Gilly dashed forward. At first, everything seemed calm, but the moment she closed within four meters of the salamander, it stirred awake.
The beast twisted its head toward Gilly, then toward Siel. Its claws scraped against the sand before it suddenly leapt a few feet into the air. When it landed, a heavy tremor shook the ground, a cloud of dust bursting outward from the impact.
Gilly stopped mid-stride, squinting through the haze. She could vaguely sense the salamander's presence, though it had shifted several meters from where she expected. She adjusted her direction—but then a bright glow shot toward her at high speed.
A fireball.
She ducked low just in time, the projectile searing past her head.
Siel had avoided the dust cloud altogether, circling to flank from the right where the air was clearer. Since this wasn't his mission, he kept his pace measured, content to play support and let Gilly take the lead strike.
Gilly steadied her breath and recalled her training. Compressing a thread of mana into her heel, she launched forward.
Another fireball came screaming as the dust began to thin. This time, she planted her blade and blocked. The impact skidded her several feet back across the dirt, her arms aching from the force. She surged forward again, weaving this time rather than charging straight. Each time a fireball came, she shifted her direction sharply, zigzagging until she closed the distance and found herself parallel with the salamander's abdomen.
From the sidelines, Zenora strained to see. The swirling dust obscured the fight at first, but soon the shapes became clear—Gilly was struggling under the salamander's relentless barrage.
Clutching her staff, Zenora began to chant. Air whipped around her, gathering into a spiral. The currents condensed tighter and tighter until they formed a bullet-shaped mass, spinning furiously, no more than two feet long.
The salamander towered over them, nearly two meters tall with a frame built of raw muscle and scales. Gilly darted at its side, swinging her sword in a swift slash. The beast snapped its head down to bite, jaws opening wide.
"Not on my watch!" Zenora cried.
Her staff flared as the wind bullet streaked forward.
Bang! The spell detonated against the salamander's face, forcing it to recoil.
Gilly's sword connected, but instead of cutting flesh, it bounced off with a metallic clang. The recoil shuddered through her arms, throwing her slightly off balance.
The salamander lunged again, jaws snapping toward her. Siel stepped in, blade flashing, parrying its head just enough to create space for both of them to retreat.
But the beast wasn't finished. Its tail whipped around in a brutal arc. Siel braced, blocking the strike, but the force flung him several meters away, his boots carving trenches in the sand before he crashed down.
Gilly was already in motion, dashing forward again.
Another of Zenora's spells exploded against the salamander's head, distracting it long enough for Gilly to thrust. Her sword pierced its scales, but only shallowly. The wound was superficial.
The salamander shrieked, lashing its tail like a whip.
Gilly couldn't evade in time—she raised her blade and blocked. The impact knocked her off her footing, but before she landed, a sudden glow lit the corner of her vision.
"Oh, shit."
A fireball.
But still, no voice echoed in her head—no omen of true danger.
Zenora's wind bullet intercepted, colliding mid-air with the fireball. The explosion rocked the field, shockwaves hurling Gilly backward.
Siel regrouped quickly, closing in again, but the salamander had already turned its focus to him. With surprising speed, it sprinted forward, spewing fireballs in a rapid barrage.
Siel dodged some, batted aside others, pressing forward until he was finally within range. His mana sense caught Zenora's building presence—an immense spell was forming behind him. He gritted his teeth and baited the beast, slashing at its head.
The salamander snapped its jaws at him. He retreated just in time.
Zenora's staff pulsed as she clenched it with full concentration. Above her, wind and water swirled into a condensed sphere. She stomped her staff into the ground.
Boom! The spell tore through the air faster than the eye could follow.
Sensing the overwhelming mana, the salamander curled into a tight ball. The blast slammed into it regardless, hurling the beast across the field.
Even Siel and Gilly blinked in surprise.
Zin, however, wasn't watching. His gaze remained fixed on the treeline, on presences closing in. Ten minutes, maybe less, before they reached here. If he had to intercept them alone, he would. It would mean breaking the restraints placed on him—and likely angering both Mizin and Cyx—but protection came first.
As the salamander tumbled through the air, Gilly crouched beside Siel, ready to strike the moment it landed. But the beast, anticipating their plan, unfurled sooner than expected.
"The only way to damage this tank is from within…" Gilly's eyes widened as an idea struck.
When the salamander's head emerged, she dashed, leaping onto it. Her momentum slammed its head into the ground.
"No, you don't," she hissed, smirking through clenched teeth.
The creature had already been preparing another fireball, but Gilly sacrificed speed for precision, channeling mana to her legs. The strain tore at her muscles—pain surged sharp and raw—but she held firm, pressing the beast's jaw into the earth.
The fireball detonated inside its own throat, exploding within its magic gland.
Seizing the opening, Gilly drove her sword into its right eye.
The salamander thrashed violently, spiraling in pain, tearing trenches across the beach as it convulsed. Gilly was flung off its head, rolling hard across the ground.
Siel charged in, his blade flashing as he severed its tail in a single cut. He held back, careful not to unleash his full strength—he was here to support, not dominate.
The salamander, though powerful, was still classified as a lower-tier hunter-class monster.
Zenora, who had been chanting nonstop since her last spell, unleashed her next.
As the salamander shrieked, mouth gaping wide, she slammed her staff down once more.
Boom!
The spell streaked overhead, tearing even the grass flat as it passed. It struck the salamander full on. One of its eyes was already ruined, but the blast seared across its face and into its maw.
The beast convulsed, groaned, then collapsed with a final thud. No more movement followed.
The battlefield quieted.
Siel's face hardened, his expression turning grave.
Gilly noticed instantly. "What is it?" she asked, panting.
Then the ground trembled. Her instincts screamed a warning—multiple monsters were closing in. Most were weaker than the salamander, but several carried a presence equal to or stronger than what they had just slain.
Without hesitation, Zin appeared in a blink, lifting Zenora before setting her down behind Gilly.
"As you can see," he said calmly, "round two is about to begin. I'll leave a few for you while I practice." He smiled faintly, then dropped Zenora beside Gilly. "Don't leave her side. Siel and I will push ahead."
With that, Zin vanished again, while Siel dashed to meet him.
Zenora gripped her staff tightly, fear flickering in her eyes.
Gilly's expression, however, remained unreadable. She pulled her sword free and stepped forward. From the treeline, goblins poured into view, their screeches echoing across the battlefield.
The first one lunged. Gilly launched forward, cutting it down in a single stroke. Her weapon's edge was superior, slicing through effortlessly.
But the problem wasn't the first kill—it was the pack that followed. Groups of two, six in total, circling, fanning out to surround Gilly and Zenora.
The battle wasn't over.