Chapter 307: Hydra - 4
The Hydraâs maw, lined with poison-tipped razor-sharp teeth, lunged toward Leo at blinding speed.
But just before it could clamp down on him, Shyra materialized beside its headâemerging from her [Umbral Rift Pounce]âand slammed her own head against it. Though the impact wasnât powerful enough to cause real damage, it altered the headâs trajectory just slightly.
That slight deviation was enough.
Leo twisted mid-air, manoeuvring his body as he charged his fist with [Critical Strike].
BAM!!
A heavy punch smashed into the Hydraâs chin, cracking its spirit body and shattering a few teeth. Leoâs strike carried terrifying intensity. At the same time, Leon swiped his claws across the same injured region of the neck.
Slash!
"RRAAAAAHHH!!" The Hydra screeched as the blue gem embedded in the center of its forehead flared brightly. In an instant, the sky darkened as moisture gathered rapidly, forming thick clouds overhead.
Within seconds, rain began to pour. The moment the droplets touched Leoâs skin, a sharp burning sensation spread across it.
"Everyone! Take cover! The rainwater has poison!"
Leon focused, and an aura barrier enveloped his body. Leo mirrored him instantly. Lily, meanwhile, is spirit-integrated with Lunaria, forming a rotating wind barrier around herself.
The Treant expanded, growing a dense leafy canopy over his head to block the rain. Niri seized the opportunity and perched on the Treantâs shoulder to stay shielded. Grivak manipulated flexible magic to form a translucent oval barrier above himself, producing faint tingling noises whenever the poisoned raindrops struck it.
The only unfortunate one was Shyra.
As the toxic rain struck her body, she shivered violently, hissing as she tried to take cover beneath the trees. But it wasnât enough. The poison-laced water began seeping through.
Leo had no choice. He unsummoned her immediately and replaced her with Nyxa. Nyxa coated her body in aura just like Leo and Leon, shielding herself from the corrosive rain.
The Hydra hissed in frustration when it didnât achieve the expected result.
But the same could not be said for a certain pink-haired girl.
CrackleâCrash!
A thick pillar of lightning tore through the dark clouds and struck directly atop the Hydraâs head.
BOOM!
The Hydra staggered slightly, dazed by the sudden electric surge and the burning sensation amplified within the rainwater.
"Leo!" Lily called out.
He instantly appeared beside her using [Luminous Prowl Steps].
Lilyâs Mana:
[4,890 / 32,800 | 17,500 / 18,000] ->
[32,800 / 32,800 | 18,000 / 18,000]
Leoâs Mana:
110,670 / 178,200 -> 82,260 / 178,200
"Leon! Do you have Mana crystals?" Leo asked urgently.
Leon didnât hesitate. He tossed him a deep blue Mana crystalâa Peak 3-star Mana crystal.
Leo grimaced slightly at its size; it was a bit larger than a baseball. Without wasting even a second, he crushed it into 2 pieces. The deep blue colour faded into a lighter shade, signifying their tiers had dropped. Both fragments became High 3-star Mana crystals.
He swallowed them one after another.
His mana began regenerating at a much faster pace. With this, he could continue sustaining the Hydra and attempt to subdue it longer.
Splash! Splash!
The Hydra stomped violently, splashing the ground that had already turned muddy from the rainfall.
"RAAHHHHHH!!"
It roared as water pooled beneath its feet, rising rapidly. The next moment, a powerful wave surged outward in a circular region around it.
Leo slammed his palm against the ground. A thick earthen wall erupted upward, blocking the incoming flood. Lily stood behind him, concentrating on something else entirely, sure of Leo will block the waves.
The Treant mimicked Leoâs action, and a massive wall of roots and vines surged up before him. Leon took cover behind the Treant. Grivak, however, reacted a fraction too slow and was swept away, crashing into the surrounding trees.
This was the starting strength of a 4-star level. If 3-star marked the beginning of superhuman levels, then 4-star was capable of altering the environment on a moderate scale. The flood covered nearly the entire 100-meter clearing before it abruptly ceased.
The Hydra itself appeared confused.
It had exhausted its mana.
It had unleashed that move, thinking it was still a Low 5-star individual, but the miscalculation had completely emptied its reserves.
"Leon! Now!" Leo shouted.
But this time, Lily had already prepared something different. Instead of vines to bind the beast, a massive wind bladeâcompressed to an extreme degreeâhovered above them. A technique she had developed after ordinary blades proved ineffective against certain beasts.
SWING!
As Leo and Leon advanced from either side, the compressed wind blade descended from above.
And Lily didnât stop there.
Crackleâcrack-crack-crack.
Thum! Thum! Thum! Thum! Thum!
Countless [Blackstorm Lightning] bolts rained down upon the Hydraâs head, numbing it and slowing its movements.
Slash! Slash!
"ROOOAAAAHHHâAAK!"
Its roar was cut short as the wind blade struck the same previously slashed area by both men. The spirit body cracked dangerously along the neck.
Crackleâcrack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The lightning barrage continued relentlessly. At the same time, from afarâwhere he had landed after being washed awayâGrivak unleashed a barrage of [Magic Stingers]. Unlike Leon, who could release 1 at a time, Grivak fired multiple in rapid succession through his natural stinger.
Hummmmm!
Niriâs [Solar Beam] struck true against the Hydraâs head.
The only beast unable to contribute effectively was Nyxa. She had no ranged attack, nor could she safely close in while the Hydra thrashed its limbs irrationally. Even a casual strike from a mid-4-star beast could put her out of commission.
Then suddenly, the Hydraâs long tail whipped toward Lily.
She was focused on forming another compressed wind blade and had no time to dodge.
Nyxa reacted instantly.
Using [Luminous Prowl Steps], she appeared beside Lily, grabbed her by the jaw, and leapt away. The tail continued its sweep and slammed into the Treant, sending him flying along with Niri still perched on his shoulder.
But that moment of distraction was enough.
Leo emerged from stealth and delivered the finishing strike to the already critically damaged neck.
Slash!
The Hydraâs head separated cleanly from its body and began to fall. But something magical happened as some sort of energy started to be sucked out of the head to the hydraâs body. Soon, the severed head dissolved completely.
But at that momentâ
Lilyâs Mana: 32,800 / 32,800 ->
15,300 / 32,800 | 4,600 / 18,000