Chapter 154: First Act 24: Into the Climax 7

'Damn, I took too much damage...'

Tristan inwardly lamented as he assessed the severity of the injury to his right shoulder. The realization hit him hard, and he knew he had to act swiftly to prevent further complications.

Drawing upon his divine power, Tristan cast several healing spells simultaneously. The wounds began to close, but to his dismay, the pain lingered, refusing to subside.

His brows furrowed in discomfort as he glanced at his right arm, the convulsing flesh causing a wave of nausea. It pulsed like a heartbeat, a grotesque rhythm that seemed on the brink of explosion.

Tristan's hands turned an unsettling shade of purple, and the odor emanating from the affected area resembled that of rotting flesh in the process of melting away.

Breathing heavily, Tristan wasted no time. With a determined focus, he invoked purification magic. A golden light enveloped his right arm, simultaneously detoxifying the venom and easing the burden on his body.

He also employed healing spells to regenerate the deformed arm, the magic working tirelessly to repair the damage inflicted.

Desperation crept in as Tristan reached for his backpack. Fumbling for high-grade potions, he chugged them down, their effects quickly coursing through his system.

The healing elixirs provided a momentary reprieve, yet the inexplicable thirst that accompanied the pain and nausea persisted.

Sitting behind a large boulder, Tristan surveyed the aftermath of the fierce battle, his eyes fixed on the massive magic stone at the center of the spiky yet sandy landscape. The remnants of the encounter with the colossal snake lingered in the air, and he couldn't help but reflect on the challenges he faced.

'Maybe Alex would've fared better when fighting that thing'

Tristan thought, his gaze shifting towards the large magic stone that had dropped when he defeated the formidable boss.

He pondered the choices he had made during the intense confrontation, wondering if a different approach could have yielded a more favorable outcome.

Throughout the fight, Tristan had stubbornly relied on his slashing techniques, repeatedly attempting to cut through the seemingly impervious scales of the gigantic snake.

It wasn't until later that he realized the ineffectiveness of his attacks against the formidable foe. The realization struck him that his best form of offense had proven useless.

He mentally chided himself for not discerning the creature's immunity to his slashes sooner.

The urgency to devise an alternative plan of attack only became apparent when the snake sank its enormous fangs into his right shoulder.

Tristan grunted as the piercing fangs sought to drag him deep underground, threatening to end the battle in favor of the formidable serpent.

In a crucial moment, Tristan clung to his sword with unyielding determination.

Channeling a beam of aura into the snake's mouth, he targeted a vulnerable point, piercing through the creature's defenses and reaching its brain.

The intense struggle between man and serpent reached its climax as Tristan's maneuver proved to be the turning point.

Despite the immense pain coursing through his body, Tristan's resilience and quick thinking had prevailed.

But...

'It doesn't feel like I've won'

This marked the first time Tristan truly grasped the significance of luck in battle.

His unwavering belief in his gifted strength had often propelled him forward, but the encounter with the gigantic snake proved to be a humbling experience.

The unexpected turn of events had reminded him that luck played a pivotal role in the volatile landscape of battle.

Had the colossal serpent not made the critical error of biting into Tristan's right shoulder, where he seized the opportunity to pierce inside, the outcome might have been drastically different.

The conversation seemed to taper off, leaving an awkward silence in its wake. Tristan felt a sense of discomfort as he glanced at Bella, who appeared as if she might doze off at any moment. The pause hung in the air, and Tristan couldn't shake the feeling that Bella was using the brief silence to buy some time for herself.

"Why are you here, Bella?" Tristan inquired, his curiosity piqued by her unexpected presence.

"I sensed strong mana spikes coming in this direction.... As it was annoying, I came here to get rid of the thing doing it, but it seems you already took care of it...." Bella replied, her voice groggy as she rubbed her eyes.

Tristan couldn't help but wonder if his intense battle with the dungeon's boss had roused her from sleep. As a mage on the verge of reaching the pinnacle, her magical sensitivity was likely finely tuned. The mana fluctuations from their fight might have felt like a jarring alarm, disrupting her rest.

"Sorry, it seems my fight with it woke you up," Tristan apologized, bowing his head slightly.

"Okay..."

"......"

Silence settled between them once again, the remnants of their individual battles lingering in the air. Tristan felt a hint of awkwardness as he considered Bella's unexpected interruption.

Bella twitched slightly, as she suddenly closed her eyes.

Suddenly, Bella turned away, her body enveloped in starlight mana. "Anyway.... Bye-bye," she said before disappearing, teleporting away.

Tristan watched as she vanished, the lingering traces of starlight marking her departure.

Tristan scratched his head, the awkwardness of the conversation lingering, but he felt a slight sense of relief that Bella hadn't shown up with any hostile intentions.

Even in the pursuit of magic stones, where students were allowed to take them by any means necessary, including stealing from others, the unspoken truce seemed to hold at least for now.

'Master told me that she felt something ominous in the dungeon and that I should be careful but... should I check it out?' Tristan pondered, his mind wrestling with the decision. The warning from his master echoed in his thoughts, urging caution in the face of potential danger.

Assessing his body once again, Tristan realized he was still in the process of healing. He retreated to a quiet corner, sitting down after collecting the fragments of the large magic stone.

'I shouldn't hurry' he thought, contemplating the wisdom of taking things slowly. The exam had a duration of two weeks at most, and Tristan recognized the importance of resting now to ensure he would be in peak condition when facing whatever challenges lay ahead.

As he settled into a moment of respite, Tristan couldn't help but reflect on the nature of his master's warnings. There had been only a handful of instances where his master deemed something as dangerous, and each time, the danger was explicitly meant for him.

The thought crossed his mind that if his master sensed something ominous in the dungeon, it could spell peril not just for him but for the majority of students unaware of the lurking threat.

'If so... most of the students here would probably meet their end when they encounter whatever my master meant' Tristan mused, acknowledging the severity of the situation.

...

In a vast and open space, the ground quivered beneath the pulsating rhythm of a fleshy red cocoon. A dark red aura surrounded it, intensifying with each passing second. The anticipation in the air was palpable, building up to a climactic revelation.

Finally, the moment arrived. Something sharp pierced through the cocoon, tearing it open from the inside.

Sharp claws, wrapped in a reddish aura, emerged as a large, muscular, red creature stepped out.

The creature's massive form glistened with a slimy red substance, its four arms flexing as it surveyed its unfamiliar surroundings with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

As the creature stood there, crackling footsteps echoed through the space. A swarm of insect-like beings, composed of bloody flesh, approached, each carrying four axes.

The red creature, inexplicably drawn to the axes, felt a surge of excitement coursing through its veins.

Without hesitation, it reached out, grabbing all four axes with a gleam in its red eyes, roaring in satisfaction at the newfound weapons.

Meanwhile, a girl with shoulder-length blue hair, radiating a starlight-like dazzle, stood nearby.

Her eyes widened as she witnessed the unfolding scene, a mixture of curiosity and fear in her gaze.