“Chimera.”
Yue Wu raised his hand, and a purple magic array, a meter in diameter, materialized to his left. Immediately, a monster Jeanne D’Arc knew all too well emerged.
This Chimera, however, was a true Chimera, not the one from before. Its power ranked around A-class, but it was a ferocious beast, not a sacred one.
Wherever Chimeras appeared, they would lay waste to the land. They devoured both animals and humans alike, though such rampages belonged to ancient times.
Modern Chimeras typically confined themselves to specific regions, rarely sighted, and those who did encounter them likely vanished without a trace.
“Are you ready?”
Yue Wu placed his hand upon the Chimera’s lion head. The creature, like a tamed pet, nuzzled against him affectionately.
“Jeanne D’Arc, why aren’t you using Red Lotus?” Yue Wu suddenly noticed Jeanne D’Arc wasn’t wielding Red Lotus, but rather a rare-grade staff.
“I… I still can’t fully control that weapon.”
Jeanne D’Arc replied to Yue Wu truthfully.
“Is that so? Even so, you could still use it as a weapon. Red Lotus’s resilience is hundreds of times greater than an ordinary sword’s.”
“I understand.”
Ever since Jeanne D’Arc and her companions formed their mercenary group, Yue Wu had gifted each of the six a spatial storage ring, saving them a considerable amount of trouble.
“Are you ready?”
“Ready!”
The six members, including Jeanne D’Arc, immediately grew serious, instantly entering a combat stance. This pleased Yue Wu.
As he subtly raised his hand, the Chimera, too, surged into a frenzied battle state.
“You must either endure the Chimera’s attacks for twenty minutes or defeat it outright. Whichever condition you fulfill, you will pass.”
“However, this assessment isn’t about your individual strength, but about your team’s coordination.”
“If you wish to prevent a repeat of today’s events, then demonstrate the power of your team, not just your individual capabilities.”
Yue Wu erected a barrier spanning a hundred li, designating the enclosed area as their training ground. This also served to prevent any unsuspecting outsiders from foolishly stumbling in.
In truth, Jeanne D’Arc and the other five were well aware of their critical weakness: their team coordination was far from perfect, and errors were prone to occur.
The Chimera did not immediately charge into close combat. Instead, it launched fireballs from a distance, three massive orbs of flame landing in different spots near Jeanne D’Arc and her group.
Boom!
The three colossal fireballs detonated simultaneously, the ensuing dust and smoke engulfing the figures of Jeanne D’Arc and her companions.
“Earth Spike!”
Just then, Luoge East’s voice rang out. Earth spikes, over two meters long, erupted from beneath the Chimera, yet the creature deftly evaded them.
“Five-Strike Swift Slash!”
But the assault was far from over. Shana Aznar burst forth from behind one of the earth spikes, large enough to conceal a person, unleashing a Five-Strike Swift Slash that caught the Chimera off guard.
Still, the Chimera effortlessly dodged Shana Aznar’s attack. The entire maneuver seemed trivial, posing almost no challenge to the beast.
“Water Ring Entanglement.”
Windy Feron raised her magic staff. The Chimera’s hind legs became ensnared, and it was hoisted directly into the air.
“Explosive Fire Pillar!”
Alicia’s magic was already prepared. Five fiery-red magic arrays, varying in size, appeared above the Chimera’s head.
A pillar of fire erupted from beneath the creature, soaring skyward before culminating in a violent explosion. It was uncertain how the Chimera had fared under this spell.
One thing was certain, however: the Chimera would not be easily vanquished by a mere Level 3 spell from Alicia. Indeed, its form soon reappeared amidst the dissipating dust and smoke.
“Five-Strike Swift Slash, Rushing Thunder!”
Shavier Aznar, the fastest in the team, swiftly closed the distance to the Chimera. Each strike of his Five-Strike Swift Slash found its mark on the beast.
“Five-Strike Swift Slash!”
Jeanne D’Arc burst forth from an unknown position, directly coordinating with Shavier Aznar. The Chimera’s back was struck by both their Five-Strike Swift Slashes.
Notably, one of them wielded a divine artifact; even its basic attacks far surpassed those of ordinary weapons, inflicting significantly greater damage.
Despite the six individuals’ close coordination, only Red Lotus in Jeanne D’Arc’s hand managed to leave a wound on the Chimera. Alicia’s Level 3 magic and Shavier Aznar’s Five-Strike Swift Slash, even with their elemental enhancements, failed to leave any discernible mark.
Suspended silently in the air, Yue Wu observed every action of Jeanne D’Arc and her five companions with keen eyes. Yet, even this display failed to satisfy him.
“Its hide is far too thick!”
Alicia began to complain.
“Stop complaining; start moving.”
Luoge East and the others began to spread out, maintaining distance and position relative to the Chimera. Although the Chimera possessed three heads, even they couldn’t simultaneously cast spells on all six individuals.
However, such an assumption would be gravely mistaken. The Chimera raised its three heads, and three massive fireballs soared into the sky.
In mid-air, they collided and fragmented into numerous smaller fireballs, descending like a fiery rain.
“Shield of Protection.”
Windy Feron conjured a defensive shield for everyone, successfully repelling the fiery rain. However, dust and smoke now permeated a vast area, drastically reducing visibility.
The six companions found themselves disoriented, unsure of each other’s locations, or where the Chimera currently lurked.
“Shavier Aznar?”
“Shana Aznar?”
Amidst the swirling dust, Jeanne D’Arc glimpsed a blurry figure approaching her. Moments before, Shavier Aznar and Shana Aznar had been the closest to her.
Yet, the figure before Jeanne D’Arc steadily grew larger, its form gradually taking shape. It was neither Shavier Aznar nor Shana Aznar.
It was the Chimera. With a swift swipe, the Chimera lunged at Jeanne D’Arc. Though she managed to block it with her sword in time, she was still forced back several steps.
Immediately afterward, three massive fireballs hurtled towards her, leaving no time or space to evade.
In this dire moment, Jeanne D’Arc could only trust the sword in her hand, trust herself, and believe she would find a way to overcome this immediate predicament.
‘Hmph~’
Jeanne D’Arc gripped her one-handed sword with both hands, and her magic surged explosively.
A peculiar phenomenon occurred: the Chimera’s fireballs were absorbed by the Red Lotus Holy Sword in Jeanne D’Arc’s grasp. Instantly, the Red Lotus Holy Sword began to emit a faint red glow.
‘Swing it? Are you telling me to swing my sword?’
Jeanne D’Arc suddenly murmured to herself.
‘I understand.’
Following the voice’s instruction, Jeanne D’Arc continued to channel the magic within her. Wielding the sword with one hand, she unleashed a dark flame slash that surged directly towards the Chimera.
At such close range, the Chimera was struck. That was merely the first blow; Jeanne D’Arc swung twice more.
After releasing two more flame slashes, the Red Lotus Holy Sword’s radiance faded, returning to its original appearance.
As for the Chimera, it had sustained only minor superficial injuries. However, the dust and smoke had been dispersed by Jeanne D’Arc’s recent flame slashes, restoring visibility. Jeanne D’Arc had also managed to distance herself from the Chimera.
****