Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

540 Chapter 120.6 - Infernal Nexus

As the battle raged on, Astron's eyes remained locked on the Fire Spirit, analyzing every detail of its movements. The monster towered over the team, its body a swirling combination of molten rock and fire energy, shifting with every step.

Each pulse of its core sent waves of heat through the chamber, distorting the air and making it difficult to focus. Despite this, Astron's [Perceptive Insight] filtered through the chaotic mana, providing him with a clear view of the spirit's strengths and weaknesses.

'This thing's mana level is definitely at the peak of Stage 5. Not quite Stage 6, but close enough to make this a real challenge.'

Astron could see the immense concentration of mana flowing through the Fire Spirit's core. The energy was dense, pulsing rhythmically as if it were a living heartbeat.

This wasn't just any elemental creature—it was a manifestation of pure elemental power, born from the dungeon itself. Its movements, while slow, were deliberate, and the sheer weight behind each attack was enough to cause the ground to shudder.

'Fire Spirit is a being of raw elemental energy. Its body doesn't have a skeleton to target. Instead, the molten rock and fire are holding it together. That means physical attacks will have little effect, and those solid parts… they're about as tough as Stage 6 material.'

His mind raced as he considered their options. The Fire Spirit's molten exterior was resistant to conventional strikes; Dorian's swords would find little purchase against it. Elena's ice magic was effective in creating cracks, but it wasn't enough to bring down something of this magnitude on its own.

'Even if we can chip away at the molten rock, its core is still protected. The core is its life force, and we can't destroy it. The mission's clear: subdue, not kill. That complicates things.'

He nocked another arrow, his eyes following the flow of mana within the spirit's body. The solidified parts of the Fire Spirit were where the energy was most concentrated, particularly around its legs and arms, acting as armor.

That armor was strong, but Astron could see the fluctuations of mana underneath, areas where the molten rock shifted and exposed weaknesses.

'We can't just keep hacking away at the solid parts. The material's too dense for that. And the core is too volatile—taking it out completely would kill the spirit and close the dungeon.'

The Fire Spirit roared again, raising one of its massive arms to strike. The chamber shook with the force of its movement, and Kurt braced himself, his shield absorbing the brunt of the impact. Dorian darted in, slashing at one of the spirit's legs, but his blades only caused small cracks to appear before molten rock quickly filled the gaps.

11:00

"Dorian, fall back!" Astron called, his voice sharp. "Those cracks won't hold. We need to weaken it another way."

Dorian retreated, frustration flashing in his eyes. 'Damn, this thing's tough,' he thought, his gaze shifting toward Astron. 'If he's got a plan, I hope he pulls it out soon.'

Astron's mind was already working through the possibilities. The fire energy that composed most of the spirit's form was highly unstable, but it was bound to the solidified rocks, keeping the creature's shape intact. To destabilize the spirit without destroying it would require a precise approach.

'I really did not want to rely on this, but I guess I have no choice.'

To broaden his horizons and open himself up to different strategies, Astron wanted to explore new ideas.

But that was something that would not work every time.

'And the mission's nature does not allow that.'

In the end, they needed to subdue, which limited them a lot more.

'Let's just disrupt its mana flow and call it an end.'

If possible, he wanted to get some practice against a strong monster like this using his martial arts and his recently updated stats, but for the time being, doing such a thing would be too selfish and delusional.

Astron quickly formulated a plan, one that would utilize the strengths of his team while allowing him to take the final shot. His eyes flickered to his teammates, and he began issuing orders.

"Dorian, Gareth, I need you to keep up the pressure. Hit the weak points Elena and I will expose. Lila, I need your golem on defense—block the spirit's attacks and give me a clear line of fire."

Dorian, still frustrated from his earlier attempts, nodded. 'He's got a plan, finally,' he thought. 'Let's hope this works.'

The team sprang into action as Astron's orders cut through the tension of the battlefield. Dorian moved first, darting forward with his dual swords flashing in the dim, molten-lit chamber. He aimed for the Fire Spirit's legs, targeting the spots where Astron and Elena would expose the weak points.

Astron, meanwhile, was steadying himself, his [Eyes of Hourglass] fully active. He watched the battle unfold, monitoring the flow of mana within the Fire Spirit and the precise placement of his teammates. Every movement, every crack that Dorian and Elena exposed, was adding up.

"Dorian, pull back slightly," Astron called out. "Keep your strikes light but fast—we need to keep it distracted without damaging the core."

Dorian nodded, adjusting his approach. He slashed at the creature's legs with quick, nimble strikes, keeping it off balance but ensuring not to overcommit.

"Elena," Astron continued, "focus your ice magic on the joints. We need to slow it down even more."

Elena shifted her aim, sending concentrated blasts of ice at the creature's knees and elbows. The freezing energy seeped into the cracks Dorian had made, forcing the Fire Spirit's molten armor to solidify further. Each hit slowed the creature's movements, buying the team precious time.

"Gareth, get ready to reinforce Lila's golem," Astron said calmly, his eyes tracking the Fire Spirit's movements. "The next strike will be heavy."

Gareth nodded, raising his hands to prepare an extra layer of barriers. The Fire Spirit, enraged by the team's assault, swung one massive arm at Lila's golem with even greater force. The golem blocked the attack, but the sheer power of the strike caused cracks to form in its stony exterior.

Gareth's barriers shimmered to life just in time, absorbing the remaining energy of the strike and preventing the golem from collapsing. 'Damn,' he thought. 'Astron called that perfectly. Without the reinforcement, we'd be in trouble.'

As the team continued their coordinated assault, Astron traced the flow of the battlefield just to find the perfect moment.

'Now!' And he found it after a while.

He took a deep breath, centering himself as he focused his energy. A faint green glow began to emanate from his body, his Lunar mana swirling in the air around him.

His mind locked onto the seven key points where the Fire Spirit's mana was weakest—joints where the molten rock shifted and exposed the raw fire energy underneath. Those points were the target.

With a fluid motion, Astron nocked seven arrows in rapid succession, each one glowing faintly with green Lunar mana. These arrows weren't designed for raw power but for precision and control. They would serve as markers, locking down the weak points and creating a path for his next move.

'Even without Celestalith, this should be fine for now.' While he was much more efficient when using Celestalith, he did not forget all the training he did before he got the weapon.

Those memories of how he used the bow provided by the academy were still there.

Eyes of Hourglass. The world slowed as he locked onto all those targets.

SWOOSH! He released the arrows, one after another, each glowing projectile flying toward its intended target. The arrows lacked strength, but they struck true, embedding themselves in the weak points with a faint hum of energy. The green glow intensified, creating a shimmering thread of Lunar mana that connected each arrow to Astron.

In his mind's eye, he saw it clearly—seven distinct threads of mana, each one linked to a critical point on the Fire Spirit's body. The threads glowed with a soft green light, forming a web of connection between him and the spirit.

'There. The path is set.'

With his [Eyes of Hourglass], Astron's vision sharpened, and the threads of mana became even more defined. Each thread represented the exact location where the Fire Spirit's mana flow was weakest, a roadmap that would guide his next attack with precision.

'Now, for the real strike.'

Drawing his bow once more, Astron began charging his next set of arrows. This time, the green glow was replaced by a brilliant blue, his destructive and unstable Lunar mana surging through the bowstring.

The blue Lunar mana crackled with energy, wild and volatile, but Astron's [Eyes of Hourglass] kept it in check.

The special armor-penetrating property of the bow, combined with the blue Lunar mana, would be enough to break through the Fire Spirit's tough exterior.

Normally, the unstable energy would make the arrows unpredictable, their paths erratic and difficult to control, especially if he was not using [Celestalith] as a medium.

But if he locked it with green threads, then the green threads would guide the arrows, ensuring they followed the exact trajectory needed to hit the weak points.

The green and blue Lunar mana worked in tandem, and the precision of the green counterbalanced the volatility of the blue.

'Everything is lined up.' Astron released the arrows, each one blazing with blue Lunar mana. They flew through the air, following the paths set by the green threads, moving with deadly accuracy. One by one, the arrows struck the Fire Spirit's weak points, each impact accompanied by a surge of energy that disrupted the creature's mana flow.

—BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Fire Spirit roared in agony, its form shuddering as the precise strikes caused the molten rock to crack and splinter.

The unstable blue Lunar mana destabilized the spirit's core, but the green mana ensured that the damage didn't go too far. The Fire Spirit wasn't killed—its core remained intact—but its ability to reform was severely weakened.

The chamber fell into silence, the oppressive heat still lingering, but the immediate threat now neutralized.

Astron lowered his bow, his expression calm but focused. "It's done. The Fire Spirit's subdued."

The rest of the team let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Damn…..That was tough."

And, in fact, that was.

But at the end, the battle was finally over.

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