CHAPTER 345: GRANDMASTER RANK BEAST

The beast was enormous, easily fifteen feet tall at its humped back, with a body covered in greyish-purple hide. Its form was both large and terrifying, suggesting a lineage that predated most magical species he had met thus far.

The Graphorn walked on four massive feet, each one ending in four elongated thumbs tipped with claws that could rend steel like paper. But its most distinctive features were the two extraordinarily long, sharp horns that extended from its head like lances. The horns glowed with internal power, suggesting they served as both weapons and conduits for the creature’s considerable magical abilities.

The beast’s eyes fixed on them with intelligence that made even Yuki’s awareness seem weaker by comparison. This was a creature that had survived to grandmaster rank through countless battles, possessing both overwhelming power and the cunning to use it effectively.

The difference in aura was absolutely clear to Noah’s senses. Where master-rank beasts felt like dangerous opponents that required caution and strategy, this grandmaster-rank Graphorn felt like a natural disaster given physical form. Its mere presence seemed to warp the environment, small stones lifting slightly from the ground due to the intensity of its magical field.

I would die for certain if I tried to fight this thing,

Noah concluded with complete conviction. His confidence from the earlier victories evaporated entirely in the face of this overwhelming threat. The gap between adept rank and grandmaster rank was too vast to bridge through attributes alone.

Lola glanced at Noah with a slight smile, clearly sensing his reaction to the Graphorn’s presence. "So, feeling brave enough to test yourself against a grandmaster-ranked opponent? You handled Yuki quite well earlier, eh?"

Noah let out a laugh that carried genuine nervousness rather than his usual confidence. "I’m leaving this fight entirely to you. I know my limits, and they stop well before suicidal overconfidence against something that could kill me with ease."

The Graphorn began moving toward them with deliberate steps, each footfall creating small tremors in the earth. Its aggressive nature was evident in every aspect of its posture and movement—this was not a creature that would allow trespassers in its territory without violent response.

Lola’s expression became more serious as she stepped forward, positioning herself between Noah and the approaching threat. "Stay back and observe carefully. I’m not going to kill it outright. Instead, I want to show you how to properly deal with grandmaster-rank beasts when you eventually reach sufficient strength to face them yourself."

Noah retreated to a safe distance, grateful for Lola’s protection while also genuinely curious about witnessing the confrontation between Lola and the beast. This would provide invaluable insight into the kind of power he was working toward through his own advancement.

"Watch closely," Lola called back to him. "Grandmaster beasts are fundamentally different from anything you’ve fought so far. Their regeneration capabilities, mana reserves, and skill complexity operate on entirely different scales."

Noah nodded in agreement as he stared at the beast before them.

The Graphorn charged forward with devastating speed, its massive bulk moving far faster than something so large should be capable of achieving. The ground erupted beneath its feet as it accelerated, horns lowered in a technique designed to impale and destroy anything in its path.

Lola remained motionless until the last possible moment before casually stepping aside, the Graphorn’s charge missing her by mere inches. The beast’s momentum carried it past her position, its horns leaving deep gouges in the earth where she had been standing.

"Notice the speed," Lola commented calmly, as if discussing something educational rather than dodging a lethal attack. "Grandmaster-rank creatures can move with velocity that matches or exceeds peak master-rank practitioners despite their size disadvantages. Never assume bulk means slowness at this level."

The Graphorn wheeled around with surprising agility, its four-thumbed feet providing exceptional traction despite the unfavourable ground conditions. It bellowed with rage at missing its initial attack, the sound carrying enough force to physically vibrate Noah’s chest even from his distant position.

Then the beast demonstrated why it had achieved grandmaster rank. Its horns began glowing with intensifying purple light as it channelled mana through them, transforming the physical weapons into conduits for devastating magical techniques. Bolts of concentrated energy launched from the horn tips, each one carrying enough power to vaporize the master-rank beasts Noah had fought earlier.

Lola deflected the energy bolts with conjured barriers of compressed mana, the impacts creating thunderous explosions that lit up the forest. "Observe how it combines physical and magical attacks seamlessly. Grandmaster beasts have integrated their magical abilities into instinctive combat patterns rather than treating them as separate techniques."

The Graphorn charged again, but this time it feinted, using its momentum to suddenly pivot and swing its massive head sideways. The horn swept through the space where Lola had begun dodging, forcing her to move seriously rather than simply sidestep to avoid the redirected attack.

"Good tactical awareness," Lola acknowledged with apparent respect for the beast’s intelligence. "It’s adapting to my movement patterns after just two exchanges. This level of combat learning is what separates grandmaster creatures from their lesser counterparts."

She finally went on the offensive, conjuring a massive ball of fire that shot toward the Graphorn’s exposed flank. The fireball moved with speeds that made Noah’s wind blades look sluggish, crossing the distance in a fraction of a second.

The fireball impacted the Graphorn’s hide with tremendous force, fire spreading several inches before the beast’s natural defences stopped its progress. Purple blood began flowing from the wound, but even as Noah watched, the injury started closing at visible rates.

"Watch the regeneration carefully," Lola instructed, her voice carrying over the sound of ongoing combat. "Grandmaster-rank vitality allows them to heal from injuries that would be permanently crippling to master-rank creatures. You need to either kill them outright or inflict damage faster than they can regenerate."

Noah once again nodded with shock. Grandmaster rank was truly a goal to reach, he felt like once he reached the grandmaster rank, he would be practically invincible on earth, and that felt really good.