels, his speed leaving a trail of red light in his wake.