Chapter 18: Bronze 5 vs. Steel 1, Part 1

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Bronze 5 vs. Steel 1, Part 1With a plan already formed in his mind, Lian scanned the battlefield for another Iron 3 to take down. "There it is... Geometric Spell, Circle!" A circle materialized in his mind, and Lian wasted no time. His eyes were closed, but he knew exactly where to strike. With his hand aimed at the Iron 3 wolf, Lian began to draw the circle. "Ignis Arde—" But just as the circle neared completion, he paused for a split second. "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus!" Sera’s voice rang out, and a familiar wave of heat brushed past his side. Lian heard the explosion. But then— With a satisfied smirk, the boy turned toward another monster—his true target. "Ignis Globus!" Lian finished chanting his spell, and at that moment— [Accuracy: 56%] "Dax, move!" he shouted as a massive fireball formed in his hands, its fiery glow casting flickering shadows across the rocky ground. Dax turned just in time to see the fireball take shape in Lian’s hands. "Damn it, not again!" he hissed, diving to the ground and rolling out of the way, his armor clinking against the stone. The fireball shot forward with incredible speed toward the Iron 5 wolf, which, sensing the threat, attempted to dodge to the side. However, Lian’s strike was not aimed directly at the wolf but at the ground beneath it. BOOM! The explosion was far more intense than the small bursts caused by Sera’s attacks, halting the battle for a fleeting moment. A cloud of dust, mud, and blood rose into the air, only to be swept away by the furious roar of the wolf, grazed by the blast. Its body, already scarred from its clash with Dax, was now even more battered. But the damage was not severe. Lian’s strike, though powerful, could not inflict significant harm on an Iron 5 monster. Still, it was enough to enrage the beast, its red eyes blazing with primal fury. "Kid, do not warn me at the last second!" Dax growled as he rose from the ground. His armor, which he had cleaned earlier, was once again caked in mud. Lian merely grinned as both sides resumed their clash. One thing was clear: the humans would emerge victorious. Amidst it all, Sera glared at the boy with a murderous stare. "You tricked me, you bastard!" she hissed before turning away, ignoring him completely to focus on slaying as many beasts as possible. --- Meanwhile, on another side of the battlefield, Patrick stood still. The fight his group was engaged in did not concern him; he was confident in their victory. The Mage simply surveyed his surroundings, waiting for someone—or something. After several minutes, the monster he had been anticipating finally appeared. It was massive, its presence heavy, each step sending tremors through the air around it. "You finally showed up. I was beginning to lose hope," Patrick murmured, eyeing the creature. "Steel 1, as I suspected." The monster merely stared at the human with an arrogant gaze. It was the lord of this forest, the undisputed strongest. No one could surpass it; no army could challenge it. Its black fur gleamed, its one-and-a-half-meter frame slightly larger than an Iron 5, its muscular body radiating pride. Its long fangs and claws were sharp as steel. The aura it exuded was one of dominance and power. It was the alpha of this pack—or rather, the boss of the Gate. But Patrick was not intimidated. This was not his first time facing a monster of this caliber. The standoff did not last long. With a guttural roar, the alpha charged, its jaws wide, its claws raking the stone beneath. Patrick merely raised a hand. A fierce gust of wind surged from nowhere, crashing against the Shadow Wolf and slowing its charge. But that was all. The beast was only slightly delayed. As a Steel 1 monster, it possessed a passive resistance to spells. Despite the wind, sharp as blades, the creature did not flinch, its black fur untouched by the gale. It continued its charge toward Patrick at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye, but the Mage only smiled faintly. "Interesting!" he murmured before dodging the attack with effortless grace, using the wind to propel himself several meters away in an instant. As a Wind Mage, Patrick was versatile. He wielded powerful attacks, control techniques, and movement abilities. The battlefield was his domain. But the Steel 1 monster was no less formidable. No Bronze 5 Mage could face a beast of this caliber for one simple reason: casting time. Bronze Mages required too long to cast their spells, and their damage output was inferior to that of a Silver Mage. Against an Iron-rank monster, this was manageable, but a Steel-rank beast would not allow a Bronze Mage to complete their incantations. So how could Patrick face such a monster? Simple: he possessed a unique talent. He could cast wind-based spells without arcane words, provided he had achieved perfect mastery and control over them. And Patrick had mastered two spells, making him truly formidable, a force of nature in human form. After dodging the monster’s charge, Patrick raised both hands to unleash his magic once more. A whirlwind, stronger than before, lashed out at the beast, forcing it to stagger back a step. A shallow cut opened on its flank, but the creature barely seemed to notice. With a ferocious roar, it lunged again, closing the distance in an instant. Its claws aimed straight for Patrick’s torso, so fast the Mage did not even register the attack. Yet, when the claws were mere centimeters from his body, Patrick raised an arm instinctively. He was not without defensive spells. If struck by the monster’s claws, he would be gravely injured. That was why his entire body was enveloped in a veil of wind, capable of sensing attacks before they landed. Thanks to this, Patrick reacted just in time. Raising an arm, he conjured an explosion of compressed air from his palm, deflecting the attack. The beast’s paw struck nothing but air, causing it to stumble. "Not bad," Patrick said with a half-smile as his other hand clenched into a fist, condensing the air into a dense, vibrating sphere. With a swift gesture, he opened his palm and struck the beast’s wounded flank, sending it tumbling with a dull thud. It all happened in mere seconds—from the beast’s near-strike to Patrick’s counterattack. The creature rose, its breathing heavy, its red eyes glowing with fury. It had not sustained significant damage, but it felt mocked. It had not landed a single blow on the human, its pride as the forest’s sovereign wounded. The two locked eyes. Patrick knew he had to get serious to end this fight, while the monster refused to be toyed with any longer. It would unleash its full power. The beast roared again, ready to clash with the Mage, but Patrick did not wait. Focusing intently, he condensed the wind into a lance and hurled it at the approaching monster. This attack required more time to prepare but was far deadlier. However, it was too predictable. The Shadow Wolf dodged the wind blade with ease, charging toward the human. This time, the beast’s attack was more refined. Having seen that the human could not inflict significant damage, it abandoned defense to focus entirely on offense. Patrick saw the monster closing in but could do little except dodge and attempt to strike with his compressed air attack. "It seems I must use my trump card, or I might die," he thought as he evaded the monster’s jaws and put distance between them. But the Shadow Wolf gave him no respite, enduring minor cuts while cornering the Mage, who sustained light gashes on his arms and palms. The monster’s endurance outmatched the Mage’s. The longer the fight dragged on, the more danger Patrick faced. Suddenly, something appeared in the Mage’s empty hands. Then— Swoosh! A sharp strike sliced through the air, and with it, the beast’s already-wounded flank. It was a common tactic to target the same spot repeatedly, making attacks more effective, a strategy as old as warfare itself. The monster roared in pain, retreating a few steps as it glared at the human with murderous intent. "Ready for round two?" Patrick said with a grin. In his bloodied hands, a wooden staff had appeared. It looked simple, but something about it pulsed with a faint blue glow. This was no ordinary weapon like the Knights’ swords. It was an artifact. --- Author’s Note! Now things are getting interesting!