Chapter 35: Rabid Moles [1]

Sofia continued moving across the open field, gripping a saber in each hand.

Although she usually preferred fighting with a longsword, she had decided to master as many weapons as possible. She didn’t want to become so dependent on a single fighting style that she would be helpless whenever she lost her primary weapon.

Besides, the Spirit Realm was the perfect place to put her skills to the test.

It had been three days since she entered the Sword Domain, and she had already hunted down several wolf-type monsters. Their pelts and mana cores could have been useful to other Awakeners, but Sofia wasn’t interested in making money.

She wanted to become stronger.

Yesterday, she had finally broken through from F+ to E- rank. It was a significant improvement, but she knew she still had a long way to go.

F- and F-rank monsters were no longer enough to satisfy her. Fighting opponents weaker than herself might help her refine her techniques, but it wouldn’t push her to her limits.

And she didn’t have much time left.

The Golden Dawn Academy would begin in four days. Once she arrived, she would have fewer opportunities to explore the Spirit Realm on her own.

Until then, she intended to make the most of every moment.

At the moment, she was running across a vast open field. The enormous forest she had spent the past few hours traversing lay behind her, its towering trees gradually disappearing into the distance.

As she scanned her surroundings, she noticed a small group of Awakeners ahead.

They wore suits of knightly armor, with weapons hanging from their waists. Their equipment looked well-maintained, and they moved in an organized formation rather than wandering aimlessly through the wilderness.

Sword Saint’s soldiers, probably.

Sofia recognized the insignia on their armor. They appeared to belong to the forces serving Dreck Storms, the Overlord who ruled the Sword Domain.

She paid them little attention and continued forward.

Then she sensed something.

Sofia abruptly stopped.

There was something beneath her feet.

She crouched and pressed her ear against the ground, ignoring the dirt that clung to her cheek. For a few seconds, she heard nothing but the wind sweeping across the field.

Then came a faint scratching sound.

Something was crawling underground.

And it was moving toward her.

Several dozen meters away, the young man leading the armored Awakeners noticed Sofia’s strange behavior.

He was about to ask what she was doing when his expression suddenly changed.

The ground.

Something was moving beneath it.

"Everyone, stay alert!" he shouted.

His subordinates immediately turned toward him, but before any of them could ask what was happening, the scratching sound reached Sofia’s position.

It stopped directly beneath her.

For one brief moment, everything went quiet.

Sofia’s instincts screamed at her to move.

She pushed against the ground with all four limbs and launched herself into the air.

A sharp, elongated claw burst through the earth where she had been kneeling a split second earlier.

Sofia crossed her sabers in front of her body.

CLANG!

The impact sent her higher into the air.

Her arms trembled from the force, but she managed to twist her body backward and perform a backflip. She landed several meters away, directly beside the armored group.

Her eyes never left the claw protruding from the ground.

E+ rank, at least.

She flexed her fingers around the saber hilts, assessing the lingering numbness in her arms.

It might be approaching D-rank, too.

That was a problem.

She had only recently reached E- rank. The difference between her and an E+ rank monster was substantial, especially if the creature possessed an ability suited to ambushes.

Still, Sofia felt no urge to run.

If anything, her lips curled into a faint smile.

Finally, an opponent worth fighting.

"What the hell was that?!"

One of the young soldiers stumbled backward as the ground began to shake.

"An E+ rank monster!"

"Sir Noah! What are your orders?"

The soldiers’ voices overlapped as the field trembled beneath their feet. Several of them tightened their grips on their weapons, their faces paling as more cracks appeared in the soil.

The young man at the front, Noah, immediately drew his sword.

"Quiet!"

His sharp shout cut through the commotion.

"Rabid moles! Get into formation and fight as you’ve been trained!"

The soldiers reacted almost instinctively. They spread out, forming a defensive formation they had clearly practiced many times before.

Unfortunately, the monsters didn’t intend to give them time to prepare.

Several sharp claws erupted from the ground without warning.

"Watch out!"

One soldier barely managed to dodge before a claw tore through the spot where he had been standing. Another wasn’t as fortunate. The attack caught his leg, throwing him off balance and leaving him bleeding on the ground.

"Hold your positions!" Noah barked. "Don’t let them break our formation! Watch the ground and cover each other’s blind spots!"

He swept his gaze across the field, searching for any sign of the creatures’ movements.

Rabid moles were notorious for their underground ambushes. Their elongated claws could tear through soil and rock with ease, allowing them to tunnel beneath their prey before launching sudden attacks.

Worse, they rarely hunted alone.

The creatures could overwhelm inexperienced Awakeners by attacking from multiple directions, forcing their targets to divide their attention until their formation collapsed.

Noah had studied their behavior before entering the field. He knew that panicking would only get his men killed.

"Find the leader!" he shouted. "We need to secure the coordinates, so don’t let these things drive us away!"

His subordinates acknowledged the order and prepared to counterattack.

Meanwhile, Sofia had already moved away from the soldiers.

She had no intention of relying on their formation to protect her.

The moment the first claw emerged from the earth, she had sensed the direction of the attack. Now, as the ground shifted beneath her feet, she could feel another movement approaching from the left.

She pivoted and dashed forward.

The earth exploded behind her.

A hulking creature burst from the ground, scattering clumps of dirt and broken stones in every direction. Its body was covered in coarse, dark fur, and its oversized forelimbs ended in long, curved claws. Its small eyes gleamed with aggression as it fixed its gaze on Sofia.

A Rabid Mole.

Unlike ordinary moles, this creature was nearly the size of a small carriage. Its powerful limbs were built for digging, while its claws could rip apart an unprepared Awakener in a single strike.

Sofia didn’t hesitate.

She charged straight at it.

The monster swung its forelimb, aiming to tear her apart before she could close the distance.

Sofia ducked beneath the attack and slid forward, one saber sweeping toward its exposed side.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as her blade struck the creature’s tough hide.

Her attack barely left a mark.

’its defenses are stronger than I expected.’

Before she could retreat, the Rabid Mole twisted its body and swept its other claw toward her.

Sofia crossed her sabers to block.

The impact forced her backward, her boots carving two shallow furrows through the dirt.

Her arms ached.

Yet instead of retreating farther, she adjusted her grip and studied the monster’s movements.

Its attacks are powerful, but it needs to commit its entire body to each swing.

That gave her an opening.

The Rabid Mole lunged again, its claws tearing through the air.

This time, Sofia moved before the attack reached her. She slipped to the side, letting the claws pass close enough to stir her hair, then stepped into the opening beneath its forelimb.

Her right saber flashed toward its joint.

SHING!

The blade cut through the softer flesh beneath the creature’s arm.

A shrill roar erupted from its throat.

The Rabid Mole recoiled, blood staining its dark fur. Sofia immediately retreated before it could retaliate, maintaining enough distance to avoid being crushed by its enormous body.

Her breathing quickened, but her eyes remained focused.

She had found a weakness.

Now she needed to exploit it.