Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess-Chapter 215 - 214- I will cry for you

Austin stood in the resting zone, taking steady breaths to calm his pounding heart. Raijin rested in his grip, humming with tension.

He was in the fourth dungeon.

The shore stretched before him, waves crashing not far from where he stood. This dungeon was close to the ocean—and it showed.

Dozens of crocodile-like humanoid beasts walked across the muddy field ahead. Their limbs were long and webbed, backs lined with translucent fins. Their glowing eyes swept the area, and their skin rippled, shifting colors to match the terrain.

Tough. Fast. Slippery. A nightmare on unstable ground.

Austin has just demiated more than a hundred fish like flying creatures, who didn't give him many points. But these were of different species.

Each one was a solid B- rank—just a step below Austin. One or two wouldn't be a problem. But fifty? In open ground where they could slide and swarm?

It'd be suicide.

But then his eyes caught the glowing numbers above their heads—[200].

A slow, wild grin tugged at his lips. "Now we're talkin'…"

He dismissed Raijin, summoning God's Wrath—twin hammers of punishment flashing into his hands.

The countdown began.

[...4...3...2...1…]

[BZZZZZZZ-]

Red light flooded the resting zone. The monsters snapped to attention, muscles tensing, eyes locking on him.

Too slow.

Austin's right arm blurred.

THWAAAANGGG

One hammer slammed down against the other in mid-air. The impact triggered a violent shockwave, blasting a curtain of mud into the monsters' faces. It bought him a second. That's all he needed.

He shot into the air, hand gripping a small, hexagonal device that pulsed with eerie light. His eyes scanned the chaos—seven of them clustered together.

Perfect.

He threw.

CLICK.

The device latched onto a monster's arm. It blinked in confusion, not knowing its death had already begun.

DOOOOOM.

A black orb exploded from the gadget, swallowing the seven creatures in a swirling gravitational field. They were dragged together, mashed into one mass, limbs flailing and thrashing in panic. The orb held tight—its core hidden somewhere in the tangle.

Austin levitated, Raijin flickering back into his hand. Thunder crackled around him like a storm taking human shape.

"Let's roast you nice and easy," he said, lightning licking across his skin.

The remaining monsters stepped back, their instincts screaming danger. Those trapped inside the orb froze when they saw him. They couldn't even make out his full figure—just a man-shaped storm, wrapped in silver lightning, grinning like a demon set loose.

"Alright then," Austin muttered, spinning the axe over his head.

A halo of lightning formed, glowing above him before sliding down in a perfect ring. It struck the ground around the cluster of monsters like a cage.

The beasts inside panicked. They twisted and clawed, desperate to break free.

Too late.

The moment they touched the ring—ZAP.

Their bodies jerked. Muscles locked. Skin sparked.

Austin watched them squirm for a moment… then snapped his fingers.

Silence.

The halo shrank.

"KHEEEK!!"

"HIIIIIICKK!!"

They shrieked as lightning surged through them, frying their nerves and burning them from the inside out. Smoke curled from their mouths.

One lone croc lunged at Austin from the side.

He didn't flinch.

He slid out his dagger—Shard—and calmly extended it toward the creature.

His eyes gleamed cold.

"Wait for your turn."

The screams died out.

Only the crackle of fading electricity remained, buzzing in the air like a warning.

Smoke rose from the ring, black and foul. The once vicious monsters now lay tangled and twitching, their skin charred, fins melted, and eyes wide open in lifeless shock. The mud beneath them sizzled, a few small sparks still dancing across the scorched earth.

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The muddy land turned silent; the seven monsters now turned into a mangled, charred matter that was neither living nor identifiable.

Austin took a deep breath and looked at the remaining creatures.

They had already made the distance from each other, hissing and radiating bloodlust, which was thicker than the smell of molten flesh and bones.

'Good...they won't come at me at once now...' Austin summoned the twin hammers and took his position.

There were still three hours left—he would surely reach the mid-boss by then.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Are you really going?" Rudolph asked the pink head beside him as they rested in the gymnasium

It was already evening and no one could be found in here.

They came here after classes for a casual spar since their heads were restless and fighting can only help them collect their thoughts.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" Rhea stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Rudolph sighed, "Look...Rhea ..this is not a battle but a war. A war in which we can lose our lives."

Rhea's brows elevated, "Do you think I don't know?"

Rudolph couldn't say what he actually wanted to, so he just turned silent.

However, Rhea had started to understand him enough to realize what he intended to say here.

"You don't want me to go there because you think my participation won't change much." The pinkhead voiced without any contempt or displeasure in her voice.

Rudolph shook his head, "I won't say that your participation wouldn't matter ...you still are the fifth strongest warrior of the academy."

Although Rudolph said that he knew if things came down Rhea would be forced to join the military.

If Eryndor gets attacked and things seem to be heading south, the King would order even the students of the academy to charge toward the frontline. Rudolph knows since it has happened in the past too.

So hoping to keep Rhea away from the battlefield seems like a pipe dream.

Rhea chuckled. Hugging her knees she said, "There are countless sad parts of being an orphan. But you know what's the single merit for not having a family?" She glanced at him, a sad smile tugging at her lips.

Rudolph remained silent, allowing her to add, "No one will cry even if I die tomorrow."

That's the reason why Rhea used to be so reckless before joining the academy. Working as a hunter, going to places where a normal girl wouldn't even dare to look at...she has lived that life since she knew there was no one to cry for her even if the person named Rhea disappeared one day.

Suddenly, Rhea felt warmth on her cheek before her face was turned towards Rudolph, and her lips were covered by another pair.

"....!" Rhea's eyes widened, her mind failing to register what she was experiencing, but in a corner of her mind, she could tell what was happening.

She was being kissed!

That sweet interaction only remained for a few seconds before Rudolph made some distance and softly whispered,

"Now you know that someone will cry if you disappear."

"⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄"

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.