"Sigh....Out of all the monsters, it is this one..."

Standing before the lair, Julia looked at the monster ahead. It was a huge monkey-like monster who was simply lying on the ground with a sleeping posture.

"Can you see it, Miss Julia?"

"Tch...Didn't I tell you to simply call me Julia? Why are you refusing to listen to me."

"B-but..."

"No buts. If you are that uncomfortable, call me captain instead."

"Ah..Okay...Then, captain, can you see it from here?"

"I can't clearly see it, but I can sense it."

"You can sense it?"

"Yes. It is a Yeti."

"A yeti?"

The party members gathered around, peering cautiously at the slumbering beast. The Yeti was massive, covered in shaggy fur, and had long, powerful limbs.

"It's enormous," Sylvie whispered, her eyes wide with awe and a touch of fear.

Barry, the always the analytical one, spoke up. "Yetis are known to be strong and extremely territorial. We need to approach this carefully."

"Right," The girl with the spear in her hand agreed, her eyes fixed on the monster. "We should have a plan in place before we attempt to engage it."

For this whole time, this party just brute forced their way to this place, thanks to the unique strength of Julia Middleton. However, considering even she was looking slightly skeptical, it was evident to the party members that it wouldn't work that easily.

"Well, since we have Sylvie, we can start by testing things out," Julia said as she looked at the sleeping monster. Since it was sleeping peacefully, they could also wait for another team.

Sylvie looked nervous but determined. "I'll do my best to support you all."

Hearing this Julia smiled. This girl was quite cute and innocent. Her reactions, the way she looked at everyone with a smile, the way she was scared but still tried to help everyone....For Julia, that was what strong people did, regardless of their strengths.

'She is a strong girl.'

She nodded inside as she patted Sylvie on her shoulder.

"You can-"

However, just as she was about to continue, a low rumbling sound reverberated through the cave. Julia felt the ground tremble beneath her feet, and her eyes widened in realization.

"Get down!" she yelled, quickly pushing Sylvie and Barry behind a large rock formation nearby. The rest of the party members scrambled for cover, their hearts racing. It was as if an earthquake was about to occur.

CRUMBLE!

The rumbling grew louder, and within moments, a rush of snow and ice cascaded down from above, engulfing the cave entrance in a deafening roar. An avalanche was descending upon them.

As the cascade of snow came to a rest and the noise subsided, they emerged from their hiding spots. The landscape had changed drastically; the cave entrance was now buried under a massive heap of snow and ice.

"We're trapped," At that moment, Mason appeared as he said grimly, surveying the scene.

Julia clenched her fists, her mind racing since the whole plan was shattered now because all of the party members could feel another rumbling voice coming from the place in front.

"ROAAAAR!"

As a hearty roar echoed all around the place, the party understood there was no way to escape anymore.

"ROAAAAR!"

Julia took a deep breath, steadying her nerves as she prepared to lead the battle. The monstrous roar of the Yeti echoed through the cave, shaking the very ground they stood on. With a stern expression, she addressed her party members.

"Listen up, everyone. We don't have a choice but to face the Yeti head-on. Sylvie, I need you to stay close and focus on healing. Don't worry about fighting; we'll protect you."

Sylvie nodded, her face pale but determined. She clutched her staff tightly, ready to support her companions.

Julia continued, "Barry, keep analyzing the Yeti's movements and weaknesses. We need that information to formulate a strategy. Mason, you're on offense. Hit hard and draw its attention. I'll coordinate and provide cover....."

She continued to give orders. Even though she might not look like that, Julia was actually a girl with quite a lot of dungeon experience. From the day she had awakened, she had been going into the dungeons her family operated, and for her, that was how her life worked.

Thus, she was able to pick some habits of the seniors she had worked under.

"Let's move out."

With those words, the briefing was over.

SWOOSH!

As the Yeti stirred and began to rise, Julia charged forward, leading the assault.

The ground beneath them was still unstable from the avalanche, adding to the challenge. Yet, the party moved swiftly, each member fulfilling their designated roles.

'Wow...She can lead like that, huh?'

The playful demeanor of the previous Julia was nowhere to be seen, and at that exact moment, Mason understood.

'Just as they said, this girl is also dangerous. Maybe I can even hit two birds with one stone today.'

With that thought, Mason turned his attention to the slightly trembling girl beside him.

'Let's see how long she can hold on.'

Of course, they had a plan specifically prepared for today. After all, they had already managed to put quite a number of their people inside this place.

SWOOSH!

He lunged at the Yeti with his weapon, attracting its attention.

The beast roared in fury and swung its massive arms, immediately lifting the veil of the snow on the ground.

SWOOSH!

"Careful!" Julia shouted as she saw the girl with a spear almost getting hit by the monster before her.

CLANK!

She blocked the monster's attack with her sword. The force behind the attack sent waves to her body as she convulsed.

"Captain."

SWOOSH! historical

The spear girl immediately came to her help and covered for her.

And strangely, at that moment, Julia had a weird feeling that this monster before them was something that shouldn't be here.

She was getting the feeling she had never felt in the academy before.

She was slightly familiar with that, but it was something that shouldn't have existed here.

'This is Bloodlust?'

It was the feeling of bloodlust. When faced with a monster that evolved while competing with countless others, in the end, one was bound to feel the overwhelming past of that said monster.

However, the monsters created by the dungeon in the academy were artificial; thus, they would not normally exclude such bloodlust.

'Something is wrong.' She realized it immediately as the bloodlust suddenly increased. The yeti's eyes were filled with a crimson glint and that sent shivers to her spine.

"CARE-"

"ROOOOOAR!"

SMASH

With a loud roar, the Yeti raised its hands and smashed the ground.

SWOOSH!

And as the aftereffects of that smash, everyone surrounding the yeti was immediately blasted off, not being able to fend off the attack's momentum.

Aside from Irina, she immediately activated the skill she had and jumped, evading the wave of snow.

"ROAAR!"

However, that left her alone with the monster before her, which meant she was the sole target of the said monster.

CLANK! CLANK!

The battle between Julia and the Yeti escalated into a fierce struggle. Julia's movements were fueled by desperation and determination.

'What is this power?'

She parried the Yeti's attacks, her blade clashing with its savage strikes. Each blow she blocked sent tremors through her arms, threatening to shatter her guard.

Even the sword she was holding was about to shatter; a sword that was provided by the academy was about to get damaged.

Yet, the Yeti was relentless, its strength seemingly inexhaustible. It pushed Julia to her limits, driving her to the brink of exhaustion.

She fought valiantly, her sword slashing through the air, but the monster's ferocity was overwhelming.

'Tch....Do I really need to use it now?'

She really didn't want to use the special skill that was given by her family. It had a huge mana consumption and quite a lot of side effects.

'But the conditions are already met.'

Seeing the monster's claws, she understood she had no chance. She was about to use her skill.

SWOOSH!

But just at that moment, as the battle reached its zenith and Julia felt the claws of defeat closing in, a sudden blaze erupted from the sky.

"What?"

She immediately felt the pressure of the attack, as the immense amounts of energy of fire psions had already gathered all at one point.

"EXPLOSION!"

And the moments she heard the familiar voice, she understood the reason.

Sword of Middleton – Vortex

SWIRL!

Putting every mana on her sword, she got ready for the overwhelming attack that as about to come.

BOOM!

Following that, a torrent of fire crashed into the Yeti, throwing it off balance and buying Julia a precious moment.

With her sword swinging around, she redirected the fire coming her way, making her team behind her not getting affected by the attack.

Cutting the scene right there, the battlefield was transformed into a spectacle of fire and chaos. The smoke and flames obscured the Yeti momentarily, leaving the outcome of this fierce battle hanging in the balance.

'So, she is the one.'

As she thought about that, she intently looked at the smoke covering the place where the monster stood.

As the smoke began to clear, revealing the defeated Yeti, Julia's heart was still racing from the intensity of the battle.

"Haaaah...."

Her blade, scuffed and battered from the relentless onslaught, rested in her hands as she caught her breath.

Irina emerged from the dissipating smoke, her demeanor poised and victorious. She grinned at Julia, a playful glint in her eyes. "Need a little help, Middleton?"

Julia couldn't help but smile back, the rush of battle subsiding as she chuckled. "Irina, you just love stealing my thunder, don't you?"

"Well, what are friends for?" Irina teased, giving a wink. "Besides, we've got to make sure you keep that title of the academy's strongest intact, don't we?"

She was smiling happily, but Julia noticed that Irina was giving glances to someone from time to time. Still, she playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course. Wouldn't want to disappoint the fans."

"HRRRRR!"

But, just at that exact moment, suddenly, both Irina and Julia heard something. The yeti behind the two started moving once again.

"What?" Irina, surprised, was about to raise her fire once again, but at that moment, Julia sensed the mana condensing around the monster's hands.

It was the same pattern the monster attacked before.

"IRINA! CAREFUL!"

She immediately called, trying to warn her friend.

SMASH!

As Julia's warning rang out, the Yeti unleashed a devastating shockwave by smashing the ground with its massive fists.

The force of the blow sent a powerful shockwave rippling through the air, hurtling towards Irina, who was closest to the monster.

Irina, quick on her feet, acted instinctively. With a swift motion, she summoned a protective barrier of fire, attempting to shield herself from the oncoming force.

BOOM!

The shockwave collided with the barrier, causing a violent explosion of flames and force. The impact sent Irina flying backward, the fiery shield absorbing the brunt of the attack, but the shockwaves transmitted after the clash still doing their work.

SWOOSH!

She flew at a rapid speed, and following that, she disappeared in the middle of the smoke.

"IRINA!" Julia shouted, rushing to her friend's aid.

ROAR!

However, before she could even move a step, she felt the roar of the monster behind her as the ground trembled.

The Yeti, with its eyes shining red, was still standing after all....