After entering the strange yet beautiful mansion,the beasts stopped their chase and started backing off.
Iann and Neff watched as the beasts backed off as if sensing danger. They sat down on the floor and tried to understand what that female voice meant
"This place looks dangerous" Iann said as he took a water bottle from his backpack.
" That voice said something about a 'fantasy bridge', i see no bridge here" Neff muttered.
" I think it's a test"
" Silly test, does the voice want us to spar or something?"
Iann suddenly got up as an idea popped inside his head. "The voice wants us to cross the water"he said as he pointed to a golden pool.
"hahaha if that's the test then I've already passed" Neff said with a smug look on his face.
Iann on the other hand was a bit hesitant to go inside the pool. He was very sure that the test was not simple like Neff was saying.
He walked over to the water and started observing it. The pool was normal except for the golden colour and it's relatively large size.
"Are you going with me or what?" Neff asked as he took of his clothing and threw it to the other side.
Neff started tieing the portable teleporter unto his back.
Iann was still looking into the pool with wide eyes, he had seen some movements in the water. He kept on looking and that's when he saw it; a big snake like beast.
Because of its golden colour,the beast had been able to blend in with the colour of the pool making it almost impossible to identify it.
"Stay out of the..." but before he could warn Neff, the latter had already jumped inside the pool.
The beast upon sensing a foreign presence in the pool immediately jumped up with it's jaw opened wide, ready to devour it's prey.
Neff's heart skipped a beat upon seeing the "serpent" jumped out of the water.
He formed a fire ball and started hurling it at the beast,but it proved futile as the beast opened it's mouth to consume the balls.
"Help me Iann!" Neff shouted as he got whacked by the beast's tail. He started swimming back to the poolside, but the beast caught up with him and continued beating him.
Iann watched as the beast continued thrashing Neff. He knew he would have been dead if he were to be in Neff's shoes, because Espers had a higher endurance to beatings than ability-less people like him.
"Neff, stop using your powers and try to replenish your EP points!" Iann shouted.
"How the fu*k do i do that when there's a beast ready to make a lunch out of me!"
"I'll distract him" Iann said as he jumped into the pool.
The beast turned around and looked at the boy who had just jump into the pool.
It started growling ferociously and leaped towards Iann.
Neff saw this as a chance and quickly swam towards the other end of the pool. He propelled himself with his fire powers and in no time he was on the other side.
Neff was expecting a "Congratulations you have passed this test" but nothing of that sort happened.
However,it didn't bother him much. His friend was battling against a monster and he had to get to work.
Neff closed his eyes and started performing some martial arts. It was a family secret and it was a grave sin to show it to an outsider, but he didn't care about that, the situation at hand was difficult. Spilling some family secrets will do no harm especially when a beast was about to devour his friend.
Iann was literally on his last legs. The beast was beating him non stop. He was bleeding from hair to toe.
"Hurry Neff!"
"Hold on a sec!"
Neff was done replenishing his EP points. He formed flames around his katana and dashed towards the beast.
His watch was beeping and indicating his EP points loss but he still ran forward.
He leapt into the air and slashed the beast with his katana.
Whooosh!
The beast's head came off but it's tail was still fighting.
" hahaha,now consume my fire balls!" Neff shouted as he formed ten fire balls in his hands.
Iann watched as the beast started burning.
He couldn't celebrate the victory because he was on the verge of collapsing. Just as he was about to go down a voice rang through his ear.
"Congratulations on passing the test" The female voice said again.