As the Six of them finally tracked the Red Hound Boss through the dense forest, they took in the sight of their sleeping opponent. The creature was massive, its body covered in rough crimson fur that looked like it had been stained with the blood of countless battles. A deep scar slashed across its face, and its ferocious yellow eyes gleamed with a ruthless intelligence. The beast stood on all fours, snarling at the intruders who had dared to enter its territory.
From a short distance behind them, Cale observed from above, arms crossed, his expression calm yet watchful. “This one’s all yours,” he announced in an even tone. “No interference from me—if you want to survive. Figure this out yourselves.”
The six of them, hidden behind the trees, exchanged quick glances and nodded. They had never faced a Boss creature before.
“Let’s do this,” Taeyang said, eyes alight with determination. He took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. He moved fast, rushing the Red Hound Boss without hesitation.
Everyone else dashed forward after Taeyang, one by one. Minho and Minseok flanked from the sides within the forest, while Kyungsoo charged directly behind Taeyang. Jinwoo moved by leaping from branch to branch, crackling with lightning.
Haejin quickly followed up with her support magic. She spread her arms, hands glowing as she cast a swift wave of haste and strength enchantments, sending waves of energy through each of her teammates. They felt the effects instantly, their limbs lighter, their bodies thrumming with increased power and agility. With that set, she switched her stance, summoning a ball of water that hovered above her palm, crackling with energy.
Without a practiced formation, the group charged together, each of them reacting instinctively. Taeyang was the first to reach the hound, throwing himself forward with fists blazing, landing powerful blows against the beast’s side. But the Red Hound Boss hardly flinched, and with a guttural snarl, it counterattacked, swinging its massive paw at Taeyang. He barely ducked in time, feeling the wind from its claws pass mere inches from his head. "Tough Bastard" Taeyang muttered while putting his hands to the ground and jumping backwards.
“Focus on weakening it!” Minho shouted, his voice urgent as he circled to the side, his arcane blade shimmering faintly. “We need to break through its defense.”
Haejin nodded from the back, summoning another waterball, larger this time, and launched it toward the beast. The projectile shot through the air, striking the Red Hound Boss squarely in the face. Water splashed over its eyes, causing it to recoil, shaking its head violently to clear its vision.
“Jinwoo!” Minseok called out, rushing forward with his twin swords at the ready. The Red Hound Boss turned its snarling gaze on him, teeth bared in a menacing growl. But Minseok didn’t waver, darting forward and slicing across the beast’s forelegs, leaving fresh gashes.
The Red Hound Boss stabilized himself and leaped at Minseok, who was unprepared for the attack. Jinwoo appeared in front of Minseok and unleashed a barrage of lightning slashes at the Red Hound Boss, who countered with its claws. Jinwoo kept driving him back with his relentless attacks.
Kyungsoo, breathing heavily, joined the assault from the other side, using his shield to block the Red Hound Boss’s strikes as best he could. The creature’s powerful blows sent shocks through his arm, nearly knocking him off balance, but he held his ground, gritting his teeth against the pain.
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Seeing his teammates struggling to make a dent, Minho clenched his jaw, his hands beginning to spark with flames as he prepared his next move. “We need more force,” he muttered, directing his gaze toward Haejin. “Keep hitting it with water—if we weaken it enough, we’ll have a shot!”
Haejin nodded, her focus intensifying as she summoned a series of waterballs, hurling them one after another. Each one exploded on impact, splashing over the hound’s body and soaking its thick fur. The Red Hound Boss howled, shaking its massive head in frustration. Her magic attacks seemed to aggravate the creature further, drawing its attention away from the others.
Jinwoo used lightening on the entire body of the Red Hound Boss who was drenched in water. The Red Hound Boss Shierked in pain. With its focus shifting, Taeyang rushed forward, fists tightened with energy. “I’ll keep it busy!” he shouted, throwing a heavy punch into the creature’s side. He followed up with a flurry of strikes, each one hitting with more speed and power than the last, the result of Haejin’s strength and haste spells still pulsing through him.
As Taeyang attacked, Minseok joined him on the opposite side, slashing at the beast’s hind legs in an attempt to throw it off balance. But the Red Hound Boss wasn’t an easy target. With a furious roar, it twisted and leaped backward, avoiding Minseok’s blades, and then lunged forward with a savage bite that forced Taeyang to jump back, narrowly avoiding its jaws.
Meanwhile, Jinwoo, recovering from the earlier hit, rejoined the fight, positioning himself on the hound’s other side. He nodded at Minho, silently signaling for a joint attack. The two of them moved in unison, with Jinwoo’s blade flashing as he aimed another slash at the beast’s flank, while Minho’s arcane blade shimmered with magic, flames dancing along its edge.
The Red Hound Boss roared as Minho’s fiery arcane blade cut across its shoulder, the flames searing its flesh. The beast whipped around, eyes locking onto Minho, fury blazing within them.
“Careful, Minho!” Haejin shouted, summoning another waterball. She launched it directly at the hound’s face, hitting it squarely between the eyes and forcing it to stagger back. The beast’s growl grew louder, its anger evident as it swiped at the ground, claws tearing through the earth.
Just then, Kyungsoo charged forward with his shield, slamming it into the creature’s side, attempting to drive it back further. His muscles strained as he absorbed the hound’s weight, the impact nearly overwhelming him. But he held on, buying precious seconds for Minho and Jinwoo to reposition themselves.
“Enough of this—let’s finish it!” Minho called out, flames roaring along his arms as he channeled his full energy into his arcane blade.
With Haejin casting another wave of magic to reinforce his strength, Minho took a deep breath, flames bursting along his arms and consuming his weapon. With a feral look of determination, he lunged forward, his fire-engulfed blade aimed at the Red Hound Boss’s heart.
The beast tried to evade, snarling, but Minho moved faster, bringing his blade down in a sweeping arc. The flames struck true, slashing through the hound’s chest. The intense heat seared through its flesh, and the creature let out a final, agonizing roar before collapsing to the ground.
As the beast fell, silence settled over the forest. Minho stood there, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, his arms still faintly glowing with residual flames. He stared at the Red Hound Boss’s motionless form, disbelief and satisfaction mingling in his expression.
Cale, who had been watching quietly from a distance, stepped forward, his usual calm expression slightly softened. “Not bad,” he remarked, his gaze moving over each of them. “You fought with everything you had—even without formation.”
"Congratulations on completing your first Fracture." They all looked at each other, a mix of exhaustion and triumph in their eyes. Minho wiped his blade clean and sheathed it, glancing over at his teammates, who were either slumped against trees or catching their breath where they stood.
“Guess we did it,” Taeyang muttered, a small grin breaking through his exhaustion.
Cale’s gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he continued, “But remember, that was only one. In real battles, there will be many. Keep working on your instincts and trust in your strengths.” With that, he turned away, signaling that their training had ended.