CHAPTER 57— Behemoth (2)
TRRRAAANGGG—!!
Thunder and wind were raging through the entire cave.
Ashwin continued cutting through the medium-sized chimeras with terrifying efficiency.
TRRANG!
A bolt of lightning wrapped in silver wind tore through a chimera's chest.
BOOM!
The undead creature exploded into ash before it could even reach him.
His movements remained calm.
Controlled.
And Precise.
As if fighting a battlefield full of undead monsters wasn't a big deal for him.
Woaaaahhhh!!!!
His gaze landed on the giant stone armoured Chimera – Behemoth that stood like a giant Wall.
The colossal undead towered over everything around it.
Its body was encased in layers of thick stone armor.
Jagged spikes protruded from its shoulders.
Countless skeletal faces were trapped beneath the translucent stone plating covering its torso.
Dark violet mist leaked continuously from the cracks in its armor.
Every step it took shook the cave.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The students nearby unconsciously stepped backward.
The monster looked less like a chimera and more like a walking mountain of death.
Its skull-filled chest opened slightly.
A deep guttural roar echoed throughout the cave.
Ashwin's eyes flickered slightly as The giant chimera raised its massive arm, forming a fist.
The air groaned.
Stone cracked beneath its feet.
And then it punched.
BOOOOOOM!!
The fist descended like a falling boulder.
But before it could land—
Ashwin calmly raised his wand.
Silver wind spiraled outward.
Blue lightning crackled.
A circular barrier of swirling wind and cracking lightening formed before him.
Tempest Art — Cyclone Aegis.
TRRRRAAAANGGG—!!
The giant fist slammed into the barrier.
A shockwave rang through the area enough to shake the ground when both collided with each other
Dust erupted from the cave floor.
Several nearby students nearly lost their footing.
But the barrier held.
The Behemoth's first collided with the Circular Swirling sliver wind and blue thunder.
THACK!
THACK!!
THACK!!!
THACK!!! THACK!!!THACK!!!THACK!!!THACK!!!
The Behemoth was repeatedly punching the circular barrier. Each punch more harder, more faster, more deadlier then the last.
If a punch like that hit any human it's obvious that it would be crushed on the ground like an ant.
The circular barrier trembled under the relentless assault.
The silver currents distorted and lightning was flashing wildly.
The force behind each punch was increasing. Sweat was starting to tickle down Ashwin's forehead.
Outside the cave—
Several students who were fighting the Chimeras watched Ashwin fighting the giant Chimera anxiously.
"Will he be okay?"
"Shouldn't we help him?"
"Help yourself first you moron."
Nearby—
Kaizen finally destroyed the wounded lizard like Chimera he had been fighting.
The flaming stone projectile he launched shattered the creature's skull.
The monster collapsed.
"Huff..."
"Huff..."
Blood trickled from a cut on his cheek.
But his attention was elsewhere.
"Ashwin..."
The giant chimera continued its relentless assault.
Its fists crashed against the barrier like siege weapons.
'I have to help him.'
Kaizen rushed forward
'There's no way he can handle that thing alone—'
Kaizen started walking towards Ashwin with fast and deliberate steps.
But then—
His steps came to an abrupt when he finally got to see the look on Ashwin's face.
"—?"
Kaizen stood frozen like he can't understand this situation at all.
'Why?'
He thought looking at the situation that made no sense to him.
'Why are you smiling in this situation.'
The Giant Chimra kept punching the barrier of Wind and thunder.
The barrier shook with each punch of the Chimera's fist.
But despite all that, there was a smile on Ashwin's face. Like he was enjoying this situation.
The luminous blue ring of Aether sight around his eyes was flickering subltly. Sometimes glowing brightly so sometimes dimming subtly.
Meanwhile—
Sweat tickled down Seris's forehead and cheeks not just forehead or cheek his whole uniform was now sweaty and was clinging to him like a second skin.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
He breathing was slowly getting heavy from maintain this many Chimeras.
'Why is that guy?'
He looked at front. at the Entrance of the cave where Ashwin was fighting Behemoth.
His barrier, even though shook with each punch of the Chimera. It still doesn't collapse.
'Huff... How is he... huff... Doing this?'
Seris stared, his mind racing with awe.
'He is still a student. At most he would be at the Mid depth of stage 2. So how is he?'
Seris forced himself to keep standing.
THAAAACK!!!!
The Behemoth punched the barrier again.
The barrier trembled violently but didn't collapse.
Then—
Behemoth stopped and pulled it's fist back
Further.
Further.
Further.
And Further.
Until the entire limb was stretched behind its body.
The stone armor cracked from the strain.
The muscles of dark mana bulged.
Even the surrounding air twisted from the force gathering within the punch.
It has now pulled it's fist all the way back to it's absolute limit. And was now ready for the final blow.
Students stared.
Fear crept into their eyes.
They knew.
This would be the strongest attack yet.
The entire cave seemed to hold its breath.
The monster unleashed its final strike.
The giant chimera roared.
And—
Shot it's fist.
It's fist twisted the wind along the way just by it's force and was now moving towards Ashwin with full power.
Ashwin stared at the charging fist towards him with wide eyes.
The fist was rapidly closing the distance towards him and had already crossed half the distance.
It was moving towards Ashwin like an unstoppable meteor. Ready to crush him.
But then —
A wide smile formed on Ashwin's face.
Suddenly the swirling barrier of sliver wind and cracking thunder disappeared.
His wand was aimed forward. Towards the fist of the the Chimera Behemoth. The fist was closing the gap and then—
Skybreaker Lance
A single bolt of blue thunder shot towards the charging fist in a single line the violent currents of silver winds wrapped around it like a spiraling dragon.
TTTTTTRRRRAAAANNNN!!!!!!!!
TTUUUTSSSEEE!!!!!!
The spell met the fist in a violent collision and with that...
THUDDD!! TTTUDD!!! TTTUUDD!!!!
The attack carved straight through the Chimera.
Leaving a glowing trail of destruction through its body.
The fist of Behemoth that was charging towards Ashwin like a Strom.
Was now stopped.
Not only stopped.
The Arm of the Chimera disappeared completely along the current.
Seris froze.
Kaizen froze.
Even the students who were still fighting Chimeras outside the cave froze in their mid battle. The only word that could describe the look on their faces was Awe.
The giant stone armoured Chimera Behemoth that looked like a nightmare for the first year students. It's arm was gone and slowly the cracks started appearing on it's side from where the spell had hit. First slowly then instantly the cracks started.
One.
Then ten.
Then hundreds.
Dark-purple light leaked from the fractures.
Seris stood completely frozen, staring blankly.
Rokch suddenly separated from the giant chimera.
The exhausted stone spirit stumbled through the air before retreating toward Seris.
The moment the spirit left—
The giant chimera began collapsing.
Crack.
Crack.
CRAAAAACK.
Its stone armor shattered.
Chunks of rock crashed onto the ground.
The massive creature slowly dropped to one knee.
The impact shook the cave.
Then the second knee followed.
Its gigantic body leaned forward.
Then the giant bowed forward.
Like a fallen king.
Its enormous body touched the ground.
And shattered.
BOOOOOM.
The once terrifying giant disintegrated into countless fragments scattered across the cave floor.
It's body crumbled into countless fragments.
Stone.
Bones.
Dust.
Everything collapsed into a mountain of rubble.
Gone.
Just like that.
The battlefield became silent.
The students could do nothing but just stare at it. The thing that looked like a nightmare to them just moments ago was now... Gone.
Defeat by a single student.
Ashwin slowly lowered his wand.
The wind around him calmed.
The lightning faded.
And under the stunned gazes of everyone present—
He simply smiled.
As though nothing extraordinary had happened.
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CHAPTER ENDS