Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Selection Tournament (5) The Hidden Hand Strikes

The massive lizard lay limply on the ground, a gaping wound at its neck spurting blood. Yet Artoria did not advance, for her instincts warned her that this creature was now exceedingly dangerous.

A fireball and two bolts of lightning struck the giant lizard, but it only shuddered, several of its scales turning a fiery red. Its eerie, insect-like compound eyes betrayed nothing of its intent, making it impossible to tell whom it watched—until the very instant it launched its attack.

Suddenly, the lizard opened its jaws and unleashed a fireball and two bolts of lightning straight at Artoria!

“It’s absorbing spells!” Li Mei shouted from afar, her brow furrowed. “But its absorption has limits; it didn’t absorb the prismatic ray just now. Try using composite magic—something other than fire or lightning!”

Facing the sudden onslaught of magic, Artoria calmly swung her holy sword, cleaving each spell apart with practiced ease. Once it had finished its assault, the giant lizard charged toward her with surprising speed.

Despite the menacing advance of this enormous magical beast, Artoria did not recklessly unleash her power to counter it head-on. Instead, she watched with composure. She knew her own strength well; in single combat, she was no match for the monster, nor did she need to fight it alone.

The hundred-meter distance between them could be crossed in a blink, given the creature’s explosive speed. Yet an invisible arrow struck its left compound eye, making it stumble in agony, nearly collapsing. Its compound eyes were not mere decoration; they excelled at tracking fast-moving objects. Thus, a highly skilled archer had used a special technique to mute both the arrow’s form and flight, landing a perfect shot.

At the very instant the giant lizard howled and faltered, Artoria sprang into action.

She unleashed her full magical power—ninety-one points of strength! With a blue-white blur, she severed the beast’s right foreleg, and sliced open the middle and hind legs, sending gouts of blood spraying from beneath its scales.

Steam rose from around her body, and a trail of distinct footprints was left on the rocky ground in her wake.

“If only I had the agility of my ‘King of Archers’ form,” Artoria thought as she backed away warily, sword raised. “I can hold my own in close combat, but my control during charges is still lacking.” She had aimed to sever all three legs on the lizard’s left side in one stroke but had misjudged the angle ever so slightly due to her limited control at full speed.

---

“That young lady’s instincts are impressive—she’s very experienced,” remarked an A-rank hero seated among the special guest judges. “She didn’t take unnecessary risks without knowing the creature’s capabilities. Instead, she waited for her teammates to create an opening, and she seized the perfect moment.”

“And her skill is formidable,” another judge nodded. “Pure strength enhancement, albeit short-lived, but even among A-rankers, this would be considered a top-tier ability.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Aranta, another judge, smiled as she cast a quieting spell around them, shielding their conversation from the amplifying charms in the stands. She then revealed Artoria’s true identity to the others.

“Two of that caliber?” another judge exclaimed in awe. “Impressive—no wonder she’s rated S+ in potential. If she can maintain that state around the clock one day, she’ll easily surpass S-rank.”

An S-rank dungeon was already the highest known level, but that didn’t mean there weren’t even more daunting challenges in the world. Just as the dividing line between ordinary and powerful heroes was the C-rank dungeon, for the true elites, S-rank was merely a stepping stone.

“Still, if her performance falls short, I won’t give her the top score in this match,” another judge laughed. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to the other girls.”

“Of course. Besides, I doubt she’s desperate for a mere boss kill.”

On the field, the giant lizard, grievously wounded by Artoria, writhed in agony. But as it rolled across the ground, its severed limbs astonishingly began to regenerate.

At that moment, the other melee fighters finally arrived, led by Katata. Eyes bloodshot with excitement, she raised her right fist, inspired to compete after witnessing Artoria’s prowess.

“Die! Mega Strike!” Katata’s right fist glowed with a pale red light as her arm muscles swelled to a grotesque size, looking almost disproportionate to her body.

The giant lizard had just regained its footing when Katata’s fist crashed down upon its head. Strangely, the beast seemed dazed, staring blankly as her punch descended, making no attempt to evade.

Bang!

Katata’s heavy blow landed squarely, producing a dull thud—like a foot kicking a hollow wooden door. To her astonishment, the giant lizard didn’t budge an inch.

From Artoria’s vantage, she saw the beast’s scales on most of its body turn a glowing red.

---

Then, the giant lizard opened its maw, unleashing a violent shockwave that sent Katata flying, her body sprawling against the protective barrier overhead.

Meanwhile, the other melee fighters’ weapons tore through the beast’s scales, sending blood and flesh flying.

“It can absorb not just magic, but physical impacts too…” Katata muttered in dismay as she crashed to the ground, pain wracking her body as she tried to rise. The shockwave had carried the full force of her own strike—she knew exactly how powerful that was.

“Two ribs broken, vertebrae and left skull fractured. I’ll need to rest for a bit…” Katata sat down helplessly, watching as the others laid siege to the giant lizard.

This B-rank boss was, statistically, among the weakest of its class, except for its formidable constitution. Its true strength lay in its abilities: once activated, any attack not exceeding its physical limit could be absorbed and reflected back as a breath or roar.

The prismatic ray and Artoria’s assault had not been absorbed—because the former was too weak for the creature to bother, and the latter had caught it off guard, its attention drawn by the crowd above.

Within its own territory, this beast would be a nightmare to face. But the organizers would never allow that—after all, this selection tournament was an entertainment show with time constraints. There was no way the monster could be allowed to fight at full strength.

Once the team understood how the creature’s abilities worked, they attacked in waves, baiting out its skills and wearing it down. Katata, after a brief rest, recovered and rejoined the fray.

It’s worth noting that Katata’s talent accelerated her healing. Though the hero system’s regenerative ability was strong, injuries like fractures and amputations could cause negative status effects, including reduced constitution and strength, and it would take at least ten minutes to fully recover.

A few minutes later, the battered giant lizard fell as Katata smashed its head with a single punch. It shuddered and then dissolved into nothing.

“It dropped!” Zhao Tianhe seized a nearby staff member in excitement, shouting, “It dropped a Summoning Talisman! Only B-rank bosses drop these!”

On the ground where the giant lizard had vanished, a golden Summoning Talisman gleamed, radiant with intricate golden patterns that Zhao Tianhe could almost make out as they shimmered in the light.