A chilling silence settled over the groups after the two students from the Dawning of Magic Academy got turned to nothing.
Then—before anyone could even process the deaths of the two students—sothing else happened.
The doors that the two Dawning of Magic Academy students had attempted to enter along with the one next to it suddenly flickered—then vanished.
Gone.
Like they had never been there to begin with.
This ti, everyone was convinced.
Each door was for a single person only.
No exceptions.
No loopholes.
The tension in the air thickened, realization settling over them—this was going to be a trial of survival, both physically and ntally.
And then—
Far away from the Foggy Hill, in the VIP section of the Valoria Coliseum, the atmosphere was just as tense—but for a different reason.
Among the illustrious guests seated in this exclusive area, two figures exchanged quiet words as they observed the unfolding trial.
One of them was an elven noble, their robes woven with golden filigree, eyes glowing with an ethereal light.
The Royal Elf.
Sitting beside them was an older, distinguished human figure—the First Magi, a legendary sorcerer renowned throughout the land.
The Royal Elf watched the events with mild amusent before speaking.
"I must admit," they mused, "this 'Trial of Creation' is far more authentic than I expected. The replication is… impressive."
Their words were polite, but the weight behind them was clear—whoever designed this version had studied the real thing well.
At that mont, King Alexandria, who had been quietly observing from his throne-like seat, let out a soft chuckle.
Then, in a voice laced with sothing almost too subtle to notice, he replied—
"Indeed. But as with all replications... there are always 'differences' unseen to the untrained eye."
His words carried a hidden aning.
One that suggested—
Not everything about this trial was as it seed.
The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension as each group began making their way through the doors at the base of the Foggy Hill.
One by one, the competitors steeled their resolve and disappeared into the unknown.
At the Pacesetters Academy's side, Forbes stood at the forefront, his gaze sweeping over his comrades. His usual confident deanor was tinged with solemnity.
Then, in a firm but calm voice, he spoke:
"Listen well. This trial will test us in ways we can't predict. Keep your eyes peeled, stay sharp, and above all—stay alive."
Kaelen, Lila, Morris, Guinevere, Valir, Charlotte, Ethan, Eldric and Sofia silently acknowledged his words.
There was no need for long speeches.
They all understood the stakes.
Taking a deep breath, Forbes turned back towards the doors.
Then—without hesitation—he stepped through his assigned door and vanished.
One by one, the others followed.
Kaelen, before stepping into his own door, clenched his fists tightly while he thought.
'The Magic Pandora… the crown… I have to find it.'
His heart pounded in his chest, but he pushed all distractions aside.
Then, with a single step—
He crossed the threshold.
And the world around him changed.
As soon as Kaelen passed through the door, he felt an imdiate shift in the atmosphere.
The air was thick—almost suffocating.
A dense white fog curled and swirled around him, limiting his vision to only a few feet. It was even worse than before he had stepped through the door.
"Great, there goes my vision"
Despite this, Kaelen did not panic.
Instead, he activated his Mana Detection skill.
At first, he detected nothing.
But as soon as he took a few cautious steps forward—
His senses scread in warning.
[Mana Detected!]
[Mana Detected!]
[Mana Detected!]
Suddenly, his mana detection picked up multiple presences surrounding him from all directions.
Creatures.
And they weren't just any creatures—they were imbued with mana.
Kaelen's muscles tensed as he instinctively reached for his weapon.
With a swift motion, he unsheathed the Blade of Eternity, its deep blue glow cutting through the mist like a beacon in the darkness.
His breathing slowed.
His grip tightened.
His heart pounded in his chest.
Then—a faint sound.
A whisper of movent in the fog.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed as he thought.
'They're coming.'
Fwoosh!!
"Ahh!"
But not long after he confird that they are coming, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his left arm which got him staggering for a few steps.
'They are faster than my reaction speed?' Kaelen thought with a grim realization on his face.
But not long after, Kaelen gritted his teeth as his blade swung through the air, eting nothing but mist.
The creatures—whatever they were—were too fast.
He could sense their locations through his Mana Detection, but each ti he tried to strike, they would vanish the mont his blade neared.
Then—
A blur. A flash of claws.
A sharp slash across his arm.
Fwoosh!!
Kaelen barely dodged in ti to avoid a deeper wound, but the pain stung nonetheless.
Another blur. Another attack.
His foot barely twisted in ti to block with his blade, but the force of the impact sent him staggering backward.
He was on the defensive.
The creatures were faster than his reaction speed, and no matter how sharp his instincts were, they were using the fog to attack and retreat like phantoms.
Kaelen clicked his tongue. 'This isn't working.'
If this kept up, they would wear him down and kill him before he even landed a proper hit.
Then—
A choice. A gamble. A solution.
'Seems like I have no choice'
With no hesitation, Kaelen activated the Armor of the Eternal Guardian.
Golden light erupted around him, cloaking his body in the sacred armor.
But he wasn't done.
He imdiately called upon its Sacred Light.
A blinding radiance burst forth from his armor, piercing through the mist like a divine beacon.
The fog recoiled.
The creatures screeched in pain.
Kaelen's eyes widened in realization. 'It's working!'
The sacred light not only weakened the mist—it also forced the creatures back.
And for the first ti, Kaelen finally saw them.
They were squirrel-like monsters, but their bodies were covered in sturdy, plated scales. Their limbs were longer than normal squirrels, and their razor-sharp claws glead nacingly.
Their glowing red eyes were locked onto him, filled with both pain and rage.
Kaelen tightened his grip on the Blade of Eternity as he thought with a grim smile on his face.
'Now that I can see them, the real battle was about to begin.'
Screech!!!
The squirrel-like beasts screeched in unison before lunging at Kaelen, their bodies blurring into streaks of black and gray.
They were still faster than him.
But now—he could see them.
'Don't think I am still in a disadvantage'
Kaelen's blade moved instantly. His body surged forward, making use of every boon his system had granted him—his reflexes sharpened, his strength amplified, his movents flowing like water.
Clang!
His Blade of Eternity t the claws of one beast, sparks bursting from the impact. Another one shot in from his left—he ducked just in ti, feeling the wind of its claws slicing past his ear.
He couldn't hesitate.
Spinning his blade, Kaelen countered, cleaving through the air. One beast fell.
But the others didn't stop.
They ca from all angles, attacking in relentless succession, forcing Kaelen into a desperate, high-speed lee.
His footwork backed up with his Quick steps technique beca his lifeline, each step precisely placed to evade razor-sharp claws. His sword moved instinctively, cutting and parrying at the last possible mont.
Still—they were too many.
A claw raked across his shoulder. Blood splattered.
Kaelen gritted his teeth, retaliating with a swift thrust—another kill.
He fought with everything he had, save for his advanced techniques and finishing moves.
His stamina burned. His body ached.
But he refused to yield.
Slice! Another beast fell.
Clang! He deflected a strike, twisting mid-air to slash through another.
His body moved purely on instinct, swordplay pushed to its absolute limit.
And then—only one remained.
The last creature hesitated, seeing its kin dead around it.
Kaelen exhaled sharply, gripping his sword tightly as he muttered.
"Ti to end this"
Then—he moved.
A flash of silver.
A final cry.
And then—silence.
Kaelen stood, panting heavily, his body screaming in exhaustion. The battle was over.
He had won.
But right after, his face darkened while he thought. 'If the first test will be this tough, I wonder how difficult the coming test will be'.
But Kaelen didn't dwell on that thought for too long as after he steadied his breathing, his grip still firm on his Blade of Eternity, he then prepared to move forward.
But just as he took his first step—
The corpses of the creatures began to glow.
'Huh? What is going on?'
His eyes narrowed. The lifeless bodies of the scaled squirrels suddenly shifted into orbs of light, floating eerily above the ground.
And then—
Whoosh!
With blinding speed, the orbs shot toward him—too fast for him to react.
Kaelen's instincts scread danger as the lights surged into his body. His breath hitched. A strange sensation washed over him—not pain, not pleasure—just… sothing foreign.
His hands clenched into fists as he tried to process what had just happened.
Then—
Ding!
His system rang out.
[You have collected 20 Magic Souls.
80 more required for upgrade.]
Kaelen froze.
Magic Souls? Upgrade?
His brows furrowed in deep confusion.
He didn't know what this ant. He had gained many system boons before, but this? This was new.
His fingers tightened around his blade.
"What… exactly did I just unlock?" he muttered under his breath.
With no imdiate answers, Kaelen exhaled, pushing aside his confusion for now. He would figure this out later.
For now—he needed to move forward.
Reviews
All reviews (0)