Chapter 110

Chapter 110

After a few minutes, the two High Ogres my teammates were fighting fall to their knees and face defeat.

One stands skewered by countless spears of stone while the other is beaten and mutilated by a hammer and sword.

Although it took both teams of two close to a dozen hits each to defeat their opponents, the fact that we can all take down level 320 monsters is an impressive feat.

I can't help smiling with happiness knowing my allies are growing stronger by my side.

It really wasn't that long ago that I brought Maria to her awakening exam and she discovered her Ice Summoning ability.

Now look at her, less than 2 months later and she's defeating C-Class monsters.

I continue to grin admiring their success as the corpses slowly dissolve dropping large mana crystals on the floor.

The four of them walk over to Arie and me soon after while drinking MP potions to get ready for future battles.

We briefly talk about our fights and share tactics about the Ogres' unique shield and sword movements. With a round of head nods, we got back into our simple formation and carried on following the winding path upwards.

Over the next hour and a half, we spiraled up the tall mountain one High Orge battle at a time. There were 4 more groups we faced off against. Each time we'd split the monsters up naturally according to our growing abilities.

I fought one battle with Nessa and another with Abby. The other two were solo brawls. I felt it was necessary for us all to switch around partners if we were going to fight as a team against the boss. So, Arie fought with Maria and Bruce one time each as well.

Our chemistry is okay, but It could be better. We're all pretty overpowered. Our gear and skillsets make these battles pretty simple.

The more we fight, the easier it is to predict the Ogre's movements. All new spawns are exactly the same. We as hunters learn more every battle, while they stay stagnant.

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

I gain 4 levels in total, bringing me to level 311. It still takes three solid hits to take one of these Ogres out, but it is much less difficult than my first fight.

The air continues to get thicker and thicker. Not only do the steam and smoke from the lava pools around us make it hard to breathe, but the mana levels in the air up here also create an odd sensation similar to a dungeon break.

All of the previous 3 diverted paths have connected as one about halfway up the climb. We've circled around the mountain 6 full times now and are definitely nearing the top.

Sweat covers my arms and slides down the sides of my face. Every few steps, droplets fall to the ground creating a sharp hissing noise as they evaporate on contact with the hot red rocks below.

All six of us are breathing heavily, but honestly, it's more of a workout than an actual painful experience.

The hot air may be a little uncomfortable, but I'm almost used to it by now... It's like we're walking through a massive sauna.

Nessa's voice rings out from ahead.

"Hey! Guys! I think I see it, I think we made it to the top!"

Our orderly rhythmic footsteps come to a halt as we round the final bend.

A crowd of hunters waits patiently in a line directly in front of the large light grey circle of energy.

I count 3 teams in total. None of them look too familiar, but they're all stacked with impressive gear and have made it this far as well.... They must be excellent hunters.

A flash of white light appears in front of the portal as we get in line behind another group.

Rodrigo returns with a team of 3 other hunters. He nods to them with a thin smile. They exchange a few words that I can't make out from here, then another flash of light blinds me.

The 3 of them are gone...

"Did... they pass the exam.. or not?"

Arie speaks up from behind me.

Abby rolls her eyes.

"Nice to meet you too."

Rodrigo grins, then continues.

"You'll have to change up your style. No earth magic is allowed. You must become your team's healer, or finding another weapon to wield if you'd like to deal any damage."

Abby gulps, then nods.

"I'll make do."

He nods back.

"Maria. You have some incredibly impressive Ice magic, it is not allowed during this battle."

Her eyes widen. I'm sure she saw this coming, but I guess it would still be a shock. Maria's magic is her only overpowered quality, taking that away will make for a pretty difficult fight.

She nods slowly.

"Understood."

Rodrigo eyes Arie and me.

"You two... are an interesting couple."

He looks down at the small sheet of paper, then back up at us.

"You know.... both of you are in the top 10 for most hunters killed during this exam."

We both look at each other, then back at Rodrigo as he continues.

"And I mean killed. Not just sent back to the spawn point, literally killed."

We both face forward and give simultaneous shrugs, then I speak up.

"You... did say that wasn't against the rules."

The tall man toughens his lips, sighs, then speaks up again.

"Anyways, Arie you can't use your bow or archer skill. Jay, any use of fire is not allowed."

Arie nods, placing his bow into his item box while taking out a pair of daggers.

I pause for a moment, then look down at my sword. I lift it in the air to show Rodrigo. It flickers with fire residue.

"So... this is a sword fused with a fire stone. If I concentrate any amount of mana into the blade, it produces flames... Technically they're not mine, could I-"

"No. No use of flames is allowed."

I frown slightly while putting away my sword, then take out a pair of my own black shining daggers.

"These will do."

Rodrigo eyes them curiously for a moment, then turns around to face the portal.

"Very well, follow me. Your final test begins now."

The tall man wearing a well-fitted red suit walks forward through the fluctuating mass of energy in front of us.

I grin and speak up.

"Let's do this. It's time to finally become C-Class Hunters. "

The 6 of us follow close behind stepping through the portal one by one.