Chapter 16: Chain Strike Awakening
"What do you see, Lilly?"
Silence hung in the air for a long moment.
Vera shifted her weight from one leg to the other, watching the woman with vibrant pink hair sitting cross-legged on a floating root ten feet above the ground. Lilly's eyes remained closed, her breathing steady and controlled—deep in concentration.
Vera sighed impatiently, her light blue eyes scanning the dense forest around them.
Zone 5: Shadowmere Forest was living up to its name—ancient trees stretched upward like cathedral pillars, their canopies so thick that only scattered beams of green-tinted sunlight reached the forest floor. The air smelled of rich earth, moss, and something faintly sweet—probably the Luminous Sporeblossoms that grew on the older trees.
Then Vera's eyes widened.
The bark of a nearby tree moved—twisted and reshaped itself into something alive. A camouflaged predator lunged directly at Lilly with terrifying speed, its bark-textured body revealing rows of needle-sharp fangs and predatory yellow eyes.
Barkfang Tracker (B-Grade)—a monster that could perfectly mimic tree bark, making it nearly impossible to detect until it attacked.
But before it could get close, a thick root burst from the ground beneath it, piercing clean through the creature's body. The Barkfang's eyes went wide with shock as its fangs snapped uselessly at empty air. Then more roots erupted—five, ten, dozens—tearing the monster apart from the inside like it was made of paper. The creature dissolved into magical particles without even getting to scream.
+20 points.
"Thanks," Lilly said with a slight smirk, finally opening her eyes. They were pitch black—completely black, with no visible iris or pupil, giving her an unsettling but striking appearance.
Vera's light blue eyes locked onto her friend. "Come on, tell me! What do you see?"
Lilly gracefully descended as the root she'd been sitting on retracted smoothly back into the earth, as if it had never existed.
"How convenient," Lilly remarked, her black eyes tracking Vera's casual manipulation of the terrain. "Your earth magic is perfect for this zone. You're absolutely killing it here, aren't you?"
Vera shifted uncomfortably, brushing a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. "Well... you're welcome?"
Lilly hummed thoughtfully. "I saw multiple A-Grade monsters. Rootmaw Annihilator and Thornspire Dreadlord—both big ones. They were being engaged by a group of Moon Empire nobles. Looked like they had it handled."
Vera shrugged. "Well, it's not like we can hunt A-Grades anyway. We'd get demolished." Her expression became more eager. "B-Grades though—B-Grades! Tell me you found some of those?"
Lilly blinked, then nodded. "Of course. Groveborn Render and Leafbane Huntmaster. They're circling each other about a hundred meters east of here. Territorial dispute, probably. We should finish them off while they're distracted."
Vera's face lit up with a competitive grin. "Let's go quickly!"
The ground beneath Vera's feet shifted like liquid, thick roots rising up and forming a moving platform that carried her forward at impressive speed. She rode them like they were natural extensions of her body, weaving between trees with practiced ease.
Behind her, mounted on a glowing green Verdant Stag—one of Lilly's summoned creatures—Lilly followed effortlessly. The ethereal deer moved with supernatural grace, its hooves barely touching the ground.
Vera glanced back, genuinely impressed. "You've got some crazy stamina, Lilly. How are you lasting so long maintaining summons? Scouting and hunting simultaneously—I didn't know you had that in you."
Lilly's expression remained neutral, but there was a hint of pride in her voice. "Of course I can. It's a lot easier when you're sparring with Lady Lyralei regularly."
Her face grew slightly grim at the memory.
Vera's eyes widened with interest. "Well, yeah, but still... I suppose if it's Lady Lyralei, then anything's possible. What's it like training with her?"
Lilly sighed heavily. "You really don't want to know."
"Try me."
"It's... bearable when she's not serious," Lilly admitted reluctantly. "But when she really gets going? Just standing near her aura starts shredding your skin. Her special element—Black Lightning—it doesn't just shock you. It tears through skin and constantly branches through your body like living razors."
She unconsciously rubbed her left arm, as if remembering old pain. "I took one direct hit during a spar and was hospitalized for a month."
"A month?!" Vera's eyes went wide with shock. Even life-threatening injuries typically healed in a day or two for nobles with access to proper magical healing. "That's insane!
Lilly chuckled darkly. "Please don't bring it up when we see her again..."
They arrived at the location Lilly had predicted.
The head of the Leafbane Huntmaster—a massive wolf-like creature covered in thorny vines—was rolling across the forest floor, severed cleanly from its body. But it wasn't just killed. Its face had been carved out, flesh and bone removed with deliberate cruelty.
Vera groaned in frustration. "We're late! Come on!"
Lilly's black eyes sharpened dangerously. "Oh yeah. We got him good now."
Their eyes tracked movement—a large figure partially obscured by trees. It was a beast-kin student—at least seven feet tall, with features that were more animal than human. Powerful muscles, fur-covered arms, and a predatory stance. The creature was slightly injured, arrows from the Leafbane still embedded in its shoulder, but it didn't seem to care.
The beast-kin crushed the skull of the Groveborn Render with one massive hand, finishing off Vera and Lilly's second target.
Their points. Stolen.
"Aah, it's you!" Vera shouted, her voice cracking with anger. "You're the one who's been hunting our targets! How do you even know which monsters we're tracking?!"
The beast-kin remained completely silent. Then thick black smoke began pouring from its body—not natural, but some kind of ability or artifact.
"Hey! What's your problem, jerk?!" Vera screamed.
Lilly immediately shifted into battle stance. A crimson Emberphoenix materialized on her left shoulder in a burst of flames, and a massive blue Tideclaw Crab appeared beside her, its pincers snapping menacingly.
"Oh, his problem?" Lilly said with a dangerous grin. "His problem is that no one's beaten the shit out of him yet. Let's knock his lights out."
Vera nodded eagerly. The trees around them responded to her will, their branches moving like fans, creating powerful gusts of wind that cleared away the obscuring smoke.
The beast-kin student—immediately bolted, running at incredible speed deeper into the forest.
Vera and Lilly pursued without hesitation—Vera on her root platform, Lilly on her Verdant Stag.
Suddenly, he stopped.
An Earth Sentinel Golem burst from the ground directly in front of him, its massive stone fist crashing down with enough force to crater the earth. Beast tore through the golem's chest with his bare claws, shattering stone like it was clay, then continued running.
Lilly groaned. "Persistent bastard."
Vera jumped off her root platform, landing perfectly on the bark of a tilted tree. Her footing was instantly secure—the tree itself adjusting to support her weight. Multiple thick roots erupted from the ground, whipping toward Beast from all directions like striking serpents. He dodged most of them, but the sheer number restricted his movement, forcing him into predictable patterns.
That's when Lilly's Emberphoenix struck. A torrent of concentrated fire engulfed him, and the beast-kin's body began to steam as the flames tried to bind him in place.
"Hey, don't kill him!" Vera shouted, genuinely concerned despite her anger.
Lilly remained vigilant, her black eyes tracking every movement. "I'm not trying to—"
"Vera, look out!!!" Lilly screamed.
He appeared directly behind Vera—he'd somehow broken through the flames instantly. Before she could turn around, his massive fist crashed into the back of her head with brutal force. Vera's eyes rolled back, and her body went completely limp.
The Tideclaw Crab shifted positions instantly, catching Vera's falling body with surprising gentleness in its massive pincers.
"Bastard!" Lilly hissed through gritted teeth. "Tch!"
His fingers elongated grotesquely, transforming into razor-sharp claws that gleamed in the filtered sunlight. He launched himself at Lilly with killing intent, crossing the distance in a heartbeat.
The next second, he was a hair's breadth away from her eyes—claws extended, ready to tear through her face.
"Roka, aren't you taking it too far?"
A hand appeared from nowhere, deflecting the blow with casual ease. The claws scraped harmlessly off to the side.
Lilly fell backward onto the ground, gasping. She looked up and immediately recognized the figure standing between her and Roka.
Darius of House Aquilon—a lean young man with flowing blue-green hair that seemed to move like water even when there was no wind. His eyes were closed, yet he'd perfectly intercepted Roka's attack. A soft smile played on his lips.
"Well?" Darius said calmly. "Gonna say nothing?"
In his left hand, he held a small Aqua Sparrow—a water-based scout familiar. Its eyes were blood red, indicating it had been influenced or controlled somehow.
My scout! Lilly's mind raced. He must have hijacked it to know our targets.
"Come on," Lilly said, grinning widely despite her anger as she stood beside Darius. "Let's put this mutt back in his place."
Roka remained silent, his expression unreadable behind his bestial features. Then he simply bolted away, disappearing into the forest with the same incredible speed.
Lilly moved to pursue, but Darius stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. His fingers pointed toward where the Tideclaw Crab was still carefully holding Vera's unconscious body.
"Ahhh!" Lilly's anger immediately shifted to concern. "Why did you let him get away?!"
She rushed over to Vera, her hands glowing with soft green healing magic—basic, but enough to stabilize injuries. "Vera! Wake up!"
Darius followed at a leisurely pace, humming thoughtfully. "Well, Roka was one of the students who rejected all our noble house sponsorships."
He laughed lightly. "It appears he found his reason to fight after all." The Aqua Sparrow's eyes returned to their normal blue color, released from whatever control had been placed on it.
Lilly groaned in frustration. "Well... fuck him. Next time, I'm turning his skin into a carpet for hurting Vera and Mizu." She gestured at the Aqua Sparrow.
Her tone became slightly accusatory. "You're way too loose with these commoners. That's why they're getting so bold."
"His Majesty's orders," Darius replied instantly.
The conversation ended just like that—absolute and final.
Lilly muttered under her breath, "I know, I know..."
Vera blinked groggily, her light blue eyes unfocused. "Ahh... dazed..." She sat up slowly, then immediately straightened when she saw Darius. "Lord Aquilon!"
"Be at ease," he replied with that same gentle smile. "So what's up? Why were you two chasing that beast-kin so aggressively?"
Lilly asked, "Why were you late to orientation anyway?"
"Had some stuff to handle," Darius said vaguely.
The scene shifted.
Zone 3: Frostwind Tundra
"Ice spells to slow down attacks, earth spells to block—good tactical choices indeed."
The figure's voice was calm, almost conversational, but there was a certain excitement underlying it. He wanted more.
"But blocking and dodging aren't the only things that win battles, are they... Serina?"
The speaker was a lean young man with messy blue hair and bandages wrapped extensively around both hands. He wore a plain black mask that covered the upper half of his face, leaving only his grinning mouth visible.
Serina was breathing deeply—practically panting. Tears streamed down her face, partly from pain, partly from sheer desperation.
"Come on! Come on! Think harder!"
I can't! she thought frantically. It hurts like hell!
Her ribs... just a single touch from him earlier had completely shattered her ribcage. Since then, she'd been purely dodging and running away, barely able to breathe without agony shooting through her chest.
"Come on, get up!"
She looked to her side desperately.
Damn it, we're going to lose…
Prince Agni was lying on the ground nearby, barely conscious. His breathing was even more irregular than when she'd first met him in the snow—shallow, stuttering, wrong. His left shoulder was bleeding furiously, the entire arm torn completely off. It lay several feet away, still twitching slightly.
What's his deal anyway? This is supposed to be an elimination round for points, not attempted murder!
Serina's mind drifted back to how peaceful things had been just a short while ago.