[Valeria's PoV]
The participants rushed toward the city center, specifically around the Town Hall area. After securing our supplies, Raul and I intended to leave the downtown area. However, when we reached the Town Hall, a horde of monsters suddenly appeared, surrounding the area.
"Create a perimeter! Don't let them trap us or block our escape route!" Elena commanded.
The participants abruptly stopped fighting each other and began working together to escape the hundreds of attacking monsters.
At the moment, I was on top of a building. Beside me, Raul stood watching the monster horde while eating a piece of bread.
How could he be so calm? With hundreds of monsters spread across this area, we would struggle to even reach the finish line. We need to help and cooperate with the other participants.
Moreover, why is the academy allowing such a horde of monsters to roam freely? Wouldn't it be dangerous if they multiplied quickly and threatened the safety of nearby towns?
"Raul... Do you have a plan? What exactly are you observing?" I asked, curious about what was going on in his head.
Even though I had realized that this man was exceptionally skilled at finding solutions in situations like this, I still couldn't quite grasp his thought process.
"Well... I'm looking for a way out of this monster encirclement," Raul replied after finishing his food and taking a sip of water from a pouch. "It's the fourth day. If we don't reach the oasis today, it will be even harder to make it to the finish line before the fifth day ends."
He was right. However, I diverted my gaze to the participants who were fighting off the monsters.
Grooahhh!
I saw Elena, Brian, Scarlett, and others battling a seven-meter-tall giant monster. Their attacks seemed to have no effect on the beast.
On top of that, the perimeter the participants had created was clearly struggling to handle the endless waves of monsters.
"You want to win, don't you? Be the first to reach the finish line?" Raul asked, his dark eyes meeting mine. "This is your chance to get ahead while they're busy fighting."
He's right... On the first day of the exam, I swore I would be the first to reach the finish line. I would surpass all the participants taking this test.
"Don't falter! We can definitely defeat them!"
"Don't let them breach the perimeter and break our formation!"
The voices of the other participants fighting echoed through the area.
But... do I really want to win like this?
"Aghhhh! Justice Strike!"
I saw Brian land a direct hit on the giant monster's leg, causing it to kneel on one knee. But it wasn't enough—the monster immediately got back up.
At times like this, I couldn't help but remember his words when he formed an alliance during the first stage of the exam.
"People who abandon their goals are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."
This monster assault was undoubtedly a mistake on the academy's part in conducting the exam. There's no way the students can defeat these monsters. So, it's not right for me to abandon them and gain an advantage while they're struggling.
I looked back into Raul's eyes and answered his question. "I want to help them. I don't want to win this way."
Upon hearing my response, Raul's expression changed. I had no idea what was going through his mind at that moment.
"Is that so? Looks like we'll be parting ways here," Raul said casually. "Good luck, Valeria."
Hearing Raul's words, I hurried to clarify the misunderstanding. "Hey, I still intend to be the first to the finish line, you know. After helping everyone here, I'll catch up to you, Raul."
After saying that, I quickly jumped from one building to another using my Axio magic, heading closer to join the fight.
Some monsters had nearly breached the participants' perimeter.
Wind Blow!
I fired wind magic at the monsters, sending them flying into the air. Next, I leaped off the building and joined the other participants.
"Thank you, Valeria! You saved us!"
"Yes, if those monsters had broken through the perimeter, we would have been outflanked, and our formation would have collapsed!"
Hearing the other participants' thanks, I simply nodded. "More importantly, how are we holding up?" I asked them.
"Not good," one participant replied. "These monsters... They keep multiplying whenever we cut off parts of their bodies or kill them!"
"These monsters are like nightmares come to life! Did the academy really plan for us to face them in this exam?"
Hearing the participants' accounts, I began thinking about these monsters. If I remember correctly, I read about creatures with similar abilities.
Groaarrr!
A monster's roar interrupted my thoughts. I saw the giant monster rampaging against Brian, Elena, and Geralt.
I hurried toward them, just as the monster was about to kick Geralt, who was lying on the ground after a failed attack.
"Straight Vortex!" I unleashed a powerful wind spell at the monster's leg, pushing it backward.
"Get out of there, Geralt!"
Hearing my command, Geralt quickly stood up and used his fire magic to flee from the giant monster.
"Thanks, Valeria! You saved me!" Geralt said, panting heavily.
"Valeria! Where have you been? We need your help to take down this crazy monster!" Brian called out as he approached.
Everyone had gathered here—Brian, Elena, Geralt, Scarlett, and Ariel. With all of us together, we were bound to defeat this monster somehow. If only that man would join the fight...
"Valeria, how do you think we can stop these monsters?" Elena asked.
Hearing her question, I began thinking again while Brian and Geralt held the giant monster at bay.
Every monster must have a weakness.
These monsters can split and regenerate when killed or lose body parts. But surely, they must have some kind of weakness.
Groaaarrr!
Brian unleashed a flurry of slashes at the giant monster, while Geralt fired his fire magic at it.
That giant monster... I'm willing to bet that all these creatures share one main body, even if they can split into hundreds.
Could the giant monster be their main body? If we kill it, will the rest of the monsters vanish?
"Feel this, Fire Fox Slash!"
Geralt slashed his fire-imbued sword, cutting through the giant monster's leg.
"How's that for a new technique, huh? Take that, you damn monster!" Geralt cursed, clearly exhausted from using his magic.
But the monster got back up. Its leg, just cut by Geralt, began to regenerate.
"Damn, this monster's ability is really annoying!" Brian cursed in frustration.
Groaaaarrrr!
I still don't know how we're going to defeat this monster...
---
[Raul's POV]
There's no mistaking it, this monster is Neracion—a level 10 monster with a troublesome special ability. The participants definitely won't be able to defeat it at this point.
It seems that last night, someone triggered a trap chest in the Town Hall, causing this rare monster to appear here.
This is bad... If I don't find the real body of Neracion, all the participants here will surely be defeated. Earlier, I let Valeria help hold off the main wave of Neracion's monsters while I searched for its real body.
—Keyarooo!
Ahead of me, three fake Neracions are approaching.
Sliding between their legs, I easily pass through them. I can't kill them; they will only multiply if I do.
Leaping onto a building to get a wider view, I continue searching for the real Neracion. It has a red belly that distinguishes it from the fakes.
But finding it among the hundreds or even thousands of fake Neracions surrounding this area will be tough. My only advantage is the fact that the real Neracion can't be more than 2 kilometers away from its fake bodies if it wants to control them effectively.
—Keyarooo!
Four Neracions leap onto the building where I'm standing. They then shoot a green liquid in my direction.
Using Accel magic, I dodge to the side. The roof where the liquid lands begins to emit smoke.
—Keyarooo!
Two of them leap at me, attempting to grab me, but I quickly activate Axio magic to jump to another building and evade them.
From all sides, I see more Neracions chasing me. This is bad... Not only do I have to find the real body, but I also have to outrun these monsters without being able to kill them.
The fake Neracions fire acid at me again, but this time, there are more shots than before. Some drops of the liquid hit my uniform, burning holes into it.
Right now, all I can do is keep jumping from building to building while searching for the real Neracion. But I have to hurry; the other participants won't be able to hold out much longer against this wave of monsters.
—Keyarooo!
I glance back and see a dozen Neracions chasing me. Worse still, four more appear in front of me, lunging toward me at the same time.
—Bam!
I kick the first one and then leap sideways to avoid the others. But one Neracion is speeding toward where my foot will land.
—Bam!
I block its punch with both hands, but the force of the blow sends me flying, crashing into the wall of another building.
Ugh... That really hurt.
I try to get back up quickly and escape before they reach me again.
Where is it...?
I search everywhere, but I still haven't found the real body.
Where is it...?
This time, I climb onto one of the surrounding buildings. The fake Neracions follow me up, but I ignore them. First, I have to find the real body.
Finally, luck is on my side.
At about 11 o'clock from where I am, around 400 meters away, I see a group of Neracions guarding one that has a red belly.
I found it!
But the real Neracion is heavily guarded by dozens of fake ones. How can I get close and kill the real one with so many guarding it?
I don't have any explosive magic to clear out the fake Neracions blocking my path to the real one.
"Piers! Three monsters are heading this way from 2 o'clock!"
Suddenly, I hear a woman's voice shouting.
I turn around and see a female and male participant fighting several fake Neracions on a nearby building.
"That's Viera and Piers," I mutter.
—Keyarooo!
The Neracions have reached the building where I am. They fire acid at me again.
I jump from the building and rush toward Piers and Viera using Acceleration magic.
"Viera!" I call out to her. "Shoot the monsters chasing me from behind!"
Hearing my shout, Viera looks surprised. "Huh? Captain? O-okay! I'll do it!"
She begins aiming her bow, a light glowing from it.
"Triple Shoot!"
Three magic arrows fly toward me, and I hear the cries of monsters behind me as Valeria's arrows hit their mark.
Once I reach the building where they are, I waste no time in telling them my plan.
"Viera, have you mastered the Explosive Arrow spell?" I ask her.
"Of course, Captain," Valeria replies confidently. "But I need time to charge it."
"Captain, what's going on here? Why have so many monsters of the same kind suddenly appeared?" Piers asks, confused by the situation.
"I don't have time to explain, Piers. I need you both to listen to my orders."
Hearing this, both of them nod.
"Viera, you see that group of monsters over there?" I point to where the real Neracion is. "You'll fire your Explosive Arrow there, understand? How much time do you need?"
Viera nods as she listens to my instructions. "I'll need about a minute to gather mana."
I see... But there's no guarantee that Viera's explosion will destroy the heart of the real Neracion.
Yes... The only way to kill it is to destroy the heart of this monster.
"Alright, I'll buy you some time. Just focus on charging your spell."
After instructing Viera, I turn to Piers. "You and I will hold off the monsters as best as we can, and don't let them interrupt Viera, understand?"
"Yes, Captain!" Piers replies firmly.
"Alright, let's do this."
After saying that, Viera focuses on gathering mana for her spell. Meanwhile, Piers and I begin fending off the monsters coming toward us.
Three monsters approach the rooftop.
I quickly dash toward them and kick all three down.
Not far from me, I see Piers struggling to deal with two Neracions. I rush over to him and perform a double spinning kick on the two monsters, knocking them down.
"Twenty seconds left!"
I hear Viera's voice, informing us when her spell will be ready.
"Piers, I'm leaving this spot to you."
After saying that, I sprint toward the real Neracion, using Acceleration magic.
Jumping from one building to another, I quickly close the distance to my target.
—Kreyaaa...!
Two Neracions suddenly appear in front of me.
"Don't block my path, you ugly monsters!"
Dodging their attacks, I punch them both, sending them flying off the building.
A light flashes to the side of my vision—Viera's bow begins glowing blue, signaling her spell is ready.
I keep running, building up momentum for my landing.
—Swosshh!
A magic arrow covered in blue particles flies past me, heading toward the group of fake Neracions guarding the real body.
—Boom!
An explosion erupts as the arrow hits, and the monsters' screams fill the air. I see their body parts scatter from Viera's powerful magic.
With a clear path to the real Neracion, I leap and land right in front of it. Its expression shows shock as I find its real body.
—Keyarooo!
Two fake Neracions rush in to block me from killing the real one.
"Leaping Slash!"
I decapitate both of them and keep running toward the real body.
—Keyarooo!
The real Neracion shoots acid at me, but I quickly jump out of the way and roll to land right in front of it. Nothing is stopping me from killing it now.
"Radical Blow!"
I throw a punch with my left hand, aiming for its heart.
—Bam!
But my punch misses, piercing through its left side instead. It dodged at the last second.
It starts to run while clutching its wounded side.
"There's no way I'll let you escape!"
I dash after it, but the fake Neracions rush in again to protect their real body.
—Boom!
However, my path is cleared once more, as another magic arrow explodes right on them.
Well done, Viera... You really are one of my most reliable subordinates.
"Acceleration!"
Using speed magic, I easily catch up to the real Neracion again.
"Radical Blow!"
My right hand strikes its back from behind.
The real Neracion stops running, my hand piercing through its chest. I can feel its heartbeat in my palm.
"You... die..."
Its body falls limp as I crush its heart in my grip.
Blood flows heavily, soaking the ground.
I watch as the fake Neracions' bodies begin to crack, turning into dust that is swept away by the wind after I destroy the heart of the real one.
---
[3rd Person POV]
Meanwhile, just before Raul defeated the real Neracion, Brian, Valeria, and Geralt were facing the rampaging Giant Neracion. Elena and Scarlett were busy helping the others fight off the seemingly unstoppable wave of Neracion monsters.
"Brian! I'm going to unleash my strongest magic!" Valeria shouted, gathering her mana.
"Understood!" replied Brian, his body glowing with a golden light. "Geralt! Let's keep that monster busy!"
"Alright!"
Groaarrr!
The seven-meter-tall giant monster went on another rampage, swinging its long arms wildly in all directions.
"Feel this, Raging Blade!"
Brian launched his attack, clashing his strength against the monster's long arms. But his efforts failed, and his body was thrown back, crashing into nearby buildings.
"Damn it, Brian!" Geralt shouted, worried about his comrade. "Flame Panthera!"
Both Geralt's arms and legs were suddenly engulfed in fierce flames.
"Sword of Fire Destruction!" Geralt's sword was now wrapped in blazing red fire, a sign of a double-casting spell, a skill only the most talented wizards could perform.
"I'll defeat you with my ultimate technique!"
Geralt dashed toward the monster, skillfully dodging its long arms. The red-haired man then leaped into the air and plunged his sword into the monster's chest.
"Feel this, Fire Expulsion!"
Groaaarrr!
The monster screamed in pain as its chest exploded after Geralt finished his spell.
"Geralt! Get away from the monster! I'm about to fire my magic!" Valeria warned him.
The red-haired man jumped away from the monster.
Valeria's body was then surrounded by a green light as a magic circle formed in front of her palm.
"Rayo del Verde!"
A green laser shot towards the giant monster. An explosion erupted as Valeria's spell struck its target, and black smoke began to billow, enveloping the creature.
"Valeria, that was a powerful spell," Geralt praised the green-haired mage.
"But I'm not sure if it's enough to take it down."
As the black smoke cleared, the monster's body became visible again.
The upper half of the monster's body was gone, blown apart by Valeria's magic, and chunks of its flesh littered the surroundings.
"Is it over?" Valeria muttered.
However, the monster's body began to move again. The upper half of its body started to regenerate, bones forming first, followed by internal organs, and then muscles. It didn't take long for the monster to be fully restored, as if it had never been injured.
"No way..." Valeria whispered in despair. "We've destroyed its body several times, so why won't it die?"
Groooarrrr!
The monster roared loudly and resumed its attack on the remaining participants, who were busy fighting off the smaller monsters.
"No! This monster can't be stopped!"
"Help! We're all going to die here!"
The desperate cries of the participants began to fill the air. The monsters cornered them, and the Giant Neracion broke through the defense formations they had created.
Elsewhere, Brian, who was severely injured, tried to stand but couldn't. All he could do was hear the screams of his comrades as they were slaughtered by the monster.
"Ugh... Why am I so weak?" Brian muttered.
"I want to be a hero... To save everyone from these monsters!"
He began to pound the ground in frustration. But suddenly, tiny particles of light started to appear around his body.
"Huh? What's this?"
Brian's vision began to blur, and soon, he could see nothing but darkness.
"Am I dead? Has my body reached its limit? This can't be happening, right?"
Brian's voice was filled with panic; he didn't want his journey to end here.
"No, Brian. Your journey is just beginning."
Brian suddenly heard the voice of a stranger.
His vision returned, but this time, he wasn't in the same place where the battle had taken place.
Brian now found himself in a room filled with bookshelves. A table and an empty chair stood in front of him.
"Huh? Where am I?" Brian muttered, confused.
Moments later, a bright light appeared before Brian. The light slowly faded, revealing a man with blonde hair dressed in knight's armor.
"Who are you?" Brian asked the man.
Hearing Brian's question, the man smiled and crossed his arms. "I am Pendragon—your guide who will help you become stronger, Brian."
"Pendragon? Isn't that the name of the legendary Imperial Knight!?" Brian exclaimed in shock. "But aren't you supposed to be dead for hundreds of years?"
The man laughed heartily at Brian's words. "Hahaha! Well... It's a long story. We'll talk about that another time. There's something more important I need to tell you."
Pendragon then explained that he was Brian's guide from the Codex he possessed. Once someone awakened their Codex or Blessing, they could access what was called the Soul Room, where they could train with their guide.
"We'll discuss this more in detail later, Brian," said Pendragon. "But for now, I will teach you one of the Profound Codex techniques from the Codex of Pendragon that you possess."
Hearing this, Brian's heart raced with excitement. He couldn't believe he would be trained by the very hero he had idolized since childhood.
"This Profound Codex is called—" Pendragon whispered the name of the technique to Brian. "Shout its name with all your heart and destroy your enemies with this power."
"Alright, I won't let you down, Master!" Brian declared with determination.
Seeing Brian's strong resolve, Pendragon smiled again. His body glowed with light, and soon, he and the mysterious place disappeared from Brian's view.
Brian then returned to the battlefield, back in his real body.
He stood up and noticed that his wounds had completely healed. His strength had returned as if he hadn't been fighting at all.
"I... I can feel my body is stronger than ever before..."
Brian couldn't believe what had just happened. He had been suddenly summoned to a mysterious place, met a legendary hero, and received an ultimate technique from him.
To Brian, it all felt like a dream.
Groaaarrr!
But he had no time to dwell on the recent events. He saw the giant monster rampaging and slaughtering his comrades.
"I need to hurry!"
Brian quickly ran toward the giant monster. He climbed a building to get a better view of the battlefield.
The participants had been decimated, with fewer than 25 remaining from the original group of over 70.
"Come here, you ugly monster!" Brian taunted the giant monster.
The Giant Neracion turned toward Brian upon hearing his shout. They were only a hundred meters apart, facing each other.
Groaaaarrr!
The Giant Neracion roared at the blonde-haired man and charged toward him. But Brian was not afraid. He had already prepared the technique Pendragon had taught him.
Brian took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He gripped his sword with both hands and raised it above his head.
"I am the Protector of This World ..."
As Brian began to recite his magic chant, his body and sword were enveloped in golden particles of light.
"Destroyer of Evil, Defender of the Truth..."
A massive amount of mana gathered in Brian's sword, ready to be unleashed at any moment. Meanwhile, the Giant Neracion was now only 30 meters away from him.
Groarrrr!
Brian's hands began to tremble as he struggled to contain the immense mana in his sword. "Roar, Incursiooo!"
As soon as Brian shouted the name of his technique, he slashed his sword toward the monster.
A powerful golden wave of magic struck the monster with such force that its massive body was pushed back.
Groooarrr!
The monster's body was propelled backward, leaving a huge trail behind it. Brian's magic continued to push the creature, smashing it through several buildings.
The remaining participants watched in disbelief that an academy student could unleash such powerful magic.
After pushing the monster back over 150 meters, Brian's magic finally dissipated. The monster's body appeared blackened, like charred wood, after being hit by Brian's magical wave.
Thud!
The monster's body collapsed to the ground.
"Is this enough?" Brian muttered.
However, the giant monster seemed to rise again. Its charred body began to regenerate as before. The Giant Neracion sneered at Brian, as if mocking his impressive spell, which had seemingly done nothing.
"How is this possible..." Brian muttered in disbelief, shocked that his attack had not been enough to defeat the monster.
But then, the giant monster's body started to crack little by little. Neracion's expression turned panicked before its massive form crumbled into small particles of dust carried away by the wind.
The smaller Neracion monsters also met the same fate as the giant one. Their bodies began to crack and disintegrate into worthless dust.
"Huh? All the monsters are disappearing?" one of the participants muttered.
"That means, after Brian defeated the giant monster, the smaller ones also began to fall apart?"
The expressions of the participants were filled with disbelief. They had been on the brink of slaughter, but now, the tables had suddenly turned, and they had won by some miracle.
"We won! We defeated those stupid monsters!"
"We did it! Brian defeated their boss!"
Shouts of victory echoed throughout the battlefield.
.
.
.
On the other side, a dark-haired man was sitting leaning against a building alone. He also heard the participants' cheers of victory and praise for Brian.
He was the real Hero who saved them without them knowing.