Hell's Jaw I
|Gary|
As we arrived at the destination, in front of the teleportation gate, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. "So, what's the plan, Professor Glory?"
She took a deep breath before responding, "Well, it turns out that you seven Paladins are just too powerful for me to lead on a low-level dungeon with any sense of control. So, we've decided to send you to an A-rank dungeon instead."
I couldn't help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of a greater challenge, but Rachel gasped in shock at the sudden change in plans.
Lancelot, always the pragmatic one, asked the most important question, "Who will be leading us?"
"It will be Professor Fejalk," Professor Glory replied just as a presence entered my sensory range from above.
We all looked up to see a figure descending from the sky, and as he landed gracefully on the ground in front of us. His vibrant red hair glistened under the sunlight, and he sported a pair of sleek glasses that accentuated his sharp features.
"Hello again!" he greeted us with a friendly wave. "I'll be leading you on your expedition into the A-rank dungeon. Don't worry, I'm an SS-rank adventurer and more than capable of handling an A-rank dungeon by myself. Though with you all, I'll be more of a guide than a protector."
"There will be no groups since you're only seven," he continued. With a signal from Professor Glory, we proceeded to enter the gate one by one, with Professor Fejalk stepping in last.
As the guard stationed at the gate checked with Professor Fejalk and adjusted the settings, I felt a familiar churning in my stomach as we prepared to teleport. But the journey was over before I knew it, never lasting more than a few seconds.
"Welcome, everyone! I presume that most of you are visiting the Beast Glades for the first time," Professor Fejalk greeted us with a warm smile.
"We are currently on the outskirts of the Grand Mountains, and if we walk for a few hours this way, we'll reach a popular gathering spot called the Dragonspine Inn. It used to be the hub of information for adventurers like us, where we could gather intel on various mana beasts and dungeons," he continued, gesturing towards the path ahead.
"As for our destination, this dungeon has already been explored and cleared by a renowned adventurer named Gary Whiteborn," Professor Fejalk said, winking at me mischievously. I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response as some of my fellow Paladins looked at me with surprise.
"This is Hell's Jaw dungeon, and the regular monsters you'll encounter here are Midnight Silverback Wolves. Additionally, there used to be a Hades Serpent lurking here, but Gary managed to slay it," he added.
"I initially aimed for an AA-rank dungeon, but Director Goodsky denied my request, so we'll have to settle for this one," Professor Fejalk grumbled before a burst of mana augmented his body.
"Get ready to move faster," he instructed. "We'll reach our destination in minutes, not hours."
Instantly, everyone clad themselves in mana, preparing for take-off.
"Go!" Professor Fejalk shouted before launching himself at hypersonic speeds.
I held back, watching as the others took off ahead of me. It seemed a bit childish to show off like that, so I focused on gathering mana near the base of my feet, giving them a head start.
I had been experimenting with a completely new spell that focused on rapid transportation over long distances. Unlike the usual movement done using mana, this spell required me to traverse the distance in a single burst, rather than multiple jumps.
While teleportation had its advantages, it had its limitations. First, I needed to know the spatial coordinates of the destination, which wasn't always possible. Second, using aether for teleportation was more susceptible to interference from third parties, as aether was complex and less abundant than mana.
This new spell, on the other hand, relied on churning mana through my body, which condensed my muscles using sound magic. Then, with a burst of lightning and wind magic, I propelled myself forward, quickly covering vast distances.
The key to its success was manipulating air pressure perfectly, ensuring that the recoil didn't damage one's leg muscles and tissue. By compressing and expanding the air around me, I could create a pocket of high-pressure air that would propel me forward like a bullet.
I took a deep breath and unleashed the spell. The world around me blurred into a green-and-brown smear as I hurtled through the forest at breakneck speed. With a quick flick of my wrist, I adjusted my trajectory, using both aether and mana magic to steer myself around obstacles and through narrow gaps.
As I sped past my companions, I saw their faces light up in surprise and wonder. Even Lancelot and Professor Fejalk, who were already ahead of the group, were left in my dust. I reached the entrance of the dungeon first, my heart pounding with excitement at the thrill of the new spell.
"Incredible!" exclaimed Professor Fejalk as he caught up to me. "You never fail to surprise me, Gary," he said with a proud smile.
As the rest of the team caught up, they were surprised by how quickly I had made it to the dungeon entrance. 'So Arthur and Alistair didn't use aether either,' I thought to myself.
Kathlyn was the last to arrive, which made sense since her ice magic wasn't suited for high-speed travel.
"Now that everyone is here, we can begin our descent into the dungeon," Professor Fejalk announced. "But first, are you sure you want to bring your bond, Arthur?"
Sylvie hopped off Arthur's head and ran into the woods. It was clear that everyone misunderstood the reason for her action. 'She's strong," I thought, "but it could be dangerous for her inside the dungeon.'
"Good choice," Professor Fejalk nodded at Arthur. "It will probably be safer if she stays outside and lays low."
He then briefed us before the descent began.
As we stepped into Hell's Jaw, Professor Fejalk immediately commanded us to augment our eyes and create a common source of light due to the dungeon's darkness. As our eyes adjusted, I suddenly became aware of hundreds of mana signatures surrounding us.
In response, a bright flame conjured in front of Professor's hand, causing all of us to stare in awe. We quickly realized that the source of the light was necessary to reveal our opponents: hundreds of Midnight Silverback wolves filling the entire cavern and glaring at us with their crimson eyes.
"Everyone, stay alert and be prepared to fight!" Professor warned. "The number of wolves is too great to handle without caution."
Without hesitation, three spirits were summoned by the side of their wielders. Professor's Salamander was particularly impressive, looking bigger and more mature than Lancelot's Sylph or Rachel's Undine.
Alistair and Arthur unsheathed their swords and drew upon their aether. Tessia and Kathyln also readied their weapons, looking focused and determined to face the incoming threat.
"Remember the formation!" Professor Fejalk's voice boomed through the cavern as he activated his Spirit Dive. Infernal flames engulfed his entire body as a crown materialized on his head, a complete Spirit Dive that surpassed even Lancelot's and Rachel's.
As a bright fire conjured in front of his hand, hundreds of Midnight Silverback wolves emerged, their hungry eyes fixed on us. It was overwhelming, the sheer number of them.
But Professor Fejalk was quick to act. His sword was encased in orange flames as he charged forward towards the wolves, wings unfurling and burning them as they leaped at him.
The wolves were no match for him. His flames stopped their movements, allowing him to slice through their bodies with ease. It was a sight to behold, the way he moved with such grace and precision.
"We can't just stand by and watch!" I exclaimed, rallying my fellow Paladins to action.
With a burst of mana, I conjured four spheres of lightning that crackled around me, augmenting my sword strikes with devastating power.
My Levisha Style was in full swing, slicing through the wolves with ease as the orbs of lightning stunned them.
As I continued to cut down the beasts, I activated my Lightning Armour, the crackling thunder burning the wolves to a crisp.
Lancelot and Rachel also unleashed their Spirit Dives, lending their strength to the fight and quickly overwhelming the beasts.
Kathyln hung back as a sniper, using her ice magic to freeze the wolves before picking them off one by one.
Tessia aided her, using her vines to restrict the movements of the beasts and strangling some of them in the process.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Alistair displayed their masterful swordsmanship, slicing and dicing through the wolves with precision and grace.
Together, we fought as a cohesive unit, our different strengths and abilities complementing each other in the heat of battle.
After what felt like an eternity, the battle with the Midnight Silverbacks finally came to an end. My classmates lay exhausted on the ground, their bodies drained from the intense fight.
"We should take a break before contin—," Professor Fejalk suggested, but his words were cut short by a sudden loud noise.
My heart raced as I recognised the sound. 'Space warp!' I thought, immediately attempting to combat it with my aether alongside Alistair and Arthur. Despite our combined efforts, the caster was too powerful and we were abruptly teleported to different locations.
|Vicht|
"Ah, it's all of you," I exclaimed, my voice filled with amusement. "I suppose I can test your strength in person now. But first, let's decide on suitable opponents."
I pondered for a moment before assigning specific beasts to each of the six Paladins.
"Rachel, you'll face the Ocean Maidan. Arthur, the Magma Golem is all yours. Lancelot, you'll take on the alpha Sky Hawk. Alistair, prepare for the Tempest Wyvern. Kathyln, the Frostmaw is your opponent. And Tessia, you'll go against the Earthen Shell."
As for the Professor, I decided to leave him trapped for the time being.
"As for you, Gary Whiteborn," I said, turning my attention to him. "I believe a more interesting opponent than a mere beast is in order for someone of your caliber."
With a flick of my wrist, I summoned my otherworldly companion.
"What do you require, Vitch?" he intoned, his voice carrying a haunting melody.
"Send him to face Gary Whiteborn," I said, "He could use a challenge to humble him."