The hall fell into a tense hush. Lucas's group stepped forward as the rest of the students retreated to the edges. He caught the dark amusement in Seraphina's golden-amber eyes and felt a sinking sensation in his stomach.
Fuck…
A massive magic circle ignited in the center of the arena. From the swirling darkness, a monstrous shape emerged.
A Dark Wolf.
It was early D-rank, nearly as tall as a grown man when it stood on all fours. Obsidian fur rippled over powerful muscles, chains of shadow energy floating and rattling around its body. Its eyes burned with feral madness, saliva dripping from long, razor-sharp fangs as it shook its head and let out a low, guttural snarl.
The students instinctively recoiled, many gasping or clutching their chests. The sheer presence of the beast made the air feel thicker.
Alex narrowed his eyes. "A Dark Wolf…"
Yuna gulped, her newly enhanced senses making the creature's killing intent feel like needles against her skin.
Seraphina clapped her hands once. Shadow chains materialized around the wolf, caging it in place.
"This is an early D-rank Dark Wolf," she explained calmly. "It usually hunts in darkness and rarely shows itself in the open. For our first lesson, I will teach you something far more valuable than simple sparring — how to survive when the odds are not in your favor."
She let the words sink in before continuing.
"In real dungeons, monsters are unpredictable. You may find yourself in a situation exactly like this. Now… can anyone tell me how an E-rank fledgling is supposed to survive against a D-rank monster?"
A single thought echoed in many students' minds: She's crazy.
Yet no one dared speak it aloud.
Damien Blackthorn raised his hand confidently. Seraphina nodded.
"By taking advantage of its weaknesses," he said. "No matter how strong it is, it is still a monster. We can set traps, exploit its instincts, or use the environment against it."
His lackeys clapped approvingly.
Seraphina tilted her head. "That is not incorrect… but it is not what I wanted to teach."
She scanned the room again. "Anyone else?"
Lucas raised his hand without hesitation.
Seraphina's eyes gleamed. "Speak."
"We should kill it before it can kill us," Lucas said flatly.
A few students scoffed. Damien's lackeys muttered mocking remarks under their breath.
But Seraphina laughed — a low, predatory sound that sent a shiver through the hall.
"Correct," she said, her golden-amber eyes sparkling with dark approval. "When a D-rank monster corners you, it believes you are easy prey. That is when it becomes vulnerable. That is when you strike. That is when you kill."
Pin-drop silence fell over the arena.
Seraphina's smile widened.
"Since our first pair gave the correct answer and they are also number 1… let's see how they fare."
The students erupted.
"What?! Are you serious?!"
"This is insane!"
Vivienne laughed softly, summoning a silver bow into her hands. She glanced at the snarling wolf, then at Lucas with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"I really hope your skills are as sharp as your mind, Lucas," she said. "If not, we might not leave here without becoming the next meal."
Lucas chuckled nervously; even he hadn't expected Seraphina to summon a real monster for the very first lesson. He quickly equipped his rare-grade armor and summoned his greatsword, the heavy blade materializing with a low hum.
Yuna sighed and summoned her twin daggers — still only uncommon grade, but the only weapons she had.
Seraphina stood a few meters away, her eyes unable to hide her dark amusement.
"Now then," she said softly, "let me see what your Mythic classes can actually do."
The shadow chains holding the wolf dissolved with a metallic clink.
The beast snarled, eyes glowing with madness, and lunged forward with terrifying speed.
BOOM!
Before Lucas could even raise his sword, the wolf's claw was already streaking toward his chest.
What—?
Seraphina's face turned to disappointment. Did I overestimate him?
She was about to intervene when Vivienne whispered a single command.
"[Glacial Domain]."
A wave of freezing energy exploded outward. The wolf's claw, along with several meters of ground around it, froze solid in an instant. Vivienne released her arrow — it shot forward like a bullet, piercing the frozen claw with a sharp CRACK.
The wolf was blasted backward, howling in pain as the chains around its body expanded, shattering the ice.
Lucas stood frozen for a heartbeat, back drenched in cold sweat. He had felt it — the raw terror of death brushing against him. The difference between a single rank was far greater than he had imagined.
Vivienne quickly materialized another arrow, glancing at the still-stunned Lucas and Yuna.
"How about you two move so I don't have to worry about protecting you as well?"
The Dark Wolf slammed into the far wall with a thunderous BOOM, ice shattering around its frozen claw. The beast shook its massive head, snarling in rage as black blood dripped from the arrow wound. Its eyes burned brighter, filled with pure animalistic fury.
"Grrrrrraaaahhh—!"
It lunged again, faster this time, chains of shadow whipping wildly around its body.
Vivienne's silver bow hummed as she nocked another arrow. "Stay back! I'll slow it down!"
WHOOSH!
She released. The arrow streaked forward, trailing glacial mist. The wolf twisted mid-air, the arrow grazing its shoulder and exploding into a burst of frost that coated its left flank.
The beast roared in pain, but it didn't stop. It charged straight at Lucas.
Yuna moved on instinct, twin daggers flashing in her hands. Her new succubus bloodline surged, sharpening her reflexes. She darted forward with surprising speed, slashing at the wolf's front leg.
SLICHH!
The blades cut deep, drawing a spray of dark blood. The wolf howled and swiped at her with its good claw.
WHSSS!
Yuna barely dodged, the wind from the strike ripping at her uniform. She rolled across the floor, heart pounding.
Lucas finally broke out of his momentary shock. He gripped his greatsword with both hands and roared, charging in.
"Get back!"
He swung with everything he had. The heavy blade met the wolf's side in a devastating collision.
BOOM!
The impact sent the beast skidding sideways, but the sword only left a shallow gash. The wolf's fur and thick hide were far tougher than anything Lucas had faced before.
"Shit— it's harder than it looks!" he growled.
Seraphina watched from the sidelines, arms crossed under her heavy chest, a dark smile playing on her lips.
The wolf recovered instantly. It spun and lunged at Lucas, jaws wide open.
CRUNCH!
Lucas barely managed to raise his sword in time. The wolf's fangs clamped down on the blade, shaking its head violently and trying to rip the weapon from his hands. The force lifted Lucas off his feet for a moment.
"GAHH—!"
He held on desperately, boots scraping across the floor as the wolf dragged him.
Vivienne shouted, "Lucas! Let go!"
She fired another arrow — WHOOSH — this one striking the wolf's eye. The beast howled in agony, releasing the sword and thrashing wildly.
THUD!
Lucas was thrown backward, skidding across the floor. He rolled to his feet, breathing hard, arms burning from the strain.
Yuna appeared beside him, daggers ready, her rose-pink eyes glowing brighter. The succubus bloodline fed on the fear and adrenaline in the air, making her faster and sharper.
"I've got your left," she said, voice steadier than before.
Lucas nodded once, gripping his greatsword tighter. "Right."
Vivienne stayed at range, bow drawn. "I'll keep it pinned. Don't get greedy."
The Dark Wolf shook its head, blood dripping from its injured eye. It snarled, the sound vibrating through the hall, then charged again — straight toward the trio.
BOOM!
The fight had truly begun.
Seraphina's golden-amber eyes gleamed with dark satisfaction as she watched her three students face a monster far beyond their current rank.
"This is what I wanted to see," she murmured. "Now… show me what Mythic blood can do when it's cornered."
Vivienne's silver bow sang as she released another arrow. "Keep it slowed!"
WHOOSH!
The glacial shot struck its hind leg, flash-freezing the limb for a heartbeat. The wolf staggered, giving Lucas the opening he needed.
He had no advanced techniques. No polished forms. Only grit and raw, stubborn resilience.
With a roar of his own, Lucas charged forward, greatsword raised high. He swung with everything he had — not elegant, but brutal and desperate.
BOOM!
The heavy blade slammed into the wolf's side, carving a long, ugly gash. The beast howled in pain and swiped at him. Lucas barely ducked, the wind from the claw nearly knocking him off his feet.
Yuna moved like a shadow, slipping in during the wolf's recovery. Her twin daggers flashed, slicing across the monster's exposed belly in quick, precise cuts.
SLICHH! SLICHH!
The wolf roared and spun, trying to crush her. Vivienne fired again, pinning its attention with a precise shot to the neck.
The three of them fought in imperfect sync — Lucas tanking the heavy blows, Yuna darting in for opportunistic strikes, and Vivienne controlling the pace from range. It was messy, desperate, and far from elegant.
Seraphina watched with narrowed golden-amber eyes, arms crossed under her heavy chest.
Is he deliberately avoiding his class skills? She wondered. Or do his abilities lean more toward support?
She had seen enough.
"That's enough," she called out.
With a sharp click of her fingers, shadow chains materialized once more, wrapping around the wolf's legs and pulling it back.
The beast thrashed wildly, roaring in frustration.
Vivienne and Yuna exhaled in relief, lowering their weapons. But Lucas didn't stop.
Now.
He rushed forward in a straight line, eyes locked on the wolf's blinded side. Seraphina's brows rose.
What is he doing?
The wolf sensed the opening and lunged, jaws wide open to crush him.
AHH—!
Lucas roared, rotating his entire body with full force. At the last possible moment, he activated his ability.
"[Dominion Field]!"
A dark, murky abyssal field exploded outward like ink spreading through water. The wolf's head snapped back as if struck by an invisible hammer. It will be shattered instantly, eyes glazing over in momentary confusion and terror.
Seraphina's expression shifted from mild curiosity to genuine excitement.
What element is this? It broke its will instantly…
Lucas's greatsword flashed.
SLICHH—!
The blade drove straight through the wolf's neck, piercing clean through to the other side. Black blood sprayed in a wide arc as the beast let out a final, gurgling whimper.
THUD.
The Dark Wolf collapsed heavily onto the floor, dead.
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
[+70 EXP]
[Level up]
**
Hello everyone, how's it going?
I'm making a small announcement — This Friday, I'm going to release a new novel with new taboos and fresh obsessions. Ha...
Anyway, I hope you guys show your support there too!
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