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At Alma’s alchemist workshop, Velle was bent over her desk, scribbling notes and adjusting formulas, her focus unbroken as usual. The quiet hum of the workshop’s activity filled the air until it was abruptly interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps coming from upstairs.
“Velle~! The headquarters just sent you a message!” Mint’s voice rang out as she bounded down the stairs, her usual enthusiasm palpable.
Velle’s pen hovered over her notes for a moment, her curiosity piqued, but her expression stayed as neutral as ever. She glanced up toward Mint, who had a mischievous glint in her eye.
“What is it?” Velle asked calmly.
“They just put a 20,000 gold penalty on your salary!” Mint declared loudly, clearly expecting some reaction.
For a moment, Velle simply blinked. Her face remained as unflinching as ever, the only sign of her processing the information was a slight narrowing of her eyes.
“Is it from the Veledot branch?” she asked, her voice betraying no hint of surprise.
“Yep!” Mint chirped, her energy undiminished.
Velle sighed quietly, already returning to her work. She muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Mint to catch.
“There goes the second bottle.”
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Meanwhile, back in Veledot, the battlefield lay in chaos as Balehorn struggled back to its feet, the last remnants of lightning slowly retreating into Esperanza, still firmly clutched in Renn’s hand. The beast shook itself, recovering from the brutal strike, its colossal form casting long shadows as it rose once more.
“Everyone!“ Renn’s voice rang out clearly over the sounds of groaning and shuffling hunters, revitalized by the Mana potion coursing through her. “Take the injured and leave this area!“
The authority in her tone left no room for argument. She then turned to Yufi, who was lingering nearby, watching the massive creature warily.
“Thanks for the potion, Yufi,” Renn said, offering a grateful smile. “You should go too.”
Yufi hesitated, her eyes shifting between Renn and Balehorn’s hulking figure. “Are you really going to fight it alone?”
“Yep!” Renn answered cheerfully, her confidence apparent despite the looming threat.
Around them, the hunters scrambled, hauling their injured comrades away from the battleground. But Yufi lingered for a moment longer, her expression conflicted. She reached into her pocket and pulled something out.
“Be careful, okay? Oh, and here…” Yufi handed Renn back the Alchemist Corp emblem, the one Renn had given her before she joined the fight.
Renn accepted it with a nod, her smile softening. “I will. Don’t worry.”
As she slipped the emblem back into her pocket, her focus shifted entirely back to Balehorn. The beast was now on its feet but didn’t make a move to attack. Instead, it stood still, its enormous yellow eyes locked onto Renn, watching her every movement as if assessing her newfound power.
Willo, still catching his breath after the earlier exertion, stood nearby with Quin, both watching the strange standoff. Willo wiped his brow, clearly feeling the toll of the prolonged battle.
“Whew, that girl sure packs a lot of punch!” he muttered with a mixture of awe and exhaustion.
Quin, standing next to him, nodded in agreement. “She isn’t just anybody, Father. We need to help the others get out while we can.”
Willo nodded, his gaze briefly flicking back to Renn before he moved toward the fallen hunters. His respect for the young fighter was evident, though he knew the battle was far from over.
Balehorn remained focused solely on Renn, its hulking form seemingly unaware of the people evacuating around them. Its beastly instincts, once so ferocious, were now tempered with something else: hesitation. Fear.
As a beast with a tremendous amount of Mana coursing through its body, Balehorn possessed an innate ability to sense other Mana sources in its surroundings. But what it sensed now from Renn wasn’t like anything it had ever encountered. A staggering force of Mana radiated from her body, pulsing with a clarity and intensity that left the beast momentarily stunned. It had never felt such raw energy before.
For Renn, this was her first time experiencing the full effects of a Mana potion while fully conscious. She had expected the potion to heal her injuries and restore her stamina in an instant, but to her surprise, the effects lingered. The Mana surged through her, constantly replenishing her strength and mending any fatigue that her body would normally endure. In the next few minutes, she would be in a state of continuous recovery, her body free from the usual strain of using Esperanza’s enhancement core, allowing her to push her limits without fear of collapse.
At the palace balcony, Coby’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the scene unfolding below. Renn’s display of power against Balehorn had left him speechless at first, but his shock quickly turned to rage.
“What in the heck is this?!” Coby shouted, his voice cracking with anger. “How could a girl like her be this strong? Balehorn! What the hell are you just standing there for? Kill her!”
Coby’s shout echoed across the battlefield, but to those on the ground, his words were indistinct, muffled by the distance. However, Balehorn recognized the familiar tone of authority, and it understood one thing clearly from the command: it was meant to kill Renn.
The shift in Balehorn’s stance was immediate, and Renn could feel it. The beast’s hesitation was gone, replaced by a single, violent intention. She exhaled slowly, calming her mind as she prepared herself for the next onslaught. In a deliberate motion, she deactivated Esperanza’s hammer core, allowing the translucent energy hammer to dissipate. But the crackling tendrils of lightning remained, concentrated at one end of the staff, sparking with raw power.
As soon as the last group of evacuees cleared the area, the battle reignited. Renn sprang into action, her steps swift and light, darting forward with her staff ready. Her body, still brimming with Mana from the potion, felt weightless, moving with a speed that surprised even her.
Balehorn roared, its tail whipping through the air with a fierce crack, aiming to smash her into the ground. But Renn was ready. With a swift motion, she swung Esperanza sideways, deflecting the massive tail with a solid thwack. Lightning surged from the staff, racing up Balehorn’s tail, causing the beast to flinch as blue sparks danced across its body.
In a fluid motion, Renn darted around to the front of the creature, her mind focused and sharp. She clicked the staff, and the giant translucent hammer reappeared in an instant. Using her momentum, she swung it upward with a vicious force, striking Balehorn’s chin in a crushing uppercut. The hammer connected with a satisfying crack, and blue lightning shot through the impact point, stunning the beast with a burst of electricity.
Balehorn let out a guttural roar of pain, its enormous form stumbling backward, shaking the ground beneath them. The lightning left its muscles twitching uncontrollably for a moment, its hulking body visibly shaken. Those watching the fight from a distance couldn’t believe what they were seeing—a creature that had toyed with them moments ago was now reeling from Renn’s relentless assault.
For the first time, Balehorn was no longer playing. Its eyes narrowed in anger, and its wild instinct to kill surged. With a furious growl, the beast thrust one massive hand into the ground, scooping up a thick cloud of dirt and dust. It hurled the debris at Renn, the dust cloud engulfing her vision.
Renn staggered, caught off guard as her surroundings were momentarily consumed by the swirling dirt. Just as she jumped backward to keep the distance, Balehorn suddenly burst through the dust cloud with terrifying speed, its massive hand slamming into her mid-air. The impact sent her flying, her body slamming hard into the ground, tumbling over in a series of violent rolls.
But before the pain could register, the Mana potion’s effects kicked in once again. Her injuries vanished within seconds, her body instantly revitalized as if she had never been hit. By the time Renn stood back up, there was no sign of weakness or fatigue, only determination burning in her dark blue eyes.
Balehorn, however, was beginning to panic. It swung its arms wildly, trying to crush the small figure darting around its legs. But Renn was relentless, moving with an almost professional grace, dodging every blow while keeping her momentum. She spun, swung, and evaded, her staff cutting through the air in fluid, graceful arcs. Every time Balehorn attempted to land a hit, Renn was already somewhere else, her form a blur.
With each firm strike, Renn reactivated the hammer core, sending shockwaves through the beast’s body. The lightning crackled around the hammer’s form, and even though the core couldn’t be sustained for long, each blow was precise and devastating. Balehorn’s enormous form was slowing down, the lightning wearing it down little by little. Renn’s timing was flawless—deactivating and reactivating the hammer in perfect synchronization with her attacks, making it impossible for the beast to predict her movements.
She was attacking from every angle, her strikes sharp and decisive, and for the first time since the battle began, Balehorn was struggling.
Outside the towering walls of Veledot palace, a crowd had gathered, their eyes fixed on the distant, hulking figure of Balehorn. The beast’s massive form loomed over the battlefield, its roars reverberating through the air. Among the crowd, Edward watched in grim silence, tension evident in his posture. Theodore had assured him that the cocoon phase wouldn’t be complete for a few more days. Had he lied? Or had something triggered Balehorn’s early emergence? Whatever the case, there was nothing left to do but watch and hope that Renn could defeat the monster before it was too late.
On the battlefield, Renn continued her relentless assault, weaving around Balehorn’s massive limbs with calculated precision. Her strikes landed over and over again, each one chipping away at the beast’s strength. Balehorn’s movements grew slower, more erratic, as it struggled to keep up with her swift and nimble attacks. Gone was the arrogant smirk that had once twisted its bull-like features. Now, only rage and desperation remained.
It lashed out furiously, its huge hands slamming the ground in a blind rage. But despite its size and power, Balehorn was being pushed to the edge. Renn could feel it, the growing fatigue in its movements, the dwindling energy in its strikes.
Suddenly, Balehorn’s tail whipped out faster than she anticipated. Before she could react, the tail struck her squarely, sending her flying across the battlefield. Renn hit the ground hard, the force of the blow knocking the wind out of her. She tumbled across the dirt, but as before, the Mana potion worked its magic, mending her wounds in an instant. She scrambled back to her feet, prepared to keep fighting.
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But something was different.
A searing heat radiated from her skin, exactly where Balehorn’s tail had struck. She looked down, confused. There were no burns, but she could feel the lingering heat as if the tail had been dipped in fire. Her gaze snapped back to Balehorn, and that’s when she saw it.
At the tip of Balehorn’s tail, a small spark of flame had ignited, glowing faintly at first, but growing brighter with each passing second. The onlookers gasped in shock. The beast lashed its tail again, flames flickering wildly from the tip, but Balehorn showed no signs of pain or discomfort. It wasn’t even aware of the flames dancing along its body.
The realization hit Renn in a heartbeat. The flames weren’t harming Balehorn because they were born of its own Mana.
Much like the legendary heroes of the past, Balehorn possessed such an immense amount of Mana that it had begun to manifest physically. This level of power was rare, usually reserved for the ancient beasts and heroes whose stories were passed down in legend. The beast had unknowingly tapped into its own vast reservoir of Mana, wielding it in the form of elemental fire. And by the look of it, it hadn’t even fully realized what it was doing.
Balehorn let out a deafening roar, the sound vibrating through the earth itself. Steam rose from its nostrils and mouth, distorting the air around it with intense heat. The temperature on the battlefield spiked dramatically as more flames ignited across Balehorn’s massive frame. Fire spread along its horns, crackled across its arms and legs, and blazed in streaks down its chest. To the onlookers, the flames appeared almost like an armor of fire, enveloping Balehorn’s body in a molten sheath of burning Mana.
With every movement, the heat radiated off the beast in waves, warping the air and scorching the ground beneath it. The air around Balehorn shimmered, as if it had become a living furnace, capable of incinerating anything that dared approach too closely.
“What the—!” a voice rang out from the crowd, startled by the sudden transformation of Balehorn.
“It’s covering itself in flames!” another exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.
Among the gathering crowd, Quin and the others watched the scene with growing dread. The flames surrounding Balehorn crackled and flared, heating the air even from a distance. Each step of the beast sent ripples of scorching heat radiating outward.
“It can do that?” Quin muttered, his gaze fixed on the inferno-covered monster, unable to look away.
“Renn, be careful!” Yufi’s voice rang out over the battlefield, her hands cupped around her mouth in a desperate attempt to reach her friend.
But before she could even see whether Renn had heard her, Balehorn lunged forward with terrifying speed, now even using its two arms to run like a four-legged creature. The flames trailing behind it left a glowing streak in the air as its massive form barreled toward Renn, each step shaking the ground beneath it.
Renn’s instincts kicked in as she braced herself for the oncoming attack. The ground trembled under Balehorn’s approach, its roar of fury growing louder with each passing second. She tightened her grip on Esperanza, preparing to counter. But just as she did, the remaining surge of Mana from the potion faded away. A cold realization hit her as the constant flow of healing and recovery vanished, leaving her body feeling far more vulnerable than it had just moments before.
“I can’t recover anymore!” she thought, the truth striking her as Balehorn’s fiery figure loomed closer.
There was no time to dwell on it. By the time the thought finished forming, Balehorn was already upon her, its massive right hand crashing down like a falling boulder. The beast’s intent was clear—to crush her where she stood. Heat radiated from its arm, the intense flames distorting the air around them. Even with the enhancement core still active in her body, Renn felt like her skin was starting to burn just from standing so close.
Reacting in the last split second, she dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the massive hand as it slammed into the earth. The impact shook the ground, sending cracks spiraling outward from where Balehorn’s hand had landed. Dust and debris shot into the air, momentarily obscuring her view. But Renn didn’t hesitate. She twisted her body mid-roll and struck back, swinging Esperanza with precision, aiming for Balehorn’s arm as she infused it with the lightning core’s energy.
The end of her staff crackled with electricity, and it collided with Balehorn’s burning arm. Blue lightning crackled across the beast’s flesh, but the expected roar of pain never came. Instead, Balehorn merely growled and swept its arm to the side in a wide arc. The force of the blow struck Renn before she could react, sending her hurtling through the air. The world blurred around her as she flew backward, the wind rushing past her ears.
She hit the ground hard but managed to tumble into a controlled landing, sliding to a stop on one knee and one foot. Panting, she glanced back at Balehorn, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her lightning attack had barely affected it. Just a short while ago, her strikes had been enough to stagger the beast, but now it was as if the flames had turned it into something unstoppable.
The heat lingered on her body from where its arm had grazed her, burning like an invisible fire. It was painful, and she realized with growing concern that Balehorn’s flames were more than just a defense—they were turning the tide of the battle.
Renn clenched her jaw, her mind racing. She couldn’t afford to get any closer to it now. The sheer heat would overwhelm her, and without the potion’s healing effects, any damage she took would keep stacking. Her options were dwindling.
On the palace balcony, Coby’s laughter echoed through the air like a sinister chorus.
“Gah hahahaha! Now that’s my servant, Balehorn!” he shouted, clapping his hands in delight. “Crush her! And throw her body this way so I can see it better!”
The sound of his maniacal glee reached Renn on the battlefield, but she pushed it from her mind. She had no time for distractions. Her usual tactics, reliant on getting in close to her opponent, were useless against Balehorn’s fiery defense. The heat radiating from its body made even approaching the beast a death sentence.
“Damn it!” Renn cursed internally. “How am I supposed to fight if I can’t get close? Even the fourth core wouldn’t be able to…”
Her thoughts trailed off as an idea sparked in her mind, as though a switch had flipped. She glanced down at Esperanza, a glimmer of realization crossing her eyes.
The timing couldn’t have been better, as Balehorn charged at her again with a thunderous roar, its tail whipping dangerously and flames crackling off its body. It was like watching an infernal behemoth from the deepest pits of hell. The beast bore down on her, the ground trembling beneath its charge, but Renn had no intention of running.
With the lightning core still active, she planted Esperanza into the ground, the hammer end digging into the earth with a burst of electric energy. The force of the blow launched her into the air, her body soaring high above the charging monster. Lightning danced along the ground where her staff had struck, leaving the battlefield crackling with energy in her wake.
She’d used this aerial tactic before, against Charlotte, but this time the stakes were higher, and the power coursing through her staff was even greater. The moment her feet left the ground, her fingers shifted, triggering the activation of another core—one she had been holding back.
As Balehorn skidded to a halt, its hands and feet tearing up the earth beneath it, the massive beast craned its head up to follow her ascent. The flames on its body burned even hotter in anticipation, but what it saw next was enough to make even the beast pause.
From the end of Esperanza, something translucent and blue began to form—a liquid-like substance that shimmered with Mana. All eyes on the battlefield widened in shock as a massive ball of water materialized in the air, floating weightlessly beside Renn. It wasn’t just water—it was a physical manifestation of Mana, transparent and ethereal, but unmistakably powerful.
The ball grew larger with each passing second, a shimmering orb of water that rippled and swirled, ready to unleash its potential. The outer surface glistened like glass, its structure reinforced by Mana, making it durable enough to withstand the impact of any blunt force without bursting prematurely.
Renn spun gracefully in mid-air, her movements fluid and controlled as she lifted Esperanza high above her head. Her dark blue eyes locked onto the water ball she had summoned, her determination unshakable. With a mighty swing, she brought the hammer down onto the water orb.
SMACK!
The water ball rocketed toward Balehorn like a cannonball, streaking through the air with immense force. In mere seconds, it collided with the beast’s flaming chest. The impact was devastating.
The water exploded on contact, cascading over Balehorn in a torrent. The flames covering its body hissed and sputtered as they were extinguished in an instant. The sheer force of the attack sent the beast reeling, its massive frame crashing backward as the ground beneath it crumbled into a pit from the tremendous impact. The sound of the earth shattering beneath Balehorn’s weight echoed like thunder across the battlefield.
Unlike Esperanza’s lightning core, which dealt quick, sharp bursts of energy, the water core was about weight and overwhelming force. The larger the ball, the heavier the impact. And while it wasn’t real water, it had all the properties of it—enough to drench and crush anything it hit. Renn had figured out how to wield this new core to devastating effect, turning Esperanza into both a close- and long-range weapon.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence as Balehorn lay in the crater, its flames snuffed out, its body struggling to rise from the massive blow. Water dripped from its blood-red body, the beast visibly shaken for the first time.
As Renn descended from the air, she deftly conjured another, smaller water ball beneath her, bouncing off its surface to cushion her fall. She landed lightly on the ground, her movements controlled and fluid, like someone who had mastered every inch of their weapon.
The crowd gasped once again, still reeling from the devastating attack they had just witnessed. The sheer force of the blow had shaken the very ground beneath Veledot, but more shocking than that was the fact that Renn had managed to utilize three distinct abilities from her single mana weapon. No one had seen such control over multiple cores before.
In the damp pit where it had fallen, Balehorn stirred, its body sluggish and drenched from the attack. The flames that once covered its form had been extinguished, the beast’s fire snuffed out by the crushing water. As the Mana within it began to regenerate, the moisture evaporated quickly, leaving only the memory of its defeat. For the first time, Balehorn felt something new and foreign—pain. The attack had been the hardest hit it had ever taken, and it was still reeling from the impact.
But before it could fully recover, another threat loomed before it. Renn was already summoning a second water ball, this one crackling with the electric-blue arcs of lightning Mana dancing across its surface. The ball hummed with energy, larger and more menacing than before.
Renn had long underestimated the potential of the water ball. Up until now, she’d thought it was purely defensive—just something she could use to cushion impacts or slow enemies down. Its weightless nature made it seem like a poor choice for offense, especially against fighters like Charlotte or beasts as powerful as Balehorn. After all, it could simply be swatted back at her.
But now that Balehorn’s flames had been extinguished, the beast’s resistance to lightning had vanished. The realization sparked within her—this water ball could become something far deadlier than she had imagined.
Balehorn felt it too. Its animal instincts, raw and unrefined, screamed in panic. The beast let out a thunderous roar, but this time, there was no fury in its voice—only terror. It was a sound of desperation, of pleading. The once-mighty monster was now cowering before her, its strength diminished and its confidence shattered.
Renn’s heart wavered for a moment. Balehorn had killed many, wrecked the palace, and caused untold destruction. But hearing its pitiful roar now, she could see how quickly it had shifted from a dominant force to a frightened child. It had only been born less than an hour ago—no wonder it was so reckless and unstable.
“Sorry,” she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible over the crackling energy in the air. She knew Balehorn wouldn’t hear her, but it didn’t matter. Her grip tightened on Esperanza as she swung the massive hammer in a wide, powerful arc.
WHAM!
The lightning-infused water ball shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling toward Balehorn’s massive head. The impact was explosive—an eruption of water and electricity that shattered the air with a deafening crack. Lightning surged through the beast’s body as the ball burst on contact, sending a surge of energy rippling through every muscle and nerve.
Balehorn’s body convulsed, its massive frame going rigid before it collapsed. Its face smashed into the ground, the rest of its body still halfway in the pit it had clawed itself out of moments ago. The beast was finally still, knocked out cold by the overwhelming force of Renn’s strike.
For a few moments, the battlefield was silent. No one dared move or breathe as they processed what had just happened. Then, like a wave, the realization washed over the crowd.
“She… she did it,” Willo muttered, his voice filled with awe.
The murmurs turned into a roar of celebration, the townsfolk erupting into cheers. The kingdom filled with the sound of jubilant voices as they celebrated the defeat of the monstrous Balehorn. The terror was over—Renn had done it.
But on the palace balcony, Coby’s face was twisted in disbelief, his hands clutching the edge of the railing. His voice, usually smug and confident, trembled with anger and shock.
“Noooo!” he shrieked. “This can’t be real! No, no, no, no!”
Down on the battlefield, Renn stood quietly, her gaze resting on Balehorn’s unmoving form. She should have felt triumph, pride in her victory—but instead, a deep sadness lingered. The sound of Balehorn’s terrified roar still echoed in her mind. She hadn’t expected to feel sympathy for the beast, but now that it was over, she couldn’t shake the thought.
The mana cores of the staff flashed in her mind—each one a piece of the weapon that had helped her through so many battles. The enhancement core gave her strength, the physical manifestation core turned the staff into a devastating hammer, the lightning core added a lethal shock to her attacks, and now, the water core had proven itself to be the perfect tool for long-range, high-impact strikes.
This was it—the ultimate creation of Alchemist Corp, fully unleashed. Esperanza, crafted with precision and mastery, had revealed its true potential. Veledot had borne witness to the weapon’s overwhelming might, and soon, the rest of the Mainland would tremble as they came to know the strength Renn carried.
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