Giant Brain: A Cornered Beast's Struggle!

Ron closed his eyes and tried to pinpoint the source of the strange sensation, but the sound vanished in an instant.

"Strange."

He muttered to himself, uneasily rolling out of bed.

At that very moment, the noise next door suddenly intensified.

That was no longer a sound a human could make. It was more like the anguished howl of some beast, mixed with the bizarre scrape of metal.

"Looks like the thing I least wanted to happen really has happened..."

Ron murmured, a powerful sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

He swiftly rolled off the bed, his movements light and quick, making no sound at all.

The hunting drills his father had once forced him and his brothers to take part in back in the kingdom were proving useful now.

The sounds next door grew more frantic, occasionally accompanied by dull thuds as something heavy slammed into the wall.

Something seemed to be struggling, crashing, and roaring inside that cramped room.

Ron hesitated for a moment, quickly assessing his situation.

As Darund's immediate neighbor, he was the one most likely to be affected.

Andre had specifically warned him about the horrors of the Aberrants in the Black Mist Forest.

In the early stages of Aberration, most mutated individuals could retain the most basic shred of reason. But as time passed, their reason would gradually be Devoured until they became monsters that knew only Slaughter.

Even more terrifying, once all reason was lost, an Aberrant's strength would soar at an astonishing rate.

By completely casting off the restraints on their limits and frantically feeding for nourishment, they could even reach a terrifying level comparable to a High-level Apprentice in a short time.

There were still two months until the assessment. He could not take risks here.

"Darund has already begun mutating. By the time the Enforcement Squad notices, it'll definitely be too late." Ron thought rapidly. "I have to leave immediately."

After getting dressed, he grabbed his wooden sword and fastened it to his waist, stuffing his valuables into his clothes.

"Better him than me." Ron muttered. "Staying alive comes first. I'll deal with it after dawn."

Just as he finished packing, the strange sounds next door abruptly stopped, replaced by an even more terrifying silence.

That silence lasted only a few seconds before it was broken by a series of cracking bones and the wet, sticky sounds of writhing flesh.

Ron's heartbeat quickened. He cautiously approached the door, opened a narrow crack, and looked outside.

The corridor was empty. Most Candidate Apprentices were either already resting or cultivating behind closed doors in their rooms, completely unaware of the danger lurking among them.

He had to get away from here and consider notifying the Enforcement Squad once he reached safety.

Ron took a deep breath and silently pulled open the door, ready to leave quickly.

The instant he stepped out, the wall suddenly exploded. A twisted figure smashed through it like a cannonball and charged straight into the corridor.

Bricks, splintered wood, and Dust flew everywhere, accompanied by an inhuman howl.

Ron reacted swiftly and instinctively retreated two steps, narrowly avoiding being sent flying by the charging monster.

"Damn it!"

That was... Darund?

His eyes widened, and he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

The figure standing before Ron was no longer the slightly plump researcher, but a malformed monster.

Darund's body seemed to be twisting in agony. His clothes had burst apart, exposing the constantly writhing muscle tissue beneath.

But the most horrifying part was his head—his entire skull seemed to have been forced apart from within, and a huge, pulsing, translucent brain had emerged from it.

The surface of that malformed brain was covered in writhing blood vessels. Some areas even emitted a faint blue glow, as though electricity were coursing through them.

"Ron." The monster actually recognized him. In a voice layered from two different voices, it struggled to force out several words. "Run. Away."

But that spark of humanity vanished in an instant. Darund's eyes quickly turned vacant, his pupils spreading into pools of black.

"Urgh... Awooo!"

Its unfinished words became a beastly roar, while the light on the surface of its exposed brain grew even more dazzling.

Ron felt an invisible shockwave hurtling toward him. In an instant, it felt as though a massive hammer had slammed into his chest.

Thanks to the Constitution Enhancement granted by the Knight Squire profession, he barely withstood the attack. Even so, it felt as if invisible hands were kneading his organs, and the pain was excruciating.

Had it been the old him, this force would likely have already caused massive internal bleeding.

The mutated Giant Brain Monster no longer responded to his calls. Instead, it released a series of piercing shrieks, each sonic attack more powerful than the last.

Cracks began to appear in the corridor's wooden railings, while several nearby doors shook as though they were about to collapse.

Ron understood that the situation could no longer be salvaged.

Darund had been completely transformed by the potion into a dangerous Aberrant.

In the Black Mist Forest, there was only one way to deal with such a situation—eliminate the threat!

Seeing the monster's wildly muscular stance and the unceasing, powerful penetrating sound waves, Ron did not think turning around and exposing his back to it would end well.

At that thought, Ron's gaze turned cold and focused. All pity and fear were suppressed in the deepest part of his heart.

At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind—survival!

The mutated Darund seemed to sense the threat. It let out an enraged roar, then charged fiercely toward him.

It was unbelievably fast. Its thick, muscular legs stomped against the ground, and it crossed the distance between them almost instantly.

Ron did not attack in panic. Following the principles of Corona Swordsmanship, his breathing and movements aligned perfectly as he sidestepped the attack at the last moment.

At the same time, he held his sword in his right hand and accurately slashed at Darund's leg.

Perfect Dodge Counterattack! Basic Swordsmanship experience +2

The sword struck its target with a dull thud.

Darund staggered from the pain, but quickly steadied himself and turned to attack again, though his speed had noticeably decreased.

This time, he did not charge directly. Instead, he opened his mouth and released a special Sonic Oscillation.

The energy in the air began to distort, forming rings of semi-transparent sound waves that surged toward Ron.

Ron tried to dodge, but the soundwave rings were astonishingly fast, making them nearly impossible to evade completely.

He barely twisted aside to avoid the first wave, but the second ring of sound waves struck his shoulder directly.

"Argh!"

A burst of searing pain shot through him, and Ron felt his right arm temporarily go numb.

This was not merely a physical impact, but an attack combining spiritual power and sound waves—the prototype of the Sonic Spell Darund had been researching.

He struggled to widen the distance between them, but Darund suddenly threw back his head and released a piercing shriek. Rings of even more powerful sound waves spread from his mutated brain, creating an all-encompassing impact.

Blood trickled from the corner of Ron's mouth. He knew he had to end the fight quickly, or he would be shaken to death alive.

Seeing his opponent gather strength again, preparing to unleash an even stronger sonic attack, Ron had an idea and cast the Zero-ring Spell he had mastered.

"Slime Splash!"

As spiritual power surged, a mass of viscous liquid shot from his fingertips and accurately struck Darund's feet.

The liquid rapidly solidified, firmly sticking the Giant Brain Monster's feet to the ground.

Precise Hit! Slime Splash experience +2

The mutated Darund released an angry roar and tried to break free, but the slime was unusually tough.

Unable to move his feet, he could only remain where he was and continue firing sonic attacks.

The slime's binding effect was rapidly weakening. In less than a few seconds, Darund had already freed one leg.

If it broke free completely, Ron would undoubtedly die.

Taking advantage of the brief window while his target was restrained, Ron dodged the soundwave rings while searching for an opportunity to attack.

Soon, he noticed that Darund paused slightly after every sonic attack—the mutated brain needed time to rest after attacking.

"Now!"

Seizing the gap after the sonic attack ended, he swiftly circled behind Darund.

At this distance, Ron could clearly see the pulsing blood vessels on that malformed brain.

Without hesitating any longer, he raised his sword and thrust with all his strength toward that exposed, vulnerable spot!