I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Vaelgorath... this unique monster could speak? Even Canis, another unique monster, couldn’t do that. A chill ran down my spine.
Envi’s voice echoed in my mind."What the hell? A monster that can talk? That ans he has intelligence and awareness! This is dangerous, Nao! He’s definitely far stronger than Canis!"
"You’re right, Envi. None of our attacks are working against him. Could that be his skill? He controls ti... maybe he avoided our attacks by stopping ti?" I asked Envi, trying to analyze his abilities.
"That’s possible... But sothing’s off. He’s not attacking aggressively. We need to figure out why he’s here, Nao!" Envi advised, and I agreed. My team was still in shock from Vaelgorath’s presence. If he attacked now, we would be at a huge disadvantage. I needed to buy ti and find his weakness.
I took a deep breath, gathering my courage, and stepped forward. His massive golden wyvern body was awe-inspiring, but the sheer pressure of his presence filled with fear. He had the sa overwhelming aura as Canis—no, maybe even greater.
"Hey, you... the boss of this dungeon. What exactly are you?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
Vaelgorath’s glowing red eyes locked onto , radiating an oppressive aura. I struggled to withstand the pressure.
"How dare a lowly human speak to !" His deep, thunderous voice rumbled through the air. "I am Vaelgorath, the Conqueror of Ti—the ruler of this domain. You dare to intrude upon my territory? Now face the consequences!"
With a powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the air, generating a fierce gust that sent my team and stumbling backward.
"This is bad, Naoki! He’s not the type to negotiate!" Julius shouted from behind , urgency in his voice.
I clenched my fists. Splitting up against him would be suicide. "Everyone, regroup!" I ordered. We had to stick together if we wanted to survive.
We quickly ford a defensive formation, with Lyra and Professor Alden at the center. Alia, Julius, Termina, Hendrik, and his team surrounded them, while Marius and I stood at the front.
Vaelgorath wasted no ti and launched an attack, swooping down at us with terrifying speed. His sharp claws tore through the air, aiming directly at us.
Marius raised his shield and managed to block the blow—but a mont later, blood gushed from his chest, his armor splitting apart.
"Ugh! What the hell?! I’m sure I blocked that!" Marius cried out in pain as Lyra quickly chanted a healing spell.
What just happened? His attack had landed even though Marius had blocked it. This had to be one of Vaelgorath’s unique skills. Every unique monster possessed deadly abilities—like Canis, who wielded the power of darkness. Vaelgorath, on the other hand, controlled ti. Did his attack sohow manipulate ti itself?
"Nao! Use [Eclipse Eyes]! We need to understand his attack pattern!" Envi urged .
The mont Vaelgorath lunged at us again, I activated [Eclipse Eyes]. A strange aura shimred around his body—it was as if ti itself was distorting around him.
"Termina, Professor Alden! Attack from a distance!" I commanded.
Termina unleashed her skill, [Stormheim Archery: Lightning Arrow Barrage!], firing dozens of lightning-infused arrows. At the sa ti, Professor Alden cast [tal Magic: Shrapnel Burst!], sending a storm of razor-sharp tal shards toward Vaelgorath.
But once again, he avoided everything effortlessly. It was as if he moved before the attacks even reached him. Then, as he closed the distance, his long, spear-like tail lashed out at our formation.
I reacted instantly, leaping forward and using [Yanagi Uke!] to deflect the strike. But then—I saw it. His magical aura split, forming an illusionary afterimage of himself. An identical attack followed the first one, aid at the sa spot.
I quickly cast [Dark Magic: Veil of the Phantom!], absorbing the second strike.
"I see... he’s doubling the mont of his attacks, making it seem like ti is moving twice as fast for them. We have to dodge both the first and second hit!" I finally understood his technique.
"Oh? You figured out my [Double Impact] skill? Hah, interesting!" Vaelgorath sneered. "But tell , can you keep protecting your precious allies forever?!"
He launched into another relentless assault, his claws and tail striking without pause.
I kept deflecting with [Yanagi Uke!], dodging his [Double Impact] whenever I could—but eventually, his attacks began to land.
"Ugh!" I gritted my teeth as his tail grazed my arm, drawing blood.
My HP instantly dropped by 500. His attack dealt massive damage! Both Envi and I were shocked. The painful mories of my battle against Canis resurfaced, haunting .
As I was still assessing my condition, Julius rushed in to assist . His eyes burned with determination as he unleashed one of his strongest techniques.
"Step aside, Naoki! [Starlight Swordsmanship: Nove Breaker!]"
I quickly dodged his attack, allowing his sword to strike Vaelgorath instead. Imdiately after, Termina followed up with [Stormheim Archery: Power Shot!], firing a powerful lightning-infused arrow at high speed.
Professor Alden raised his staff and cast [High tal Magic: Iron Magnetic Storm!], summoning a swirling tempest of magnetized iron fragnts. The storm obscured Vaelgorath’s vision and restricted his movents.
With Professor Alden preventing Vaelgorath from dodging, Julius and Termina’s attacks landed directly on him.
At that mont, Alia ran up to , her expression serious.
"Naoki, I want to fight alongside you! Let’s attack him up close!" she pleaded.
I imdiately shook my head. "No! It’s too dangerous for you! I can’t lose you, Alia!" My hands gripped her shoulders tightly.
She gazed into my eyes with unwavering resolve. "But I don’t want to just stand by and watch! I want to help you, Naoki! You’ll die if you face that monster alone!" Tears welled up in her eyes.
I smiled softly, touched by her determination. "Alright... But I swear, I will protect you. Let’s take him down together. Follow my lead."
Alia nodded firmly, preparing her spell.
We turned to see Vaelgorath, still reeling from our team’s attacks. But instead of being wounded, he let out a deep, nacing laugh.
"KUHAHAHAHA! Your attacks are useless... Witness this—[Ti Reverse]."
Suddenly, his body rewound to a mont before he was hit. All of our attacks had been undone—he was completely unscathed.
We watched in horror as his injuries disappeared in an instant.
"That’s the sa ability he used in his previous form! We defeated him last ti by overwhelming him before he could activate it—but that won’t work now," Alia explained, frustration in her voice.
So that’s how they had beaten him before... But now, he was a unique monster. Things were different.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. "Don’t give up! We’ll keep attacking with everything we’ve got!" I shouted.
With renewed determination, we charged forward again. Alia, Julius, and I moved in for a close-range assault, while the others provided support from a distance.
Vaelgorath roared and swung his claws at us.
I used [Kasoseki] to boost my agility and reflexes, allowing to evade and counter his strikes. Every ti his claws ca close, I deflected them with [Yanagi Uke!], redirecting the force of his attacks.
Then, in a brief opening—
"Julius, now!"
Julius leaped forward, his sword glowing with brilliant light.
"Take this! [Starlight Swordsmanship: Radiant Strike, Full Burst!]"
He unleashed a massive slash of pure energy, but Vaelgorath barely dodged it—only to be t by Alia, who had already prepared her attack.
"You won’t escape!" Alia cried out as she activated her strongest spell—
"[High Divine Magic: Sacred Fist, Divine Smite]!"
A golden burst of flas erupted around her fists as she shot toward Vaelgorath’s head. Her punch connected, sending waves of divine energy surging through his body.
ROOOAAARR!!
With a thunderous crash, Vaelgorath plumted to the ground. The impact shook the entire dungeon.
We all held our breath, watching as his massive body lay motionless. I continued by attacking using [Dark Magic: Phantom Slash 5X] unleashing a shadow slash that tore through his body.
Had we finally defeated him?
But just as a glimr of hope surfaced—
"Foolish humans... Did you really think that was enough?!"
A sinister grin spread across Vaelgorath’s face.
"Playti is over. [Ti Reverse]."
Once again, his body rewound, erasing all the damage he had taken. Our strongest attacks had been completely negated.
"Damn it... This is impossible!" I gritted my teeth.
Vaelgorath chuckled darkly. "You’ve forced to stop holding back. Now... let’s see you handle this—[Ti Stop]!"
In an instant, everything froze.
Alia, Julius, and I... we couldn’t move.
My body refused to obey. My voice wouldn’t co out. My consciousness was fully intact, yet I was utterly powerless.
Vaelgorath’s claws descended upon us.
No... No, no, no!
"ALIA! JULIUS!! DAMN IT!!!"
Just as his claws were about to tear through us—
"Not on my watch!"
Professor Alden raised his staff, his voice echoing with power.
"[tal Magic: Magnetic Pull]!"
With a burst of magic, the tallic elents in our armor were forcibly pulled away, dragging our frozen bodies out of Vaelgorath’s attack range.
The mont we were freed, ti resud. We stumbled backward, gasping for breath.
"I won’t let you harm my students!" Professor Alden declared, standing firm.
Vaelgorath’s eyes flared with rage.
"Insolent human... You dare interrupt my fun?! You will pay the price!"
Vaelgorath shot through the air at incredible speed, heading straight for Professor Alden, who stood alongside Lyra, Marius, Hendrik, and his team.
I imdiately activated [Kasoseki], pushing my speed to its absolute limit, but Vaelgorath was simply too fast—I couldn’t catch up.
Through [Eclipse Eyes], I saw him gathering an imnse amount of mana in his throat.
"That’s a breath attack! Everyone, dodge—NOW!!"
Realizing the danger, I activated [Forbidden Dark Magic: Abyssal Wrath Mode], amplifying my magic power drastically.
Using [Shadow Steps], I surged forward at lightning speed, appearing right in front of Vaelgorath’s face just before he could unleash his attack.
I swung my blade at him—
But before I could land my strike, his crimson eyes glead.
"—[Ti Stop]."
In an instant, my body froze.
Vaelgorath’s claws tore into dozens of tis, each slash striking with bone-crushing force. When the ti magic released its hold on , I crashed to the ground, my armor partially destroyed. My HP had plumted—only 2000 remained.
Pain coursed through my body as my vision blurred.
I could faintly hear the desperate cries of my teammates—Lyra and Alia calling my na in distress.
Above , Vaelgorath lood, his throat now glowing with golden light.
"DIE! [Ti-Eating Burst]!"
A blinding golden beam—more like a massive laser—erupted from his maw, aid directly at my team.
"DAMN IT!!" I gritted my teeth, my body battered and broken.
Through hazy eyes, I watched in horror as the attack neared Lyra, Marius, Hendrik, and the others.
Then—
Professor Alden suddenly soared into the air. A massive magic circle ford behind him, glowing brilliantly.
A gentle, yet resolute smile ford on his lips.
"This will be my final spell... My dear students, forgive for not being able to protect you until the end..."
With those words, he cast his ultimate magic.
"—[High tal Magic: Magic Repelling Iron]!"
Six towering iron pillars materialized around him, warping the trajectory of Vaelgorath’s attack.
The golden beam twisted unnaturally, veering away from the others—
—And instead, struck Professor Alden head-on.
"UURRGHH!!"
His agonized scream pierced through the battlefield.
"PROFESSOR!!!" We all cried out in horror.
I watched helplessly as his body—
—Began to crumble.
Ti itself seed to devour him.
His skin cracked, flaking off into dust. His once-proud form slowly faded away, like sand slipping through fingers.
Yet, despite the pain, he clenched his fist.
"This... isn’t over... Take your own attack back!"
With the last of his strength, he reflected Vaelgorath’s [Ti-Eating Burst] right back at him.
The golden beam struck Vaelgorath’s right wing.
"GGGRAAAAGHH!!"
The wyvern let out a pained roar as he plumted to the ground. His right wing had completely vanished—devoured by the very ti magic he had unleashed.
For the first ti, Vaelgorath had taken irreversible damage.
But Professor Alden—
—Was fading.
His magic dissipated. His body fell, landing softly on the cold ground.
We all rushed to his side, surrounding him in grief.
Lyra sobbed uncontrollably, while Alia held his hand, trembling. Marius and Hendrik clenched their fists, their faces contorted in pain.
"Don’t cry... I’m honored... to have fought alongside you all..." Professor Alden spoke weakly, his voice filled with warmth. "It is a teacher’s pride... to protect his students..."
His body continued to crumble. Half of him was already gone, turning into dust.
Still, he smiled.
"I never thought... I would be joining Instructor Morgan so soon. He’s going to scold for this, isn’t he? Haha..." He chuckled weakly, though his body shuddered with pain.
Tears welled in my eyes.
He then turned to , his gaze filled with unwavering trust.
"Naoki... I know you will beco a great hero. And I believe... you will defeat that monster and protect everyone...I will leave the rest to you.."
His trembling hand reached for mine. I grasped it tightly.
"I swear it, Professor. I will not let your sacrifice be in vain."
His smile widened.
"Good... That’s good..."
His gaze softened as he looked at all of us.
"I won’t be able to see you all at the graduation ceremony... so let say it now..."
His voice trembled.
"Congratulations... on your graduation. I’m... so proud of you all..."
And with those final words—
—Professor Alden’s body completely dissolved into dust, carried away by the wind.
All that remained were his robes and his staff.
Silence filled the battlefield.
Then—
Lyra, Alia, Marius, Hendrik, and the others broke down in tears.
Their cries echoed through the ruined dungeon.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I felt my own tears fall.
This... This was unforgivable.
I would never let his sacrifice be in vain.
Slowly, I rose to my feet.
Vaelgorath, still injured, struggled to stand.
I locked my gaze on him, my vision burning with rage.
"Co forth, Kagegiri! Grimoire of the Darkness!"
A dark aura surged around as my grimoire materialized, summoning my blade—the katana of shadows.
Power coursed through my veins. My [Dark Magic] reached its peak.
My rage boiled over.
"YOU DAMN MONSTER!! I SWEAR, I WILL KILL YOU!!!"
Fueled by fury, I charged toward Vaelgorath—
—To end this battle once and for all.
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