Challenge

The greatest difference between monsters and ordinary beasts was whether magic power dwelled within their bodies. Influenced by unnatural forces, monsters took on all manner of bizarre forms and developed strange, unpredictable special abilities. Some of these abilities could practically kill an opponent on sight, making them exceptionally difficult to deal with. If an adventuring party encountered a monster without sufficient intelligence, their mortality rate was shockingly high. For precisely that reason, the Adventurers' Association had expended vast sums of wealth to compile the *Adventurers' Association General Monster Compendium*. It cataloged every monster encountered by their parties, laying out their physical characteristics, living habits, special abilities, and core weaknesses in detail. The compendium also employed state-of-the-art rune transcription techniques. Whenever an entry was added or updated at one association branch, the compendiums at all other branches synchronized automatically. Furthermore, the Adventurers' Association introduced an incentive system. Whenever someone provided information on a new monster, the association rewarded them based on its threat tier, starting at a minimum of three gold coins. However, this incentive system also gave rise to all sorts of bizarre fraudulent schemes. For instance, some parties swore up and down that they had discovered new monsters like "Harpoon Goblins," "Straw Hat Goblins," and "Goblins Wearing Necklaces," giving the association's staff severe headaches. Based on the threat monsters posed, the Adventurers' Association had established seven tactical tiers: [Simple], [Difficult], [Challenge], [Dangerous], [Brutal], [Boss], and [Supreme]. Above Supreme were the [Legendary] monsters that occupied the pinnacle of power on the Candia Continent. There was no real need to record those, however; crossing paths with one was no different from being dead anyway. The Mist Demon was rated [Challenge]. This meant it possessed the strength to kill adventurers with ease, carried an extremely high risk of casualties if mishandled, and required a meticulously crafted plan targeting its weaknesses. The low growls still had not ceased, and the surrounding fog grew heavier by the second. This perilous turn of events was completely beyond their expectations. They had only intended to take on a few simple quests to earn some extra coin, yet now they had abruptly stumbled upon a [Challenge]-tier monster. The bundles on their backs dropped to the ground one after another. "Should we run...?" Gray asked in a low whisper. Hearing that, Zelier couldn't help but tense up, instinctively surveying the surroundings. Thick fog was everywhere, obscuring all sense of direction. Moreover, he didn't know the terrain at all. If he ran, his chances of survival would be abysmal. "Run from what? Prepare for battle!" Marcus held his shield in his left hand and sword in his right. His brow was furrowed, but he had already come up with a plan. "I'll take the front. Gray, back me up. Vallis, act as the situation dictates. Zelier, you're the only one in the party who can breach the Mist Demon's energy barrier. While we keep it occupied, find an opening to cast your spell!" "Understood..." Zelier nodded slowly. Between the thick fog and an unknown monster, sweat began to slick his palms. The pressure was vastly heavier than last night. With such a weighty burden on his shoulders, it was impossible for Zelier not to feel nervous. If he failed to execute his role properly, the entire party would face annihilation. He had no idea how tough that physical-attack-nullifying energy barrier truly was... What if he couldn't break it? Zelier suddenly felt a trace of relief that he had chosen to invest in his Spirit attribute. At least that would give his Fireball a little more punch, wouldn't it? The party shifted into formation. Marcus stood guard in front, Gray took position behind his right flank, Vallis guarded his left flank, and Zelier remained in the center. Visibility had dropped to around five or six meters, and the stench of blood lingered thick in the air. In the morning gloom of Ashwood Forest, a battle to the death was about to unfold! Marcus moved slowly, and the three behind him maintained a tight formation, refusing to break ranks. It felt like a game of hawk and chicks. According to the information in the monster compendium, the Mist Demon possessed terrifying physical strength. Only Marcus, with his shield, stood any chance of going toe-to-toe with it. If the Mist Demon broke into their formation from any other angle, it would turn into a bloodbath. The fog to the front right suddenly roiled, a subtle shift that Marcus caught immediately. "On guard!" The Mist Demon finally revealed itself. The dense mist tore open, exposing the massive, twisted monstrosity clearly before their eyes. The sickening stench of blood surged several times stronger in an instant. Witnessing the Mist Demon's true form, Zelier felt his breath catch in his throat. It was a creature straight out of a horror novel. Its body stood at least two and a half meters tall, resembling a giant beast that had been flayed raw. And the expression on its face... was it smiling? Blood continuously oozed and dripped from its frame. Grayish-black muscle fibers twined together in tangled knots, dark veins bulging across its flesh like writhing serpents. Spliced haphazardly across the Mist Demon's back were the heads of numerous wolves, their hollow sockets staring blankly, their jaws frozen in agonizing death howls. Most bizarre of all was the hazy aura covering the creature's body. The energy barrier rippled like water, distorting its entire silhouette. The horrifying spectacle struck Zelier's mind with immense force, momentarily paralyzing his limbs. "Zelier! Don't space out!" Marcus roared at the top of his lungs, snapping him out of his daze, and lunged forward as the vanguard. Roused from his shock by Marcus's shout, Zelier gave his head a fierce shake. He couldn't afford to drop the ball now! Taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, he began channeling his magic. The mana within his sea of consciousness was mobilized, churning according to his will! Marcus drove his round shield hard into the face of the foul wind. *Clang!* The Mist Demon's colossal force sent Marcus stumbling back several steps, the arm holding the shield trembling uncontrollably. The Mist Demon let out a roar and charged straight forward again. Its left arm had mutated into three massive claws, the pale talons crusted with dried blood. Another direct clash of raw power! Marcus ducked his head awkwardly while thrusting his round shield high. *Screeech!* The claws nearly tore through the outermost layer of the shield! Wood splinters sprayed through the air, and even the iron banding along the rim was partially peeled back. Fortunately, the blacksmith had done solid work and hadn't cut corners; otherwise, Marcus would have taken that blow with his bare flesh. "Die!" Another figure flashed out from the side. Gray had seized the opening during the Mist Demon's recovery, lunging forward with a piercing thrust aimed straight at its flank! Yet a bizarre scene unfolded. The moment his blade struck the energy barrier enveloping the Mist Demon, it was as if he had stabbed into a mound of cotton. He couldn't exert any force at all, and the weapon stalled dead in place. Gray's eyes twitched wildly as a sense of imminent danger flooded his mind. Without even turning its head, the Mist Demon simply swung its arm. A thick arm encrusted with carapace slammed violently into Gray's chest! *Crack!* The expression on Gray's face froze as his hardened leather cuirass caved in under the impact. He spewed a spray of blood and was sent hurtling backward through the air, tumbling several times across the dirt before finally skidding to a halt.