The party swept through the first layer, encountering Wild Bull after Wild Bull. Yuki quickly learned to conserve her mana by keeping [Beast Shift] as a last resort.
Instead, she relied on [Beast Sync] to copy Owen's skills, alternating between [Gust] to knock the massive creatures off balance and [Fireball] to finish them off from a distance.
"You're pretty good, Yuki" Odessa commented after Yuki dispatched another Wild Bull with a fireball to its eyes. "Most new C-Ranks would've burned through all their mana by now trying to look impressive and drunk on their increaded fire power"
Yuki wiped sweat from her brow. "Oh, I was like that.... previously, after being drained of mana twice, I'd be a fool not to learn something new"
Owen, perched on her shoulder and hugged proudly. "It's also because I'm an excellent teacher"
"You literally told me to 'just blast everything' last week" Yuki replied mentally.
"And you learned why that was wrong. See? Excellent teaching."
Garrick's Giant Komodo Earth Dragon crushed another Wild Bull beneath its weight, its powerful jaws clamped down on the creature's neck, causing the bull to struggle in it's grip then went still.
Sera's Three-Headed Basilisk had developed a pattern, two heads would distract the bulls while the third would strike from behind, injecting venom directly into their spines. The paralyzed creatures would collapse, helpless, before the basilisk finished them off.
Tomas's Wyvern darted through the air like a crimson blur, using hit-and-run tactics. It would dive, slash with its wing-claws, then soar away before the bulls could retaliate. Efficient and brutal.
Alfred stood as their immovable wall, his shield absorbing charges that would have shattered buildings. Whenever a Wild Bull broke through the formation, his barrier skills would redirect it back into the waiting claws and fangs of the dragon-kin.
And Odessa's Azure Sky Dragon continued weaving through the battlefield.
After nearly two hours of combat, the first layer was clear.
Odessa stretched her arms. "Alright, everyone take five. Drink some water, check your gear. The second layer is going to be significantly harder"
---
The transition between layers was marked by a stone archway carved with runes. As the party passed through, the red sky darkened and the temperature dropped noticeably.
The terrain shifted too. The rolling hills gave way to a rocky canyon dotted with crude wooden structures, huts, watchtowers, and what looked like tribal settlements.
"Second layer" Odessa announced. "Home to the Bull Men. B-Rank mobs. They're smarter than the Wild Bulls, stronger, and they coordinate well with each other"
As if on cue, a roar echoed through the canyon.
From the nearest settlement emerged a creature that made Yuki's blood run cold.
It stood nearly 8 feet tall, with a massive bull's head complete with curved horns. Its torso was humanoid, rippling with muscle, but its legs were hooved like a bull's. In its hands, it gripped a double-bladed axe.
Then another appeared.
And another.
A dozen Bull Men in total.
One of them, larger than the rest, with scars crisscrossing its chest, bellowed a command. The others responded, forming a crude battle line.
"They're organizing" Alfred warned, raising his shield. "This won't be like the first layer."
"Everyone stay sharp!" Odessa called out. "Don't underestimate them!"
The Bull Men charged.
The lead Bull Man activated a skill, [Rush]. Its body blurred with speed, closing the distance in a heartbeat. It swung its axe at Alfred with devastating force.
CLANG!
Alfred's shield held, but the impact sent him sliding backward several feet, his boots carving trenches in the ground.
"By the gods, they hit hard!" Alfred grunted.
Garrick's Giant Komodo Earth Dragon lunged at another Bull Man, but the creature dodged, It countered with a horizontal axe swing that caught the dragon across its side, drawing blood.
Garrick cursed. "These bastards are fast!"
Sera's Three-Headed Basilisk tried its paralysis tactic, but the Bull Men were ready. One of them threw its axe, forcing the basilisk to dodge. The momentary distraction allowed two other Bull Men to flank Sera herself.
"Sera, behind you!" Tomas shouted.
Sera spun, but too slow. A Bull Man's axe was already descending toward her head.
Yuki moved on instinct.
[Beast Shift]
Her body transformed mid-sprint. Black scales erupted across her skin. Her eyes blazed golden. Tails and wings shot out her back. She closed the distance fast, catching the Bull Man's axe with her clawed hands inches away from Sera's face.
The Bull Man's eyes widened in shock.
Yuki twisted, ripping the axe from its grip, then drove her other hand straight through its chest. The creature collapsed, dead before it hit the ground as the punch has pierced through its heart.
Sera stumbled backward, breathing hard. "I... thank you."
Yuki nodded.
Tomas wasn't faring much better. His Wyvern had gotten too aggressive, diving at a Bull Man only to get caught mid-flight. The creature grabbed the wyvern's tail and slammed it into the ground.
"No!" Tomas screamed.
Another Bull Man raised its axe to finish the stunned wyvern off.
Yuki was already moving. She tackled the Bull Man from the side, her momentum carrying them both into a rocky outcrop. Before it could recover, she unleashed [Dragon's Breath], point-blank, incinerating its head.
The wyvern scrambled to its feet, wounded but alive. Tomas's face was pale with relief and gratitude.
But Yuki was breathing heavily now. Her mana reserves were draining fast from maintaining [Beast Shift] and using [Dragon's Breath], twice in quick succession.
Owen felt her exhaustion through their bond.
"Yuki, deactivate the transformation. You're burning through mana too fast."
"But there are still six Bull Men left---!"
"Let me handle it"
Owen launched himself into the air before she could protest.
As Yuki's transformation faded, Owen flew high into the air, his golden eyes scanning the battlefield below. His [Mana Sense] spread out like an invisible net, detecting every flow of energy, every fluctuation of power.
He focused on Odessa's Azure Sky Dragon as it blasted a Bull Man with a stream of compressed water from its mouth. The dragon's mana flowed in elegant patterns.
Owen's [Magic Affinity] kicked in, his mind automatically analyzing and absorbing the magical formula.
Ding---!
[Skill Learned: Compressed Water Stream (B-Grade)]
"Hmm, doesn't really fit my aesthetics"
He shifted his attention to Garrick's Giant Komodo Earth Dragon as it slammed its tail into a Bull Man, creating a shockwave that rippled through the ground.
Ding---!
[Skill Learned: Shock wave (B-Grade)]
"Alright!? I can work with this"
Sera's Three-Headed Basilisk spat venom again, but this time Owen paid close attention to the mana structure, poison magic, layered with paralysis and corrosion.
Ding---!
[Skill Learned: Venom Strike (B-Grade)]
"Ugh, I don't know about spitting out poison from my mouth"
Tomas's Wyvern, despite its injuries, dove again, its claws crackling with red energy, a skill that enhanced its momentum.
Ding---!
[Skill Learned: Piercing Dive (B-Grade)]
"This is no better than my [Momentum Shift], it's basically a watered down version"
Owen's small dragon form hovered above the battlefield as he flexed his wings wide and grinned deviously.
"Alright, bastards. Let's test out my new toys."