Phillard had no memory of ever being an animal . His first recollection was standing up on his legs, feeling the need to fill his belly . As a magical beast, he had always been on the top of the food chain .
Fear was a rare emotion for him . Something he experienced only when facing Evolved Monsters or, more recently, Lith . Being eaten alive made Phillard discover the emotion of terror .
The awareness that, even if he somehow managed to get rid of the troll, he could still die from his wounds, was almost enough to make him panic .
Almost .
His body was weak but his mind was strong . Tendrils of earth emerged from the ground, shoving themselves down the troll's many maws . Mud and rocks tasted terrible . A disgusted expression appeared on the Fallen's face while it tried to get rid of the fetters restricting its movements .
Reaper exploited the moment the two were finally separated to unleash his most powerful lightning on the still struggling troll . Hammer Fall was the equivalent of a tier four air spell .
The lightning bolt was as big as a small house and instead of striking once before disappearing into the ground, it coiled around its prey, hitting it multiple times .
The troll's skin was blackened and the smell of grilled meat accompanied his charred body . It made the Lindwurm hungry, reminding him he was an apex predator . All those who opposed him were bound to become food first and manure later .
The troll started to heal the instant the lightning stopped, its hands glowing with light magic . Guardian the Ry struck it with several fire bolts, but in its humanoid form, the troll wasn't vulnerable to fire anymore .
"I'm useless here!" She said . "I'll go back and help the others . Try to hold on until we get rid of the other three trolls . "
"Easier said than done!" Reaper cursed . Letting a single troll go would mean that all of their fallen companions would have died for nothing . Running away wasn't an option .
Phillard roared his challenge and stood up on his tail despite the agony from his multiple wounds and the blood spurting everywhere . The troll charged at the Lindwurm, releasing another barrage of daggers made of light .
This time Phillard was ready . He clenched his right hand, raising a stone wall that blocked the light spell . The troll smashed through the wall, falling into Phillard's trap . Right behind the stone barrier, he had mixed water and earth to create a thick mud layer that thoroughly coated the troll .
Suddenly the creature was deaf, blind, and slowed enough for the Lindwurm to conjure a giant hammer made of stone . He used it to send the troll flying in the sky with a single powerful upward blow .
"Strike it with everything you got!" Phillard ordered both the Crons and Reaper while removing the earth and leaving the monster drenched in water .
Lightning bolts struck from every direction with enough force to almost prevent the troll from falling down . Phillard made sure the creature never regained its footing . He swung the stone hammer sending the troll flying every time it was about to reach the ground .
With no spells and its mobility sealed, soon the troll reverted back to its hideous form and died shortly thereafter . Phillard was exhausted . He was doing everything he could to treat his wounds, but his knowledge of light magic was limited to chore magic .
He could only dress the wounds with earth magic to stop the bleeding . When he saw that the three other trolls were still alive, rage blinded him .
"Why don't you just die?" He roared . The air in his lungs mixed with the unique mana running through his body . A spark of his life force ignited the mana, turning the roar into a green cloud that enveloped the trolls and filled the crater .
The rocks melted, and the earth decaying emitting the disgusting smell of rotten eggs . Everything touched by the toxic breath died and the trolls were no exception . Their bodies turned into pools of white liquid . Not even bones were left behind .
"F*ck my life!" Phillard cursed . "Couldn't I have learned that five minutes ago?"
Of the twenty one magical beasts, only fourteen remained and many others wouldn't survive their wounds .
***
Phloria's boot camp was a nightmare . She knew what to expect, Orion had told her everything in advance, yet no words could describe the harsh reality she had faced during the last six months .
First, her long hair had been shaved to a buzz cut and then all of her magical items had been confiscated . Everything that reminded her of her past life, every link with her family had been severed .
They strictly forbid the use of magic outside of chore magic during the training course . The cadets could only use their first name and the service number assigned to them . It was for their own protection .
The military was the polar opposite of an academy . The male to female ratio was seven to three and nobles would suffer from hazing if discovered . Most of the applicants were poor people trying to build a better future for themselves .
More often than not, they had been forced to run away from an unfair ruler, either to spare their families from more taxes or to avoid a grudge . Nobles were despised by both officers and grunts, forcing them to hide in plain sight .
With her muscular build and her callous hands from all her training, Phloria had no problems passing for a commoner . Whenever someone asked her about her family or past, she simply talked about Lith's .
They had spent so much time together that she knew his life like the back of her hand . It helped Phloria to make friends and to keep her identity a secret . She had never experienced most of their daily worries except through Lith's words .
The first months were brutal . The instructors only cared about strength, stamina, and speed . Only those who excelled would get a shot at becoming part of the elite forces . Average cadets could only become normal soldiers, while those lacking in one or more skill could only hope that their brain would get them a desk job .
The rest would be deemed unfit for service and discharged .
In every test during the first three months, Phloria outperformed every other cadet in her platoon . It earned her a lot of admiration from her barrack mates and just as much hostility from the other cadets .
However, the Ernas family had stolen too much spotlight lately, their enemies were itching for an opportunity to embarrass them .
Archduke Teben had never forgotten the humiliation his daughter suffered during the White Griffon tournament . He couldn't stand Phloria overshadowing Clea in the military too, so he made sure the right rumors reached the right ears .
When her identity was "casually" discovered, all Phloria's hard work was for naught . Even her barrack mates abandoned her . They could stand being outclassed by a hard working commoner, while the success of a silver spooned noble was unacceptable .
Soon Phloria was cut off from the other cadets . The only thing worse than the daily hazing and humiliation was the isolation . Things hit rock bottom when her platoon met their sergeant instructor: Trion Proudstar .
It was Archduke Teben's final gift . He knew Trion hated his brother so much that he had refused Lith's family name and bought one with his own merits instead of using them to further his career .
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