Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 552 123.7 - Rank-6 Dungeon

The Snow Yeti came crashing down with a thunderous impact, sending shockwaves through the frozen ground as its massive feet slammed into the ice. The team staggered, barely able to keep their footing as the sheer force of the landing rattled their defenses.

Astron's eyes flicked to the creature, immediately recognizing the difference in power. This Yeti wasn't just a mid-rank six monster as they had expected—it was far stronger.

The air around it seemed to vibrate with an oppressive mana, and its glowing blue eyes bore into them with a primal rage. Its fur, thick and white, was lined with jagged ice that shimmered under the faint light, and its breath came out in visible clouds, freezing the air around it.

"Stay sharp!" Astron barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "This is no ordinary boss—it's peak rank-6. We need to be careful!"

The Yeti wasted no time. With a deafening roar, it lunged forward, its claws swiping at Kurt and Gareth, who were positioned at the front. Kurt raised his shield, bracing himself as the massive creature's claws collided with it, sending him skidding back several feet despite his best efforts to hold his ground.

"Damn, that thing's strong!" Kurt grunted, struggling to keep the Yeti's overwhelming force at bay.

Gareth, his face set in concentration, summoned his barriers to reinforce Kurt's defense, but even the magical protection wasn't enough. The Yeti's claws tore through the barrier, shattering it with ease. Gareth cursed under his breath, realizing the extent of the challenge they were facing.

"Fall back!" Astron shouted. "We can't take it head-on!"

Kurt and Gareth quickly retreated, giving the Yeti space as it swung its claws again, narrowly missing them but gouging deep furrows into the icy ground. Elena was already in motion, her staff glowing brightly as she unleashed a powerful fire spell, aiming directly at the Yeti's chest.

The flames roared toward the creature, and for a moment, it looked like the fire would engulf it. But the Yeti's fur, layered with ice, seemed to absorb the heat. The flames dimmed, barely scorching the surface before they fizzled out. The Yeti snarled, its cold eyes locking onto Elena.

"That didn't work as well as I'd hoped," Elena muttered, backing up quickly as the Yeti charged at her.

Before it could reach her, Dorian darted in, his twin blades flashing as he struck at the creature's side. His blades, sharp and precise, barely cut through the Yeti's thick fur, leaving shallow gashes that the creature hardly seemed to notice.

"Damn it," Dorian hissed, leaping back just as the Yeti swung its massive arm toward him, the force of the blow sending shards of ice scattering through the air.

Lila, positioned behind the main group, directed her golem to engage the Yeti. The massive stone construct lunged at the beast, grappling with it in an attempt to hold it back. For a brief moment, it looked like the golem might slow the Yeti down, but the monster was too strong. With a mighty roar, the Yeti grabbed the golem and hurled it across the battlefield, the stone figure crashing into the ice with a resounding thud.

"This thing is too strong!" Lila shouted, her eyes wide with shock as her golem struggled to stand. "It's shrugging off everything we throw at it!"

Astron stood at the edge of the battle, watching closely as the team scrambled to adjust to the overwhelming power of the Snow Yeti. He could see their desperation, the way they struggled to hold their ground against a monster that was stronger, faster, and more cunning than anything they had faced before. But he didn't intervene—not yet. This was a crucial moment, and he needed to see how they handled it.

'They need to learn to handle crises on their own,' Astron thought, his eyes narrowing as he observed each member of the team. 'I won't always be there to give orders. They have to be able to adapt, to push themselves when things get tough.'

Kurt, still recovering from the Yeti's first blow, readied his shield again, but the creature was relentless. It swung its massive claws toward him, and though Kurt blocked the strike, the sheer force sent him skidding back once more. Gareth was doing his best to maintain barriers, but they shattered almost as quickly as he could summon them, unable to withstand the Yeti's raw power.

The Yeti roared again, the sound piercing the air and reverberating in their minds. The sheer volume of the roar caused everyone to flinch, a disorienting effect that momentarily disrupted their concentration. Elena clutched her staff tightly, shaking her head as she tried to refocus her magic, but the mental fog from the roar slowed her reactions.

Astron frowned. 'It has sound magic as well. It's using its roar to disrupt their focus.'

Despite the chaos, he remained calm. He'd seen monsters of this level before, and while the Yeti was stronger than anything the team had faced, Astron knew its weaknesses. But that wasn't the point of this battle. The point was to see how far the team had come, how they would push forward in the face of overwhelming odds.

Still, Astron wasn't idle. He needed to test his own strength against the creature. Without a word, he drew his daggers, the familiar weight of the Serpent Fangs in his hands grounding him as he stepped forward into the fray.

The Yeti, sensing Astron's approach, turned its attention toward him, its glowing blue eyes narrowing as it let out a low growl. It swung one of its massive arms, the claws glinting in the dim light as they tore through the air. Astron dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise, but even as he avoided the strike, he could feel the sheer power behind it.

'It's fast,' he noted, watching the Yeti's movements carefully. Despite its massive size, the creature moved with surprising agility, each swing of its claws fast and deadly.

The Yeti roared again, this time focusing its ice magic. Spikes of ice shot from the ground, sharp and jagged, aimed directly at Astron. He leapt back, dodging most of the projectiles, but one grazed his arm, the cold biting into his skin.

He didn't flinch. Instead, he rushed forward, using the opening to strike. His daggers flashed in the light as he aimed for the Yeti's exposed side, but as he expected, its fur was thick and tough. His blades, though sharp, barely made a dent, and the venom that usually took effect quickly was slowed by the creature's resistance to physical attacks.

'Its defenses are ridiculous,' Astron thought. 'It's going to take more than just brute force to bring this thing down.'

As if sensing Astron's thoughts, the Yeti let out another deafening roar, this time infused with its sound magic. The roar hit Astron like a physical force, vibrating through his mind and momentarily clouding his senses. He staggered back, gritting his teeth as he fought to clear the disorientation.

At the same time, the Yeti summoned blocks of ice from the ground, shaping them into massive clubs. With a single swing, it hurled one of the ice clubs at Astron, who barely managed to dodge in time. The club shattered against the ground with an explosive force, sending shards of ice flying in all directions.

'This thing's magic is as strong as its physical attacks,' Astron analyzed, his eyes narrowing. 'They'll need to be smart about how they fight it.'

He glanced back at the team. Kurt and Gareth were struggling to maintain their defense while Elena was trying to counter the Yeti's ice magic with fire spells. Dorian and Lila circled the creature, looking for an opening, but the Yeti's speed and power made it hard for them to get close.

"Focus on its magic!" Astron finally called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. "The Yeti's using its ice and sound magic to disrupt us—use that against it! Gareth, reinforce Kurt's defense, and Elena, time your spells to hit after it roars. We need to overwhelm it, or we won't stand a chance!"

As he issued the minimal orders, Astron darted back into the fray, testing the Yeti's defenses with another series of rapid strikes. The creature roared in frustration, swinging its ice club at him with renewed fury, but Astron was ready. He dodged, ducking under its arm and delivering a precise strike to the back of its knee, aiming for the joints where the fur was thinner.

The Yeti staggered, but it quickly recovered, turning its attention back to the rest of the team. Elena, following Astron's advice, unleashed a well-timed fire spell just as the Yeti roared, her flames crashing into the creature's chest and weakening its defenses for a brief moment.

Gareth, his barriers reinforced, moved to cover Kurt, allowing the tank to focus on blocking the Yeti's physical attacks. With Gareth's support, Kurt managed to hold his ground, even as the Yeti's claws slammed into his shield again and again.

Dorian, seeing an opening, darted forward, his twin blades flashing as he aimed for the creature's exposed side. He struck with precision, his blades digging into the Yeti's flesh just as Lila's golem tackled the creature from the other side, briefly pinning it down.

Astron watched carefully, analyzing the battle as it unfolded. The team was adapting, pushing themselves despite the overwhelming odds. They were working together, finding ways to counter the Yeti's magic and physical strength.

But it wasn't over yet. The Yeti, enraged by the combined assault, let out a final, ear-splitting roar, summoning a massive blizzard that swirled around them, cutting off visibility and pelting them with shards of ice. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Astron narrowed his eyes, feeling the cold bite into his skin. 'This is the final push.'

With a swift movement, he activated the full power of the Serpent Fangs, his daggers glowing with venomous energy as he rushed forward. The Yeti, blinded by its own rage, didn't see him coming. He leaped onto its back, driving his daggers deep into its flesh, right between the shoulders.

The venom surged through the creature's body, spreading quickly and paralyzing it. The Yeti let out a final, pained roar as its movements slowed, its body freezing in place as the venom took hold.

"Now. Elena!"

「Fire Grasp.」

At his command, Elena unleashed her most powerful fire spell, the flames engulfing the Yeti's weakened form.

Elena's fire spell, 「Fire Grasp」, ignited beneath the Yeti, fiery claws rising from the icy ground and wrapping around the creature's massive form.

The flames weren't meant to burn away its flesh but to corrode the remaining defenses, weakening the thick layers of fur and ice that shielded the Yeti from their attacks.

'Slowly.'

Astron was also made aware of this when he asked about Elena's spells.

That was why he was ready to deliver the final blow to the creature itself.