The earth shook like an earthquake, and the calm stream began to ripple with waves.

A gigantic beast, as large as a small mountain, came thundering down the stream, its four feet splashing water everywhere, causing the small animals in the nearby bushes to scatter in panic.

This sudden appearance of a monster stood six to seven meters tall, hairless, with gray-brown skin like rock, and a sharp, nearly one-meter-long horn on its snout.

“A seventh-level beast, the Mountain Shaker Rhino!”

“How could this creature appear here?”

Caines couldn't believe his eyes as he watched the colossal beast charge towards the mercenary group. Beasts of levels seven to nine are also known as minor lord level beasts, each possessing their own territory and rarely leaving it without a special reason.

Caines's shock was fleeting, and he quickly shouted to the mercenaries in the stream, “Scatter, everyone scatter!”

There was no need for Caines to call out; after the initial shock, the mercenaries were already frantically climbing ashore. In front of this huge seventh-level beast, the human mercenaries, mere third-level fighters, seemed as insignificant as ants.

The Mountain Shaker Rhino charged downstream with the speed of flight, reaching the mercenaries almost in the blink of an eye, with some scared mercenaries not even managing to climb ashore in time.

Three arrows flew in a straight line from the bushes on the riverbank, aiming directly at the head of the Mountain Shaker Rhino.

“The Three-Star Combo!” The elf Ilaya's signature move.

“Don't!” Angus, the experienced one, suddenly shouted in an attempt to stop it.

It was too late, however, as few creatures could easily dodge an elf's arrows. Bang, bang, bang, three arrows, each wrapped in fighting spirit, exploded in succession on the Mountain Shaker Rhino's head.

Shockingly, Ilaya's arrows failed to penetrate the Mountain Shaker Rhino's defenses.

The Mountain Shaker Rhino shook its massive head and quickly recovered from the attack, its eyes, as large as copper bells, filled with rage as it looked towards its assailant.

Although the Mountain Shaker Rhino was massive, it was relatively gentle by nature and rarely attacked other creatures unless provoked, which is why Angus had shouted to stop.

If the Mountain Shaker Rhino was merely passing by before, it was definitely targeting the mercenary group now.

The Mountain Shaker Rhino let out a low, cow-like bellow and charged headfirst towards the bushes where Ilaya was hiding.

Ilaya leaped out of the bushes and ran towards the mountain, shooting arrows back at the rhino. The elf's intent was clear; he was trying to draw the rhino away.

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Despite its massive size, the Mountain Shaker Rhino's speed was unaffected, and it caught up to the elf in just a few steps. It thrust its head forward, aiming its thick horn at the elf's back.

In a critical moment, the elf rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the Mountain Shaker Rhino's attack.

After missing its target, the Mountain Shaker Rhino lifted its front hooves and stomped towards where the elf had rolled.

Though Ilaya was only two levels lower than the Mountain Shaker Rhino, the gap in their levels was significant. Against a seventh-level beast, Ilaya was utterly outmatched.

“Mountain Splitter Slash!” A burst of white fighting spirit lit up in the air, and a sharp sword aura slashed towards the Mountain Shaker Rhino's massive body.

Caines made his move, starting with a fighting spirit technique.

The sharp sword light passed, and the Mountain Shaker Rhino's body shook, a meter-long gash opened on its side.

However, little blood flowed from the wound; even a full-strength strike from an eighth-level warrior could only breach its defense, not injuring the vital parts protected by its tough hide.

Caines's strike completely enraged the Mountain Shaker Rhino.

It stomped on the ground, creating a huge crack that extended towards Caines.

The Mountain Shaker Rhino, a beast with earth magic, demonstrated its ability to split the ground with its “Earth Splitting Magic”!

Caines leaped high into the air to avoid it.

The Mountain Shaker Rhino jumped forward, reaching Caines in mid-air, and swung its massive head, aiming its horn at Caines.

In mid-air, Caines had nowhere to dodge; he twisted his body and swung his arms, forcefully slashing out with his sword.

Another brilliant sword light emitted, striking directly on the Mountain Shaker Rhino's toughest horn.

After the direct collision, the Mountain Shaker Rhino let out a painful roar. This strike managed to notch its horn, while Caines was thrown far away, crashing heavily onto a distant hillside.

Before Caines could get up, the Mountain Shaker Rhino charged again, its massive hooves stomping down, releasing another Earth Splitting Magic.

A figure darted out, and Angus pulled Caines away from the splitting rocks just in time.

Almost simultaneously, five giant fireballs fell from the sky, exploding upon impact with the Mountain Shaker Rhino, engulfing its massive body in flames.

“Explosive Flame Dance!” Edeline finally showed her true strength as a sixth-level fire mage.

The next second, the Mountain Shaker Rhino charged out of the exploding flames, its body blackened by the fire but otherwise unharmed.

An arrow, whistling through the air, struck the Mountain Shaker Rhino's body, exploding at the wound Caines had made earlier, blasting a hole the size of a human head and causing blood to gush out.

This time, the Mountain Shaker Rhino was truly injured!

Caines used this opportunity to stand up and catch his breath.

“Edeline, Ilaya, don't engage it directly, everyone else keep your distance!” Caines began to orchestrate a surround attack on the Mountain Shaker Rhino.

With Caines, an eighth-level warrior capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Mountain Shaker Rhino, along with the support of a sixth-level mage and a fifth-level elf archer, the mercenary group finally gained the upper hand after the initial chaos.

Caines's fighting spirit surged to its peak, a white wolf howling to the sky formed within it, signifying the hallmark of a Battle School level.

His dual-handed sword danced, emitting dazzling white sword lights, each strike as ferocious as the bite of a wild wolf.

Edeline moved swiftly around the battlefield, bombarding the Mountain Shaker Rhino with fireballs and rockets, the fire mage acting as a mobile artillery.

Ilaya, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, each time targeting the beast's weak points with explosive arrows, his shots nearly always hitting their mark. The lowest-ranked member, the elf archer, ended up causing the most damage to the Mountain Shaker Rhino.

Arthur lay on a large rock at a great distance, watching the battle with envy and longing, dreaming of the day he too would possess such strength.

The wounds on the Mountain Shaker Rhino continued to multiply...