20/Apprenticeship 3

Patreon contributors can choose if they want to see :

- Logan's first draft in drawing.

- The first visual of Marie receptionist of the adventurers guild.

- Aria in bestial fury mode.

- Painting of Gon from Hunter x Hunter.

- Painting of a Rose.

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Maïli and Éléonore were now staring intensely at each other.

"Éléonore, aren't you tired of spying on me?" Maïli began, her tone icy and accusatory.

Éléonore's face immediately tensed.

"You saw me watching you during your training." she admitted, caught red-handed.

"Several times, in fact. I might add that you're not very discreet. By the way, the gust of wind you used, you learned it by watching me, didn't you?" Maïli retorted, a smug smile on her lips.

"Well, yes, I admit it. But can't we discuss this later?" Éléonore replied, showing signs of anxiety as she noticed the monsters dangerously approaching.

"And what exactly do you want?" Maïli asked, her gaze still piercing.

"To join your group!" Éléonore answered with palpable determination.

"Do you know how to fight?" Maïli asked, her eyes scanning the two girls.

Éléonore and her companions looked away, embarrassed, and began to whistle nervously.

"I see." Maïli sighed, exasperated. "Then just follow my orders and at least swing a sword, even if you don't know how to use it."

"Alright!" Éléonore agreed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Get to the center of the formation right away!" Maïli ordered with authority.

Without wasting a moment, Éléonore and Beth positioned themselves quickly to join the fight. Although the level of the monsters was relatively low, the battle was still a demanding ordeal. However, thanks to Maïli's strength and precise directives, the group managed the situation with a certain ease. Even less experienced fighters could bring a bit more stability to the formation.

Éléonore, gripping her sword with determination, landed a precise blow to a goblin's skull, which instantly collapsed. Meanwhile, Beth, paralyzed by anxiety and fear, hesitated to fight. Ignoring one's emotions in the heat of battle was not easy for everyone.

Suddenly, a wolf lunged at Beth. Panic overwhelmed her as she screamed in terror.

"Ahhh!"

The wolf sank its teeth into Beth's arm and refused to let go. The pain was intense, and Beth struggled to break free.

"Beth!" shouted Marine, already fighting several monsters, her eyes filled with worry.

The wolf eventually tore a chunk of flesh from Beth's arm, making her scream in pain as blood flowed abundantly onto the ground. The beast, its jaw dripping with blood, approached her again, ready to strike. But before it could attack again, a sword pierced its skull. Eva had intervened just in time to save Beth.

"Are you alright?" Eva asked, breathless but resolute.

Eva helped Beth up, supporting the young girl who clutched her bleeding arm. Maïli then returned to the center of the formation, quickly assessing the situation.

"It's not a serious wound, but it will need to be treated quickly. The number of monsters has significantly decreased; maintain the formation a bit longer." Maïli ordered, her tone firm but reassuring.

Without a second thought, Maïli charged back into the fray, slicing through the monsters with impressive grace and strength. Her sword cut down enemies with precision, while her control of the wind element pushed back the creatures, creating a controlled chaos on the battlefield.

"She's too strong!" exclaimed Éléonore, impressed by Maïli's power and agility.

Name: Maïli

Race: Human / Age: 19 years

Profession: Paladin / Level: 9

Vitality: 105 / Magic Power: 47 / Attack: 40 / Defense: 41 / Speed: 35 / Endurance: 32 / Agility: 33 / Intelligence: 34 / Physique: 42

Skills: None

Unique Skills: Beast Tamer

Legendary Skills: Dual Sword, Life Shield

Elements: Wind, Fire

On the other side, Maël and Emma could be seen in combat training. Maël, using her skills as a mage, was casting fireballs to eliminate the monsters. As a mage, she had a slightly better grasp of her magic, though it was still shaky. However, her presence on the front line was unusual for a mage, making her vulnerable to frequent monster attacks. Every time she got hurt, a beautiful, warm light enveloped her, instantly healing her wounds. It was Emma who, thanks to her healing abilities, healed Maël each time. Their teamwork worked perfectly, allowing Maël to continue fighting relentlessly. Fortunately, they only faced a small number of monsters, as Maïli, Shawn, and their small group mainly attracted the creatures' attention.

Jay, Méverick, and Shawn, on the other hand, were still struggling with the monsters. After multiple uninterrupted waves, fatigue began to set in, and minor injuries accumulated. Despite this, they could see Maïli on the other side, fighting with formidable efficiency, using her magic with impressive mastery.

"Damn, is she tireless or what?" exclaimed Shawn, out of breath.

"It's not about being tireless." replied Jay, observant. "She manages her mana and movements very well. Not to mention, she uses her group to her advantage."

Moïse, observing the scene from a distance, mentally noted: "This Jay has a good sense of observation, he's one to watch."

Suddenly, ten goblins attacked them. Despite their efforts, they couldn't eliminate them all. One goblin slashed Shawn's stomach, while another cut Méverick's bicep, causing heavy bleeding despite his tough skin ability. This attack triggered an explosion of rage in Méverick.

"Bastards!" he roared.

<Berserker activated>: All your stats are doubled for 5 minutes. You become stronger over time.

He launched himself at the goblins with uncontrollable rage, slaughtering every monster in his path. His blows were powerful and precise, his strength amplified by his Berserker ability, making each attack devastating. The ground was littered with goblin corpses, testifying to Méverick's fury and brute strength. His movements were fast and fluid, giving the monsters little chance to retaliate.

"Oh, so that's the Berserker ability coupled with Herculean strength," observed Maximus, impressed. "Even at a low level, it's truly impressive. I'd love to train him."

While Méverick was venting his fury on the monsters, Shawn looked at his wound, which was bleeding profusely. To his surprise, his wound began to close, and all his other injuries did the same.

"Oh yeah, I like what's happening." he said with a satisfied smile. "If I can't aim well, I'll just burn everything! Jay, get out of the way!"

A group of monsters was heading towards them, threatening to overwhelm them by sheer numbers. In a burst of desperation and determination, Shawn unleashed a massive flame, channeling all his mana into a raw, uncontrolled attack. Flames erupted from his hands with fierce intensity, creating a wall of fire that engulfed the monsters in an instant. However, Shawn's lack of control caused the flames to spread dangerously, also heading towards Maïli and her group.

"This guy is pissing me off!" Maïli fumed at the uncontrolled attack.

She unleashed a powerful gust of wind to dissipate the approaching flames. The wind roared around them, creating a protective shield that repelled the wild flames. After a few seconds, the flames completely dissipated, leaving behind traces of soot and ash. Although Shawn had eliminated the monsters, he was completely exhausted, his mana entirely drained by the titanic effort.

Meanwhile, Méverick, still in the throes of his Berserker rage, had finished massacring the remaining monsters. His movements had become heavier and less coordinated as the Berserker mode wore off. Finally, after the five minutes had passed, his Berserker mode abruptly ended. Méverick immediately felt the backlash, a wave of crushing fatigue washing over him.

<Berserker mode ended>: You suffer the backlash. Your base stats are reduced by 1.5 times for 10 minutes. You recover mana more slowly and suffer intense fatigue for 10 minutes as well.

"Damn, the backlash is brutal!" Méverick exclaimed, feeling the fatigue and weakness take hold of him.

While everyone was tired and some were injured, a gentle light illuminated the arena where they were fighting. All injuries were healed, and their mana was restored.

"Oh, so that's the Holy Priestess." murmured Jean with admiration.

The light faded, and after casting her spell, Emma was visibly exhausted. Maël, who had watched over her throughout the battle, stood by her side, ready to help.

"My wound is healed." said Beth, astonished, examining her arm.

"That's Emma's priestess power." explained Maïli.

Meanwhile, Karine, who had to resort to dodging and fleeing the fight, stood up, relieved that it was finally over.

"I made it through." she said, her face covered in sweat.

As the battle against the multitude of monsters seemed to be coming to an end, the fighters began to address their examiners, who were watching from the heights.

"We're done, can you let us out of here now?" asked Maël, smiling.

"What are you talking about? That was just the warm-up." replied Moïse with an enigmatic smile.

"What, the warm-up!" exclaimed Emma, shocked.

Fear slowly began to settle in the minds of some fighters. Moses then snapped his fingers, and a huge box appeared, crashing heavily into the arena with a resounding crash that made the ground shake. All eyes turned to it with growing apprehension, their hearts pounding.

The door of the box abruptly swung open, hitting the ground with a dull, threatening thud. A massive figure emerged from the shadows, gradually straightening to an impressive height. What they saw froze them with fear: a gigantic goblin, taller and more muscular than any they had faced so far, stood before them. He wielded a colossal axe, its blade gleaming sinisterly under the arena lights.

His yellow eyes and dark green skin were impressive and terrifying, and a cruel grin twisted his lips. Every step he took resonated like a thunderclap, and the aura of menace surrounding him seemed palpable. The fighters felt their strength waver in the face of this terrifying sight.

"Your real test begins now, heroes." announced Moïse, spreading his hands.

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Special thanks to Rebecca/Amari/Zezima/Crowny_66/Bored dragon/ Sky_Shay/A_F_D/Fidelissama/Morgan/Arjunn/TheGreatSucc/Jared/ Grimjaw/Damion/ for her power stones.