Heavy Metal [ A Monster Evolution LitRPG ]
Chapter 161 – Metal vs Lightning.

“H-help!”

A high-pitched scream pierced the air as Katherine flailed her arms wildly. A small creature clung to her face, clawing, biting, and even ramming its tiny horns against her in a frantic effort to break through the protective barrier provided to all the students. If it succeeded, the teleportation spell would activate, sending her back to the teleportation chamber and ending her chance to participate in the test.

“Lady Grandwell, don’t worry, I’ll hel...”

A young man shouted from a distance, trying to turn around to assist. But the moment he took his eyes off the beast they had been fighting, it struck. The lightning tiger let out a roar as its body crackled with living electricity. Its speed and strength surged, and it charged straight into the young man. His summoned serpent tried to intervene, but was too slow to stop the assault.

“Ahh… N-no!”

His body turned blue as the teleportation spell activated, pulling him out of the test. The lightning beast wasted no time. It turned to the remaining test participants and gave chase. With her protectors unavailable, Katherine was left vulnerable, relying only on her orcs for defense. But the last remaining Warrior Orc was already locked in combat elsewhere.

Rusty gave his opponent no chance to recover, positioning his metallic frame directly in the orc's path. This was the same type of Orc he had faced before, though it now stood in a larger, more imposing form. Despite Rusty using his standard body variant, his stats were far higher than before. The orc's blade, no matter how forcefully it struck, could not cut through him. Each hit left behind nothing more than shallow scratches, barely marking his reinforced body.

As he went on the counter-attack, he glanced at his little ally. The imp, summoned by Gwen, had been part of their plan from the beginning. They wanted their enemies to focus on Rusty as the main threat, and it had worked. The imp had slipped away unnoticed, hiding among the bushes and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Though the creature was weak, it was more than enough to threaten someone like Katherine, who lacked any ability to fight in close quarters. Her barrier was already beginning to fail.

“G-get it off!”

She kept screaming, flailing helplessly. It was obvious she had never been in a real fight or faced an enemy directly. The imp was weak, and a skilled summoner would have easily been able to push it off or summon something to deal with it.

There were even low-level summons that could be conjured instantly, but her panic made it impossible for her to concentrate. Summoners were capable of casting simple self-defense spells with a bit of training, but she had clearly neglected such preparation. 

She always relied on her entourage, letting others take the first hit for her. Her talent for summoning had made her overconfident and complacent. Now, that confidence meant nothing. The archer orc who had shielded her earlier was gone. The warrior orc was unable to break away from Rusty and instead was dying under his brutal mace strikes. She had no way out.

“I… N-no, this can’t be!”

A sharp crack rang out, like glass shattering. The imp’s bite went for her neck, and the protective barrier collapsed. The test’s magic recognized the final blow. Light enveloped her, and she turned into shimmering blue particles. Just before the world disappeared, she caught one last glimpse. It was not of the imp, but of Gwenndolin, the girl she had mocked and belittled. Gwenndolin’s expression no longer showed fear. It had changed into something else, pity.

A stunned silence fell over the battlefield. The moment Katherine vanished in a flash of blue light, the heavy pressure that had gripped the area disappeared. For a brief moment, everything felt calm. The person who had been viewed as the unstoppable tyrant of Summoning Class A was gone. To Gwen, it all seemed unreal, more incredible than even her first unexpected victory. But this time, she could no longer call it a fluke.

“We did it. We defeated Lady Grandwell. Someone pinch me… ow.”

Airy reached out and pinched one of Astrella’s cheeks, giving it a good tug just as her master had asked. She, too, had her grievances from how the other students had treated her. Among the nobility and mages, blood purity was valued strongly. Someone like  Astrella, who carried the mixed blood of three different races, had always found life difficult. Defeating someone like Katherine gave her a sense of hope. Her blood did not have to define her worth, and people like Katherine were not to be feared. They were spoiled, privileged brats who had a head start, but what mattered was the final outcome.

“We really did it. We beat her.”

Gwen's legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed. The adrenaline that had kept her standing began to fade, leaving behind exhaustion. With her tormentor gone, there seemed to be nothing more to fear. She allowed herself to relax for the first time. But just as she was about to fall to the ground, something flickered in her direction.

“Watch out. That beast is not dead yet.”

Rusty’s voice echoed through their shared connection as he appeared in front of her. He arrived just in time to block a massive bolt of lightning. He raised his shield to intercept the blast, but the defense did little to protect him. The lightning passed through the shield and surged through his body. Heat spread through his frame as the mana inside him became unstable. Even the monster core that powered him was affected.

A roar echoed across the battlefield. The white tiger still stood. Arcs of electricity danced along its body as it slowly stepped forward. Its muscles flexed, but its eyes remained locked on its new targets. Every other student was gone. Most had been defeated, while one had fled the moment Katherine was taken down by the summoned imp. With no one else left to challenge it, the monster turned its attention to the last remaining group, Rusty and the others.

“We need to run. Living armor monsters are weak against lightning magic!”

Astrella shouted as she rushed to Gwen’s side, helping her up from where she had fallen after nearly being electrocuted. It had been the first time Rusty was struck by such an attack. Normally, his shield could handle magical damage, but this lightning had behaved differently. It hadn’t been deflected. Instead, it passed through his shield, surged across his armor, and even affected his core while ignoring his defenses. The result was devastating. His health dropped by half in a single hit, and he knew he couldn’t survive another.

“Astrella is right, we should retreat.”

Gwen nodded as she couldn’t see another way out, but Rusty didn’t like that idea. 

“No, there has to be a way. We can beat this creature. Look.”

Rusty steadied himself and pointed toward the monster. Though it looked fierce, it wasn’t charging. Its mouth hung open as it panted heavily. Wounds covered its body, each one glowing with a faint blue light. Mana was leaking from every small gash. 

The battle with the other students had taken its toll. The tiger was injured and exhausted. If they could land just one or two solid hits, it might finally go down. This was their chance, and Rusty knew it. Defeating this monster would probably allow him to complete the mission and earn the highest possible rating. This was supposed to be the strongest enemy in the magical forest, and he refused to leave before bringing it down.

"Ack!"

Gwen recoiled in fear as the monster charged up another attack. Rusty, now back on his feet, moved quickly. He grabbed her and her friend, lifting them effortlessly, one in each hand. The two of them were clearly startled by the sudden motion and being thrown over his shoulders, but they had no time to protest. A moment later, a barrage of lightning bolts flew toward them. Only Rusty was fast enough to get them out of harm's way.

"Watch out!"

He ran in a zigzag pattern, trying to throw off the monster's aim. Rusty was not faster than the lightning itself, not by any stretch, but the creature needed a few seconds to charge its attacks before firing. Unless the tiger could predict where Rusty would be after a few moments, it would not be able to hit him. He dove behind a tree, an old one that looked long dead. Surprisingly, the electrical blast did little to damage it, which reminded him of one of Aburdon’s old lessons on elemental magic.

Lightning-based attacks were ineffective against earth-based defenses but highly effective against water. The fairy who was with them wasn’t skilled in earth magic, but she did know a few plant-based spells. While plants would also be affected by lightning spells, once they dried out and lost their water content, they became something called an insulator. Rusty wasn’t sure if this would work, but he had to try. He turned to Gwen with a question.

"Gwen, I need you to ask your new friend something."

"Uh… ask her now?"

"Yes."

Gwen covered her ears as lightning rained down on the dead tree shielding them. Fortunately, their communication was through their thoughts, so even with the noise, she could still understand him.

"I need something to defend against that lightning. Something like this tree. Can that be done?"

His question was vague, mostly because he wasn’t sure how to explain exactly what he needed. The real problem was his own body, which acted like a lightning rod. Even though his speed allowed him to get closer to the monster, the tiger had surrounded itself in lightning. If he struck it with his steel halberd, it would probably shock him again. He could handle one or two hits at most. But if he had something that could reduce the charge, then fighting the creature wouldn't be impossible.

"I… I think I know what you mean."

Gwen nodded, her expression shifting into something more serious. Ever since her tormentor had been defeated, something inside her had begun to change. Although part of her still wanted to run away, another part told her to stay and fight.

"Astrella, can Airy use Wood Armor?"

"Wood Armor? Yes, she can, but what… oh, I understand!"

Astrella’s long ears twitched slightly as she turned to Airy, who was perched on her shoulder.

"You heard her, right?"

Airy gave a small nod, clearly understanding what needed to be done. The energy around her shifted, deepening into a rich green as she switched back to her plant element. Without hesitation, she turned toward Rusty. Raising both of her tiny hands, she focused, and thick vines began to emerge from the ground.

They didn’t move to restrain him. Instead, they formed an outer shell around his body, layering over his armor to create a protective barrier. The living wood wrapped around him like a layer of second skin, designed to shield him from external strikes, like the lightning the monster tiger was producing. 

It was a strange sensation. At first, the vines wrapped tightly around Rusty’s entire body, coiling like snakes. They constricted with force, blocking out all external light for a brief moment. Then, aided by a strange, sticky sap, they adhered firmly to his form. The outer layers began to peel away, shedding like old skin, until only a hardened, bark-like coating remained. It fused with his armor, forming a thick, natural shell that clung to him. Now he looked like a soldier carved from wood, with only a narrow slit left open for his visor to shine through.

"This will do it!"

He shouted as the monster drew closer. It had grown tired of wasting energy on the dead tree and had decided to switch to a more hands-on approach. But before it could charge forward, Rusty burst from cover and sprinted to the side, his eyes locked on the halberd he had thrown earlier at the spoiled noble brat.

The monster roared and immediately changed its target. It launched another wave of lightning at Rusty, but he kept moving without pause. Even though the wooden armor covered his entire body, it did nothing to slow him down. He reached the halberd and grabbed it with both hands, then turned to face the approaching beast. He had discarded his shield earlier. What he needed now was overwhelming attacking power.

Twilight energy began to envelop him. The ability known as Lesser Twilight Embrace activated, pushing his combat abilities to their highest level. His mana started draining rapidly, but that was no concern. Gwen quickly retrieved several remaining mana potions to support him.

The moment of impact came. The force of the wooden weapon clashed with the fury of lightning as Rusty faced the monster in battle. Its strength was undeniable. It may have been a D-rank threat, but that didn't matter to him. He stood his ground and rose to the challenge.

His halberd danced through the air, striking in seemingly random patterns. The monster growled and cloaked itself in lightning energy, just as he had predicted. His weapon connected with one of the beast’s paws, and electricity surged down the shaft. When the current reached his wood-covered body, most of the energy dispersed. He felt only a slight tingle. The armor was working. This was the opening he had hoped for, and he would not let it slip away.

Rusty pushed himself to the limit, activating battle and buffing skills one after another. Although his mana drained rapidly, it surged back almost instantly as his summoner replenished it with her own reserves. This wasn’t a true one-on-one fight. It was a team effort. Still, none of that mattered to him. Victory was the only thing that did. Soon,  the tip of his halberd struck the creature’s side, tearing a gash far larger than any before; he was winning. 

The monster let out a roar, as if it truly felt pain in its mana-formed body. It seemed to go berserk and hurled itself at Rusty with a speed unnatural for something of its size. He was caught off guard. For an instant, he considered dodging, but instead he braced himself and met the charge head-on.

The two summoned beings collided. The impact sent a shockwave through the area. The girls watching nearby turned their faces as shards of Rusty’s wooden armor shattered and flew past them. Lightning flooded the battlefield, and the noise alone would have overwhelmed an ordinary person. Then came silence. The fight was over. But no one could yet tell who had won…