These five years for Jake and his friends were nothing but a rigorous training routine, from 5:00 in the morning to dinner; they hustled more and more.
"Today is the last day of your training," Reynold said as he led them inside the forest.
This time the group didn't have any playfulness on their faces; instead, they were all calm and composed. Even Jimmy wasn't joking about anything as the group followed after Reynold and Tom.
They were no longer kids; in Celestaria, one becomes an adult at 12 years, the same age as their core matures completely. Jake and his friends now looked like 20-year-old teenagers from Jake's previous world.
Jake had black hair and purple eyes, with a lean but muscular build. His right hand was coiled by wooden chains with a short sword on its end.
Emily had long blonde hair, chestnut-colored eyes, and a perfect slim figure, with a bow in her hands. She was a combination of beauty and power.
Jimmy had blonde hair, chestnut-colored eyes, a muscular but lean build, and a long sword on his back.
Mark had black hair, blue eyes, and a tall, flexible physique, with a spear in his hand.
"Today is also your graduation day, which means a test to see if you are all ready or not," Tom smiled as he said.
Soon the group reached a clearing inside the forest, where they saw four magical beasts chained.
Jake and his group gulped as they saw the big monsters in front of them.
"These are E RANK mana beasts: a striped panther, a gale hawk, a drill mole, and lastly a spinoraptor. Each of these mana beasts is specifically selected for all of you," Reynold said as he introduced the mana beasts to them.
"Master Rey, Master Tom, are you saying we are going to fight them?" Mark asked, looking at the giant mole, clearly intended for him.
"No, you are not going to fight them," Tom shook his head and said.
Mark and others breathed in relief, while Jake felt disappointed until...
"You are all going to kill them, or we won't let you leave the village," Tom said, smiling, but his smile sent chills down their spines.
"Okay, first is Emily, and don't worry, we won't intervene, at least not until you are all on the verge of death," Reynold said as he broke the chain of Gale Hawk, which quickly tried to fly away until a pressure descended on him. "Fight with them, and you are free," Tom said, looking at the Gale Hawk.
The bright green hawk, with a wide wingspan, fixed its gaze on Tom for a moment before shifting its focus to a blonde-haired female.
Emily, undeterred, calmly readied her wooden bow, now adorned with glowing runes. She aimed at the eagle, tapping a blue rune. A blue arrow pulsating with a greenish hue materialized on the bow. Pulling the strings, she aimed at the Gale Hawk and released it. The arrow shot towards the majestic bird, but with a slight tilt of its body, the hawk skillfully dodged the projectile.
A piercing screech filled the air as the wings of the Gale Hawk began to glow, indicating its intent to retaliate against Emily. However, this time, Emily didn't ready her bow. She simply kept her gaze fixed on the approaching predator. The hawk, seeing its prey seemingly frozen, dove towards Emily with its wings ablaze.
Just as it was about to strike, the hawk crashed to the ground lifeless. Tom and Reynold nodded in approval, while Jake and the others were left bewildered by the turn of events.
Tom, sensing their confusion, invited them to approach the fallen hawk. As they circled around it, they discovered a sizable wound on its back.
"Emily used the wind to guide her arrow back to the hawk after it dodged," Tom explained with a smile.
The revelation drew expressions of amazement from Jake's friends. "Wow, sis, that's genius," Jimmy exclaimed.
"Yes, it was a good strategy," Jake nodded in agreement.
"It was surely an unexpected move," Mark added, acknowledging the tactical brilliance displayed by Emily. The encounter with the Gale Hawk had not only showcased Emily's skill but also provided valuable lessons for the group, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and creativity in the face of unexpected challenges.
"Okay, after Emily, it's Jimmy's turn, and your opponent is a striped panther," Reynold said, and Jake and others left the ground for Jimmy and Panther fight.
Jimmy readied himself, taking out his wooden sword, now adorned with glowing runes, his gaze fixed on the Striped Panther.
The air thickened with anticipation as Jimmy, armed with a wooden sword adorned with glowing runes, squared off against the shadowy Striped Panther. The surroundings seemed to hold their breath as Tom released the panther into the training ground.
The Striped Panther, a creature of sleek shadow, moved with a fluid grace, its striped patterns weaving through the darkness. Jimmy, undeterred, maintained a focused stance, eyes locked on his elusive opponent.
The skirmish unfolded in a dance of swift movements and strategic strikes. The panther lunged with sharp precision, its silver claws moving towards Jimmy's back. Jimmy parried and countered, his glowing runic sword cutting through the darkness as he aimed for the panther.
The ambient glow of the runes on Jimmy's sword provided sporadic bursts of light, revealing glimpses of the panther cloaked in shadows. The panther, a creature of shadow and stealth, evaded attacks with uncanny swiftness, its eyes gleaming in the dimness.
As the fight progressed, Jimmy's counters became more evident. His strikes became more calculated, each swing guided by a combination of agility and the elemental energy emanating from the runes. The Striped Panther, though elusive, found itself wounded by Jimmy's growing proficiency.
Suddenly, one strike of Jimmy's sword caused the Panther to scream in pain. Jimmy quickly tapped on the white rune of his sword, a silvery glow appeared on the sword edges, and Jimmy attacked. The Striped Panther, momentarily disoriented, succumbed to Jimmy's decisive strike. His headless body dropped to the ground.
The onlookers, including Jake and his friends, erupted into applause. Reynold and Tom nodded approvingly, acknowledging Jimmy's prowess in the battle against the shadowy beast.
Jimmy, in response, showed a big toothy smile as he raised his sword high.
"Next is Mark against the Spinoraptor," Tom said as he stood near the Spinoraptor holding its chain.
Mark readied himself as he brought out his wooden spear, glowing with several runes. He thought his opponent would be the Drill Mole, but he was wrong; his opponent is the Spinoraptor, a giant lizard with various spikes coming out of its back.
Tom nodded seeing Mark all ready and broke the chain, freeing the Spinoraptor.
The raptor quickly rolled itself into a ball with full spikes and rushed... rolled towards Mark.
Mark kept dodging against the relentless assault of the Raptor again and again.
After a moment when the raptor was rolling towards him, Mark smirked and stepped aside. The raptor's spikes got embedded into himself into the giant tree; it struggled to break free but dropped lifeless the next moment.
The moment it became embedded into the tree, Mark arrived near him and tapped on the white rune, causing his spear to glow in silvery light, and he pierced the heart of the Spinoraptor with it, ending its life.
Jake and others applauded after Mark finished its opponent. Mark smiled and bowed in their direction.
"Next is Jake vs. Drill Mole," Tom said as Jake came and stood in his position, his eyes locked onto the Drill Mole.
Drill Mole is a metal and earth attribute mana beast; they burrow underground and prey on unsuspecting beasts or humans.
Tom nodded seeing Jake ready and broke the chain, freeing the Drill Mole. The moment it was freed, it burrowed underground.
Everyone became quiet as they focused on their surroundings. Jake smiled slightly and started walking slowly.
TAP, TAP, TAP.
His slow rhythmic tapping sound echoed in the area. As Jake walked, he suddenly jumped high in the air and then pointed his right hand where he stood moments ago, with Jake pointing the Chained Dagger. It seemed to come to life as it shot towards Jake's pointed target.
The moment it was inches away from touching the ground, a hole appeared, and Drill Mole poked his head outside of it only for his head to get pierced by the Dagger of the Chained Dagger.
Jake yanked and pulled his chain along with the 3-meter big Mole.
Tom and Reynold nodded approvingly, while his friends applauded.
"Hmm, Jake, how did you know it was coming?" Jimmy asked, and Emily and Mark chuckled at him.
"Tch, acting like you all know how he did it," Jimmy clicked his tongue and grumbled.
"He baited it; Jake walked for some distance and then stopped, and he then jumped silently. The mole thought Jake is still there, so he attacked but got killed instead," Reynold smiled and explained to Jimmy.
Unlike his friends, Jimmy is a straightforward guy who likes to solve his problems with fists rather than brains.