Valerian stood and looked at the monster before him. It was a terrifying creature, its body covered in black bone armor, and its eyes burned with a chilling, icy glow. Around him, his comrades stood, gathered for this fateful trial.
Zenith gripped his sword and bit his lip, saying, "No matter what this thing is, there must be a weakness!"
Evelyn placed her hands on her head, her eyes glowing faintly as she whispered, "I see no future where we win… It doesn't die… It never dies!"
There was no time for panic. In the next moment, the monster lunged at them with terrifying speed, its massive body gliding across the ground like a dark shadow, its claws slashing like knives.
Zenith leaped forward, using his swordsmanship to strike the monster with incredible speed, but the attack seemed meaningless. Leonard, beside him, used his spear to target the creature's joints, but it barely left a scratch.
Valerian had not moved yet. He studied the situation with his sharp eyes, trying to find any opportunity. "It's… immortal? Then we don't have to kill it we just have to stop it by any means necessary!"
With a sudden explosion, the monster sent one of the fighters flying, his body crashing into the wall and leaving a trail of blood. A scream of pain rang out, but there was no time to mourn.
Evelyn focused her spiritual powers, her eyes flickering as she attempted to use her foresight to guide the others, but she kept seeing the same result over and over: a crushing defeat.
"No! I won't accept this!" Rosalia shouted in anger, then directed a surge of energy toward the monster, freezing part of its body. But the ice shattered within seconds, as if nothing had happened.
Valerian looked at his hands, then at the monster. He had to try "Fate Steal" now. Even if it was a weak ability, it might give them some hope.
He approached steadily, using his senses to avoid any danger until he was close enough. "Come on… Give me anything I can use…" he said as he extended his hand.
In an instant, he felt energy flow through his body, but he immediately realized that what he had taken was not an incredible power, but merely a primitive ability:
"Limited Regeneration" He could heal slightly.
[Retention Duration: 20 minutes]
His mind screamed in protest, but there was no time for regret. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his chest, as if his very soul was being consumed.
[Penalty: Crush] He felt an overwhelming pressure crushing his body, as if his bones were being ground inside him. It was the consequence of stealing an ability from an unnatural being.
But he endured the pain and charged forward. "If I can't kill it, I'll make it suffer with me!"
Zenith, Alistair, Evelyn, and the rest of the fighters gathered for one last attempt. Zenith used all his skills, while Valerian relied on his stolen ability to hold on for as long as possible.
But the monster was stronger. Too strong for them to defeat.
As more fighters fell and their energy reached its limits, everyone lay on the ground, gasping for breath, surrounded by blood.
The monster stood over them, unscathed, as if they were mere insects in its path.
Valerian, barely able to lift his head, muttered, "So… it's still too far… the dream of victory…" Then he closed his eyes as the monster's eerie laughter echoed through the darkness.
They did not win. They couldn't even come close to victory.
But this was not the end. It was just the beginning of a long road… A road harsher than they had ever imagined.
As everyone lay on the brink of death, another explosion sounded but this time, it wasn't from the monster. Four figures appeared at the edges of the battlefield.
"Fall back! We'll handle this now!" came a deep voice from one of them.
It was the teachers.
Master Rendak, the leader of the team, drew his silver sword and rushed forward like lightning, delivering a strike unlike anything seen before. The attack hit the monster's body, and for the first time, it let out a cry of pain!
Instructor Elena raised her hands, and a burning vortex of fire erupted, surrounding the monster and forcing it to retreat.
Master Cain, known for his deadly precision, used his spear to strike the monster's weak points, while Master Orion, using his spiritual power, paralyzed the creature with his mysterious techniques.
It was a flawless battle, each move complementing the other.
The monster realized it was facing entirely different opponents. It tried to attack, but all its strikes were masterfully blocked.
"He's strong, but we're stronger together! Elena, more pressure!" Rendak shouted.
Elena laughed coldly. "Don't worry, I'll make him feel hell!"
The flames erupted again, and with the relentless assault from all sides, the monster began to lose momentum. In a moment, Cain delivered a direct strike to its head, followed by Rendak's final blow, which sliced its body in half.
The monster staggered, its body starting to collapse, before letting out one last terrifying roar then it disappeared forever.
The teachers stood victorious as the students watched in awe and gratitude.
Valerian, despite his pain, felt deep admiration. "This is… the level of power I must reach…"
Rendak turned to them and said, "You did what you could. But remember, there's still a long road ahead."
That night, they all understood the true meaning of power and what it meant to be part of a merciless world, where only the strongest survive.
The massive corpse of the immortal monster lay amidst the ruins, riddled with deep wounds and holes. Yet, everyone watched it warily, expecting it to come back to life as it had many times before. But this time, there was only silence. Then, as if the air itself held its breath, a small orb formed above its chest, glowing with a pulsing orange light, like a living heart.
Everyone stared at the core, as if they had never seen anything like it before. It wasn't just a reward for their victory it was something far beyond that. It represented the monster's essence, its strength, its most terrifying weapon the ability that earned it the title of "The Undying."
Some students collapsed from exhaustion, while others struggled to process what had happened. Alistair, barely able to stand, looked at Valerian with tired eyes, unable to hide the mixed admiration and envy in his gaze. "It really… fell?" he whispered, as if he couldn't believe it.
Rosalia, who had been injured in the battle, stood leaning on a nearby rock. She narrowed her eyes at the scene before murmuring, "The monster's core… This is a real treasure."
At that moment, the teachers approached. Their faces held no clear expressions, but their eyes said everything. They had seen something beyond just a battle they had seen evolution.
One of the teachers stepped forward and stopped before the core. "You did well," he said, his voice low but carrying absolute authority. "But this core is not yours."
The air froze. The students felt as if they had been slapped by those words. Even Valerian, despite knowing the rules, couldn't stop himself from feeling a twinge of frustration. They had fought, bled, lost comrades and now, the prize would be taken before their eyes?
But there was no room for objection. The teacher cast a brief glance at the students before reaching out, grasping the glowing orange core. It pulsed in his hand for a moment before he placed it inside a special metal box, then sealed it tightly.
"You have proven yourselves today." Another instructor spoke, this time a woman with stern features, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the wounded. "But that doesn't mean you're strong enough to decide the fate of things like this."
No one objected. They couldn't. Even those who wanted to protest were too exhausted and drained to even stand properly.
Moments later, the orders were given to gather and prepare for departure. The retreat was silent. It wasn't a victory to be celebrated as some had imagined, but rather a painful lesson. Strength alone was never enough there was always someone stronger, someone higher, someone who could simply take the fruit of your labor without you being able to say a word.
Valerian walked beside Leonard, both lost in thought. They knew that this battle was only the beginning of something greater, and that what had happened today would leave its mark on them for a long time. Perhaps the undying beast had fallen, but the lesson it left behind remained alive in their hearts, stronger than any core that had been taken from them.
On a distant hill, where the winds howled through the darkened trees, a figure clad in a long black coat stood, watching the scene from afar. His cold eyes reflected no emotion as he observed the students walking away and the instructors taking the core.
"So… it ended like this?" he spoke in a quiet voice, though there was a tone of disdain in it.
Beside him stood two of his men, both wearing metallic masks that concealed their features. One of them, a burly figure, crossed his arms and said, "We could have intervened… they shouldn't have taken it."
But the man in the black coat raised his hand, silencing him with a simple gesture. "It doesn't matter," he continued in a steady voice. "We got what we wanted. The beast played its role. As for this core… it's just a minor detail."
The other man hesitated before asking, "Do you mean that the beast's fall wasn't a failure?"
The mysterious man smirked slightly, a barely noticeable expression beneath the shadow of his hat. "Of course not. It was a successful experiment in every sense. I wanted to test their abilities, and now, I know exactly who is worth my attention… and who is merely a passing bystander."
Silence settled between the three before the mysterious man turned his back, heading into the forest. "Let's go. There are other matters we need to prepare for. This is only the beginning."
His men moved quietly, following his steps. And as their presence faded into the depths of the darkness, there was an unshakable feeling that this night, despite its conclusion, was merely the first chapter of a much larger story.
Finally, he looked at one of his followers.
His gaze was like sharp blades piercing the soul, stripping away masks and unearthing secrets. Before him stood a thin young man, sweating profusely despite the cold weather. His hands trembled, and his eyes darted in every direction, as if they refused to meet the stare of that enigmatic man.
"You know what you must do." The mysterious man's voice was eerily calm, steady as if coming from an emotionless machine.
The young man stammered for a moment before swallowing hard. "I… I don't know if I'm the right person for this task. Maybe there's someone else more capable…"
The mysterious man lifted his head slightly, revealing eyes that were almost entirely black, nearly devoid of any whites. It was as if darkness itself had taken root within them. A chill ran through the young man's body, and he felt as though the air around him had grown heavier.
"There is no one else," the man said coldly.
The young man swallowed again, taking a shaky breath. He knew that refusal was not an option.
Why me? Why did he choose me out of everyone? These thoughts raced through his mind as he struggled to control his trembling body. But another voice inside him screamed: Don't ask questions. Do what he says and survive.
The man in the black coat slowly gestured toward the gathered crowd. "Join them. You'll know when your time comes."
The young man looked at the dense crowd, where people were clustered around the instructors. Everyone was absorbed in the words echoing through the air, and no one noticed his presence.
He hesitated for a moment, but after seeing the man's gaze, he realized that retreat was no longer an option. He took a step, then another, until his body melted into the throng.
As he moved through the people, his heart pounded violently. Cold sweat trickled down his back, and his thoughts were tangled, conflicted.
What if I get discovered? What if I fail? Will that man let me live?
Despite the noise, he could feel those eyes watching him, weighing every step, every movement. He didn't need to look back to confirm it. He was there… always there.
And in a single moment, he felt that the time had come. He reached into the pocket of his jacket, his fingers brushing against the object he had hidden there. He took a deep breath…
But before he could move, he heard a voice not from the crowd, but from within himself. Run… now…
His breath quickened. This wasn't just a feeling. It was a warning. But how? Why? There was no time to think. He had to make a decision.
In that instant, he slowly turned back.
But… he was gone. As if the shadow he had been standing in had swallowed him whole.
Vanished.
Something inside him crumbled. And instead of continuing his mission, he stepped back, then again, until he slipped out of the crowd unnoticed.
In the dark corner, where only the cold and silence remained, the mysterious man stood alone. His face showed no expression. His eyes were still blank, empty.
He whispered a single word, his voice faint yet carrying an unspoken terror.
"Interesting."