Chapter 55: S-Class Mission

With great power, the Nighthawk Commander shredded the relentless vines binding him. He waved his flaming arms, forcing Ain and Frans back before infuriatingly targeting Paula with a Fireball. Right at this moment, the vigorously revolving tornado in Hugo’s grasp, Stratos Lance, was launched at breakneck speeds, threatening to pierce the black-armored opponent. The Nighthawk Commander instantly abandoned his Fireball. With an enraged shout, his hands swiftly clasped across his chest, catching the powerful wind lance!

“What!?” Hugo was in disbelief! Stratos Lance was blocked so effortlessly?!

The Nighthawk Commander, fueled by rage, released a guttural roar! The lance was furiously rotating in his tight grasp, having partially pierced his mechanical armor. A sanguine flow was vaguely visible inside. Frans’ eyes brightened; he shouted within his mind, “Limit Break!” Immediately, a golden light suddenly drowned his Brilliant Fae. Its aura started soaring! In just milliseconds, it had already reached Branded Rank-1, brushing against the threshold for Perfected Rank-1!

“Lumina, use Brilliant Beam!” Frans commanded telepathically. The shimmering white fish, with long flowing fins, released a torrential beam of light, instantly drowning the Nighthawk Commander! The attack was like a radiant river, gushing forth at speeds surpassing even Hugo’s Stratos Lance! Limit Break! This was Frans’ innate talent! Its impressive ability was to grant a temporary upgrade in rank, either to himself or his spirit pets!

The Brilliant Beam finally broke the camel’s back. The Nighthawk Commander’s black armor, already damaged, completely shattered! The hands clasping the Stratos Lance failed! Two powerful attacks washed over the Nighthawk Commander, destroying even Paula’s ensnaring vines. Hugo collapsed to his knees with weakness, staring ahead. Frans withdrew Limit Break, panting strenuously due to the consumption. Paula was also sweating profusely, having maintained Vital Vines for such lengths. The spirit pets fared slightly better, but their exhaustion couldn’t be hidden. Under their combined gazes, the Nighthawk Commander’s figure was revealed in a smokey crater. It was still standing upright…

“No way… even after all that?” Paula muttered in startle. Hugo and Frans also revealed perturbed expressions. The heaving Nighthawk Commander’s black armor was in utter shambles. His exposed flesh was suffused with injuries as blood trickled down from numerous locations. The flames licking his limbs were no more, yet the inferno in his eyes still burned dangerously. With a wild, predatory grin, he spat, “Come at me!!!”

Boom!!

Out of the blue, the Nighthawk Commander was struck by an explosive punch! A bone-crunching sound resounded as a splatter of blood escaped his stunned, wide-open mouth. He flew out at great speeds, crashing into the courtyard wall like a heavy cannonball. At his previous location, Ain’s figure manifested out of nowhere. He was panting through his nose, right arm outstretched with Phantom Claws clenched into a brutal fist. He’d just used the incomplete Temporal Blitz! With two aethercores and Possession, the damage was devastating to the Nighthawk Commander on his last legs. Part of the courtyard wall collapsed, burying the unmoving Nighthawk Commander beneath it. As the dust cloud settled, the others finally reacted, hurrying over to Ain.

“Is he down for good?” Hugo inquired. In response, Ain conjured a Spectral Blast, hurtling it at Nighthawk Commander. A purple explosion ensued, raising more dust and debris. The enemy was unresponsive. Sensing the nonexistent life aura through Nox, he replied, “Done.”

Hearing this, everyone’s guards finally relaxed.

“Let’s quickly destroy the spatial anchor so we can be restored,” Frans said. Mission completion always restored their peak condition. Having confirmed the Nighthawk Commander’s demise, they gathered together, staring at the large device in the center of the courtyard.

“A spell or two should do the job,” Hugo said weakly. Making some distance, they threw several spells over, destroying the unstable spatial anchor. As the device collapsed, it released an intense shockwave that swept through the entire courtyard, slapping everyone to the ground, causing them immense pain. At the same time, virtual prompts surfaced in their disoriented eyes. Their miserable conditions swiftly recovered. Quickly standing up, Ain glanced at the virtual interface while coughing out some dirt.

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[A-Class Mission Completed]

[+92 Points]

[Total Points: 462]

The others too recovered, now back on their feet.

“That was an unforeseen ending. I’m glad that the mission is completed,” Hugo smiled, beckoning Ace to perch atop his shoulder. The rest wholeheartedly agreed. In retrospect, tasking four Initiated Rank-1 Spirit Masters to defeat a Perfected Rank-1 opponent was a bit excessive. Recalling the spatial anchor’s explosive aftermath, Ain admitted, “The battle would’ve been easier if we’d destroyed the spatial anchor first. They were standing pretty close to it in the beginning…”

Clearly, the spatial anchor was a form of hidden assistance. “Ah… you’re right,” Paula replied. Indeed, they’d missed an opportunity!

“Even so, everything still worked out in the end. Now there’s only the S-class mission remaining. If we complete it by the fifth hour, we’ll be able to participate in the bonus X-class mission,” Frans supported a warm smile. Hugo wailed at these words. “Forget about the X-class mission, how difficult will the S-class mission be? The A-class mission already had us facing a Perfected Rank-1…”

Their discussion continued to pass the time. They were waiting for the S-class mission. However, even after ten minutes elapsed, they still hadn’t received the follow-up mission.

“What’s going on?” Hugo furrowed his brows. Ain answered thoughtfully, “Maybe we’re waiting for the spatial anchors to be destroyed… or the spatial rift to be summoned. A beast horde seems plausible for an S-class mission.”

Hugo shrank his neck, laughing unsurely, “You’re joking…”

As if in response to Hugo’s statement, a deafening siren with an aura of urgency swept through the city. New virtual panels greeted their eyes.

[S-class Mission]

[A beast horde is imminent. Head to the spatial rift’s location to intercept the invading demonic beasts. There are no limits to the points obtainable through this mission. A 20% point penalty per team will be applied for forming alliances.]

[Initiated Rank-1 Demonic Beast = 1 point]

[Branded Rank-1 Demonic Beast = 5 points]

[Perfected Rank-1 Demonic Beast = 40 points]

The two teams’ gazes met; surprise was evident in their eyes. Just as Ain speculated, the S-class mission really was a beast horde! Obviously, the destruction of spatial anchors hadn’t gone smoothly. Regardless, what truly caught their eye was that they could obtain unlimited points in this mission! With their preceding performance, admission into Arcane Heart University was almost inevitable. Their points in this test would become a joyous sum of Arcane Credits later. The more the better!

“I already have 462 points. I’m only short of 38 points to reach the passing score of 500. I can easily pass just by hunting some Initiated Rank-1 Demonic Beasts”, thought Ain silently. Unknowingly, having defeated a Perfected Rank-1, hunting tens of Initiated Rank-1s now seemed “easy.” He turned to Hugo, only to see him with a sullen expression, his fists clenched tightly. Ain was taken aback. However, before long, Hugo’s recollection of his past came to mind. Hugo’s mother was killed by demons. “Demonic beasts… demons… they must be related,” he thought, sighing. Hugo’s frown was fleeting. He shook his head. Before long, he was back to normal.

Frans opened the virtual map and said, “The spatial rift is a little far. How about we travel together?”

“Wouldn’t that count as an alliance? We’ll receive a twenty percept point penalty…” Paula brought up. Frans immediately realized his blunder. At this point, Ain spoke up, a little hesitant, “About that, how about we still form an alliance?”

Hugo, Frans, and Paula turned to him, a little perplexed. They had questions but remained silent, allowing him to continue. “I think we can hunt more, stronger demonic beasts as a group. This way, we’ll earn a higher profit, even with the twenty percent penalty,” said Ain.

Hearing this explanation, they all pondered the prospects. Upon further scrutiny, they found it suspicious for the disclaimer to be in the mission description, moreover, with a precise percentage. After careful consideration, they reached a consensus. They formed an unofficial alliance! As the rover took off towards their destination, Ain breathed a sigh of relief. He’d starkly noticed the higher efficiency derived from their alliance. Paula’s support was especially handy. As the points were essentially his Arcane Credits, he hoped to earn as many as possible. His future knowledge was dependent on them!

In the rover, Frans was reviewing his recent battles. After a while, he said, “I think it’s correct of us to form an alliance. The demonic beasts might be stronger than the Nighthawk combatants.”

Comparing the Nighthawk Captains to the Infernal Tiger, Ain nodded in agreement. Limited to the same rank, the Nighthawk combatants were generally weaker than spirit beasts. This was likely true for the Perfected Rank-1 Nighthawk Commander as well. Thinking of their upcoming targets, demonic beasts, he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the difference between spirit beasts and demonic beasts?”

Hugo silently piloted the rover. Frans answered, “There’s not any great differences between them. Demonic beasts are simply from the Impaled Realm, the realm of demons. Most demonic beasts are aggressive and ferocious whereas spirit beasts can have varying dispositions, some even kind.”

“I see…” said Ain. This was enough to curb his curiosity for now. Amidst their silent musings, the rover moved forward.