Chapter 78: Desperation in the Forbidden Zone
A month had passed since the Alpha Mana Beast.
A month of relentless training.
A month of pushing beyond their previous limits.
They were stronger.
But not strong enough.
The moment they stepped into the ruins, a wave of suffocating pressure crashed over them.
Kael staggered mid-step. Lucian's eyes sharpened. Evelyne's instincts screamed at her to raise her guard.
The others felt it too.
This wasn't a Greater Beast.
Not an Alpha-Class.
This was beyond that.
And then—
The ground trembled.
From the depths of the crumbling city, a monstrous form rose.
A Calamity-Class Mana Beast.
A titanic monstrosity—its blackened hide pulsed with mana veins, its six burning eyes locking onto them with intelligence.
Its sheer presence warped the air around them.
And it was hungry.
The Fight Begins
No one hesitated.
They knew—if they didn't fight at full power, they would die.
Kael moved first.
His Crimson Sigils blazed, igniting his body with raw energy. Berserker's Ascent activated. His entire body felt like fire, but he pushed forward anyway.
A single step—he blurred forward.
His blade screamed through the air, runes coiling along the edge.
He slashed at the beast's leg.
Impact.
But—his blade barely cut through the hide.
The beast twitched—not in pain, but in mild annoyance.
Then—a tail, faster than lightning, whipped toward him.
Kael barely had time to react.
The force sent him flying, crashing through a ruined wall.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
But he got up.
He had to.
Lucian struck next.
Golden flames roared to life, his draconic aura surging. His sword glowed white-hot, its heat distorting the air.
With a single, explosive dash, he appeared above the beast.
A downward slash—aiming for the skull.
The flames cut deep.
For the first time—the beast let out a low, guttural snarl.
It was annoyed.
Not hurt.
Lucian's expression remained unreadable. But inside?
He knew.
"Even this… isn't enough?"
Mira and Evelyne attacked together.
Mira flashed in and out of the beast's blind spots, her blade coated in reinforced mana.
Evelyne charged from the front, fists clenched, her entire body a weapon.
They were relentless.
Cut. Strike. Weave. Dodge.
They fought with everything they had—and the beast barely moved.
Then—
It moved.
One clawed swipe.
One moment of impact.
Both Mira and Evelyne were sent crashing through debris.
Neither got up immediately.
Darius roared—his lightning splitting the sky.
His storm magic crashed down, a torrent of electricity and raw destruction.
The air hummed with power as he unleashed every volt he had.
For a moment—the ruins glowed like daylight.
And then—
The beast stepped forward.
Completely unfazed.
Darius's breath hitched. No… way…
Cassian, Rael, and Leonel struck from the shadows.
Cassian's rapier pierced through a weak point, moving like a phantom.
Rael's Void Step let him weave between its defenses, daggers seeking vital spots.
Leonel's summoned beasts tore at its limbs, fangs sinking into its hide.
For a moment—it seemed like they had found a rhythm.
A way to keep it distracted.
But then—
A pulse.
Not an explosion.
Not a strike.
Just a pulse of raw mana.
The sheer force shattered the ground beneath them.
Cassian was thrown back.
Rael coughed blood.
Leonel's summoned creatures vanished instantly.
Selene's Mind Races
Selene watched everything unfold.
Her silver eyes burned as she calculated every possible outcome.
They were stronger than before.
Stronger than they had ever been.
And yet—
They weren't even making a dent.
There was only one conclusion.
They couldn't win.
She moved.
Her hands flashed through complex sigils, activating the Signaling Stone.
A beacon of light shot into the sky.
They needed reinforcements.
Now.
The Calamity-Class Mana Beast watched them.
It wasn't fighting seriously.
It was simply playing with its prey.
And now?
It had decided to kill them.
They had only seconds left.
And help was still far away.