Conquering The Novel

Ares and his team walked down the twisted path toward the chamber where the crystal was kept. The air grew thick with tension as they got closer, and the walls dripped with an eerie green substance.

Finally, they arrived at the chamber. The pedestal stood tall in the center of the small room, holding an egg-shaped crystal the size of a head. But their attention was quickly diverted as the ground shook, and the monster guarding the crystal appeared before them.

The A-Rank monster was a colossal creature with sharp fangs and crimson eyes that glinted in the dimly lit chamber. Its roar shook the ground, causing the group to lose its footing.

ROAAAR—

Ares quickly scanned the monster's HP bar and his heart sank. They were up against a formidable opponent. "Get ready, everyone!" he shouted, readying his katana.

As the monster charged towards them, its crimson eyes glowing with fury, Ares and his team scattered to avoid the initial attack. But the creature was relentless in its pursuit.

Diana, positioned behind a pillar, took aim with her bow and fired an arrow created with her aura that struck the monster's leg, causing it to stumble.

Swoosh—

Eric rushed towards the monster and struck it with his shield, but the monster retaliated by swiping its claws at him.

Thud—

Despite Eric's attempt to block with his shield, the impact sent him flying and depleted 50% of his HP. He narrowly avoided instant elimination, thanks to the shield.

Meanwhile, Claude disappeared from sight and reappeared behind the monster. He plunged his dagger into the creature's back, causing it to roar in pain. Livia, who had been charging her spell the entire time, unleashed a blast of ice that encased the monster's legs, slowing its movements.

Ares saw an opening and rushed towards the monster, sword raised high. He struck the creature with a powerful blow, causing it to stagger backward. The monster, enraged, unleashed a barrage of attacks toward Ares, who expertly dodged and blocked each one.

The battle continued, with the monster and Ares' team exchanging attacks and blows. The ground shook with each of the monster's roars, and the air was filled with the sounds of swords clashing and spells being cast.

Diana's arrows hit the monster's eyes, blinding it momentarily, giving Ares and Eric the opportunity to land a powerful blow. Claude continued appearing from the shadows, striking the monster's back with a swift and precise attack.

They were slowly chipping away at the monster's massive HP, but it was still standing strong, its icy legs slowly beginning to thaw.

As Ares and his team battled fiercely against the monster guarding the crystal, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears.

"Looks like they're finally here," Ares muttered with a grin.

Suddenly, a group of students from the Martial Star Academy burst into the room, armed with swords and their bare fists.

However, their arrival was met with chaos as the boss monster rushed toward them.

!?

"W-What the hell?" they exclaimed, barely dodging the monster's swinging claws that destroyed the ground beneath them.

Ares and his team used this opportunity to catch their breath and regroup. When Ares heard the approaching footsteps he quickly gave orders through their voice chat for his team to stop their attacks and for Eric to use his skill.

Eric followed Ares' command and immediately used his skill, "Taunt!" He positioned himself between the monster and the approaching newcomers, using his shield to deflect the monster's attacks and draw its attention away from his allies.

Distracted by the sudden appearance of new foes, the monster turned its attention away from them and charged toward the Martial Star Academy students.

As the battle continued, more students from various academies arrived, including the Cherry Blossom, Glacier Peak, and Royal Knight academies.

Ares saw this as an opportunity to rally the troops, and he shouted, "Everyone, concentrate your attacks on the monster! We can't let anyone else get the crystal before us! The crystal is protected by a spell, and only after the death of the Boss monster can we claim it!"

His voice rang out clearly and strongly, catching the attention of all the arriving academies.

A collective sigh of relief echoed through the room, as everyone knew that now they could focus on the monster without having to worry about anyone else snatching the crystal away while they were busy fighting the Boss monster.

The students did not doubt Ares's words because they knew that he could have easily stolen the crystal by now if he could when the monster was distracted away from his team.

With renewed determination, the academies joined forces, pouring all their strength into the battle. The monster's attacks were unrelenting, but the students fought back with every weapon at their disposal.

Some of the Martial Star academy students used their hand-to-hand combat skills to strike the monster with lightning-fast punches and kicks covered in the aura, while the Cherry Blossom academy students relied on their agility and grace to dodge the monster's attacks and strike with their own weapons.

The Glacier Peak academy students called upon the power of ice, creating sharp blades and icicles to pierce the monster's thick hide. And the Royal Knight academy students held the monster back with their spears and swords, protecting the other students from harm.

Ares and his team focused on weakening the monster's defenses, with Livia's magic weakening the monster's resistance to attacks and Diana's arrows striking true, hitting the monster's weak spots with deadly precision.

Eric used his shield to protect the other students from the monster's devastating attacks, while Claude's stealth and speed allowed him to strike the monster from the shadows, delivering swift, deadly blows.

Together, the students fought fiercely, pushing themselves to their limits. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the monster's health dropped to 5%, and it fell to its knees.

Seizing the opportunity, the students rushed forward to deliver the final blow. Arrows and spells rained down on the monster from the ranged attackers, while the melee fighters jostled and blocked each other to get closer.

But Diana and Livia had a plan. They used their arrows and spells to intercept and cancel out the attacks of other academies, allowing Ares, Claude, and Eric to make their way to the monster.

Diana poured the last of her mana into her body, feeling it draining away as she reached deep within for the final surge of strength. With a resolute determination, she invoked the power of her last skill.

"Shield of Artemis!" She uttered.

And immediately, a blinding light erupted from her, radiating outwards to create an impenetrable barrier that deflected all incoming attacks.

Arrows and spells crackled against the shield, but Diana stood her ground, unwavering.

Meanwhile, Livia created an ice domain that covered half the room, freezing any students caught within range.

Livia's mana had also been depleted, leaving her unable to continue fighting as well.

"It's up to you now, Ares," Livia and Diana muttered to themselves.

...

...

With only a handful of students left standing, it was up to Ares, Claude, and Eric to finish the job. They charged forward, ready to take down the monster once and for all.

Among the students approaching the monster were two from Martial Star Academy, one from Royal Knights Academy, and one from Glacier Peak Academy.

However, the twins from Cherry Blossom Academy, Ava, and Eva, were not interested in the monster; they were headed for the crystal. They plan to seize the crystal as soon as the monster was killed by them.

Meanwhile, as Ares, Claude, and Eric charged toward the monster, the other students were about to land their attacks when an unknown force abruptly stopped them in their tracks.

"Huh?"

The students were suddenly encircled by bright blue lines, freezing them in place as if held by an invisible force.

Suddenly, a voice boomed,

"ATOMIC...SLASH!"

Before they could react, a series of powerful slashes came at them, striking each student with incredible force.

Swash—Swash—Swash

Their bodies were slashed into pieces before disintegrating into particles, leaving no trace behind.

As this was happening, Claude darted behind the monster, his dagger glowing with a yellow aura.

"Shadow Strike!" He shouted.

And with a deft movement, he unleashed a skillful slash that ended the creature's life.

SCREECH—

The monster let out a final pitiful roar before collapsing to the ground, defeated.

But Ares was not done yet. He turned toward the crystal and ordered Eric, who was next to him, "Hold it and rush toward the exit!"

!?

Confused, Eric wondered what Ares meant by "hold it."

'Did he want me to hold him?' But before he could ponder further, Ares muttered something and vanished from his spot.

SWAP—

In his place stood the crystal that had been on the pedestal.

"Huh?" Eric hurriedly grabbed the crystal, bewildered. But he quickly regained his composure and rushed towards the exit, his team already ahead of him.

They had heard Ares's command through their voice chat and had already started making their way out of the dungeon.

Meanwhile, Ava and Eva, whose hands were just about to grab the crystal, saw it disappearing from their sight, and in its place, Ares now stood with his sword ready.

They didn't have enough time to react and knew that it was too late to block.

...However, Ares didn't finish them off. Instead, they both fell into Ares' arms, both on either side.

"EH?" they both gasped in confusion as they looked at Ares.

Ares merely smiled at them before disappearing leaving only a blue trail behind him.

"What just happened, sister?" Eva asked, bewildered.

"I have no idea, sister," Ava replied, equally puzzled as they both stared at the exit where Ares had vanished.

"...."

Disappointed that they missed out on both the monster kill and the crystal, the twins were left to ponder the events of the day as they made their way toward the exit.