Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest-Chapter 551 123.5 - Rank-6 Gate

"We've got company!"

Astron's eyes narrowed as he quickly assessed the situation. The Goliaths were slow but powerful, their massive fists capable of crushing anything in their path. The Wargs, on the other hand, were fast and agile, and they would strike from multiple directions, attempting to overwhelm the team.

"We take out the Wargs first," Astron ordered, his voice calm but authoritative. "They're too fast to leave unchecked. Kurt, Gareth—hold the front against the Goliaths. Elena, focus your magic on keeping them at bay. Dorian, Lila, with me. We're handling the Wargs."

The team moved into position without hesitation, their training and experience kicking in. Kurt and Gareth formed a defensive line, raising their shields as the first Frostbound Goliath closed in. The creature roared, its massive fists slamming into the ground, sending shards of ice flying in every direction. Kurt grunted as he absorbed the impact while Gareth's barriers flared up, deflecting the icy projectiles.

"Keep them off balance!" Gareth called out, reinforcing the barriers as the Goliaths continued their relentless assault.

Meanwhile, Dorian and Lila followed Astron as they broke off from the main group, their focus on the Snowstalker Wargs.

The Wargs were fast, darting through the snow with lethal precision, their eyes locked onto their prey. Astron drew his bow, quickly nocking an arrow and releasing it with precision. The arrow found its mark, striking one of the Wargs in the side, but the creature barely faltered, its thick fur absorbing most of the impact.

"Damn, they're tough," Dorian muttered, his twin blades flashing as he lunged toward a Warg that had leaped toward him. He spun gracefully, his swords cutting through the air as he struck the creature's flank, but the Warg was faster than expected, dodging the blow and snapping its jaws at Dorian's arm.

"Careful!" Lila shouted, sending a burst of magic toward the Warg, causing it to stumble back. Her golem charged forward, engaging another of the creatures, its massive form crashing into the snow as it grappled with the Warg.

Astron's eyes remained sharp, tracking the Wargs' movements. They were fast, but they followed a pattern. He could see the mana threads that connected them, revealing their tactics.

With a quick, fluid motion, he switched his bow for the Serpent Fangs, knowing he needed more than just arrows to deal with these creatures.

He dashed forward, weaving between the Wargs as they circled, his daggers flashing as he struck at their legs, cutting through fur and muscle with precision. The venomous effect of the Serpent Fangs quickly took hold, slowing the Wargs' movements and weakening their ability to evade.

Dorian, seeing an opening, grinned and darted in. "Now we're getting somewhere!" he shouted, his blades slicing through the air as he finished off one of the Wargs, its body collapsing into the snow with a final growl.

Lila, her magic crackling in the air, focused on another Warg that had lunged at her golem. "I've got this one!" she called, her voice steady as she unleashed a burst of energy that sent the Warg crashing into the ground, stunned.

As the Wargs began to fall, Astron turned his attention back to the main battle. Kurt and Gareth were still holding the line against the Frostbound Goliaths, but the creatures' sheer strength was starting to wear them down. One of the Goliaths raised its massive fist and brought it down with a deafening crash, forcing Kurt to brace himself as the impact sent cracks splintering through the ice beneath him.

"Elena, now!" Astron called, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Elena, who had been gathering her mana, unleashed a powerful fire-based spell that engulfed the nearest Goliath. The creature roared in agony as the flames licked at its icy form, its thick armor of frost melting away under the intense heat.

Taking advantage of the moment, Gareth surged forward, his barrier pushing the Goliath back, and Kurt followed up with a powerful strike, his shield slamming into the creature's chest. The Goliath staggered, its defenses weakened.

"We're finishing this now," Astron said, moving swiftly to join them. His daggers glinted in the icy light as he closed in on the Goliath, striking with precision at the weakened points Elena's fire had exposed. With each strike, the Goliath's movements became slower, more sluggish, until finally, with a final, resounding crack, the massive creature crumbled into a pile of ice and snow.

The remaining Goliaths, seeing their ally fall, let out guttural roars and pressed forward with renewed fury, but the team was ready. Astron, Dorian, and Lila regrouped, and together with Kurt, Gareth, and Elena, they coordinated their final assault. Elemental magic, blades, and barriers worked in perfect harmony as they dismantled the last of the Goliaths, their towering forms collapsing under the team's combined strength.

As the final Goliath fell, a heavy silence settled over the battlefield, broken only by the sound of the wind howling through the icy cliffs.

Astron surveyed the scene, his breath steady as he sheathed his daggers. "Good work. That was the last wave."

Kurt wiped the frost from his brow, his shoulders sagging with relief.

"Only the boss left?"

"That is right."

Astron glanced at the team, giving them a moment to recover. The fight had been grueling, and while they had held their ground well, the toll of the battle was evident. The air was biting, and the relentless cold of Frostbound Ascent had begun to sap their energy.

"We'll take a short break here. Everyone, renew your energy." His tone was steady, leaving no room for argument.

The team, grateful for the chance to recover, began rummaging through their supplies. Each of them pulled out a small bar from their gear—a concentrated resource designed to replenish both mana and physical stamina. The bars, made from processed molecules of Awakened monsters, were common among Hunters, a vital tool for enduring prolonged dungeon raids.

Astron reached into his spatial storage and retrieved his own bar. It was a dark, compact block, packed with the nutrients and mana-boosting properties necessary to restore energy after a tough fight. He unwrapped it without ceremony, biting into the tough, slightly bitter meal. The processed molecules from the Awakened monsters coursed through his system, providing an immediate boost to his mana and physical reserves.

Around him, the rest of the team followed suit, eating their own energy bars in silence. The exhaustion of the fight was starting to fade, their strength slowly returning.

"These bars never get any better, do they?" Dorian muttered, chewing on his with a grimace. "Tastes like I'm eating compressed dirt."

Elena chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I've heard they're working on flavor improvements, but I wouldn't hold your breath."

Kurt leaned back against a nearby rock, his shield resting beside him as he wiped the frost from his brow. "Doesn't matter how they taste, as long as they keep us going."

Astron remained silent, focusing on restoring his energy. The food did its job, flooding his body with the mana and nutrients needed to maintain his peak condition.

The team was the same. With their energy restored, they followed Astron toward the boss chamber, ready to face whatever awaited them inside.

As the team approached the boss chamber, the terrain began to shift dramatically. The jagged cliffs and towering walls of ice slowly gave way to a vast, open expanse that stretched out before them. Unlike the rest of the dungeon, which had been suffocatingly cold and filled with the sound of the wind howling through the mountains, this area was disturbingly quiet—eerily still.

The ground beneath their feet was hard-packed snow, almost unnaturally smooth, as if nothing had disturbed it for a long time. Even the air felt heavier, weighed down by an unnatural silence.

"Something's off," Elena whispered, her voice barely carrying in the stillness. She glanced around, her staff held tightly in her hands.

Kurt nodded, his shield raised as he scanned the area warily. "Where's the boss? Shouldn't it be here?"

The chamber, which should have housed the dungeon's final challenge, was oddly empty. There was no sign of movement, no signs of a beast lying in wait. The walls were lined with those strange engravings, the only indication that something—something powerful—was supposed to reside here. But the Snow Yeti, the boss they were preparing for, was nowhere to be seen.

Dorian, his blades at the ready, narrowed his eyes. "This is weird. We should've seen it by now."

Astron, walking slightly ahead of the group, surveyed the area with his usual calm precision. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

'I am meeting with that bastard once again.' He had met the yeti before. At least, at that time, he hadn't faced it directly, but still, he was still aware of its presence. ((N1))

The Snow Yeti was a peak-rank-6 monster, powerful and territorial. There was no way it would have simply disappeared. His eyes darted to the strange symbols carved into the ground, and a sense of unease settled over him.

Then, without warning, a deep, resonating roar echoed from somewhere beyond the chamber. The sound reverberated off the icy walls, sending a shiver down the spines of every team member.

Astron's eyes widened as realization hit him. "It's not here…" he muttered, his voice barely audible.

The others turned to look at him, confusion on their faces. "What do you mean?" Gareth asked, his barriers flickering slightly in response to the growing tension.

"It's coming from somewhere else," Astron said sharply, his tone urgent now. "The Yeti isn't waiting for us—it's running toward us."

The moment those words left his mouth, the team tensed, readying their weapons. "Take your positions!" Astron ordered, his voice cutting through the cold air. "It's closing in fast!"

No sooner had they moved into position than a massive shadow loomed over them, blocking out the faint light that had filtered into the chamber. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and a gust of freezing wind whipped through the air as something huge leaped into the sky, its immense form blotting out the sun.

The Snow Yeti, larger and more terrifying than they had anticipated, soared through the air above them, its powerful muscles propelling it with terrifying speed. Its massive, fur-covered body was a blur of white against the icy backdrop, and its eyes glowed with an intense, predatory fury.

Astron's instincts kicked in immediately. "It's here—now!" he shouted.

The Yeti's enormous form descended upon them, its massive claws extended, ready to strike. The team had only seconds to react as the shadow of the beast covered their faces, plunging them into a moment of darkness before the battle began.