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[You have entered the mystic realm!]
[Current location: Danger Zone Sunset Forest!]
Gabriel stepped into the mystic realm, and a soft blue holographic screen shimmered into view before him. The vast and mysterious Sunset Forest stretched out before him, its dark, towering trees casting long, eerie shadows across the forest floor. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the distant cries of unknown creatures.
The entry point within the mystic realm was random, scattering students across the vast landscape. Gabriel found himself alone, his senses heightened by the ominous stillness of the forest. Soon, though, he was joined by his teammates—Jane Doe, Elton Rock, Zhao Kong, and Gareth Wade—who, by some stroke of fate, were transported to the same location.
"Big Bro Gab, are you sure we didn't take a wrong turn?" Jane's voice trembled slightly, betraying her fear as she glanced nervously at the dark woods around them. "The entrance to the mystic realm hasn't closed yet. We can still go back if we hurry."
Gabriel turned to face her, his eyes softening at the sight of her anxiety. He gently patted her shoulder, his touch firm yet reassuring. "We've come this far, Jane. Are you really going to turn back now and miss the chance to prove yourself?"
Jane's eyes welled up with unshed tears, her lip trembling as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "But isn't staying alive more important? I'm not ready to die in this place…"
Gabriel was momentarily at a loss for words. Jane was an assassin—a role that demanded precision, stealth, and fearlessness. Yet, here she was, on the brink of tears, her resolve shaken. He sighed softly, understanding that even the bravest warriors could be paralyzed by fear.
Zhao Kong, noticing Jane's unease, stepped forward with a broad grin. He exuded an air of confidence and determination that was almost infectious. "Brother Gab's right, Jane. We're here to make a name for ourselves. Don't forget that we're under his leadership—he's never reckless. If he chose to bring us to this Nightmare Realm, there's a good reason. Trust him, and I'm sure we'll all return safely."
Gabriel chuckled softly, the camaraderie among his teammates warming his heart. But his expression quickly turned serious, his instincts kicking in as he sensed something amiss. He raised a hand, signaling the group to quiet down. "Shh… Listen."
The entire group fell silent, their senses on high alert. The air around them felt heavy, charged with the promise of impending danger. Then, a low rumble echoed through the forest, the ground beneath them vibrating with each passing second. Far in the distance, smoke billowed into the sky as the sound of heavy, drum-like footsteps grew louder.
"The monsters are closing in!" Elton exclaimed, his voice a mix of excitement and fear.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the area, his mind racing to assess the situation. His teammates followed suit, their eyes darting around as they tried to determine the source of the disturbance. The tension in the air was palpable, every second stretching into an eternity as they waited for the monsters to reveal themselves.
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[Name: Spirit Rat]
[HP: 25,000/25,000]
[Mana: 1,500/1,500]
[Patk: 450]
[Defense: 120]
[Element: Earth]
[Rank: Iron 10 ⭐]
[Skills: Bite, Iron Claw, Unity, Devour]
[Description: A large beast with substantial brute force. Appears in groups.]
---
Gabriel's heart raced as he quickly activated his talent, [Elemental Conversion], to identify the weaknesses of the incoming monsters. These Spirit Rats were not particularly high-level, but their sheer numbers posed a significant threat. He knew this was a golden opportunity for his team to gain experience, but they would need to handle it with extreme caution.
"Everyone, stay calm," Gabriel ordered, his voice steady but filled with urgency. "These are Spirit Rats. Their weakness lies in their necks—strike there for critical damage."
As his words hung in the air, Gabriel pulled out his staff, its familiar weight grounding him in the face of the coming battle. He cast [Grace of Life], boosting his own HP by 15%. His health surged to 23,516, and then he extended [Goddess Blessing] to himself and his teammates. A protective shield enveloped them, strong enough to block up to 141,000 points of damage—a formidable buffer against the approaching horde.
[HPup]: Increase HP by 15%
[Atkup]: Increase Patk/Matk by 50%
[Shield]: Block damage up to 6 times the caster's HP
[Immunity]: Immune to all negative buffs
[SpDup]: Increase speed by 30%
His teammates felt an immediate change as the blessings took hold. The aura of protection settled around them, instilling a newfound confidence. They exchanged glances, nodding silently to each other as they readied themselves for the onslaught.
The first wave of Spirit Rats emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent. One broke from the pack, its grotesque form barreling toward them with terrifying speed. Jane, her earlier fear momentarily forgotten, acted on instinct. She darted forward, her dagger flashing as she aimed for the rat's neck. With a swift, practiced motion, she severed its head from its body, blood spraying across the forest floor as the rat's lifeless body collapsed.
The sight of the fallen creature should have bolstered the team's morale, but the reality of the battle soon set in. The Spirit Rats kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. The team's initial attempts to fend them off were disjointed, their movements clumsy and uncoordinated. Despite their efforts, they were barely holding the line.
Gabriel watched the chaotic scene unfold, his heart sinking as he realized just how unprepared they were for this level of combat. "No worries, we can work on our coordination later," he thought, before raising his staff to unleash his own attack. He had hoped they could manage on their own, but it was clear they needed more support.
With a sweeping motion, Gabriel invoked [Light Hurricane], mutated by his talent [Elemental Conversion] with fire as its primary element. The spell tore through the ranks of the Spirit Rats, striking three times in quick succession.
-75,251 HP
-75,251 HP
-75,251 HP
The lead Spirit Rat disintegrated into ashes under the ferocity of Gabriel's spell, but the rest of the horde continued their relentless advance. Their shrill cries filled the air, a cacophony of sound that grated on the nerves and threatened to shake the team's resolve.
---
"Pu, pu, pu—"
Eight more Spirit Rats fell in rapid succession, their bodies piling up around the team. The initial shock of the battle began to wear off, replaced by a grim determination to survive. The team members, though still struggling with their coordination, pressed the attack with renewed vigor.
Gabriel refrained from engaging further in direct combat, choosing instead to focus on supporting his team. He cast [Cleanse], a group healing spell that mended their wounds and soothed their aches, followed by [Demon's Curse], the twisted counterpart to [Goddess Blessing], made possible through his [Yin-Yang Soul Harmony] talent. The curse afflicted the remaining Spirit Rats with a series of debilitating effects, weakening them significantly.
[AtkDown]: Decrease Patk/Matk by 50%
[Silent]: Prevent the use of skills
[MeFirst]: Guarantee a hit equal to 6 times the caster's HP
The Spirit Rats, now crippled and disoriented, became easy targets for the team. But the battle was far from over. Another wave of rats, their eyes glowing with an unnatural fury, surged forward in a frenzied charge. The ground shook with their approach, the forest floor trembling beneath their weight.
"Shield's Might!" Zhao Kong roared, his voice a battle cry that cut through the din of combat. He raised his spear and shield, charging forward to meet the oncoming horde head-on.
The Spirit Rats converged on Zhao Kong, their jaws snapping and claws slashing as they tried to break through his defenses. But Zhao stood firm, his shield a bulwark that absorbed the brunt of their attacks. His muscles strained under the pressure, but he refused to yield an inch.
Elton, seeing the opportunity Zhao had created, notched an arrow and aimed skyward. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he calculated the trajectory. "Rain of Arrows!" he shouted, releasing the arrow with a twang of the bowstring.
A flurry of arrows rained down from above, each one streaking through the air with deadly precision. The arrows struck the Spirit Rats with unerring accuracy, each one finding its mark in the vulnerable necks of the beasts. The rats shrieked in agony, their movements slowing as the icy arrows sapped their strength.
Gareth, ever the strategist, seized the moment to summon a massive fireball, its heat so intense that it warped the air around it. "Summon: Fireball!" he intoned, his voice resonating with magical power.
The fireball hurtled toward the Spirit Rats, exploding upon impact with a thunderous roar. Flames engulfed the creatures, their fur igniting in a blaze that quickly reduced them to ash. The combination of Elton's freezing arrows and Gareth's fiery onslaught proved devastating, leaving the battlefield littered with the charred remains of their enemies.
Jane, who had initially been paralyzed by fear, now moved with a deadly grace that befitted her role as the team's assassin. She darted in and out of the shadows, her daggers flashing as she targeted the weakened Spirit Rats with pinpoint accuracy. Her strikes were swift and lethal, each one aimed at the vulnerable necks of the creatures, as Gabriel had instructed.
Despite the growing pile of bodies, the Spirit Rats showed no signs of stopping. They continued to pour into the clearing, driven by some primal instinct or unseen force. The air was thick with the scent of blood and smoke, the sounds of battle drowning out all else.
Gabriel observed the battle from the center of the group, his mind calculating the flow of combat. His decision not to use an area-of-effect (AOE) spell was deliberate; he needed his team to learn, to adapt to the chaos around them. If he simply annihilated the enemy with his overwhelming power, they would never develop the skills and confidence necessary to survive in the mystic realm.
However, Gabriel was not idle. Whenever a Spirit Rat broke through their formation and charged toward him, he reacted with lethal precision. His staff would glow with an ethereal light, and in the blink of an eye, the creature would be reduced to a lifeless husk. His actions were so seamless that his teammates barely noticed his interventions, too engrossed in their own battles to realize that Gabriel was subtly ensuring their survival.
As the last of the Spirit Rats fell, the adrenaline coursing through their veins began to subside. The team stood amidst the carnage, their chests heaving with exertion, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. They had done it—they had survived their first real battle in the mystic realm.
The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the acrid stench of burning flesh. The five teammates pinched their noses as they counted the lifeless bodies of the Spirit Rats littering the forest floor, their minds still reeling from the intensity of the battle.
Jane, wiping the sweat from her brow, looked at Gabriel with a newfound respect. "Big Brother Gab, how did you know the Spirit Rats' weakness was their neck?" she asked, her voice tinged with awe and curiosity.
Elton and Gareth, equally curious, chimed in with praise. "Yeah, Brother Gab, if you hadn't pointed that out, we might've been wiped out!" Gareth added, his voice filled with gratitude.
Gabriel chuckled softly, then sighed, trying to downplay his knowledge. He didn't want to reveal too much about his abilities or the sources of his information. "Pay attention when your teachers are lecturing, and don't underestimate the value of books. They're full of useful information for adventurers. It's all about being prepared," he said, his tone gentle but firm.
His teammates blushed, embarrassed by their earlier ignorance. Gabriel's words had struck a chord, reminding them of the importance of knowledge and preparation in their line of work. It was a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.
Sensing the lingering awkwardness, Gabriel quickly changed the subject. "Let's move deeper into the forest. We've still got a lot of ground to cover, and we can't afford to let our guard down," he said, his voice filled with quiet determination.
They all nodded in agreement, eager to push forward and prove themselves further. The battle had ignited a fire within them—a desire to grow stronger, to face whatever challenges the mystic realm had in store.
---
Meanwhile, outside the mystic realm, the atmosphere in the stadium was electric. The audience was stunned by the spectacle unfolding before them. A group of fresh high school graduates had just wiped out a horde of Spirit Rats—a feat that even seasoned warriors would struggle to accomplish.
"Not a single one was left alive. Brutal!" one spectator exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration.
"I can't believe I underestimated these kids. How embarrassing!" another muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Praise and skepticism mingled in the air as the crowd buzzed with excitement.
"Tsk, they're just low-level Spirit Rats. What's the big deal about wiping them out?" a skeptical voice interjected, though the speaker's tone lacked conviction.
"Look at that supporter. He barely moved during the fight! He only intervened when necessary, while the others did most of the work," another added, trying to downplay the team's accomplishment.
However, the spectators, mostly amateurs, couldn't grasp the full extent of what had just happened. A group of dignified, elderly men sat in a private box within the stadium, their eyes fixed on the holographic projection of the battle. These were the officials overseeing the martial arts assessment for Sword Province, and they were not so easily impressed.
"These skills... He's not as simple as he seems. How did he know the enemies' weaknesses?" one of the men mused, his voice laced with intrigue.
"Could it be a fluke?" another questioned, though his tone suggested he knew better.
"Fluke? I doubt it. They just wiped out a nest of Dire Wolves without suffering a single injury," another elder replied, his voice filled with a mix of respect and curiosity.
"His information support is exceptional. Their monster kill count has already surpassed the second place team by a significant margin," observed the elder in charge of the martial arts assessment for Sword Province, his eyes narrowing as he studied Gabriel's every move.
As the elders continued to discuss Gabriel's performance, the young team pressed on, unaware that their every action was being scrutinized by some of the most powerful figures in the realm.