บท 17: Time Limit!
"Oh My God!"
As Aerox Sun activated the system, his body became so strong that he thought that he could kill or defeat that of an opponent of Rank 10 in just a single move.
However, the current opponent was not too weak to be killed easily but with this current system activated, he got the confidence that he could definitely kill the enemy.
"Haha! Though you have a strong aura which could rival that of a Rank 4- person but even if it is so, you can't do anything to me."
-Here you Go!
Aerox Sun didn't waste talking with this bastard where he immediately dashed towards the man and struck him as this skill will last only for 10 minutes and it also consumed maximum mana.
Nonetheless, the poacher who had already known about the attack easily dodged it.
The poacher underestimated Aerox's skill.
Just as Aerox Sun seemed to be aiming for a direct strike, he suddenly shifted his blade mid-swing, redirecting his attack to the poacher's side.
The unexpected move caught the man off guard.
The man immediately reacted and he could hardly block the attack from Aerox.
He was on the verge of getting stabbed in his heart but luckily his only abdominal part was cut.
-Whoossshhhh!
"You F**king bastard! How dare you cut my belly"
The man angrily roared.
The man kept on attacking Aerox with his axe where Aerox Sun also kept on dodging his every move but the attack was becoming more and more dangerous.
-Peng!
Noticing the man starting to tire, Aerox seized the opportunity to strike.
He deflected the man's attack with his sword and quickly aimed for the unprotected left leg, landing a precise hit.
After hitting on the left leg of the man, the man was kind of kneeling on his right leg and seeing this good chance, Aerox activated his Skill:
"StarShatterer Style: Celestial Breaker"
Aerox's sword glowed with a bright, powerful energy, making it look bigger than before.
He raised the sword high and swung it down at the man.
The man quickly lifted his ax to block the attack.
-SWOOSH!
The man managed to survive the strike, but his right arm was cut off completely.
Blood poured from the wound.
"AAAAHHHH! I'll make you pay for this!"
Furious, the poacher screamed in rage.
He unleashed a dark energy that surrounded his body.
This dark energy was what made the poachers stronger than ordinary humans of the same level.
Poachers gain their dark power from something called Dark Ore.
When they complete missions, they are rewarded with this special material.
Dark Ore is filled with dark energy, and absorbing it makes them even stronger.
The better the Dark Ore, the more powerful the energy it contains.
The blood from the man's severed arm suddenly stopped flowing, and his other wounds began to heal.
Enraged, he charged at Aerox , throwing rapid punches with his left hand.
Aerox stayed calm and dodged each punch carefully.
However, the punch was becoming stronger as the time passed by.
As the man was badly injured in his leg, this made Aerox to easily block his attack.
Yet, as the man had used the Dark Ore it was so dangerous…
-BOOM!
The poacher's attacks were slow but very powerful, while Aerox 's strikes were quick and sharp.
They fought fiercely, but neither could defeat the other.
Both of them were covered in cuts and bruises as the fight went on.
They were starting to get tired.
They had been fighting non-stop for seven minutes, and Aerox knew he couldn't keep going much longer.
His special ability, which made him faster and stronger, had a time limit.
Once it ran out, he wouldn't be able to fight the poacher anymore.
The poacher noticed this and realized Aerox 's power wouldn't last forever.
Instead of rushing, he kept attacking and waited for the right moment to strike.
No special ability comes without a cost—it either wears out or has a downside.
Aerox 's power was no different, and the poacher planned to take advantage of that.
After 10 minutes, Aerox 's special ability ran out, and his strength was no longer enough to match the poacher.
The poacher noticed Aerox 's weakness and swung his arm with full force.
Aerox couldn't defend himself and was sent flying.
-THUD!
Aerox crashed hard into the ground and couldn't move. He lay there, breathing heavily.
"Hah… Hah…"
Aerox looked up and saw the poacher walking toward him with a big grin on his face.
"Hahaha… Aerox , you fought well, but this is the end,"
the poacher said.
The poacher stopped in front of Aerox and raised his foot, ready to crush Aerox 's head.
Aerox stared at the foot above him, thinking this was his final moment.
He closed his eyes.
(Mom, Dad, I couldn't find the cure for your daughter. Sister, I'm sorry I can't protect you anymore…)
Just as the poacher's foot came down, a glowing shield appeared and blocked the attack.
At the same time, a powerful strike hit the poacher in the chest, and it pushed him backward.
"Aerox !"
Hearing the voice, Aerox opened his eyes and saw Lily Paypal and Trival Maxpad standing in front of him.
Fortunately his friends had arrived to save him just in time.
===========================
Tirval Maxpad's team ran into Lily's team while returning from their hunts.
When Trival saw Lily, he decided to follow her group.
Even though Lily was about to refuse, they were suddenly attacked by three Poachers
Luckily, Lily reacted quickly and created a shield to block the attack.
"WHO DARES? How dare you attack us! Do you even know who you're messing with?"
Trival shouted, his frustration clear.
Actually Trival was angry, not just because he failed to notice the ambush, but because Lily was there and his long-time crush.
He wanted to look cool and dependable in front of her, but instead, he had been flopped in doing that.
Even though the attack didn't hurt him much—thanks to his Rank-1 armor—it still hurt his pride.
Haha!
More than the ambush, he was upset that his reputation had taken a hit in front of Lily.
In short, he was trying to be a hero but he turned out to be a big Zero!.
"Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike!"
Trival charged at the poachers with full force, his teammates and Lily's group right behind him.
While poachers might be strong for most students, they were no match for Maxpad and Lily, who were both Rank 2 fighters.
Within a minute, the teams defeated all the attackers.
After the fight, they decided to stick together in case of another ambush.
Moving quickly, they headed toward the exit of Mistshade Training Grounds.
After some time, they reached the edge of the forest, where a plain road stretched toward the exit.
While walking, they saw a girl carrying someone and moving in the opposite direction.
As she got closer, they realized it was a student.
"What's going on? Who are you, and why are you heading that way?"
Trival asked.
"Hah… Hah… My name is Elis. My team was attacked by a Rank 4- Poachers. Please, can you help them? They're fighting him now,"
"Rank 4-?"
"Ohhh!"
Everyone got shocked including Lily and Trival Maxpad.
A Rank 4- Poacher was far beyond what they could handle as a group.
Only Trival and Lily stood a chance, while the others would only get in the way.
"Your teammates are probably already dead,"
Trival said seriously.
(Though he could be arrogant at times, he knew his limits.)
As he continued to say:
"We need to find another way out before it's too late."
Everyone nodded to Trival's plan except Lily.
She thought for a moment and then asked Elis,
"Who are your teammates? If you manage to escape, it means they must be holding off the enemy."
"Aerox Sun Ernest and Roger,"
Elis replied.
"Aerox Sun!"
Everyone recognized the name.
Aerox Sun was known for being the youngest to reach Rank 2+ and for scoring the highest in the entrance exam.
He was a star student at Eclipse Academy.
"If it's Aerox Sun, he might still be alive,"
Lily said.
"He's the strongest among us. If Trival and I team up with him, we might be able to defeat that attacker."
Lily was confident.
If anyone could survive, it would be Aerox Sun.
She figured that if Aerox Sun had been killed, the poacher would have gone after Elis.
But maybe he wasn't interested in chasing her.
"But the Aerox Sun might already be dead. It's better to find another way to escape,"
Trival said, shaking his head.
He believed even he would have been dead by now if he faced a Rank 4- enemy.
While Aerox Sun was stronger than him, Trival thought the difference in strength between them wasn't enough to guarantee survival against such a powerful enemy.
"Even so, we have to try. Aerox Sun might still be alive, and we don't know if other routes are safe. We have you, me, and Aerox Sun—the three strongest students in this test. If we can't defeat him, we're all doomed."
Trival hesitated, then nodded.
He didn't want to look like a coward in front of Lily. He knew that with her and Aerox Sun, they might have a chance against the enemy.
"Okay then. Trival and I will go help Aerox Sun, while the rest of you find another way out and contact the professors,"
Lily decided.
"But we could help too. Our chances will be better with more people,"
A boy from Trival's team said.
He had never fought a Rank 4- enemy, but he had fought against Rank 2 opponents and thought he could hold his own.
He assumed a Rank 4- opponent was only twice as strong as a Rank 2.
Trival shook his head.
"You don't understand the strength of a Rank 4-. Even with a hundred Rank 1+ students, they wouldn't be able to hurt a Rank 4- Poacher. You'd only get yourself killed."
He pointed to Elis.
"The reason she escaped is because of this. A Rank 1+ student can't do anything against a Rank 4-. Only Lily and I have a chance to stand up to him."
"Oh…"
The boy understood now.
It wasn't that Elis had abandoned her team, but that she was too weak to help.
"Okay then, it's settled. Lily and I will check on Aerox Sun. If he's alive, we'll help him; if not, we'll retreat. The rest of you split into two groups. One will look for another escape route, and the other will stay behind to warn the other students. Only Rank 2 students should come."
-ZANNNNGGGHHHH !!!
Lily and Trival sped off toward the battle area.
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