The second Trial was still going on. Hundreds of students walked around the huge academy, following the golden feathers in hopes of finding something truly valuable.
An ordinary person who entered the academy would probably get lost, as for someone who didn't know how everything worked here, it was a real labyrinth. In this case, a maze of death.
Just after the First Trial, the number of people decreased significantly, and many students who last night were studying hard for the exam that was supposed to change their lives, now became murderers.
When it came to choosing between life and death, people could change drastically.
Ethan's path was different from the others so far. He didn't know it, but the egg that he got was quite unique, as in the First Trial, in the most important one, he fulfilled two conditions at once, which was somewhat equivalent to completing the third one.
[You've absorbed the Corrupted Core!]
[The catalyst to create the ??? has been acquired!]
[Obtain Angel Core or Demon Core to create ???. Other options are also possible.]
[You have entered the Metamorphosis Phase!]
[Don't miss the opportunity to activate the catalyst!]
These messages echoed in Ethan's head. He could clearly hear every word, yet he was still unable to move even a phalanx of his finger.
'What's going on...? I can't even blink. Has this egg taken control of my body? This is bad.' Ethan pondered, he wasn't panicking, but the anxiety was slowly growing, filling his mind.
"Agh...!"
Suddenly his eye turned green again as he took a deep breath, coming to his senses. Things were finally back to normal, at least now Ethan could move freely, but, what had happened was not without consequences.
Ethan glanced at his hands with a slight shiver, then he wrapped the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, and his eyes went wide.
His veins were badly swollen and black as if he'd been infected with some deadly virus. At least it looked creepy.
"Damn... Couldn't you have just given me my reward? Why did this have to happen?" Ethan frowned, then he shook his head and picked up the axe from the ground.
For a moment he paused.
"How strange... Even though I don't have any coins anymore, I still feel like I'm stronger now than I was before. Is it the effect of the sphere I swallowed, or is it just me?"
Ethan wasn't sure. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have some sort of mentor or guidebook, he had to find out the answers on his own.
Crackle.
With a sudden movement, Ethan opened the chest to finally see his rewards.
Inside was a palm-sized white card, a golden apple, a transparent drop on a green leaf, and a wooden cross.
"Hmm... Interesting." Ethan muttered, taking the drop and the apple in his hands.
[Healing Dew: A transparent drop, clear and fresh, is an essential element for many high-level potions. Many alchemists consider this dew to be a true treasure.]
[Paradise Apple: A fruit that ripens for exactly nine years, nine days, and nine hours. It can only be harvested within a minute, then the apple will rot. This amazing fruit must be eaten immediately to force your body to perform at its fullest capacity.]
"Strengthening and healing, good." Ethan immediately swallowed the Healing Dew. He didn't know how effective it was, but in his situation, any help was important.
The dew exploded in a refreshing stream, spreading a lightness through Ethan's body. His wounds, whether it was a streak on his shoulder or a hole in his palm, shone brightly, then there was no trace of them left.
"Holy shit... Is this magic?" Ethan in disbelief stared at his palm, it looked even better than before, then he glanced at the apple, "Well, I guess I'll need you later."
Ethan picked up the next two items.
[Sacrificial Cross: Use this special item to unleash a powerful attack on your enemy. However, as a price, you will have to sacrifice ...]
Ethan frowned, he had seen the price of using this item, and it terrified him. Then, as he read the description of the last item, a wide smile appeared on his face.
[Blank Card: A card that can be turned into any item you know of that is no larger than the size of your palm.]
"Hehehehe looks like besides creepy trinkets and golden fruit I finally got some weapons." Ethan smirked, "Angel, when we run into each other, then I'll have a decent gift for you!"
...
[Second Trial has come to an end!]
[Head to the main square of the academy!]
[Get to the square in less than 10 minutes! Otherwise, you'll be expelled!]
The main square was quite far away from the sports hall where Ethan was now. In fact, he had to run nonstop to make it in time, as he had to pass through dozens of corridors and make many turns.
However, there was a more efficient way, which he used.
Crack.
With a mighty kick, the window shattered into splinters, opening a shortcut for Ethan. He simply jumped down from the first floor, ending up near the main square.
[Time remaining - 3:47!]
'Well, well, there are quite a few people gathered here already.' Ethan internally muttered, then he raised his head, 'Looks like something interesting is about to happen. That bastard's finally getting some action.'
Hovering above the main square was Angel. His eyes were still closed, but he no longer held his palms together.
Ethan leaned against the wall, holding his axe beside him with a calm gaze gazing at the others.
There were a lot of people here, even after two Trials, the number of people was impressive. Besides the students, there were also many teachers, most of them were anxious, and some were literally trembling with fear.
However, there were also those who were quite confident in themselves and their abilities, such as the muscular young man who came last. He had short black hair and dark eyes, and in his hand was a bloody metal bat.
"Hah, it seems this will be another easy Trial." The young man smirked while looking around until his gaze stopped on Ethan, and his eyes went wide.
'What...? Is that Ethan...? Didn't he die back in First Trial?'
Ethan noticed the young man too, he knew well who it was since they were in the same class, S-Class.
'Magnus Heier... Has the best athletic performance in the entire academy. Well, no wonder he feels so confident.' Ethan pondered.
In the academy, students were placed in different classes based on their academic achievement and behavior, however, S-Class was a special case.
There were few students in S-Class because you had to be the best at something to get in. For example: Magnus was the best athlete, and Lea had the best grades in the whole academy.
As for Ethan...
'Ethan Mercer - Golden Ratio.' Magnus said to himself, 'Got into the S-Class because he has the highest averages in everything, yet is not the best at something.'
Magnus couldn't understand how Ethan had ended up here, but now he had a real cause for concern.
'Fine, we'll see what happens next. Hopefully, we'll end up on the same side. For the first time in our lives.' Magnus frowned.
[Time remaining: 00:00!]
[Beginning of Third Trial: The Most Hideous Thing]
At the same moment, Angel flapped his wings, drawing everyone's attention, and opened his eyes for the first time. They were as clear and deep as emeralds, and his gaze was cold and majestic.
A random flow of wind made his long black hair flutter, while his gaze stared at the people beneath him like at ants.