The hydra had received enormous damage on its flank where the enhanced mineral ball had impacted.

As the dust settled more, the extent of the harm became increasingly evident. The diamond scales in that area were severely broken or had simply fallen off completely, leaving underlying tissue exposed. It was a serious wound that communicated exactly how much force that final Terror projectile had carried.

But both Ren and Taro knew, evaluating the situation, that with a bit of additional mana recovered and elemental water healing, the hydra could continue fighting. Not at one hundred percent effectiveness, the harm was too extensive to heal everything during combat…

But sufficient to finish with the eight remaining opponents before Liora entered at the end of the line.

The hydra still had resources and could still manifest attacks that would eliminate opponents of level inferior to its own easily.

This was a victory for Ren. Not clean, not without cost, but victory nonetheless.

The Terror had fought valiantly and had caused more damage than many would have anticipated. But it hadn't been sufficient to change the fundamental outcome of this confrontation between titans.

Ren was beginning to order the hydra to start basic healing of the damaged flank as soon as the mana was enough when he noticed an unusual expression on Taro's face.

His friend was smiling.

Not a smile of accepted defeat but something more insidious.

And then, in the last moment before Ren could react appropriately, something emerged from what remained of the dust cloud.

An enormous lance.

Not projected but thrown with force that made the air whistle around its passage. Speed that converted the object into a barely visible blur crossing the distance between where the Terror had been and where the hydra was trying to stabilize.

The lance pierced through the hydra directly, exiting through the same flank that was already damaged. It penetrated the scales with ease, sinking deeply into the beast's body until only the base was visible protruding from the entry point. It was a devastating blow that converted the serious wound into critical instantly.

The hydra's heads lashed the ground violently when its legs gave out beneath it. They'd been trying to rise, to reposition for the next phase of battle, but the sudden impact, the massive pain, and the paralyzing venom that came with the attack eliminated any possibility of that.

The hydra collapsed heavily, its considerable mass striking the earth with a sound that resonated through the field.

When the dust finally cleared sufficiently to see the attack's source, what was revealed made several spectators inhale sharply with recognition of what they'd just witnessed.

What remained of the Terror, already disintegrating into light particles as its physical existence dissolved, had the internal bloody tip of that powerful proboscis pointing directly toward the hydra.

But it was, mostly, no longer part of the Terror, its head had expanded and "exploded" to launch it...

The characteristic proboscis of the beast, that long and incredibly hard appendage that had been the object of Min's mockery in the past, now demonstrated exactly why Ren had convinced Taro to perfect its use.

The fired proboscis now piercing through the hydra was covered at its tip with the special mineral the beetle had created and that the Terror had enhanced. The proboscis by itself was a powerful weapon above its rank, a natural capability of the species that allowed it to penetrate defenses that should stop it.

It could pierce even hard diamonds at Gold rank when applied correctly, and probably could pierce the Gold 2 or Gold 3 mana reinforced diamond of a wild hydra.

With the enhanced mineral amplifying its effectiveness, the penetration had been absolute. It had pierced through the diamond scales as if they were ordinary crystals instead of the material that had resisted massive previous attacks.

The Terror had learned to fire its proboscis connected to that viscous substance that could extend to considerable distance. It wouldn't be able to absorb energy from the hydra and regenerate its broken body this time after using the technique, as it would need to be closer so the tissues connected to the lance wouldn't be so destroyed...

The cost of launching it so far this time was too high and the damage it had received from the previous beam to its thorax was too extensive. But it was an ability that would improve with time as the Terror strengthened and learned to execute it more efficiently without damaging itself.

Ren sighed while observing the Terror disappear almost completely into dispersing particles along with the mineral-covered proboscis lance in his hydra's flank. He thought that Taro had grown incredibly well. He couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to face this combination later, when Taro had refined the techniques even more and when the beasts were at superior ranks.

Because with the two beasts together or eventually fused, there would be no real limitations on how much mineral could be generated and utilized. And as the beasts continued growing, the mineral would be more and more powerful, resonating with shared bonds and multiplying its effectiveness in ways that were only beginning to manifest now.

In the end, that enhanced organic mineral could become the hardest material with the greatest mana accumulation available in nature. It was a potential that was barely being touched in this battle but that promised extraordinary development in the future.

But the present battle still hadn't completely finished. Ren needed the venom to exit with the hydra's "blood" before the paralysis wore off and it could heal the enormous hole in its flank, but then he noticed that Taro wasn't collapsing yet...

He was resisting so the Terror wouldn't disappear completely despite the obvious pain of his broken bonds.

Instead, his friend was raising his hand in a clear signal directed toward his allies on his side of the field.

The next in line on Taro's team recognized the signal immediately and ran toward the field without waiting for the teacher's confirmation. It was a movement that technically didn't violate protocol but that communicated something everyone understood instantly.

Ren realized with cold recognition what Taro was doing…

He was enduring as much as he could with the Terror's bond still technically active, keeping it manifested even if partially for the time sufficient for the next opponent to reach an appropriate position.

Because the hydra wasn't just wounded but also immobile due to the paralyzing venom that the Terror's proboscis had injected during its penetration.

It was the last service the Terror could provide before disappearing completely. Leaving the hydra in a state where even a significantly weaker opponent could eliminate it with any appropriate attack.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.