The second phase of the triad exam was a very special challenge and the candidates would have to prove themselves worthy, only ten trios had managed to reach that phase and each group was in a different extradimensional plane so as not to interfere with each other. The challenge was nothing less than facing mythical beasts, even if it is a more basic version of them, beasts placed there specially to test them, I had to defeat the beast and retrieve the scroll that would transport them to the arena again. They didn't know it, but there were Royal Guard paladins in hiding in case they failed so they wouldn't die, it was a dangerous mission and one that would take a lot out of them.
Team Alicia was in a prairie camp, Theo, Lilly and Baron were standing in front of a fierce black wolf with neon blue shimmering marks in the form of lightning bolts, it was 5.0 meters tall, its claws and fangs voracious.
– Did someone order an electric wolf? – Baron said, swallowing.
– Better not to stand still! – Lilly said, she takes a leap back to avoid the initial wolf onslaught.
– It's a vrontian wolf... In the mythological era these wolves were very well known and revered in Graekus, we better not give this little wolf margin to hit us. – Said Theo that uses his electricity magic as a shield against the blue rays of the wolf.
The mages had to come up with a strategy soon, the beast was advancing fiercely against the mages, they were trying to find a way to stop the beast, but it was very powerful and still released shots of thunder.
– I've got an idea, let's make the wolf taste his own medicine… Theo make a wound whatever it is, something that allows electricity to enter him, I'll blind him and then Baron traps him in a sphere of water and he will pass out from his own shocks. – Lilly said.
– Top, and you scare me sometimes you know, where do you get all these ideas? – Said Baron.
– I use my head to think not just for bitching like you. – Lilly replied.
– Can we concentrate? I'm going to have to go head-on with the electric wolf there. – Said Theo was prepared to advance after Lilly's spell.
– Cover your eyes… Blind Spark. – Conjured Lilly which generated a powerful flash of light that managed to leave the beast a little disoriented.
– My Turn... Thunder Punch! – Conjured Theo who landed a powerful punch in the wolf's belly, but he was extremely resistant and powerful that blow caused only a medium wound, but it was enough for the laws of physics to work.
– Now it's me! Rotation Water Sphere! – Conjured Baron who trapped the wolf in a perfect floating sphere of water that was at considerable speed.
The wolf had electricity emanating from its body, but its inner part wasn't invulnerable to electrocution, only its skin, it was a genius trick, they were an elemental team that knew how to manage very well and didn't want to waste too much energy. Soon a golden scroll appeared to them.
– That! We achieved! – Lilly said excitedly opening the parchment and the three were transported from there to the arena.
***
Team Trent had been sent to a region of arid, dry land, it wasn't a sand desert, it was more like a stretch of cracked earth with some cactuses and bovine carcasses, Mira, Leila and Lucas were faced by a giant gray lizard with razor-like abscesses on the neck, a sharp tail, and piercing paws.
– A Merochian Lizard! You're kidding. – Lucas said scared.
– A mythological beast, they are resistant, powerful and poisonous. – Mira said that she had already conjured her Kusarigama, a scythe with a long chain and a weight in the form of a trapeze at the other end, besides being able to leave the library orbiting around her.
– We can handle it… Lucas, we distract this thing, you manage to open a fissure in the ground big enough to bury this thing. – Leila said practical.
– You talk like it's easy, my magic is physical reinforcement, but I'm not my uncle to open the floor in half with a punch, not yet. - Lucas said ironically.
– So we'll give you time, Mira and I managed to distract the lizard, you create the moat. – Leila said.
– Ok... Upgraded Strength. – Conjured Lucas and his arms were emanating intense magic circuits in a red glow, his strength had increased, he then punches the ground opening a huge crater twelve meters deep but with a diameter a little bigger than the region around the wrist of Lucas had been a punch with focused force he didn't want a hole too wide for the lizard to escape or fight back and now he would go two-handed to open the ground little by little.
Mira and Leila then dealt with the giant lizard, Leila sprouted from the ground plants with large yellow petals and in the shape of drops, they had a center full of pollen that were released by the plants themselves, a golden powder that should try to paralyze the lizard; Mira had bathed her blade in paralysis pollen, she was a speedy combatant switching between scythe and metal trapeze very easily. The lizard was very agile, even with the paralyzing pollen it was very fast, its agility decreased, but slowly, the girls tried their best not to be hit.
– Lucas, we would appreciate it if you hurry, this lizard is not very calm. – Said Leila worried and avoiding the beast.
– I'm trying! – Lucas said that he was even with veins standing out in his face, he had already opened a fissure of twelve meters long and half a meter wide, he needed to make it bigger for the lizard to fall into it.
The beast was violent and went all out against the girls, Mira saved herself from a flurry with the current of her Kusarigama and Leila tries to infest the beast with the roots of her paralyzing plants.
– I want to see him deal with this… Scythe Trap. – Conjured Mira, her library opened and from there came out (still connected to the library by the magic seal in the book) scythes connected to chains that attacked the lizard aiming at its tail and paws.
– Send it! – Lucas said, he had made the crack 12 meters deep, 12 meters long, 1.5 meters wide.
Mira, controlling the chains with her telekinesis, drags the giant lizard to the fissure, launching it all there. Leila then conjured a shower of paralyzing pollen thorns to incapacitate the animal as it fell. And then a golden scroll appeared to them.
– Final stage, here we go! – Leila smiled anxiously opening the parchment and teleporting them from there.
***
The Derek team had been sent to a forested region in a large clearing, Eve, Declan and Erik were preparing to face a giant eight meter bear with brown fur that had what appeared to be black spines all over its body, the young men looking worried.
– A Salamen Bear, I only heard about them in Kora'q mythology, we are facing mystical beasts, things are going to get ugly. – Erik said.
– Don't worry, after all we are the new QAN formation, this bear will not stop us. – Declan said trying to be positive.
– That's right, our parents are watching, we can't be ugly, right? Eve said she pulled two scrolls from a holster in her pocket and conjured two battle puppets controlled by lines of magic on her ten fingers, the first was a tall female humanoid shape, had sharp-bladed arched wings, mouth, palms, and knees had little cannons for throwing flames, this is the "Fiery Doll"; the second puppet had a tall male build, he had long, sharp drills all over his body, this was the puppet "Drill Doll". – Come on, extermination formation, let's show you why we are the new QAN formation.
The Bear was by far stronger and more powerful, they couldn't risk getting caught, alone they would most likely be killed, but together they formed one of the most powerful traditional groups, it was a formation with centuries of history. The beast advanced against the youth.
– Quantum Phamtom: Intangible Specter! – Conjured Erik, it was a spell of his family and very useful, it permeated him and his friends with a quantum veil that made them intangible, the bear crossed Declan without being able to touch him.
– Thanks Erik, I'm in now... Concealed Dark: Shadow Ironworks! – Conjured Declan who used a spell of his family, he used darkness at first fluid that suited the target's body drastically limiting their movements, and if the user is powerful enough in relation to the opponent, which was not the case, he could leave the opponent fully locked.
– The best is last... Drill Puppet: Rocket Launch + Fiery Puppet: Pyro Party. – Conjured Eve consecutively, the first spell not only reinforced the Drill Doll drills but it dismembered into legs, arms, torso and head (which had a drill on the bottom that was hidden when in full puppet form) and then the parts spikes at high rotation were aerodynamically attacking the giant and very resistant bear; the second spell made the Fiery Doll move nimbly around the giant bear releasing jets of fire augmented by oil jets from smaller secondary cannons that were hidden and revealed with the spell's activation.
– Just in case... Quantum Phamtom: Quantical Target. - Conjured Erik using another spell of his family, he changed the vibrational frequency around the bear with a quantum energy field making the beast the only tangible target by the attacks making it even more intense.
With this tactic the Derek team managed to eliminate their opponent efficiently, this formation was classic and traditional, a very dangerous squad that could possibly be one of the best of the first year, and could become one of the most powerful trios in the Academy in the coming years. A golden scroll appeared just above the bear's unconscious body, yes they couldn't kill the beast, they just knocked it out, but it's quite a feat for first year students.
– Boys, looks like we're in the finals! – Eve laughed as she opened the parchment that teleported the Derek team back to the Arena.
***
The Emiliana team was very lucky to land on a desert field again, it was sand dunes, but its opponent was a gigantic scorpion, ten meters in body and a tail of at least five meters and a very sharp curved stinger, its carapace is obsidian.
– Let me guess, this is a mythical beast Kora'q? – Gale assumed that he didn't know much about the Kora'q bestiary.
– Yes, a Korelian scorpion, they are sacred to the goddess Koralis, she left these legendary arthropods for tests like this, proof of the worth of mages. – Sandy said, she knew the legends well.
– Let's finish the hull! – Adam laughed, who was already starting with a shower of spears coming from the library, but the attack didn't have much effect.
The scorpion with its powerful pincers crushed several spears and even hit Adam with one of its pincers sending the mage away.
– My turn! – Said Gale who uses her super speed using celestial energy in her fists and firing several punches around the scorpion.
The scorpion managed to snag Gale with its tail, swung it furiously in the air, then forced it across the sand for yards.
– It doesn't matter if it's a sacred scorpion, we won't stop here! - Said Sandy determined that shakes a sand tornado that resembled an "hourglass", in that place she was in the advantage.
The scorpion has been spinning inside the twisting tornado and escapes, still spinning and hits Sandy dragging her in the sand. The three mages realized that their opponent was not easy, they needed to have a proper strategy, they got together, they had to think fast, there was a giant scorpion hunting them, but Sandy was hiding them in a pocket of sand.
– How do we handle this thing? She repelled everything we sent him. – Sandy said.
– I wanted to blow up this battleship! - Gale said irritated.
– Not a bad idea! Every arthropod has segmentations in the exoskeleton, we can fit the explosive needles... Gale takes care of this part since she "loved" our little armored friend, I distract him with the sparrow daggers... Sandy, you'll use the sands to disorient him too. – Said Adam.
– I already said that you are an incredible strategist. – Sandy laughed.
– It helps when I have such good teammates, shall we? – Said Adam.
– We will! – Said the girls.
The group went into action, Adam had passed several explosive needles to Gale who was moving at high speed escaping the tweezers and the stinger, she managed to throw the needles deep into the segmentation lines of the arthropod exoskeleton while Sandy kept him trapped in that place with a 360º sand wall, Adam sends his sparrow daggers to distract the pincers and stinger too, but with the needles positioned in the right place Adam activates them and the seals explode. The scorpion was down with its damaged exoskeleton, broken open and leaving it vulnerable to being pierced by Sandy's sands leaving it incapacitated. It had been a very good strategy, a golden scroll appeared before the young people.
– Girls, finals, here we go! – Adam said, he was opening the parchment that sends them to the Arena where they started.
***
Team Henri was in a mountainous and snowy region, it was a very cold place and they were close to a frozen cliff, the three mages were faced by a very dangerous enemy, a mountain Yeti, they could have some problems, the monster was three meters , stout, white fur, muscular fists and feet, half human and half gorilla face, he also had fangs, his stamina could be a problem.
– A Yeti, a damn Yeti, he's kidding. – Alana said worried, did not know if her magic would work with a wild beast so strong.
– Calm down, we're all here to work together. – Keith said with a smile
– Let's take this animal down. – Megara said, she was already activating her "Cosmic Ballet" mode.
The group was advancing against the beast with very good timing, Alana was trying to disorient the opponent with her sensorial magic, but the beast only seemed to move more violently and disoriented hitting a backhand slap that threw the sensorial mage away. Megara tried to land a series of blows with her absurd strength, but the beast repelled the mage with a jab in the ribs sending her away dragged by the snow. Keith tried to land punches with power augmented by the weight of gravity, but he took a swipe that buried the mage in the snow and plunged him into the ground, he would have been dead if not for Alana's interference.
– Better drop him the big one… Mad Allure. – Alana conjured, a shadow leaves her body and jumps to the Yeti, she seemed to be hesitant and paralyzed, it was Alana who was using the spell and her magical energy to maintain that mental and sense control of the monster that was very strong.
–This beast is too strong, we have to incapacitate him soon, Ivy won't hold him for long. – Megara said that she moved nimbly with her hands open in the Cosmic Ballet mode hitting with agility and resourcefulness several muscular points of the Yeti, leaving him with compromised mobility. Megara had an ability thanks to her cosmic power, she has a high sensorial and spatial capacity that allows her to perceive and see details in the smallest details, especially pressure points and points of muscle conjuncture.
– We're almost done Ivy, hold him! – Keith said, he manipulates gravity in order to unleash an avalanche taking the Yeti with everything down the cliff.
– We crashed a Yeti down the cliff to death, do we exaggerate? – Alana said.
– He didn't die, can't you feel? He's just unable to fight. – Megara said, getting out of her cosmic way.
– Now that I say, I can feel him, he is angry and very hurt. – Alana said she had empath skills.
– Better him than me! – Keith said recovering from the impacts.
A golden scroll appeared to them and Alana took it.
– Even if I feel sorry for the Yeti, I would even make a Yeti coat if I needed to pass the level, come on guys, one more level and we won this exam. – Alana said right before being teleported together with the other two to the arena.
***
Team Astarte had been sent to a beach area near a rocky boulder of dark rocks, the sea seemed calm and the sands not so hot, but that could change as Team Astarte's challenge was to deal with a Fire Hydra from twenty meters with seven long necks head.
– Fire Hydra Graeka?! – Nathan exclaimed.
– Even I'm curious to know how we're going to deal with this animal, any tips, Polo? – Artemisia said, she was impressed, not scared, impressed she had only seen Hydras in mythological books.
– I'm thinking... It's no use cutting the necks, they regenerate, and the weakness of cauterization does not apply to this type. – Apollodro said. – Damn natural evolution. –
– How do you know all these details? – Nathan said
– You two slept in the mythological creatures class? They explained this in class about hydras. – Apollodro said, he already dodges the onslaught of the Hydra's heads and still launches a water dragon projectile to hit head-on with one of the beast's puffs of flame.
– I think I have an idea! – Nathan said, he conjured a tangle of snakes of darkness that were quickly crawling and entwined in the beast.
The Hydra got rid of the snakes and looked even more enraged, spitting out several bursts of flame.
– Thank you so much! – Artemisia said, irritated, forming a barrier of flames to protect her and her teammates.
– I have a better idea... But we'll have to be agile, this hydra is still young, it's not an adult, if it were, we'd be screwed... Artê and I kick the heads and you use your spirit mirror magic to seal the wounds and prevent them from growing for now, the middle one who is truly immortal and the hardest match. – Said Apollodro strategicly.
– I'll handle the flames well, but what about you? – Artemisia said.
– I have my tricks. – Apollodro laughed, who was dressed in ice armor.
– I haven't managed to do this yet, but I get there. – Artemisia laughed, who also had ice magic, but she didn't practice it as much as her brother, she had other elemental preferences and neither her brother used that much, but at the Academy there were other ice masters, true ice users.
– Go there, I'll concentrate here to use the spell of the mirror of the spirits. – Nathan said that he was already surrounded by a black wind that rose in a double helix to the skies.
Apollodro and his sister then went to the top using a boost given by Artemisia's wind magic and from above they would dodge the Hydra's gusts and cut their heads, it wasn't fast, they had work, they even had to run by their necks to dodge attacks. Apollodro used elongated water blades in his hands to decapitate their heads; Artemisia used circular blades and projectiles of wind mixed with electricity; as the heads were cut off a seal of darkness seemed to inhibit the growth of the heads. There was only the middle one left, which was knocked out by Apollodro with one of his super concentrated punches.
– Reminds me never to step out of the line with your brother again. –Nathan said, he had been amazed by the levels of brute strength of his boyfriend, knocking out a hydra's head is not easy and demands a physical strength of almost half a million tons, and he wasn't even close to the apex.
– Deal! – Artemisia said, she was impressed.
A golden scroll appeared to the young people, Apollodro descended from the Hydra unconscious with a jump and taking the scroll, he opened it and everything seemed to light up.
– Final stage, here we go! – Apollodro said excitedly.
These were all the groups that made it through, the others failed in their challenges, it would be a difficult final stage played by some of the best first-year students, some of the groups were among the favorites from the start.