The operation began.
The serpents scattered across the prairie, and Simon, Byulya, and Hongfeng split up to hunt them down.
"I’ll give the signal!"
Byulya announced.
"When something loud explodes in the sky, that’s your cue! You have twenty minutes from that moment!"
Keeping Byulya’s abrupt instructions in mind, Simon sprinted ahead. He tracked the tremors vibrating through the earth. Sure enough, the prairie’s massive trees were toppling like toys. Just beyond the treeline, one of the Eildar Hydra’s heads was slithering away.
’Found it.’
Simon channeled jet-black into his toes.
’Here I go, Pier!’
[Kuhehehe! Go wild and have some fun!]
Simon shot forward, leaving a black blur in his wake. He used the surrounding trunks as stepping stones, accelerating with every bound. The trees groaned and tilted under the sheer force of his steps.
Closing the distance to the fleeing serpent, Simon swung the Greatsword of Ruin with all his might. The blade tore through scales with a sickening tear, sending a spray of blood into the air. The beast let out an agonized shriek.
’Just as I thought.’
The scales were too tough; a simple strike wouldn’t sever the head. He either needed to lock down the Hydra’s movements, secure the proper stance, and cut through space itself—or he had to shatter the scales and strike the exposed flesh directly. Just then, the Hydra snapped its jaws toward him, spewing a torrent of venom. Simon hastily kicked off the ground, narrowly dodging the blast.
The poison slammed into the earth where he had just stood, erupting into a mountainous wave of toxic green.
[Kuhehe! Get hit by that, and you’ll be blown to bits before the poison even sets in!]
Breaking into a cold sweat, Simon vaulted to the side.
"I’m counting on you, Kal!"
He had a lethal venom of his own. As if answering his call, the greatsword took on a sickly, luminescent green hue.
’Kal Original – Poisonous Yacha’
With a chorus of vicious barks, hounds forged of lethal poison shot from the blade, sinking their fangs into the Hydra’s body. Wherever they latched on, the thick scales melted away, exposing vulnerable patches of flesh.
"One more time!"
He swung the greatsword again. As the rabid hounds continued to dissolve the beast’s armor, Simon glanced up at the sky. The opening was there, but he couldn’t deliver the killing blow just yet.
’Where’s the signal?’
Right on cue, a deafening explosion rocked the heavens, and a massive green cloud unfurled in the shape of a skull. Simon smirked. He leaped, landing squarely on the Hydra’s back. The Hydra wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
True to its nature as Mur’s summon, it could wield magic. Glowing circles flared to life around it, launching a barrage of thin, white serpents at Simon.
"Pier! I’m leaving my evasion to you!"
[Understood!]
Pier seized control of Simon’s body via the Bone Armor, flawlessly dodging the incoming strikes. Meanwhile, Simon extended his arm, funneling all his concentration into his mana. With no onlookers around, it was the perfect time to use this.
’Simon Original – Dragonian’
The Dragonian suit emerged from subspace, sprinting alongside Simon despite having no wearer inside.
"Let’s go!"
The magical snakes darted at him again, but the empty Dragonian suit surged ahead, deploying a shimmering barrier. The white serpents shattered against the shield or fizzled out mid-flight. Simon trailed closely behind his armor, and the second the gap closed, he launched himself into the air.
"Haaaaah!"
A flawless opening. His blade bit deep into the exposed flesh left by the Poisonous Yacha. The Hydra’s skull split with a sickening crunch, and the beast thrashed in agony.
The massive body crashed to the earth, flattening the forest beneath its weight. Dropping from the sky, Simon drove his sword down, finishing off the immobilized beast.
"Phew."
Simon exhaled as the Hydra’s head fell, neatly split in two. That was one of the ten heads down. It had taken him roughly two minutes.
"Next!"
There was no time to rest. Simon kicked off the ground, launching himself toward the next set of tremors.
A furious hiss tore through the air.
In another part of the forest, a second Eildar Hydra head was rapidly advancing, leaving a trail of absolute destruction in its wake. Its sheer mass turned every movement into a natural disaster. Unfortunate animals and monsters, obliterated before they even realized what hit them, were reduced to flying chunks of flesh and sprays of blood. The Hydra was barreling straight for the river, intent on escaping the prairie entirely.
A single droplet fell, striking the Hydra’s massive pupil. Was it raining? The reptilian eye rolled upward to check the sky.
"Found one," a voice purred.
Byulya was perched on the crown of the Hydra’s head, a sinister smile playing on her lips.
"You can run, but you won’t get far."
Its eyeball stinging from the droplet, the Hydra thrashed wildly. Byulya held her crouch, her feet seemingly glued to the beast’s slick scales.
"You’re making me nauseous, punk. Just stay still, and I’ll make it as painless as..."
The Hydra’s tail whipped toward Byulya’s back with lethal speed. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and vaulted into the air, narrowly dodging the strike. Landing lightly back on the serpent’s body, she bared her jagged, triangular teeth.
"You brought this on yourself, you know?"
’Byulya Original – Thousand Changes’
Byulya’s hair tie dissolved, letting her long locks cascade freely in the wind. Her grayish-brown hair rapidly shifted hues—pink, mint, purple—until it looked as though a bucket of vibrant fluorescent paint had been upended over her head.
"Shall we take a walk?"
Balancing effortlessly on the Hydra’s thrashing head, she took a step forward. With her hands clasped behind her back, she strolled along the beast’s spine as if enjoying a leisurely park visit. Wherever her feet touched, toxic footprints bloomed. These marks instantly expanded into pools of venom several yards wide, aggressively melting away the Hydra’s thick scales.
The Hydra shrieked, desperately trying to shake her off, but it was no use. She strutted across its back with ostentatious flair, her colorful hair whipping in the wind. It wasn’t just her footprints. With sickening pops resembling erupting geysers, droplets of pink, mint, and purple fluid began to drip from her entire body.
Every single drop was a highly concentrated, lethal poison. Some droplets ate through the scales, digging deep into the flesh to dissolve the bone beneath. Others triggered horrific mutations, leaving behind charred, blackened craters in the beast’s hide.
"Kyahahahahahaha!"
She was a literal walking chemical weapon. Less than thirty seconds into her stroll, the Hydra collapsed to the earth, its massive body reduced to a melting, ruined mess.
"Aw, is it over already?"
Byulya muttered, sauntering up to the Hydra’s head. The beast’s massive eye swiveled to look at her, trembling with unmistakable fear.
"I’d really prefer if this was the last time we saw each other. Right?"
She raised her index finger, hovering it just inches from the Hydra’s eye.
"Because every time you revive, I’m going to make your death hurt even more."
The tip of her finger trembled slightly. Then, a single, unnaturally pitch-black droplet fell from her skin. The moment it struck the Hydra’s head, the flesh violently sizzled. The massive skull melted away entirely, instantly leaving behind a crater the size of a small lake.
A horrific, acidic stench billowed into the air.
"Hmm."
Stepping off the dissolving corpse, she turned her head. In the distance, a continuous barrage of heavy explosions echoed across the prairie.
"The Legion Commander will manage somehow, but I’m a bit worried about my junior."
Amidst furious hissing, Hongfeng gasped for breath as she sprinted across the third Hydra’s back.
Though she was pumping her arms vigorously, her stamina had bottomed out long ago.
’This is dangerous.’
She had managed to take down her first Hydra head without much difficulty, just like Simon and Byulya. However, the moment she engaged her second target, her body hit its absolute limit. Even when she inhaled mana, it refused to convert into jet-black. Her muscles screamed, entirely devoid of strength.
She was practically a walking corpse. The only things keeping her moving were sheer willpower and her heavy sense of responsibility.
"Hup!"
She leaped with all her remaining might, driving her fist into the Hydra’s skull. The impact rang out like a cannon shot, knocking the massive head backward.
"Ugh."
But there was no real power behind the blow. The Hydra’s head, which should have been smashed into the dirt, caught itself mid-air. It immediately opened its maw, firing a blast of poison at her while she was still airborne. She quickly pressed her palms together and thrust them forward.
A powerful gust of wind erupted from her hands, blowing the toxic spray away. But the moment the poison cleared, the Hydra lunged, snapping its massive jaws shut around her.
"Urgh!"
She barely managed to catch the roof of the beast’s mouth with her hands, bracing her legs against its lower jaw to keep from being swallowed alive. Enraged, the Hydra dragged her along in its maw and violently slammed its head into a nearby cliff face. The deafening crash sent a massive shockwave through the air, engulfing the surroundings in a thick cloud of pulverized rock and dust. Ripping its head free from the rubble, the Hydra unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of poison breath directly at the point of impact.
The highly corrosive venom, capable of melting solid stone, triggered a chain of violent explosions against the rock face. The cliff was instantly plastered in toxic sludge, dissolving into a bubbling mush. The moment the Hydra ceased its onslaught, the mountain trembled. Hongfeng burst straight through the opposite side of the cliff, swinging her clenched fist the second she cleared the rock.
’Hongfeng Original – Surging Stream’
A concussive shockwave shot from her knuckles, striking the Hydra squarely in the face. But despite the sheer force that tore through the air, the blow only managed to tilt the beast’s head slightly to the side. It was a desperate situation. The massive recoil from her overexertion drained whatever strength remained in her legs, forcing her to drop to one knee.
The Hydra’s jaws parted once again, a sickly green light glowing deep in its throat as it prepared another blast of poison.
’Move!’
She pounded her thigh with her fist, desperately trying to force her muscles to respond, but her body refused to budge. She threw her arms down, trying to at least push herself out of the line of fire, when a deafening crack split the sky.
A massive chunk of glacial ice plummeted from above, smashing directly into the Hydra’s skull.
"What?"
"Professor Hongfeng!"
’Glacia’
High above, a girl with long, fluttering hair hovered with her arms outstretched. Hongfeng’s eyes widened.
"M-Meirin?"
The Hydra shook off the icy impact, snapping its senses back into focus. It unhinged its jaw and lunged at Hongfeng once more.
’Blood Storm’
This time, a violent crimson tornado erupted from the earth, completely halting the beast’s charge. Beside the swirling vortex stood a vampire girl, elegantly draped in a cloak of liquid blood.
"Get away while you can, Professor Hongfeng!"
"Even Kamibarez!"
However, ignoring Meirin and Kamibarez, the Hydra instinctively locked its sights on Hongfeng. She was the greatest threat, and the beast knew she was vulnerable.
"Pardon me!"
Meirin gestured sharply. A magic circle flared beneath Hongfeng’s feet, and a pillar of ice abruptly shot upward, launching the professor into the air. Caught off guard by the sudden ascent, Hongfeng lost her balance and tumbled backward off the ice.
"Haha! Gotcha!"
Dick, who had been waiting in a boat down on the river, caught her safely in his arms. Hongfeng’s eyes widened.
"Dick!"
"Hold on tight, Professor!"
Dick slammed his hand against the boat’s mana engine. The engine roared to life, and the boat tore through the river’s current. Irritably flicking its forked tongue, the Hydra immediately gave chase.
"You’re not touching the Professor!"
Meirin and Kamibarez leaped into action, unleashing a devastating barrage of jet-black ice and blood magic to cover their escape. Meanwhile, Dick helped Hongfeng into a seat and grinned.
"That was a close call. Should I escort you somewhere safe now?"
At that, a fierce light returned to Hongfeng’s eyes, and she vehemently shook her head.
"No! We muzt take down that monzter right now before it ezcapez!"
As if he had been waiting for those exact words, Dick smirked and shouted over his shoulder.
"Meirin! Kami! You heard her, right?"
"Yeah!"
Just then, the Hydra tore through Kamibarez’s suppressing fire and plunged into the river. The sight of the colossal beast surging through the water, its massive jaws unhinged, was enough to make the hair on the back of their necks stand up.
"Whoa, what a thrill," Dick muttered, glancing back at their pursuer.
Meirin suddenly appeared in the air above them, her sky-blue hair whipping in the wind.
"Steer the boat up here, commoner!"
’Meirin Original - Ice Track’
A sweeping ramp of solid ice materialized in the air, and Dick yanked the boat’s steering to align with it. The hull slammed onto the frozen path with a heavy jolt. Hongfeng stumbled, gripping the boat’s railing to steady herself. Screeching against the frost, the boat accelerated along the suspended ice track.
The Hydra’s massive body coiled around the frozen path, its horrific jaws snapping just inches behind them.
Hongfeng shouted over the wind.
"Put me down, Dick! That thing iz ztill too much for you guyz to face!"
"Just focus on recovering your strength, Professor."
Dick offered a remarkably calm smile.
"Our firepower is a little lacking when it comes to dealing the decisive blow. You’ll have to be the one to finish it."
Hongfeng’s eyes widened.
"So, I’ll kindly escort you right to the monster’s neck!"
Dick pulled an armful of special, winged black magic bombs from his subspace. He cast ’Enchant’ over the explosives and scattered them across the ice track behind the boat. The bombs bounced along the frost, magnetically snapping onto the Hydra’s scales as it slithered over them.
"I’ve always wanted to try this move!"
Dick spread his palm wide before dramatically clenching it into a fist.
’Enchant Release’
A chain of pitch-black explosions violently detonated along the Hydra’s body. The beast shrieked in agony, its momentum completely shattered. Seizing the opening, Kamibarez dropped from above. She landed squarely on the nape of the Hydra’s neck and opened her mouth wide, her adorable fangs glowing a vicious crimson.
She bit down hard into the beast’s armor. The tough scales fractured like a sheet of glass, shattering completely as she ripped a massive chunk away.
Pulling back, Kamibarez shouted,
"Now!"
"Nice, Kami!"
Meirin cheered. With a flick of her wrist, she warped the trajectory of the ice track, aiming it directly at the reeling Hydra. The boat carrying Dick and Hongfeng launched off the ramp, plummeting straight toward the beast.
Hongfeng gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Right in front of her, bright red flesh pulsed visibly through the gaping hole Kamibarez had torn in the scales.
"I was right, wasn’t I?"
Dick smirked. A profound wave of pride washed over Hongfeng as she watched her students. She clenched her fists. Suddenly, strength surged back into her limbs.
Her paralyzed legs steadied, and her ragged breathing finally converted the ambient mana into jet-black. The Hydra shook off the bombardment, raising its massive head to glare furiously at Hongfeng. Hongfeng kicked off the boat’s deck, launching herself into the air.
’I just need to strike it twice.’
One strike to slam it into the ground and pin it down. Then, she would mount it and channel a lethal shockwave directly through the exposed flesh. The Hydra lunged, jaws wide, and Hongfeng drove her fist forward to meet it.
’Hongfeng Original – Drunken Strike’
Her knuckles slammed dead center into the Hydra’s skull with a deafening boom. The beast’s head snapped downward, nearly crashing into the dirt, but it arrested its fall with sheer, brute strength.
’Just as I thought, I don’t have enough power left!’
Hongfeng despaired inwardly. The Hydra unhinged its jaw, preparing to counterattack—
"Haaaaah!"
Meirin, Dick, and Kamibarez suddenly blurred past Hongfeng, charging the beast with their fists tightly clenched. They moved in perfect unison, executing the very technique Hongfeng had drilled into them.
"Drunken Strike!"
Wrapped in swirling jet-black, the three students drove their fists into the Hydra’s skull. The combined impact hit like a meteor. The Hydra’s head was violently smashed into the earth, kicking up a massive crater of dust and debris.
None of these three possessed any innate talent for Matu. But in the martial arts, effort, diligence, and unwavering dedication were the highest virtues. It wasn’t a discipline reserved solely for geniuses like Simon. This was the Matu they had honed under her guidance, sweating and bleeding through a year and a half of relentless training.
And this perfect opening was the undeniable proof of their hard work.
"Now, Professor!"
"You can do it!"
The culmination of all their effort lay completely vulnerable before her. A tsunami of emotion welled up in Hongfeng’s chest. She pulled her arm back, her fist igniting with a mass of jet-black denser and more terrifying than any technique she had unleashed today. Before the beast’s regenerative scales could close the gap, she drove her fist straight down into the exposed, bloody flesh.
’Hongfeng Original – Ocean Wave’
A catastrophic shockwave erupted from the point of impact, tearing through the bare flesh and surging violently through the Hydra’s entire nervous system. The Hydra convulsed wildly, as if struck by a massive electrical current. Thousands of thick scales violently ruptured from its body, and a geyser of blood erupted from every pore.
With a final, earth-shaking thud, the colossal beast collapsed. Her arms hanging limply at her sides, Hongfeng slumped to the ground, utterly spent.
"Professor Hongfeng!"
"Professor!"
The trio sprinted toward her. She spread her arms wide, pulling all three of them into a tight, desperate hug.
"I’m zo glad!" she cried, her voice trembling with tears.
"I’m zo glad you’re zafe, everyone!"

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