Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2334  Tactics

Day 5

Clouds of dust billowed across the vast desert of Veloria Prime, kicked up by the rapid movement of a pack of legendary beasts known as [Desert Wind Dogs]. The massive creatures, their golden fur shimmering under the harsh sun, charged as one, hunting with relentless speed and coordination.

At the front of the chase was a young acolyte, riding a large tiger with sleek, black fur. Each of the Desert Dogs was as large as the tiger itself, their fierce growls resonating through the air. Their sheer numbers and speed made even a Magus realm warrior cautious.

The acolyte leaned forward, speaking between labored breaths, "You're doing great, buddy! Almost there!" The tiger's muscles rippled with effort as it weaved through the desert terrain, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of the relentless predators.

Ahead loomed a natural rock formation—a barrier of jagged stone that jutted up from the desert floor. As the acolyte and his mount darted between the rocks, the desert beast followed, their growls growing louder as they closed in.

Suddenly, figures emerged from the shadows of the rocks, springing into action from behind their cover.

"NOW!!! All attack!!!" Hardy's voice boomed across the canyon.

From all sides, the acolytes of Hall 33 leaped into action. Blaine, his fists glowing with raw energy, charged forward and unleashed a series of explosive punches. King Rig, wielding twin axes crackling with electricity, let out a war cry and hurled one of the weapons at a nearby beast. Ha Ron moved with deadly precision, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he sliced through the pack with a speed that left the air humming in their wake.

The battle was fierce. Dust and blood filled the air as the acolytes clashed with the ferocious beasts. They barked and howled in desperation. Some fought back, snapping their powerful jaws at the acolytes, but the well-coordinated ambush and tight encirclement quickly threw their ranks into chaos.

Realizing their disadvantage, several of the remaining beasts attempted to retreat, turning to flee from where they had come. But Ullong and Titus were ready. Ullong's body shimmered with a metallic glint as he blocked one of the beasts with sheer brute force, while Titus summoned his ice golems to halt the rest.

In less than five minutes, two dozen legendary Desert Dogs had been slain. The once golden sands of the Veloria Prime desert were now soaked in blood, their lifeless forms scattered across the battlefield.

Despite the overwhelming success, the twelve acolytes of Hall 33 did not lower their guard. There were no cheers, no celebrations—only a shared, intense vigilance.

All eyes turned toward Hardy, who knelt with both hands pressed into the sand, his lips moving quietly as he cast a spell.

[Lifeform Detection]

The spell sent out a pulse of energy that rippled through the earth, reaching far beyond what the naked eye could see. Seconds later, Hardy's eyes snapped open, and he shouted, "Three miles to the west!"

Immediately, the group sprang into action. They quickly took positions atop the rocks, finding vantage points from which they could observe the direction Hardy had indicated.

Then, it happened. The earth began to tremble, a deep, rumbling sound that reverberated through the canyon. The ground in the distance shifted unnaturally, sand rippling and bulging as though something massive was moving beneath it.

All held their breath as the desert floor erupted, a gargantuan form bursting forth from beneath the blood-soaked carcasses.

ROAARRR!!!

A deafening roar echoed through the desert as a giant bipedal stone creature emerged from beneath the sands. Its massive frame, over 50 meters long, was covered in rigid stone plates. A large crown-like structure adorned its skull, and its terrifying jaw looked capable of snapping a human in half with a single bite.

[Brute Stone Lizard]

[Mythical Beast - High level]

 Hardy's voice cut through the chaos as he quickly assessed the situation.

"Bellana, now!"

The female insectoid half-blood wasted no time. With a swift motion, she cast a powerful freezing spell, sending icy tendrils across the beast's stone-covered body. The frost spread rapidly, locking the creature in place for just a moment—long enough for the others to unleash their attacks.

Blaine rushed forward with his explosive punches, each strike causing cracks to form in the creature's stone plates. King Rig's axes crackled with electricity as they slashed through the beast's defenses, and Ha Ron's sharp blades found the weak spots between the stone armor.

ROAARR!!!

The Brute Stone Lizard roared again, this time in pain. Its eyes glowed with a wild fury as it entered a frenzy, thrashing violently and causing the very ground to tremble beneath them. The sheer force of its movements sent shockwaves through the air, but the acolytes held their ground.

"Good! This is what we want! Keep it above the ground!"

Despite their success so far, the acolytes knew the terrifying strength of the Brute Stone Lizard. One wrong move, one moment of carelessness, and being caught by the beast's massive jaws or claws would mean instant death.

But Hall 33 had come prepared, and their strategy was in full effect.

Blaine and Ha Ron took the lead, luring the beast with precision. They darted left and right, skillfully dodging its powerful swings and massive tail slams, while the rest of the group distracted it by making loud noises from all sides.

Multiple spells bombarded the beast from every angle, disorienting it and keeping it from focusing on any single target. Minute by minute, the creature's movements grew slower, and its attacks became less precise.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of fierce combat, the Brute Stone Lizard let out one last deafening roar before collapsing to the ground, its massive body shaking the earth beneath it. Its breathing grew shallow, then ceased entirely.

[High Hall Ranking - Day 5/30]

[13th Place: Hall 33 - 9210 Points]

"Yes!! We did it!!" Their risky decision to move into more perilous hunting grounds had paid off. The massive boost in points had shot them up the rankings. Hardy's meticulous research into the planet's habitat had proven invaluable, from luring the beast out with the scent of blood to exploiting its heightened hearing and blind spots. Every detail had been carefully planned, and their execution was flawless.

As the group caught their breath, Hardy turned to Armenius with a smirk.

"You can start playing bait once more," "No… please let my buddy rest for a while,"

The group continued using their well-honed strategy, efficiently taking down several more mythical beasts each day. Hall 33 was pushing their limits, but their hard work was paying off. Over the next five days, their relentless efforts brought them into the top 10.

[High Hall Ranking - Day 10/30] Nôv(el)B\\jnn

[10th Place: Hall 33 - 31,590 Points]

Despite still being far from the top five, the acolytes of Hall 33 were brimming with confidence. They felt unstoppable, certain that they could achieve their goal of breaking into the top five.

That confidence, however, was soon challenged.

On the 11th day, as they prepared for another day of hunting, a group of acolytes was seen approaching from the east. They were from Hall 22— acolytes of the Nephilim faction.