Elite-Rank

Right after jumping off the building and landing without getting injured, Haru ran with all his might after seeing the Message that popped up in front of his eyes.

He doesn't know from where, why or how there was such a terrifying monster in the school, but looking at its high level and the slight panic he felt within his System's voice made it clear to him that he had to run away as soon as possible.

But despite his high speed due to his stats, the monster he was fleeing from had already caught up to him when he took a right turn around the corner of the next building. He was forced to abruptly stop and dodge as he felt a terrifying fiery-ball that flew past him and annihilated the group of zombies within a second.

Now, feeling the heat wave from the blast behind him, Haru stood up and found himself face-to-face with a monstrous entity—an elite, high-level creature that seemed to belong to a species resembling a Roach, known as Roachina.

"SCREECCCHHH!!!!" The monster emitted a terrifying screech as moonlight reflected off its reddish-black exoskeletal surface, presenting an eerie yet majestic appearance. Measuring three meters in size, the creature's captivatingly beautiful wings exuded an ominous air as they hummed and beat powerfully against the air.

As it stood still in midair, fixing its gaze on its prey, Haru, the creature's face bore a terrifying expression with metallic teeth resembling deadly scissors, ready to cut through anything that stood in its way.

Looking at the Elite-Rank creature with a sense of dread, Haru immediately realized that his sword, despite its efficiency against other monster, would likely prove futile against the formidable exoskeleton of this nightmarish creature called Roachina.

'Damn it! What a monster!' The air crackled with tension as Haru stared into its reddish eyes and nervously gulped as he stood still.

["WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? Run!! You can't face it without using the Black Chain!!"] It was then that Mimi quickly alerted him of the danger.

As Haru suddenly awakened from a trance, he heeded Mimi's words and immediately found a way to escape the predicament—a nearby open window. 

Knowing he couldn't face the creature in an open area, Haru sprinted toward the open window of a classroom on his right and before the monster could react, he leaped into the classroom, seeking refuge.

But he did not stop there; he continued running toward the door of the classroom, leading to the corridor on the ground floor of the same building.

'Will it follow me inside?' Haru wasn't sure if the choice he made was correct, but he knew he had to escape before the monstrous creature could catch and kill them.

As he sprinted into the classroom, a glimmer of hope lingered in his heart, praying that the monster wouldn't be able to follow him inside due to its size being slightly larger than the window. 

Clinging to that hope and as he kept running toward the open door, Haru casting a quick glance backward to assess the situation. However, what he witnessed sent a shiver down his spine. 

"!?!" Just beyond the window, the Roachina stood, its reddish eyes locked onto Haru's back. As he anticipated, the creature couldn't squeeze through the window, but it did not stop or give up. Under Haru's watchful eyes, it opened its formidable mouth, forming a fiery-ball roughly the size of a basketball within seconds.

"Ah, shit!" Haru's eyes widened as he realized that the same devastating attack responsible for obliterating the zombies was now directed straight at him. 

In a split second, numerous possibilities raced through Haru's mind as he faced an imminent attack that, if it landed directly, could not only end his life but also put Aki in grave danger.

The simplest idea for him was to dodge to the side, just like he did earlier when Mimi warned him. However, this time, he found himself in the enclosed space of a classroom and he knew that even if he dodged, the blast's impact could cause more harm in such confined space.

Furthermore, there was the uncertainty of how many fiery-balls the Roachina would throw in his direction, even if he successfully dodged one which added to the dilemma.

"SCREECHH!!"

As he rapidly considered his options, the Roachina allowed him no more time for contemplation and promptly launched its attack toward Haru. 

["Just use something to block it!!"] 

"I know!!" Haru, realizing time was running out, gritted his teeth. With no other options left, he quickly grabbed a desk while running and forcefully threw it in the direction of the fiery-ball.

Knowing that the desk he threw was in trajectory toward the Fiery-ball, Haru did not hesitant before he quickly used his all strength within leg and he took a huge leap toward the exit door of the classroom.

'Will it work--!?' He did not have a second to question his idea before he heard something exploding from behind. 

Boom!

As he predicted, the desk collided with the fiery ball, causing it to explode mid-air before reaching Haru. However, the aftermath was far from simple. 

While he managed to stop the fiery ball away from himself, the resulting explosion wreaked havoc within the classroom as it obliterated everything in its path, sending powerful heat waves in all directions. 

"!!" Even though Haru was positioned away from the explosion, he still couldn't escape its aftermath as the strong heat blasts launched him and Aki into the air due to the impact.

'Aki!!' The force was so powerful it hurled them out of the classroom. In mid-air, Haru saw a wall approaching, and he knew a crash was inevitable. To shield Aki and minimize the impact, he swiftly moved one hand to protect her and the other to brace for the collision.

Bang!

[-25 HP]

His entire body ached as it got slammed into the wall, causing his nose and few parts of his body to bleed. But despite the strong pain, he didn't have the luxury to check on himself or Aki before he swiftly got up and he sprinted along the corridor. 

'Damn it!!!' As he ran, more explosions echoed behind him, casting a bright light in the dark corridor and wreaking havoc on everything in its path.

Hearing those explosions, a cold sweat ran through his face as he wondered what would have happened had he not escaped quickly.

[Are you alright?] Mimi's voice pierced through the chaos as he reached the staircase leading to the first floor.

"Am I!? What the hell is that thing!?" he exclaimed while ascending the stairs.

["I'm also surprised by its appearance. I thought it would take at least two more days for such creatures to appear, but..."]

"Just tell me!! Is there a way that I can use to beat that thing!?" he asked urgently.

["It's an Elite Ranked monster, one rank above yours! The difference between the two Ranks is far apart! Besides, your sword can't cut through its exoskeletal layer."]

"What must I do then!?" 

["Just run as much as you can."]

"What!?" 

["Look, you can't even use your chain to help you right now because of your headache, so how do you expect to beat it? Your only option is to hide and run away from it if you want to survive."] 

"Run for how long?" Haru asked as he reached the first floor and ran along the dimly lit corridor.

["Run until Aki awakens. Honestly, I am not exactly sure. It should take at least two to three hours, but this is your only option if you want to survive."]

"Run..." Then an idea came to his mind as he quickly asked, "Wait, you just warned me about its existence on the terrace, right?! Can you sense when it will launch its attack?!"

["I can't. Not anymore."]