As the arrow flew toward the hydra’s weak spot, the beast suddenly shifted. It moved away at the very last second, its speed increasing unnaturally, almost as if it knew. It dodged with inhuman precision, avoiding the strike by a fraction of a heartbeat.
That’s its weak point... but how does it know?
Time stretched into split seconds. Even Nolan, watching from the side, could see how unnaturally the hydra moved. His jaw tightened. If they’re going to be alright... I hope they can hold on.
The hydra lashed out again, its massive head snapping toward Linda, trying to swallow her whole. She fired arrow after arrow into its face, but each shot was meaningless. The arrows clattered uselessly against its scales, bouncing to the crystal ground like they had struck solid rock.
"It’s no use," Linda muttered under her breath, loosing another futile shot.
Celia narrowed her eyes. "It’s time... I’ll heighten my senses again." She pushed her ability further, forcing her perception to the limit. The world slowed for her once more as she drew her sword in a fiery arc, yet even then the hydra dodged with terrifying precision.
Her frustration grew. The other head swung toward her, striking with enough force to split stone. Celia met it with her flaming blade, blocking the blow, her arms trembling under the weight. Sparks scattered as steel scraped against impenetrable scales.
"Why?" she growled through clenched teeth. "Why can’t I cut through? This strength, this hide... it’s unreal!"
Nolan’s eyes narrowed. This fight will be hard for them. But it’s necessary. Their growth depends on battles . In the Empire, they’ll face foes far stronger than this beast. I’ve seen it myself when I met Lyra, the behemoth, here in this same dungeon. If Michael possessed me and hadn’t shown me the essence of my SSS-rank ability, I might have died that day.
Meanwhile, Celia refused to falter. She darted to the side, flames trailing behind her, and sprinted straight toward the hydra’s massive neck. She struck, again and again, but her blade barely left a mark.
She leapt back, then dashed toward the wall of the chamber, springing high before diving into the water. The hydra immediately followed, lunging with its colossal jaws.
As it closed in, she kicked off the water’s surface, sprinting around its flank. In one swift motion, she vaulted onto its scaly back, landing hard and gripping her sword tightly. She ran along the ridge of its enormous body toward its neck, each step trembling under the beast’s violent movements.
Planting her feet, she raised her sword in both hands and struck downward, again and again, driving the flaming blade against its armored hide. Sparks and embers exploded, but still its scales did not give way.
The blinded head swung violently, thrashing to shake her off. The hydra twisted, its body whipping from side to side with terrifying force. Celia clung desperately to her sword, wedged between its scales, holding on with everything she had.
She knew the truth. If she fell into the water now, the battle would end in disaster.
Linda kept firing arrows, her hands trembling as she reached for another from the quiver. The arrows Nolan had bought for her—he had bought so many, just for her sake—were dwindling. She even had some extra ones hidden in her storage box, ones she had secretly stolen, and now she drew from them, desperate not to run out in this fight.
Arrow after arrow flew, but the hydra refused to die.
"Why won’t this thing die?" she whispered under her breath. "It’s just too fast... I can’t kill it. I’m only fighting one of its eight heads, and yet it feels impossible."
Her chest tightened. Why am I still so weak?
Images of Nolan’s face filled her mind. She wanted to stand beside him, no matter what happened. She wanted to fight by his side, to be someone he could rely on. But here she was, struggling. And soon, the tournament would come. If she lost there, if she embarrassed herself, Nolan might never look at her the same way.
"No," she muttered, forcing her breath steady. "I won’t allow that. I have to push myself further. I have to become stronger. Even if it breaks me, I have to."
She leapt back across the crystal ground, her boots sliding against its smooth surface. The hydra’s eye followed her closely, unblinking, its gaze sharp and filled with primal hunger. For a moment, it felt as if they were locked in a duel—just her and the monster, staring into each other’s souls.
Her hand went to her quiver again. She pulled out a single arrow, gripping it tightly.
There’s no way I can win ... unless I aim for that one spot. The forehead.
She clenched her teeth. "The only reason it’s moving so fast... is because it knows that if I shoot there, it’ll die. That’s why it’s guarding it with everything it has. But I’ll read its movements. I’ll end this."
Linda steadied herself. Then, she poured mana into her eyes.
Her vision sharpened. The world slowed. Not only her eyes—mana surged through her ears, her nose, every part of her body. Her senses burned alive, heightened to their very limit. She closed her eyes for a moment, then snapped them open. They shone with a green light, bright and sharp.
"I see it all now," she whispered.
The hydra struck, its colossal head snapping toward her. She moved only slightly, just a small sidestep, and the monster’s jaw smashed into the crystal ground where she had been standing. Dust and shards exploded into the air, but Linda was already gone, moving faster than the beast could comprehend.
It lunged again, trying to swallow her whole. She flipped backward, landing lightly, her breathing calm.
She didn’t even need her eyes anymore.
"I can smell you. I can hear you. I don’t need to look."
Her bowstring pulled back. She released.
The arrow whistled through the air, then struck its mark.
Straight into the hydra’s first eye.