Patreon contributors can choose if they want to see :
- Logan's first draft in drawing.
- The first visual of Marie receptionist of the adventurers guild.
- Aria in bestial fury mode.
- Painting of Gon from Hunter x Hunter.
- Painting of a Rose.
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Maïli and Éléonore were now locking eyes intensely.
"Éléonore, aren't you tired of spying on me?" Maïli shot at her, her tone icy and accusatory.
Éléonore's face immediately tensed at the accusation:
"You saw me watching you during your training," she admitted, caught red-handed.
"Several times, actually. And by the way, you're not very discreet. That gust of wind you used you learned it by watching me, didn't you?" Maïli retorted, a sly smile curling her lips.
"Well, yes, I admit it, but can't we talk about this later?"
Éléonore began to show signs of unease as the monsters drew dangerously close.
"And what exactly do you want?" Maïli asked, her piercing gaze unwavering.
"To join your group!" Éléonore replied with palpable determination.
"Do you even know how to fight?" Maïli asked, her sharp eyes scanning the girls.
Éléonore and her companions averted their eyes, embarrassed, and began to whistle nervously.
"I see," Maïli sighed, exasperated. "Then just follow my orders and at least swing your swords a few times, even if you don't know how to use them."
"Alright!" Éléonore agreed, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Get to the center of the formation right now!"
Without a moment's delay, Éléonore, Marine, and Beth complied, quickly moving into position to join the fight. Even though the monsters were relatively low-level, the battle was still a demanding trial. However, thanks to Maïli's strength and precise directions, the group managed to handle the situation with relative ease. Even inexperienced fighters could bring more stability to the formation when properly guided.
Éléonore, gripping her sword with determination, delivered a precise strike to the skull of a goblin, which collapsed instantly. Meanwhile, Beth, paralyzed by anxiety and fear, hesitated to fight. Shutting out one's emotions in the midst of battle was not an easy task for everyone.
Suddenly, a wolf leapt forward and pounced on Beth. Panic overwhelmed her as she let out a terrified scream. The wolf sank its fangs into her arm, refusing to let go. The pain was intense as Beth struggled to free herself, but the beast's jaws sank deeper.
"Beth!" Marine cried, already engaged with several monsters.
The wolf finally tore a chunk of flesh from Beth's arm, making her scream in agony as blood flowed profusely onto the ground. The beast, its jaws dripping with blood, crept toward her again, ready to strike. But before it could attack again, a sword pierced its skull. Eva had intervened just in time to save Beth.
"You okay?" Eva asked, breathless but resolute.
Eva helped Beth back to her feet, supporting the young girl as she clutched her bleeding arm. Maïli returned to the center of the formation, quickly assessing the situation.
"It's not a serious wound, but it'll need to be treated quickly. The number of monsters has decreased a lot; hold the formation a little longer," Maïli ordered, her tone firm yet reassuring.
Without wasting a second, Maïli launched back into the fray, charging through the monsters with impressive grace and strength. Her sword sliced through enemies with precision, while her mastery over the wind element repelled the creatures, creating controlled chaos on the battlefield.
"She's incredible!" Éléonore exclaimed, impressed by Maïli's power and agility.
Name: Maïli | Race: Human | Age: 19 | Profession: Paladin | Level: 9
Vitality: 105 | Magic Power: 47 | Attack: 40 | Defense: 41 | Speed: 35 | Endurance: 32 | Agility: 33 | Intelligence: 34 | Physical: 42 | Willpower: 60
Skills: Gust, Air Slash, Wind Blade
Unique Skills: Beast Tamer
Legendary Skills: Twin Blade, Shield of Life
Elements: Wind, Fire
Titles Acquired:
• (None)
On the other side, Maël and Emma could be seen fighting in formation. Maël, using her skills as a mage, cast fireballs to eliminate the monsters. As a mage, she had slightly better control over her magic, even if it remained clumsy. However, her presence on the front line was unusual for a mage, making her vulnerable to frequent monster attacks. Each time she was injured, a warm, beautiful light enveloped her, instantly healing her wounds. It was Emma who, thanks to her healer abilities, healed Maël each time. Their teamwork functioned perfectly, allowing Maël to continue fighting relentlessly. Fortunately, they only faced a small number of monsters, as Maïli, Shawn, and their small group were drawing most of the creatures' attention.
Jay, Méverick, and Shawn, meanwhile, were still locked in battle with the monsters. After multiple uninterrupted waves, fatigue began to set in, and minor injuries accumulated. Despite this, they could see Maïli on the other side fighting with fearsome efficiency, wielding her magic with impressive mastery.
"Damn, is this girl tireless or what?" Shawn exclaimed, panting.
"It's not about being tireless," Jay replied, observant. "She's managing her mana use and her movements very well. Not to mention she's using her group to her advantage."
Moses, observing the scene from afar, noted mentally: This Jay has a very good eye; he's one to keep an eye on.
Suddenly, ten goblins leapt at them. Despite their efforts, they couldn't take them all down. One goblin slashed Shawn's stomach while another cut Méverick's bicep, causing heavy bleeding despite his tough skin skill. This attack triggered an explosion of rage in Méverick.
"You bastards!" he roared.
He hurled himself at the goblins with uncontrollable fury, slaughtering every monster in his path. His blows were powerful and precise, his strength amplified by his Berserker ability, making every strike devastating. The ground was littered with goblin corpses, testament to Méverick's fury and brute force. His movements were fast and fluid, leaving the monsters little chance to counterattack.
"Oh, so that's the Berserker ability coupled with Herculean strength," Maximus observed, impressed. "Even at a low level, that's really impressive. I'll gladly be the one to train him."
As Méverick vented his rage on the monsters, Shawn looked down at his wound, which was bleeding heavily. To his great surprise, it began closing, and all his other injuries followed suit.
"Oh yeah, I like what's happening," he said with a satisfied grin. "If I can't aim well, I'll just burn everything! Jay, move aside!"
A group of monsters charged toward them, threatening to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. In a burst of desperation and determination, Shawn unleashed a gigantic flame, pouring all his mana into a raw, uncontrolled attack. Flames burst from his hands with ferocious intensity, creating a wall of fire that consumed the monsters in an instant. However, Shawn's lack of control caused the flames to spread dangerously, heading toward Maïli and her group as well.
"This guy is busting my ovaries!" Maïli fumed at the reckless attack.
She unleashed a powerful gust of wind to dissipate the flames before they reached them. The wind roared around them, forming a protective shield that pushed back the raging fire. After a few seconds, the flames completely dissipated, leaving behind traces of soot and ash. Shawn, though he had eliminated the monsters, was completely exhausted, his mana fully drained by the titanic effort.
Meanwhile, Méverick, still in the throes of his berserker rage, had finished slaughtering the remaining monsters. His movements had become heavier and less coordinated as the Berserker mode wore off. Finally, after the five minutes passed, his Berserker state ended abruptly. Méverick immediately felt the backlash, a crushing wave of fatigue descending upon him.
"Damn, the backlash is brutal!" Méverick exclaimed, feeling the exhaustion and weakness wash over him.
As everyone was tired and some were injured, a soft light illuminated the arena where they fought. All wounds healed instantly.
"Oh, so she's the saint priestess," Jean murmured with admiration.
The light faded, and after casting her spell, Emma—visibly exhausted—dropped to both knees. Maël, who had watched over her throughout the battle, stood by her side, ready to help.
"My wound's healed," Beth said in surprise as she examined her arm.
"That's Emma's priestess power."
Meanwhile, Karine who had had to stick to dodging and running away during the fight—straightened up, relieved that it was finally over.
"I managed to get through it," she said, her face covered in sweat.
As the battle against the swarm of monsters seemed to come to an end, the fighters began addressing their examiners, who had been watching them from above.
"We're done. Can you let us out of here now?" Maël asked, smiling.
"What are you talking about? That was just the warm-up," Moses replied with an enigmatic smile.
"What, the warm-up?!" Emma exclaimed, shocked.
Fear slowly began to creep into the minds of some fighters. Moses then snapped his fingers, and a massive box appeared, crashing heavily into the arena with a deafening crash that made the ground tremble. All eyes turned toward it with growing apprehension, their hearts pounding.
The box's door suddenly swung open, slamming against the ground with a dull, menacing thud. A massive silhouette emerged from the shadows, gradually straightening until it reached an impressive height. What they saw froze them with terror: a gigantic goblin, bigger and more muscular than any they had faced so far, stood before them. It brandished a colossal axe, the blade glinting with a sinister sheen under the arena lights.
Its yellow gaze and dark green skin were both awe-inspiring and terrifying, and a cruel grin twisted its lips. Each step it took echoed like thunder, and the aura of menace surrounding it felt almost tangible. The fighters felt their strength falter in the face of this terrifying sight.
"Your true test begins now, heroes," Moses announced, spreading his hands.
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Special thanks to Rebecca/Amari/Zezima/Crowny_66/Bored dragon/ Sky_Shay/A_F_D/Fidelissama/Morgan/Arjunn/TheGreatSucc/Jared/ Grimjaw/Damion/ for her power stones.