Boom! Boom! Slash! Thud! Smash!
The elephant raged, releasing massive amounts of dark mist that seemed to disrupt the concentration of its enemies. It was like a neuro depressant that slowed brain activity, preventing others from making rational moves.
As the dark mist seeped into the minds of both Arthur and Evan, it caused their movements to become sluggish. Following that development, the elephant stomped on the ground. Boulders rose from the soil beneath, floating beside the beast.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
With a swift motion, the elephant sent the boulders flying towards the crimson-eyed man and Evan.
"Break it," said Arthur, charging forward. Instead of parrying or evading, it was now beneficial to simply endure the beast's attacks. [Mana Step] required a horrendous amount of mana, something the crimson-eyed man didn't have the leisure of spending carelessly.
Approaching the flying boulder, Arthur split the boulder in half.
Considering the boulder was made using the Invisible Venom Lizard's clumsy skill, it was far from sturdy. The boulder couldn't even satisfy the requirements of being considered a pebble in terms of hardness.
Evan did the same before resuming his continuous attacks. He felt energy drain from his body, but simply ignored the feeling. If he were about to faint, Caroline's blessing barely kept him awake.
Expanding blood vessels was an effect of stimulants, something Caroline's blessings could provide if tweaked a little. It was basically like chugging enormous amounts of caffeine at once. It was unhealthy, but such petty matters didn't concern people desperately clinging to their lives.
It was only for a few minutes…
Those were the words Arthur, Evan, and Caroline used to console themselves, forcing their body and mind to continue.
Splash! Swoosh! Swoosh!
A dark, viscous liquid burst from the elephant's body, shaping itself in the form of tens of spears. Then, with a loud trumpet, the elephant launched the spears towards its foes, simultaneously rushing forward to attack physically.
"We can't break this," said Evan, letting out a sigh amidst narrowly avoiding projectiles. At that moment, a single spear escaped his senses, brushing along his left obliques. A dark liquid splattered on his tattered clothes, sticking to his skin.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and Evan suppressed a blood curdling scream at that moment. As the dark liquid spread across his skin, a searing pain burst from the respective areas, forcing him to his knees.
Taking advantage of that moment, the elephant launched another series of dark spears, hoping to eliminate one-half of the competition.
"Weaklings," a mocking voice reverberated across the area, as a feminine figure manifested in the distance. With her signature cyan hair and slender body, Alisha Mason Ainsworth emerged from within the forest. "Arthur, go for the tusks."
Although caught off guard by Alisha's appearance, the crimson-eyed man nodded. He headed straight for the elephant's body. Since the beast had just released spears, it was temporarily vulnerable.
A gust of wind swept by, and the spears approaching Evan dissolved to dust. Alisha's flying rapier returned to her fair fingers.
"Have you seen a teacher?" Caroline asked, approaching the cyan-haired woman.
"Who the fuck are you?" Alisha shot back, forming an expression of disgust as she glanced at the woman.
"Caroline, Class B."
"I haven't seen a teacher," replied Alisha hesitantly before heading towards the crimson-eyed man.
Arthur reached within arm's length of the elephant's tusk, swinging his longsword, which was coated with a thin layer of mana. Mana particles burst from the impact, and a long scar appeared on the bony material.
Pairing his initial attack with a vertical swing, Arthur attempted to break one of the elephant's tusks.
Boom!
With a single stomp, the elephant distorted its territory, disturbing the stability of the ground underneath Arthur's feet. In a desperate attempt to stabilize himself, Arthur leapt upwards, placing the blunt edge of his sword in front of him as protection.
The elephant was quick to swing his trunk.
Gritting his teeth, Arthur attempted to alter his trajectory midair, but to no avail. At the last moment, he simply activated [Judgment Regeneration] hoping for the best. The trunk collided with his body.
It was like the wind was knocked from his body.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and his bones shook due to the impact. His body folded, allowing the momentum of the trunk to carry him. In an instant, he was propelled towards a random direction with several broken bones.
Smash!
As his body collided with a tree, Arthur let out a groan before collapsing on the ground.
The elephant decided to pursue him, but quickly shifted his attention to Alisha as a new wound appeared on its body.
"I didn't tell you to get hit, did I?" Alisha asked, sneering at the wounded body of the crimson-eyed man. He seemed to have serious injuries, as displayed by the fact that some of his limbs bent the wrong way.
"I–It's fine," said Arthur, revealing a faint chuckle. Alisha was dumbfounded that the man could reveal such a casual expression in such a dire situation.
Suddenly, while wiping the dirt from his clothes, a bright, warm light enveloped Arthur's body. Immediately, the wounds on his body began healing at a rapid rate. The cuts closed, while the bruises lightened.
His strained expression loosened, like an enormous load had been lifted from his shoulders.
Alisha watched dumbfoundedly, simultaneously keeping up with the elephant's movements. Such recovery speed was unheard of… just how many secrets did the crimson-eyed man have? No wonder Gregorio chose him…
Those thoughts lingered in Alisha's mind, fueling her desire to surpass the man.
After Gregorio recruited Arthur, Alisha reluctantly agreed not to display blatant hostility. She still held enmity, but wasn't allowed to brazenly show it.
But at some point, the desire to crush the crimson-eyed man under her feet turned into the desire to surpass him. It fueled her desire to train, and to become as powerful as possible… to become the core of Gregorio's plan instead of Arthur.
She would display her strength whenever possible…
To someday surpass Arthur.
