CHAPTER 35: BALLISTA’S BLACK-OUT POWER

The next day, Manhattan and Polaris coach buses had come to a stop in the middle of the desert, with dunes and stone formations populating the expanse, setting up their individual camps.

Godfrey stood outside the camp made of tents around their coach buses with the others, holding a backpack with enough food and water to last him days. Apparently, this trip was to make them adapt to the harsh terrain of dungeons as that would be a major part of their life after graduating.

He stood at the front with Isolde, Cecil, Snow and some other students, facing Edwin who was on a podium, his stern eyes fixed on them.

"I shall begin to inform you. There are maps inside your bags, indicating the major zones around this area, from low tier zones to elite and finally high tier zones. Remember, some creatures also roam so you’re not safe anywhere."

He paused, watching as some students’ faces changed. Most of them had not even entered dungeons and it was normal as dungeon fights usually began at the sophomore class but it was advisable to get dungeon experience beforehand.

However most parents were afraid but the few who went, his eyes descended on Isolde, Snow and Godfrey, and as he thought, they were calm.

Cecil, though calm, was still a bit flustered. This would be her first time journey alone through harsh terrain with nothing but her summon. It was such a bond that made summoners and their summons stronger.

"Is there going to be some kind of way to prevent us from dying?" She finally asked when the whispers grew too loud.

Edwin chuckled. "Of course." The moment he said that, a light purple diagram appeared beside him and a snail, the height of his waist crawled out. Its shell gleamed like polished stone, marked with constellations connected by glowing lines that shimmered faintly as if the stars themselves were alive. Two luminous eyes protruded from its stalks, shining bright like the headlights of a car.

This was a Violet Astral Mollusk, a creature that could teleport itself or others, had omini-perception that spanned tens of miles.

It could also teleport itself to places it had locked on, no matter the distance and this was in consideration to planets or systems. They were the spear headers of mankind’s space exploration, the summons of the world’s top astronauts.

Almost every student had seen it on television, once or twice but they were quite stunned to see their homeroom teacher had such a unique summon.

"This is the Violet Astral Mollusk, it will enable me to oversee this hunt. The moment your life is threatened and I am sure it would either lead to grave injury or death, you will be teleported back." He turned left. "As you can see there are several canopies with your names on it. Your kills will be teleported there. Just make sure you’re the one that landed the killing blow. Your points can be exchanged for items like dungeon cores, weapons, or to buy Teleportation points. Let’s say you want to go straight to the Ruined Fortress, that will cost you twenty points!"

He waited, making sure everyone had digested what he said before resuming. "Now, your points will be measured as such. One point for a low tier, two points for an elite tier, five points for a low level high tier and ten points for a top level high tier. That is all, you may leave in groups or alone."

After bidding each other farewell, Godfrey left the camp. He had gone to several dungeons but none of them were like this. Looking around, all he could see was dunes and stone formations, all he could feel was the heat of the sun and his foot sinking a bit into the sand.

At first other students were not far from him, some of them moving in groups, few moving alone. Later on, Godfrey discovered he was alone in the midst of dunes.

No other student was around him. He didn’t know how long he had walked but after checking the digital map in his bag, he discovered he wasn’t far from a low tier zone.

According to the map, it was just behind the dune to his left.

At the top of the dune, he squinted, looking at a group of raptors, red skinned creatures with two powerful hind legs, relatively small forelimbs, long necks and razor sharp teeth. Their scales glistened under the desert sun and their long tails cut the air like whips.

They were the downsized versions of a T-Rex. This small group of six were not far from a rise of rock formations that spread out like the trees of a forest, some were short, some were over five metres tall!

He reached for the combat dagger strapped to his waist, unsheathed it and made his way down, the raptors spotted him, screeching and roaring as they ran toward him, their long tails whipping the air.

Using Lightning Infusion, Godfrey shot forward, plunging his dagger into the eye of the first raptor, frying its brain with the lightning, pulled it out and slit the throat of another.

The third closed in enough, opening its mouth to take a chunk out of him but received a deathly knee blow to its chin.

The edge of his dagger gleamed as he unleashed a crescent light that took off the head of another raptor entirely from its body!

The fifth raptor screeched loudly, clawing at him with its forelimbs but Godfrey stepped sided, the lightning crackling through his body boosting his speed greatly.

He watched the claws slice through where he once stood before retaliating with a Mana Slash, decapitating the fifth one also.

The tail of the sixth, came for him, tearing through the air with extreme force. His heart thumped, lightning moving enhancing his speed as he ducked, springing forward and stabbing the raptor.

It screeched loudly as the blade was coated in white and it tore from its shoulder down to the tail with so much ease, Godfrey was taken aback.

As the beast fell with a thud, he looked at the blade of the dagger, coated with faint white light. He could feel the heat and sharpness prick his eyes.

’That was easier than I thought.’ He internally as the raptors began to vanish one by one.

Unbeknownst to him, on a dune, the blue haired Rosalind watched mounted on a Ghost Faced Stallion, a black horse with a skull engulfed with blue flames for a head and flaming hooves. Its mane burned like a roaring bonfire, and every exhale was smoke and ash.

Seeing Godfrey take down six raptors without a summon made her squint. Even she couldn’t do that, relying on a dagger and a few close combat skills alone.

Unaware he was being watched, Godfrey walked toward the rock formation only to pause a few steps later as multiple screeches tore through the air.

He was still a good distance away from the formations but he could feel the sand beneath his feet quake... like there was a stampede headed his way.

The screeches did not only grow louder but came from several dozen angry raptors, a small horde alerted by the screech of their now dead-scouts.

The first one to emerge was an alpha raptor, much bigger than the normal raptors with bone spikes protruding out of its body and black plating over its hide.

Its screech was much deeper, almost becoming a roar and behind it were three dozen raptors, a great dust cloud rising in wake of this monster army.

Rosalind couldn’t hold back her laughter. "I guess facing armies of monsters runs in the blood." She held the reins made of flames and tilted her summon away, ’There’s nothing to watch here, let’s —!’

Her head snapped back as Ballista emerged from a diagram, his golden armour turning into blood crimson. His cloak darkened to black and his bow seemed to hum with an ominous power, the edges glowing faintly.

"Oh? You really did awaken a golem at sixteen." She frowned. "Wouldn’t it have been better to remain ordinary than awaken that—!"

The other words died in her throat as mortal portals appeared, not opened by Godfrey but by Ballista and from it emerged ten golden, towering Bow Knights with giant bows.