Free Web NovelChapter 6: Fighting Stone Frogs Monsters
"Monsters are coming! Get ready!"
Vaelous’s shout snapped everyone out of their daze. Earlier, Vaelous had explained the rules of the test. Survival alone was enough to pass, but rankings would be determined by the number of monster cores each participant collected.
According to Darius, this wasn’t a test of individual strength but of teamwork. Vaelous seemed to agree, repeatedly warning them that hunting monsters was never a one-man job.
Silas recalled the footage shown during the briefing. The purpose of this test was not merely to evaluate them; it was meant to introduce new Enhancers to the cruelty of the real world.
Their backpacks, Vaelous explained, were enchanted. No matter how many monster cores they collected, the bags would neither become full nor grow heavier.
Once everyone was equipped, he arranged their formation.
The two hunters stood at the front, followed by the two mages. Cassian, the tamer, occupied the middle, while the two buffers remained at the rear. Vaelous positioned himself even farther back, claiming that it would allow him to properly observe their performance while remaining ready to intervene if necessary.
Silas took his place beside Lyra near the backline, while Darius stood at the front with Brant. The entire group waited several hundred meters away from the rune structure they had been assigned to protect.
"What kind of monsters do you think we’ll face?" Lyra asked nervously.
Silas suppressed a sigh.
There had been no time to properly learn one another’s abilities. The only thing he had managed so far was applying his wind enhancement to Darius, increasing the hunter’s speed and reaction time. Beyond that, everyone remained largely unfamiliar with their teammates’ powers.
Lyra wasn’t really asking about the monsters. She was asking whether they would survive or not.
"We’ll find out soon enough," Silas replied calmly. "Whatever comes, we’ll deal with it."
Without saying anything more, he subtly glanced toward Vaelous. A veteran C-Enhancer stood behind them. If things truly went wrong, surely he would step in, as he promised.
At least, that was what Silas wanted to believe.
ROAR!
A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield before Lyra could respond. The team had chosen a slightly elevated position, hoping to gain a tactical advantage. Yet the moment the first monster emerged, they realised how little such advantages mattered in the face of overwhelming ferocity.
"T... Those are Stone Frogs!" Cassian suddenly shouted.
Everyone turned toward him.
"They have massive bodies covered in natural stone armour. They’re F-grade monsters, sometimes led by an E-grade leader. They travel in groups of around a hundred. Their main attacks are their tongues, which are covered in stone spikes, and their forelimbs. One hit from those can crush a person."
His unexpectedly detailed explanation surprised everyone. But no one complained, at least they knew what they were facing. Unfortunately, the information was only mildly reassuring.
"They’re slow," Brant said. "Let’s take out the ones in front before the rest arrive."
Without waiting, he and Darius charged forward. The approaching monsters resembled moving boulders. Each was nearly five meters long and over two meters tall, with pale grey skin hidden beneath thick layers of rocky armour.
Silas immediately recognised the problem; their tongues were dangerous, but their defence was far worse. That became obvious the moment the hunters attacked.
Darius activated his Metal Piercing Charge. Small iron tusks emerged from his arm before fusing into a massive metallic spike as he slammed into the nearest Stone Frog.
Brant attacked at the same time. His Bone Spike Throw transformed his left palm into a strange bony launcher, firing razor-sharp spikes toward the monsters from a distance. ƒreewebɳovel.com
One was a close-range fighter. The other specialised in ranged attacks. Their coordination was excellent. And yet the results were disastrous.
Darius’s strike landed with a thunderous crash, shattering fragments of stone and sending dust flying. Yet the monster barely seemed injured. Brant fared even worse. His spikes bounced harmlessly off the rocky armour, leaving only shallow scratches.
"Fall back!" Selene shouted.
Seeing the hunters struggle, the mage finally stepped forward.
"Let us help."
She raised the staff she acquired from her backpack and activated her Burning Frenzy ability. A glowing hyena-shaped tattoo briefly appeared beneath her sleeve. And then the staff faintly shone before the attack landed. Flames erupted around several Stone Frogs at once, engulfing them in fire.
Cheers immediately erupted from the group. Encouraged by her success, Leon finally overcame his hesitation. He raised his own staff and activated Ice Jaw.
A crocodile-shaped tattoo flashed across his neck as a massive spectral crocodile head materialised beside one of the monsters, clamping down on its body. Frost spread across the creature’s stone armour while thick white mist billowed into the air where ice met fire.
Unfortunately, neither attack achieved what everyone hoped. The hunters rushed forward once more, trying to build on the damage brought by the mages. And yet, the result remained the same... They failed to secure their first kill.
"This isn’t working!" Darius shouted.
The brief excitement vanished almost instantly.
"Let me control one of them!" Cassian yelled.
The tamer quickly activated his ability and managed to seize control of a Stone Frog. He positioned it between the team and the advancing horde, hoping to use it as a living shield. His intervention helped, but it wasn’t enough.
The Stone Frogs were slow, yet the team’s progress was even slower. Ten exhausting minutes passed before they secured their first kill. And by then, they had already retreated all the way back to the rune structure.
"Vaelous!" Darius finally snapped. "Are you going to help us or not?"
The hunter turned toward the C-Enhancer standing behind them. And in a moment, everyone else turned towards him. But Vaelous merely smirked.
"Who said I was going to fight?"
The battlefield seemed to fall silent for a moment.
"This is your admission test," he continued casually. "I’m here to observe and evaluate. Not babysit."
The words hit harder than any monster attack. It felt like betrayal, but there was no time to dwell on it.
’This is your first lie.’ Silas took a mental note of this. After all, the C-Enhancer had previously promised to intervene if things went wrong.
"We won’t survive like this," Lyra whispered, panic creeping into her voice.
Unlike the others, Silas remained calm. In fact, Vaelous’s attitude didn’t surprise him. If the man intended to help, he would have acted long ago.
Instead, Silas focused on the battle itself; every movement, every attack, and every mistake was all engraved into his memory. Without realising it, he had gathered enough information to trigger the Time Mind ability.
For brief moments, the world seemed to slow, and possibilities unfolded before him. Scenarios appeared and vanished as he experienced failed and successful attempts. Amidst those, he found the right path to victory.
By the time the ability faded, the answer had become clear.
"Listen."
His voice cut through the chaos. Everyone turned toward him.
"We’re changing our formation."
"What?" Brant stared at him in disbelief.
Before anyone could argue, Darius spoke first.
"We don’t have time to debate. The monsters are already attacking the rune structure. If it falls, we fail."
He looked directly at Silas.
"Tell us what to do."
The certainty in Darius’s voice silenced the others. Even Brant reluctantly swallowed his objections. For the first time since the battle began, every member of the team focused on Silas.
