Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

"Prepare for battle."

As Irina spoke, everyone's attention was focused on the monster standing in front of us.

The lava dragon lizard stood tall before us, its flaming scales gleaming in the torchlight, looking fierce.

"roar……"

Its golden eyes fixed on us and it let out a low growl.

It is a dragon-like monster that belongs to the lower levels of the evolutionary tree.

"It is indeed a lava dragon lizard." Nora whispered, her hand tightening on the hilt of the sword, "This battle will be difficult."

'It looks like she did her homework.'

Even though the academy is brutal in practical exams, the academy knows that not all hunters are good at combat, and some pursue practical skills. In order to test these skills, the monsters we encounter are usually explained in the course before we enter the dungeon.

Although we have learned a lot about monsters, only those who are lucky or those who know everything can gain something in this regard.

It looks like Nora belongs to the latter.

Byron tried to regain control of the situation and took a step forward. "Don't be afraid! Let's conquer this monster together!"

He spoke like some kind of great hero.

"Puff..."

Even Nora and Erica, the mage from the other team, couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"nothing."

“Tsk.”

Seeing him mumbling, no one said anything else, but just pursed their lips.

"roar!"

However, the monster was not happy that its territory was invaded, and it seemed to think we were laughing at it. It seemed that the monster also had some kind of self-esteem.

boom!

With a loud roar, the lava dragon lizard pounced on us, opening its flaming mouth.

whoosh!

Irina reacted quickly, releasing a ball of fire, but she saw that it was absorbed and offset by the monster's fire properties.

“Tsk.”

She gritted her teeth, her face showing obvious frustration, and her angry eyes turned to Byron. The monster's resistance made her main attack skill almost ineffective in this battle.

whoosh!

She quickly focused her attention forward again, using her explosive strength to avoid the monster's huge mouth.

"Nora, George."

She shouted, then nodded to the two of them.

"clear."

Nora and George quickly moved to the front, expertly coordinating their attacks and trying to distract the monster.

'Their coordination has improved'

Seeing them like this is completely different from when I was commanding them. It seems that they put in some effort after I pointed out their weaknesses.

Bang!

George's shield collided with the monster, absorbing the attack power from the monster.

"ha!"

Then, Nora jumped over George, concentrated her magic power on the sword, activated her skill and slashed at the lava dragon.

A small wound appeared on the monster's face, and blood spurted out.

roar!

The monster roared in pain.

The two of them immediately hid behind George, while I distanced myself from the boss.

"Support them!"

Byron shouted, summoning a small magic barrier to block the monster's attack.

'It's not bad as a supporting role.'

Although he is a supporting role, he has his reasons for being the captain. The other team members are not bad either. Jack, as the tank, immediately went to protect the mage, and Leon also distanced himself like me.

"Jack, you and George attract hatred together. Erica, can you use water-attribute attacks?"

"No, I'm not proficient enough in water-based attacks to do any damage to it."

"I understand. Then support us from the rear. Leon, you cover from the rear and look for opportunities to launch fatal attacks. Do you understand?"

"good."

"Very good, let's go."

At once Byron seized his sword and rushed at the monster like Nora, with Jack following closely behind.

whoosh!

The battle was full of noisy sounds. They were inexperienced and helpless in the face of powerful monsters, and the monsters' counterattacks made it even more difficult for them to cope with.

The lava dragon lizard's fiery breath and powerful tail posed a great challenge to the newly assembled team.

Although Byron and Irina were fairly good at commanding, they were still immature, and sometimes their orders conflicted with each other, making the battle more difficult.

Although Byron and Nora are courageous.

But their attacks often lacked synchronization, leaving the Lava Dragon with opportunities to counterattack. Their sword swings were powerful but lacked precision, and sometimes even collided with each other.

And Irina.

boom!

Irina's rage grew with each ineffective fire attack, the monster's resistance preventing her from inflicting effective damage.

She muttered irritably, her confidence knocked, struggling to find a productive way to contribute to the fight.

"Tsk...this guy!"

This was the reaction I expected. As a person with a hot temper who always does things her way, this was her first time encountering a setback.

Although her attack did not cause significant damage, it still achieved certain results due to the team's cooperation.

'However, there is one unexpected person, Erica. She has done a pretty good job in providing support.'

Most mages are arrogant and don't like to be supportive, always bragging about their magic attacks. However, Erica is very smart when dealing with enemies and can adjust herself according to the situation to provide assistance to her teammates.

Whenever Irina tried to cast magic, she would quickly cast ice magic, hitting the same spot as Irina's magic. The temperature difference between hot and cold upset the monster's balance.

George and Jack do a pretty good job of managing the battle scene. Many people think that the tank role is easy, but this is far from the truth. As a tank, you must grasp the timing to attract aggro and know when to retreat.

They did a decent job, though not perfect.

Finally, there is Leon.

whoosh

'Where does he get the confidence to brag about himself?'

If this is the level of the academy as an archer, the quality is really poor. Now I finally understand why the ranking gap of archers is so big.

His arrows were powerful and his magic control was good, but he was missing one very important thing.

'His attack spacing is the worst I've ever seen, and his positioning is also problematic.'

His performance showed a lack of training and awareness, which are the most important things for a ranger.

I turned my attention back to the battle, watching Irina's movements, her eyes fixed on the sword in Nora's hand.

'The battle is almost over.'

Nora's blade began to flash slowly, and she looked a little surprised.

"What's this?"

"It's enchantment."

"Enchantment?"

"Yes. But be careful when using it, it's quite powerful."

Irina said as she gestured towards Nora's sword, and Nora turned her attention to the blade, a glowing weapon appearing before her eyes.

'It seems she used it unconsciously.'

Every monster has a weakness that can be exploited, and the Lava Drake is no exception. Although it is resistant to fire and has very tough skin, once the skin is penetrated, the body inside is vulnerable.

The way to break through the hard skin is to concentrate the energy on one point. Although the fire magic used by Irina is the most destructive, it is not concentrated on one point, but spreads over the entire surface, which is why her attack is ineffective.

Everyone in this world has a chance to shine, the key is timing.

Just like Nora now.

Her sword didn't have enough power to penetrate the monster's tough skin, but now it was different.

"I understand. I'll be careful." After assessing her weapons, she looked straight ahead. Jack and George were fending off the monsters' attacks, and the situation was not bad.

whoosh!

With a desire to fight in her eyes, Nora raised her enchanted sword and rushed towards the lava dragon lizard. The weapon cut through the air, with a shining arc, and slashed at the monster quickly.

hack!

The sword blade hit accurately and broke through the hard skin of the magma dragon lizard.

A stream of molten blood spurted out of the wound and the monster roared in pain, briefly disoriented.

roar!

However, the Lava Dragon Lizard was an extremely strong monster. It quickly realized the threat, and first let out a loud roar, then released a steam wave that bounced everyone away.

It turned its huge body, instinctively protected its vulnerable parts, and began to activate its self-healing ability.

"It's healing itself!"

Nora shouted, her voice full of frustration. The excitement of her success was instantly wiped out when she realized that the lava dragon lizard could heal itself.

"It's not over yet," Byron encouraged, keeping an eye on the situation, "We just need to get around and stop him."

He lunged in, blade slicing through the air, trying to distract the monster and make himself its target.

Meanwhile, George and Jack take turns attracting the monster's attention, using them as tanks and bait. The duo's coordination has improved significantly, and their movements are more precise.

Although the team found a way to defeat the lava dragon lizard, they lacked a strategy. The lava dragon lizard's self-healing ability was difficult to overcome.

The monsters become more ferocious as they adapt, constantly fighting back their attacks. It's a race against time, and they must end the battle before the monsters recover.

Irina looked at the wounds they had inflicted with frustration on her face. She knew her options were limited and she had to find a solution quickly.

She finally looked at me, irritation evident on her face.

"you."

she called. But of course I didn't respond. After all, my name isn't "you".

"Ah...Morse..."

She realized the situation, sighed, and looked at me.

“Can you handle it?”

These six words contained a simple request, but also demonstrated her trust in my abilities.

"Yes," I answered simply, my eyes fixed on the burning sword in Nora's hand. If she sliced ​​the monster open, I could follow up her attack with arrows and defeat it from the inside.

“…”

She hesitated for a moment, perhaps weighing the pros and cons of accepting this fact. If she accepted my help, she might have to change her attitude. But even as she thought about it, she continued to cast her magic.

'As expected of her.'

Being able to think, observe the situation, and cast magic at the same time is why she ranks high. For her, using fire magic is an instinct.

"Come on! Leon, attack it from here."

"How could I not know? Do you think this is so easy?"

At this moment, her eyes caught the conversation between Leon and Byron. Byron urged Leon, and another team of archers attacked the monster from the place where Nora was hurt, but Leon's arrows obviously missed the target.

“Tsk.”

Seeing this, she made an impatient sound and then turned to me.

"bring it on."

"Hmm? Do you think I'm a 'tool'?"

“…”

"I'm only asking you once. Do you believe those rumors?"

“…Shouldn’t I believe it?”

"I'm not asking if you should believe it. I'm asking if you believe it?"

“…”

She stood there without answering, just looking at me with annoyance, and I got my answer.

'You're no different than anyone else.'

As I thought about it, I picked up the bow and put the arrow on it.

"Your prejudice...will hurt you one day."

【Eye of Time】

【Speed】

The moment I activated the skill, I felt time slow down and my body became lighter. Information from all around me poured in and my head started to hurt.

I focused my attention on the monster's wound.

whoosh!

My arrows, charged with green magic, fired sideways at the monster.

whoosh!

Then, after the first arrow hit the target, I shot the second arrow, this time using blue-gold magic.

In just one second, I fired two arrows, each filled with a huge amount of mana.

Bang!

The first arrow hit the wound accurately, leaving a mark.

Bang! Boom!

The second arrow hit following the green mark created by the first arrow, and an explosion occurred instantly.

Blood spurted from the wound.

Bang!

With a loud bang, the monster fell to the ground, its body falling heavily.