Chapter 37: Hydra's Wrath

The hydra thrashed against the roots, its many heads snapping and lashing, but it couldn't break free. My control over the forest was precise—roots and vines twisted, forming a tight cocoon around the creature. The earth itself responded to my call, and I could feel the pulse of magic coursing through the ground beneath my feet.

"Stay still," I muttered under my breath, my voice calm. "Let me end this quickly."

But the hydra wasn't going to make it easy. It roared, its multiple mouths spitting venom and fire, aiming for anything that moved. Its bodies were strong, and its regenerative ability was a curse—each time I hit one head, another would sprout in its place. The monster was resilient, as dangerous as it was terrifying.

I narrowed my eyes, tapping into my light magic. The creatures in this forest had a natural resistance to magic, but they weren't immune. Light magic, after all, had a purifying nature to it. I focused, summoning a large sphere of radiant energy in my palm. The light flickered and pulsed, shifting as it grew in intensity. The hydra's heads twisted toward me, as if sensing the threat I was about to unleash.

"Stay back!" I called to Liara and the other students, who were watching from the sidelines. This wasn't a fight they should be involved in—especially not with someone like me involved. I was stronger than most, yes, but my methods could be... brutal, especially when facing a beast like this.

The hydra let out another roar and lashed its heads in my direction. I barely managed to sidestep the attack, feeling the heat of the fire narrowly miss me. One of the heads swung toward me again, and this time I wasn't fast enough. The venom it spit splattered the ground in front of me, but I quickly formed a protective shield of light, the venom sizzling upon contact.

"You're going to need more than that," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

I thrust my hand forward, releasing the ball of light with a force that sent it crashing into the hydra. The sphere exploded upon impact, flooding the clearing with blinding light. The hydra shrieked, its bodies thrashing violently, trying to escape the light's searing rays. For a moment, everything went quiet, save for the hiss of the hydra's regeneration. The heads began to reform.

But it was only a moment.

I closed my eyes, focusing, summoning more power from the earth itself. I wasn't just manipulating the forest around me anymore—I was calling on every piece of nature here. The roots surged upward, tightening their grip on the hydra's massive form, as though the entire forest were coming to my aid.

The hydra fought back, but it was futile. The more it struggled, the tighter the roots grew, pulling it closer to the earth. It wasn't enough to kill it. That wasn't the goal. My magic was designed to subdue, not destroy, and that was what I was doing.

The hydra's heads swiveled toward me one last time, and it bellowed, a final defiant cry before it collapsed into the tangled roots, now fully bound. It could still move, but it could no longer pose a threat.

I lowered my hand, breathing heavily as I dissipated the light magic surrounding me. The aura around me slowly faded, leaving the clearing dim but peaceful once more. The hydra, trapped by the forest, let out a final roar of frustration but no longer attempted to fight.

I turned to the instructor, who had watched the entire display with narrowed eyes. His arms were crossed, and there was a sense of curiosity in his expression. The other students, too, had remained silent, their gazes fixed on me.

"Well done, Princess," the instructor said, his voice acknowledging my control. "That was impressive. Your use of the forest was... creative."

"Thank you," I replied, my voice cool. I wasn't trying to impress anyone—I simply did what needed to be done.

I turned away from the hydra, my eyes scanning the others. The students were all either impressed or intimidated, and I couldn't blame them. Facing a creature like that was no small feat. Still, it wasn't about the creature. It was about what I had learned from it. The forest, the nature around me, it responded to me as if I were one of its own.

Liara stepped forward from where she had been standing, watching with wide eyes. "You really are something, Aria," she said with awe. "I've never seen anyone control the forest like that. It was like you were... one with it."

I shrugged, though a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "It's not a big deal. It's just how I've always been. Nature listens to me."

"You're too modest," she teased, though her voice was filled with admiration. "Not many can say they're able to pull off something like that, let alone at your age."

I felt a flash of warmth on my cheeks, but I quickly suppressed it. "I wasn't trying to show off. I just wanted to finish this as quickly as possible."

The instructor cleared his throat. "Enough of the praise. The rest of you need to complete your challenges. Liara, you're up next. Let's see how you handle a Fire Wyvern."

I nodded toward Liara and gave her a thumbs-up. "Good luck."

She smirked and walked forward, stepping confidently toward the instructor. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. I knew this was where she thrived, in the thick of the action. I, on the other hand, preferred to watch—preferably from a distance.

The rest of the class went by quickly, with each student facing their respective creatures. Some struggled, while others handled their challenges with ease. The instructor remained relatively quiet, only stepping in to offer brief critiques or guidance when necessary.

Finally, as the day drew to a close, the students gathered together once more, exhausted but satisfied. The field trip had been a success for most of us, and the hydra's defeat by my hand was a testament to what I could do.

"Alright, everyone," the instructor called, his voice cutting through the chatter. "The challenge is over. Those of you who didn't finish will need to retake your test next week."

I turned to Liara, who was wiping sweat from her brow but had a wide grin on her face. "How'd it go?"

"I had a rough start," she admitted, "but I managed to take down the wyvern. Barely."

"You've got guts," I said with a grin, "but you'll get the hang of it."

She smiled, her violet eyes shining. "Thanks. I'm glad we're in this together."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. The idea of being "together" on something felt different with Liara. She wasn't like the other students—she didn't judge me, and she didn't treat me like a demi-goddess to be worshipped.

"You know," I said after a beat, "I think we make a good team."

Liara looked at me with a small smirk. "Yeah, I think we do too."

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End of Chapter 37