The chaos in the clearing intensified, with the Swarmers swarming like a black, viscous river of writhing horror.

Lian and Rick continued to decimate them, Lian's body dancing in specific shapes, shattering monsters into a thousand gory fragments, while Rick's shadowy jaws devoured entire groups with a sadistic grin.

"More, come on!" Rick shouted, mana boiling in his veins, but his breath grew labored, his chest heaving with exhaustion.

His body was too weak to sustain such firepower.

The stronger students, inspired, held the line, but the Swarmers did not relent.

Rebecca, with her green-glowing sword, sliced with surgical precision, creating wind blades that tore through rows of monsters, their severed limbs twitching in the dirt.

"Do not yield!" she shouted to her team, who used their artifacts to kill as many enemies as possible and rack up points.

Of course, between one sword strike and another, their mouths never stopped chanting spells, filling the scene with vibrant colors, in stark contrast to the grim nature of the surrounding environment.

Trevor wielded his two-handed greatsword, charging like a bull, cleaving monsters into equal parts while casting earth-element spells to better support his carnage, the ground rumbling beneath his heavy strikes.

Christopher, on the other hand, lacked the elegance typical of a warrior. He did nothing but swing his spiked staff around, creating fiery explosions all around him, scorching the air with bursts of flame.

Devis, unlike the others, did not seem to fight with ferocity. He used a short blade, killing only the enemies that got too close.

Thanks to water-element spells, he moved delicately across the battlefield, barely drawing attention, his movements as fluid as a gentle stream.

Amidst this, the most fearsome monster of all, the Gargantu, finally entered the fray.

It was slower than the Swarmers, but now that it had arrived, it would be the humans' turn to suffer.

"Does it not seem a bit excessive?" Adam asked from afar. He had just saved a student dying in the clutches of an Iron 4 monster.

Pixie shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, why do we not make a bet?"

Adam was intrigued. "What kind of bet?"

A gleaming spark formed in the girl's eyes as she watched Lian intently. "I bet a Silver 3 artifact that the Gargantu will not last more than thirty seconds."

"Impossible!" Adam's eyes widened, then he smiled faintly. "I accept the bet. That guy might be strong, but I do not think he can destroy it in thirty seconds. Especially because…"

His eyes shifted to the ongoing battle. Lian was destroying all the monsters effortlessly, relying solely on his body, occasionally using his new ability.

"Especially because Lian seems to be enjoying himself too much. He will not kill the monster right away."

Gin gave Adam a sideways glance. In truth, she agreed with him. Lian was enjoying himself too much. But he was not the only one…

Meanwhile, the Gargantu finally got close enough to the group of students to unleash its fury.

It was not a magical monster; it had no spells to attack students from a distance, nor any special Knight techniques.

However, its physical body was on another level. Its rocky skin pulsed with lava veins, its yellow eyes burning with primal, untamed rage.

As a Steel-rank monster, it was naturally resistant to magic. In its case, this was even more evident.

Spells rained on it from all sides like a storm, but the monster's rocky skin absorbed everything without difficulty.

Soon, it began charging with speed toward a group of students, threatening to crush them with its massive physique, each step making the ground tremble, shaking loose dirt and pebbles.

Due to the limited maneuvering space, many Swarmers were crushed by the monster, turning into a gruesome paste of flesh and blood.

But before it could forcefully crush the group of students, the four faction leaders intervened, blocking its enormous foot with their spells and artifacts.

Watching from afar, Lian noticed how resilient the Gargantu was. Despite the combined attacks of the leaders, the monster barely flinched, its skin only slightly scratched.

This monster was not a mere recently advanced Steel 1 like the worm he faced in the unstable Gate. It was Steel 2.

"It looks fun…" Lian murmured, dodging a claw and striking a Swarmer with a triangular punch, swift as lightning, leaving a trail of shimmering air.

"Hey Rick, why do we not take care of that thing? I am sure it will give us a ton of points!"

Rick, panting, did not seem to pay him much attention, too engrossed in killing the enemies before him.

"Damn it, Rick, what the hell is wrong with you…" Lian murmured, thoughtful.

Despite his panting, he did not stop using shadows as an extension of his body. Shadow tentacles continued to appear, forcefully restraining Swarmers, grabbing their limbs, and yanking them with strength, tearing them apart with wet, ripping sounds.

Sighing helplessly, Lian decided to let him continue enjoying the massacre. Sooner or later, the monsters would run out, and with them, his friend's blind fury.

Ensuring Rick was safe, with a few other students nearby, Lian moved toward the Gargantu.

In truth, he did not want to abandon his friend, but the Steel 2 monster seemed unbeatable.

Many students pressed their bracelets for the defensive barrier, while other Silver Mages carried them to safety.

Amidst this, the leaders continued to face it, forming an improvised circle around the colossus.

Rebecca nodded to Trevor. "Together! I will slow it down!"

Combining a spell with her sword attack, a whirlwind of considerable power rushed and enveloped the Gargantu's legs, slightly throwing it off balance, kicking up a gust of dust.

Trevor charged, his greatsword crashing onto a leg with a boom, chipping the rock but not penetrating. "Damn, it is too tough; how the hell are we supposed to fight it!"

Christopher raised his staff with fury. "Move, rookie! I will show you what a real attack is!"

A powerful blast exploded directly on the monster's lava vein, shattering it into sparks, but the monster roared and swept with a paw, sending Christopher tumbling, crashing into the dirt with a thud.

Trevor grinned. "That is what you get for acting tough."

Taking advantage of the monster's successful attack on poor Christopher, Devis leaped forward, silent. Water flowed from his feet, speeding his movement and keeping him quiet.

Once close to the monster, his short sword, a Bronze 5 earth-element artifact, pierced the wound previously caused by Christopher.

The monster reacted quickly, smashing the area where Devis stood with a hand. But the boy had already escaped, leaving the blade embedded in the vein of the monster's leg.

"That was close…" he murmured, slightly dissatisfied at losing an artifact like that.

Their attacks had damaged and enraged the Gargantu, but it would take a shocking amount of time to bring it down. However, it was not impossible.

Moreover, they were not alone. Their teammates soon joined them, organizing another fierce assault.

But before they could even think of a plan, an absurdly powerful blow sent the colossus flying, crashing toward the giant trees, destroying the ground along the way, uprooting plants and scattering debris.

"Huh? Is it dead?" Lian murmured in disbelief.