Chapter 241: One Week Training Arc (4)

“Also,” Willow added, looking over at the beastkin. “Raegus, you need to stop letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Yes, your taunts were working effectively against Amelia, but what’s the point of taunting someone if you fall for their taunts twice as much?”

Raegis pouted, her gaze falling to the ground. “Raegis just made a little mistake.”

“Yes, it’s a little mistake but when you’re in a real duel, a little mistake like that can ruin your life,” Willow sighed. “I’m telling you these now so that you can learn and not die from these ‘little mistakes’.”

“Also, Amelia,” Willow turned his attention on the elf who nearly yelped at the sudden attention. “While Raegis may have been out of line, she was right about one thing.”

“She was holding back during your match.”

It was like a lightning bolt struck her. Amelia glanced back at Raegis, who smirked back at her with an annoying expression that said ‘I told you’. She gripped her fists tight. 

“I. . .see,” was the only response she could give.

Willow, seeing the downcast expression on Amelia’s face, scratched his head as he changed his expression to a smile. “Don’t beat yourself too much over it. You’re already plenty of a genius on your right, especially as a mage. Besides, you just started a couple weeks ago, and you’re already matching up with Raegis, even if she was holding back.”

“A couple more weeks later, and who knows how the results are going to be.”

Amelia looked up, seeming as if she had regained a bit more of her expression and color. “Yes. I mean, thank you Willow! I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“You’re someone who can dual-cast, not to mention, you have affinity with all seven major elements,” Willow raised an eyebrow. “Trust me, you’re not going to be disappointing me anytime soon.” He placed a hand on Amelia’s nude shoulder. “You’ve already surpassed my expectations, Amelia.”

Amelia's eyes widened with surprise and a glimmer of hope returned to her face. "You really think so, Willow? I mean, I can only use two elements simultaneously, but I've been practicing switching between the seven Major Elements individually. Though, it does depend on the amount of mana I have available."

Willow nodded, a proud smile playing on his lips. "That’s already a major improvement on your part, Amelia! A couple more improvements into your work, and you should be able to match Raegis even if she wasn’t holding back.”

Amelia's doubts began to fade as she absorbed Willow's encouraging words. What Willow said was true. It had only been a couple of weeks since she actually began casting spells again, and only a few days since she started training in dual-casting ever since Willow removed her curse. 

Yeah, she could do this. While Willow wasn’t looking, she made sure to give the most ‘Hear That?’ haughty looking expression over to Raegis and a side-eye before turning back to Willow with an innocent smile on her face. 

Raegis pounced onto the conversation. “So boss, are we going to keep sparring here until the tournament’s open?”

Willow smiled at that. “I’ve been waiting for that question.”

“Which means?” Amelia asked, dusting herself as she got up. 

Willow pointed to the sky. “We’re going on a quest, people!”

***

Raegis's wolf ears perked up at the mention of a quest, a spark of excitement in her eyes. “A quest?!”

Willow continued, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "The original plan was to focus on sparring and meditation to solidify our understanding of our own abilities. However, I see that everyone looks a little too stuffy doing the same thing all the time. So, I've decided to inject some excitement into our training."

Raegis's wolf ears perked up at the mention of a quest, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. As a beastkin, the desire to fight something strong ran deep within her nature. She couldn't help but ask, "So, which monster are we stabbing?!" 

Willow's gaze met Raegis's, a playful glint in his eyes. "Always wanting to stab something. I miss when you were less. . .battle-thirsty. But, anyway, we’re going to complete a quest that I’m sure everyone wants to do!”

Amelia repeated herself again. “Which is. . .?”

Curiosity filled the air as the party leaned in, awaiting Willow's next words.

"So, you all remember the quest with the X crossed on it?" Willow asked with a smile. 

Amelia flinched at the memory. Even Raegis temporarily stopped trying to stab the air, as she had a serious expression on her face. 

“Um, Willow. . you mean that quest?” Amelia gulped.

Willow nodded once-too many times. “Yep!” He mimed a snake with his hands. “We are going to take on the Special Ranked Quest and 'Kill The Multi-Headed Hydra.'”

***

Gasps filled the air as the weight of Willow's words sank in. The Multi-Headed Hydra was rumored to be a formidable beast, capable of devastating attacks and regenerating its heads if not defeated properly. It was a challenge that few dared to undertake and it stayed that way for a reason.

Amelia's eyes widened with a mix of excitement and fear. "The Multi-Headed Hydra? That's... that's insane! We’re not ready for this!"

Raegis surprisingly agreed as well, with a nod of her head. “We could die.”

"It’s too strong?" 

“That would be so if I didn’t have some special information that would guarantee us a victory!” Willow announced, puffing his little chest out which made the two women sigh in adoration. “Besides, the Tournament is only a couple of days away. Facing challenges like the Multi-Headed Hydra is what’s really going to get us to the next level.”

Amelia bit her lips. “What if we fail? We could risk everything we've worked so hard for."

Willow took a step closer to Amelia, his gaze filled with warmth and reassurance. “It will be okay. Trust me.”

And, that was all it took from the elf’s crush to get her to completely abandon normal reasoning and actually think that their upstart of an adventuring party could actually take on something as dire as a Multi-Headed Hydra. 

Willow continued, “Besides, who knows? You might actually gain some valuable insights that could help you finally defeat Raegis over here.”

Raegis dumbly looked over like a cat caught in action. “Hm?”

Amelia’s eyes narrowed, focused. “Ho-ho, that is true.”

“You want to go again, long-ears?” Raegis challenged. 

Willow ignored the cat-fight going on behind his back, as he gave a wide smile. “Well, I’m glad that we’re all on the same page.”

Willow allowed himself to sink deeper into his thoughts. 

The Multi-Headed Hydra—the very mention of its name sent shivers down the spines of seasoned adventurers. Its reputation was built on stories of its immense power, its ability to wield multiple elements through its heads, and its uncanny regeneration. It was a creature that had claimed the lives of many brave warriors who dared to challenge it, mostly because it was simply annoying as fuck.

Even in the game, where he could restart gameplay whenever he died, it was still an absolute horror dealing with that creature, and usually, it was a monster that he should only attempt to beat when he was at the very least in the next realm of chi understanding, but he didn’t have time. 

For this particular monster, he had spent countless hours in his gaming days studying the strategies of defeating it, analyzing it’s weaknesses, and understanding it’s behaviors.

The truth was, the Multi-Headed Hydra they were about to face was a unique variation of its species. Born with multiple heads from the start, it possessed a special ability. Unlike other hydras, when one of its heads was severed, it wouldn't regenerate or split into two. 

Instead, it would retreat into the body, increasing the abilities of the remaining heads. Yup, that was right. It actually increases the abilities of the remaining heads. It was a deadly foe, capable of overwhelming even the strongest warriors.

But there was more. Each head of the Hydra was bonded with a different element, making it an elemental powerhouse.

Simply put, the only strategy was to kill it off, quite possibly disintegrating it in one, clean shot, but obviously that wasn’t exactly possible for his party yet.

So, why exactly had he chosen such a difficult monster for his final quest before the Tournament, a quest that could most likely lead to their deaths?

The reward. More specifically, the egg. Or even more specifically, the egg-shaped item coveted by a certain merchant who would be in the Tournament, and if given this item, someone who would help him immediately break-through to the next realm.

Yes, he understood that this world wasn’t a mere game anymore. It was a real quest, with real stakes and real danger. And while Willow's knowledge from his gaming experience was valuable, he couldn't afford to be overconfident. The Multi-Headed Hydra was no scripted encounter—it was a living, breathing monster that would adapt and retaliate.

His mind raced through various scenarios, each one more dangerous than the last. He considered the elemental affinities of the Hydra's heads and how they would impact the battle. Would they need to isolate and neutralize specific heads to gain an advantage? Or would a full-on assault overwhelm the creature?

No, all of those ideas were good, but they were too amateurish. And, he was anything but.