Chapter 95: The First Art-1.

The serpent let out a loud hiss, and thick poisonous smoke poured from its mouth, spreading fast. In seconds, the battlefield was covered in a dark, choking fog.

Students began to cough violently.

Their faces twisted in pain, veins turning dark under their skin. One by one, some of them collapsed, unconscious as the poison entered their bodies.

Even the wild monsters weren’t spared. They started foaming at the mouth, writhing before falling limp on the ground.

Only a handful of students managed to stay on their feet—those who used their elements to protect themselves, or had some kind of poison resistance or artifact.

"Damn, this bastard’s really not giving up," Samuel growled, covering his nose with his arm, a dark shield forming around him.

"Haa... haa... well, we just need to hold on a bit longer. Look—the first pillar’s already down," Raymond said, pointing toward the sky, where one of the red beams had disappeared.

Azhriel, however, didn’t say anything.

[Poison Nullified]

The system message blinked in his mind. The poison didn’t affect him.

But everything else—the strain of fighting, the power of the serpent, and the pressure of keeping up with two higher-ranked fighters—was hitting him hard.

He was breathing heavily now, chest rising and falling quickly. His eyes, though tired, didn’t leave the serpent for a second.

Fighting an Advanced-ranked monster while still being at the Initiate rank... it was something no one had ever done before.

He couldn’t move as fast. He couldn’t block every hit. If not for Caelyn’s buffs and his Spatial Awareness skill, this fight would’ve been over for him already.

The buffs allowed him to track the serpent’s movements, predicting its next attack just moments before it happened.

But even so, his body was slower—it couldn’t keep up naturally. That’s why he had to aim and pinpoint precisely, countering with everything he had at the exact moment.

That’s how he was surviving.

That’s how he was fighting.

The serpent slithered silently through the thick poison smoke, using it like a cover. Its large body moved without a sound, hidden from their eyes.

Raymond’s eyes widened as he felt something was off. "Shit! Samuel! Azhriel! Spread out!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

But it was too late.

Crash!

A loud, bone-cracking sound echoed as a figure flew out of the smoke. The body slammed hard into a huge boulder—so hard that the rock split in half.

"Fuck..." Azhriel gasped, pain searing through every inch of his body.

The serpent had aimed for him. The weakest. The one holding on by buffs and pure calculation.

It had worked.

He hit the ground hard, coughing violently. Blood dripped from his lips. Two deep wounds were carved into his stomach—round, brutal, and oozing.

The serpent had bitten him, its fangs piercing deep before tossing him like a broken doll.

Still, Azhriel tried to stand.

He groaned, his legs shaking as he pushed himself up, refusing to fall here—not yet.

However the monster was on the killing spree.

From within the smoke, a beam of dark, condensed energy fired at Raymond. There was no room to dodge.

With the little time he had, Raymond raised both arms and summoned every ounce of power he could muster—creating a shield of radiant light.

Bang!

The beam struck.

The barrier cracked.

Then it shattered, exploding like glass in a storm.

"Aggghk!" Raymond screamed as the attack hit him full on, sending him sliding across the ground, blood trailing in his path.

They were getting overwhelmed.

Though inside the thick cloud of poison and smoke, where no one could see properly, Samuel was unfazed.

Darkness was like his ally. To him, it wasn’t a barrier—it was home.

While everyone else struggled to even breathe or find direction, Samuel’s eyes saw everything. The outlines. The beast. The movement.

So when he saw the serpent slithering fast toward Raymond, he didn’t hesitate.

He dashed forward, silent and swift, moving from the blind spot on the serpent’s left—right where one of its eyes had been destroyed earlier.

Gathering the dark energy into his hand, he formed a swirling orb of pure shadow. It spun wildly, pulsing with power, and without wasting another second, he launched it at the beast.

But the serpent reacted faster than he thought.

It suddenly twisted its body, the orb missing by inches and flying harmlessly into the mist.

Before Samuel could react, the serpent’s thick tail came from the side with brutal speed.

Bang!

The sound was loud, sharp, and sickening.

Samuel was sent flying like a broken doll, crashing into a group of unconscious students. Dust rose where he landed.

The blow was so brutal, that he almost lost his consciousness for a moment.

"Are we going to die?"

The thought came gently into Raymond’s mind—like a whisper, soft and inviting, almost sweet.

For a brief moment, the sounds of battle disappeared. The screams, the roars, the crashing of spells and weapons—all faded into silence.

Raymond’s body felt heavy, his legs weak, and his skin burned from the injuries. He could feel the warmth of his own blood dripping down, hitting the broken earth beneath him.

And just for a heartbeat, doubt crept in.

Should we have stayed together? All of us, fighting the Serpent instead of protecting the other students and leaving it to just three people?

"Would that have changed anything?" he whispered, his eyes dimming as exhaustion pulled at him.

His heart, always steady, now wavered under the weight of regret. Maybe they’d made a mistake. Maybe they should have stayed with the others.

Darkness began to close around his vision. His eyelids fluttered shut.

But then—

A voice came to him.

Gentle. Familiar. Kind. It was his mother’s voice, soft as a lullaby.

"Always remember, my dear Ray," her voice echoed in his mind.

"There are many kinds of people in this world. Some are strong, like your father and grandfather... but there are others, too. People who are too weak to fight for themselves. That’s why son, the strong like you must protect them."

And then another voice followed—firm and full of strength.

His father’s.

"That’s right, son. The Dawnlights don’t use their strength for themselves. We are protectors. We don’t abandon those who need us. Never forget that. And never, ever doubt your heart."

Crack.

A soft sound echoed from deep inside Raymond’s body—like glass breaking. And then, a rush of warmth poured through him.

It was smooth, comforting, and powerful all at once. Like sunlight flooding into every corner of his being.

The ground trembled. The air shimmered. The light and heat around him suddenly grew stronger—blinding even. For a moment, everything turned white.

He had broken through.

Raymond’s eyes fluttered open. The haze that clouded his mind vanished. His breathing steadied.

And the first thing he saw—just inches away—was the wide-open mouth of the serpent, its fangs glinting with poison, aiming to swallow him whole.

But Raymond didn’t panic.

His eyes locked onto the monster calmly. He raised his hand, steady and firm. Then, with two fingers, he traced a line in the air.

A glowing golden streak followed the motion—pure sunfire condensed into a sharp edge.

Boom.

The golden streak of fire exploded on impact, slamming into the serpent’s jaw.

"Keieerg!"

A sharp screech ripped from the serpent’s mouth as smoke and steam poured out of its jaw. Its massive body thrashed and writhed, shaking the ground.

Raymond stood up slowly, brushing the dust off his shoulders.

His clothes were torn, and blood still clung to parts of his skin, but his eyes were clear now—sharp and steady.

"Oi, how long are you two planning to lie around?" he called out, glancing toward Azhriel and Samuel.

Samuel, limping with a hand on his side, gave a dry chuckle. "Haha... says the guy who was about to be swallowed whole like a fried chicken."

Azhriel winced as he pushed himself to his feet, blood trickling down his side where the snake’s fangs had pierced. Still, he stood tall and walked slowly toward them.

"So, can you both keep up?" Raymond asked.

"Seriously..." Azhriel muttered, "You’re showing off way too much. Even if you broke through your rank, with those injuries, you’re not lasting long."

"Ah—sorry," Raymond replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with a small grin.

Samuel looked at the two of them, and despite the exhaustion, a soft laugh escaped his lips. "You guys...haa unbelievable."

The three of them stood together now—bruised, bloody, and breathing hard—but unbroken.

The serpent was still writhing from the pain, but its glare returned, more furious than ever. Poison still dripped from its fangs, and its scales were burned and battered—but it wasn’t done yet.

Samuel looked ahead, eyes narrowing. "Alright," he said, voice steady. "Let’s end this thing."

"Yup, it had taken too long." Raymond said as his spear vibrated slightly, as Sun wrapped around it swallowing it whole.

Besides, the light and darkness. Ice spread everywhere.