Ellen effortlessly knocked an arrow toward one of the slimes. The arrow instantly pierced the slime's core and destroyed it, causing the monster to lose its physical form and vanish.
Eric was inwardly impressed by the arrow's piercing power, remembering that Ellen was one of the most skilled wind magic archers among the first-year students.
Not stopping there, Ellen launched another barrage of attacks at the monsters. Her form as she aimed was so beautiful and graceful. She looked more like a princess than a warrior on the battlefield.
The arrows released from her bow made almost no sound at all, perfect for an ambush. Not only that, but every single one hit its target without a single miss.
The golem reacted when one of the arrows embedded itself deep in its right chest. Not only that, but the surviving slimes also moved and charged toward Eric's party.
Mana hummed around Eric. He looked toward Anna, who was casting a spell. A sharp stone the size of an adult's head formed at the tip of her staff, and she unleashed her magic.
"Earth Lance!"
The projectile shot forward, striking the golem's leg and shattering it. The golem toppled over, losing its balance, but Ellen didn't let the opportunity slip by. The wind hummed at the tips of the two arrows in her hands, and she took the shot with a resolute expression.
"Piercing Wind!"
Her arrows flew swiftly and silently. One arrow shattered the golem's head, and another pierced its chest, striking the golem's core. With its core destroyed, the golem finally collapsed without putting up much of a fight.
As Ellen launched her attack, Anna also took aim and rained down on the slimes with her earth magic, hurling fist-sized chunks of dirt that managed to penetrate and destroy their cores.
All the monsters were defeated in a matter of moments. Eric was impressed by their synergy and supportive teamwork, especially how the two of them instantly understood each other's intentions and goals without needing to speak.
Cornelius clapped his hands, "Wow~ That was fast, you two! If Leon saw this, he'd definitely be proud of you both~"
Anna blushed while twirling her hair. "Is-is that so? Hehehe…" Ellen proudly puffed out her chest with a small smile, her cheeks slightly flushed. "He better be!"
Before Eric could praise the two of them, Cornelius spoke again. "Now let's continue for a little longer, okay~? You two can go ahead first, I want to discuss strategy with Eric~" Anna and Ellen turned toward Eric, and the two of them walked ahead to lead the way.
Eric and Cornelius walked side by side. They walked further in, until the aloof boy whispered to him. "Look at those two. The ones you underestimated have actually grown this strong by now~"
Eric turned and saw the boy next to him wearing a friendly expression, though his words told a different story. "I heard it from Silvia. The moment she told us your engagement was called off, I was so happy, because she shouldn't be with a scumbag like you."
Cornelius chuckled while staring ahead. Eric knew this type of person. On the outside, they seemed friendly and kind, but on the inside, they were quite the schemer.
"What's the matter, brat? Do you like Silvia?" Eric asked in a flat tone. Cornelius chuckled at that, "Me? Eh~ of course not. I genuinely think of her as my precious friend."
He continued. "Silvia deserves someone who's mature, kind-hearted, and strong~ like Alex, for example~"
Hearing that, Eric agreed a little, because Alex Justitia possessed all the qualities this kid had just mentioned. "Good, then. Besides, she's not my type, and I'm not into snotty brat."
Cornelius widened his eyes. "Hmm~ You talk as if you're an old man. What happened to your unhealthy obsession with Silvia~? I'm curious..."
Eric didn't want to entertain the kid anymore and chose to stay silent. Along the way, they encountered monsters they'd fought before, like slimes and small golems. Without much trouble, they managed to defeat those monsters.
Cornelius with his electric magic, Ellen with her swift arrows, and Anna supporting the two of them. As for Eric, he only unleashed his fire magic when the enemy managed to slip past his three teammates.
Eric's fire magic was highly effective at obliterating slimes, which instantly vaporized the moment the flames touched their surfaces. Aside from Eric, the three of them displayed flawless teamwork, supporting one another and covering each other's weaknesses.
"This is fun~ but I guess this is it, right? We'll find the exit portal soon," Cornelius said casually. Ellen and Anna agreed, they were both working up quite a sweat.
They finally arrived at a fairly spacious open area. A shimmering portal lay before them, it was their way out. But they were startled to find the portal blocked by three goblins.
Ellen huffed in amusement. "No wonder we didn't find any goblins. It turns out they're all gathered here. Let's take them down!"
Before the four of them could launch an attack, a strange occurrence happened to the three goblins. Suddenly, their bodies deformed, and they began emitting smoke while letting out an unearthly roar.
"Rooaaaaarrr!!!"
"Wha-what's happening!?"
Anna panicked at the sight of the monsters. The smoke was thick enough to completely shroud them. After a moment, it dissipated, revealing a new creature. Cornelius, Anna, and Ellen gasped at the sight of the monsters.
The monster was the size of an adult, with sharp claws and powerful-looking muscles all over its body. Its fangs jutted out, and its eyes radiated ferocity.
"H-hobgoblin!? How..." The aloof boy was surprised and felt uneasy. Meanwhile, Ellen reacted the same way, "This isn't supposed to happen! This dungeon isn't supposed to have that monster!"
The three hobgoblins stood like statues, and for some reason, Eric felt a sense of familiarity with the monsters' presence. He remained silent until he heard something echoing throughout the room.
"Kukuku..."
Eric snapped his head around, looking around him. His three teammates did the same, they got goosebumps upon hearing that laughter.
The three hobgoblins moved. Cornelius, Ellen, and Anna instinctively stepped back. They were actually hesitant and afraid, but they mustered the courage to fight.
"Eric! Quick, use that pearl-" Cornelius stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly felt a suffocating pressure behind him. Ellen and Anna also froze and felt that same pressure behind them.
Meanwhile, Eric, who was behind the three of them, wore a look of rage like a predator that had found its prey. Because he knew that laughter belonged to someone he had sworn to destroy.
Not only that, but the hobgoblins also froze, trembling uncontrollably as the pressure engulfed the entire room. Everyone in the room stopped moving, the only thing moving was their chests, rising and falling as they struggled to breathe.
20%
"E-Eric...? What are y-"
Eric cut off the aloof boy with an intense gaze. "Step aside, brat." The next second, Eric blurred and found his fist buried deep in the gut of the unfortunate hobgoblin.
"Guueeeeekkk!?!?" Hobgoblin #1 vomited and knelt, clutching its stomach. Eric gave the other hobgoblin no chance, he immediately leaped and landed a crushing blow with his knee on Hobgoblin #2. A sickening crunch echoed through the room, the hobgoblin's nose was shattered.
"Guuuuaakhhh!?"
Using his psychokinesis, Eric pressed Hobgoblin #3 into the ground, staring coldly at the monster. "Stay right there."
He grabbed Hobgoblin #1 and choked its throat. "Where is it? Where is that little motherfucker chicken?" The hobgoblin swiftly clawed at him, but to its horror, a thick barrier enveloped the crazed boy. Eric repeated his question. "Answer me!"
Hobgoblin #1 only let out an unrecognizable scream, a sign of desperation. Eric sighed and tightened his grip until a loud snap echoed through the room. "Useless green bastard." Eric tossed aside the corpse of Hobgoblin #1.
Eric sensed Hobgoblin #2 trying to run, so he immediately grabbed its leg and yanked it roughly. He pinned it down and rained a flurry of punches down on the poor creature.
"I know that laugh! So you better answer me, asshole!"
Hobgoblin #2 tried to defend itself by shielding its face, but Eric's punches were so heavy and painful that they rendered the hobgoblin's forearm useless.
33%
"Tell me!"
His punch landed straight on the monster's jaw.
"Guaaaakkhh!"
"Where is that bastard!?"
"Guaakkh..."
"Spill it! And I'll give you a quick death!"
"Gu...aa...khh..."
Alas, Eric lost himself in his punches, unaware that Hobgoblin #2 was already dead, its skull shattered into pieces. Eric clicked his tongue and casually wiped his dirty hands.
He turned toward Hobgoblin #3, who was still lying on its back due to his psychokinesis, and approached the poor creature. Once again, he lifted the green monster and choked it while questioning it.
45%
"Last chance to answer me, Hector. Where...is...the...fucker!?" The monster only let out an indescribable guttural sound, which Eric perceived as failure. "Fine, then."
For the first time, Eric unleashed all the fire magic he possessed. He combined his psychic abilities with the fire, then directed the flames to enter Hobgoblin #3's body.
"Guaaaaaakhh!?!?"
The poor monster writhed in agony as Eric burned its body from the inside. Smoke began to pour from its ear canals, mouth, and nose. Eric increased the intensity of the fire's heat, causing the monster's skin to start melting.
All of the green monster's internal organs melted as well, until eventually Hobgoblin #3 became a repulsive green sludge, its form no longer recognizable.
Eric's teammates stood frozen, watching his brutality and savagery. They could only blink and gasp for breath. Eric turned toward them and let out a deep sigh, unwilling to deal with snotty brats like them anymore. Finally, he chose to step toward the portal and exit the dungeon.