Mountain Ape, despite being one level higher than its opponents, found itself facing a daunting challenge as it confronted four exceptionally skilled level 9 First Circle Wizards.
Among them, Magnus posed the greatest threat due to his attributes, which effectively countered Mountain Ape's earth-based magical abilities.
Additionally, the presence of Gilgamel, which can hinder Mountain Ape from utilizing its Burrowing, further compounded its struggles.
Left with no alternative, Mountain Ape resorted to employing sonic-based abilities in an attempt to fend off its opponents, only to discover that these magical abilities had minimal impact on its opponents.
Mountain Ape unleashed a deafening roar that reverberated throughout the Colosseum, causing everyone within hearing range to cover their ears in pain reflexively.
Farad, who was among them, couldn't help but grumble: "Again? Doesn't it get tired of using this move?"
Despite his complaint, he remained on high alert. After all, he suffered a lot because of this move.
To his surprise, the Mountain Ape didn't make a move towards him, who was the closest, but instead leapt into the air, setting its sights on Medelien and Collin.
It seemed to have discerned that one of its foes was controlling the imitation Mountain Ape from above.
As the flying carpet glided through the air, Medelien and Collin were jolted by the powerful, Deafening Roar unleashed by the Mountain Ape. Despite not being as severely affected as the others, they still experienced disorientation and temporary hearing impairment.
Their focus shifted abruptly when they witnessed the Mountain Ape propelling itself into the air with astonishing force. Despite the considerable distance between them, they understood the imposing might of a Tier-2 abyssal creature like the Mountain Ape.
In helpless anticipation, Medelien could only watch as the colossal fist of the Mountain Ape descended toward her and Collin.
As the punch hurtled toward Medelien and Collin, a sudden explosion of flames erupted near the Mountain Ape, disrupting its attack.
Despite this, the after-effect of that combined explosion and wind force from the Mountain Ape's punch was enough to send Medelien and Collin crashing down into the arena below.
Although they survived the fall, the impact left them temporarily devoid of their magic spells. Collin's fake Mountain Ape, unable to be sustained without his magic, disintegrated into a pool of watery colours across the arena floor.
"Magnus, Farad, use this opportunity to finish off this ape! I'll check on Medelien and Collin." Gilgamel shouted before running towards Medelien and Collin and treating them in a timely.
At Gilgamel's order, Magnus and Farad were prepared to take action even before the order was given.
In this instance, Farad took the initiative, unleashing a powerful tier-2 magic spell to bring an end to the prolonged battle swiftly.
After all, in terms of mana capacity, the combined mana of Gilgamel's team was still not comparable to the abyssal energy possessed by Mountain Ape.
Therefore, if this fight ended in an attrition fight, the one who would end up being the winner would likely be Mountain Ape.
This exemplified the fundamental contrast between Tier-1 and Tier-2 creatures.
Engaging in an attrition battle with Mountain Ape would prove unwise unless Gilgamel's team had a plentiful supply of Mana Potions. Sadly, with two weeks remaining before the conclusion of the First Trial, they couldn't afford to squander their Mana Potions.
Just like that, the battle between Magnus and Farad against Mountain Ape entered a new round.
Upon careful observation, Magnus and Farad discovered that Mountain Ape was unable to unleash its Deafening Roar repeatedly. It seemed that there was a cooldown period required for it to use this magical ability again.
Moreover, Magnus and Gilgamel were successful in imposing restrictions on all earth-based magical abilities utilized by the creature. As a result, the only alternative attack at its disposal, apart from its physical strength, was the Sonic Wave.
However, this magical ability proved ineffective if it failed to make contact with its intended target.
Given these limitations, it was only a matter of time before Magnus and Farad devised a strategy to overcome and ultimately kill the Mountain Ape.
An hour later...
Gilgamel treated all the team members. The injuries they had sustained were relatively minor, but they still required some time to recuperate before they could leave the area.
While Gilgamel was tending to the injuries, Dodo suddenly approached him, holding a black crystal in its mouth.
Perplexed, Gilgamel tilted his head and asked: "What is this?"
In response, Dodo turned its head towards the corpse of the Mountain Ape as if to indicate that the crystal had been obtained from it.
Intrigued, Gilgamel decided to expend some mana crystals to utilize his appraisal ability on the black crystal.
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Name: Abyssal Crystal
Grade: Tier-2
Status: Consumable
Description: The Abyssal Crystal is a rare crystallization of abyssal energy that manifests exclusively in Tier-2 abyssal creatures and those of higher tiers.
Effect: When consumed, the crystal is highly beneficial for abyssal creatures. After purification, it can also bestow its benefits upon dark attribute magical beasts.
Market Price: 2000 mana crystals.
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"Such a good thing~" Gilgamel stared at it with delight.
He gently retrieved the Abyssal Crystal from Dodo's mouth and remarked: "This belongs to the team, not us. I can talk to them later and see if they are willing to sell it to us."
"Woof..."
Dodo emitted a sorrowful whimper and lowered its head in agreement with Gilgamel's decision.
After some time, the treatment is complete as the team members wake up one by one.
After that, Gilgamel brought up the topic of the Abyssal Crystal that Dodo had found. He looked at the group and asked for their views on how they should distribute it.
Farad, with a blunt tone, declared, "I don't need it."
Magnus echoed the sentiment, "Me neither."
Collin responded with a warm smile, "Just give it to Dodo as a reward. It has done a lot in our previous exploration."
"Absolutely, Dodo deserves it," Medelien chimed in as she affectionately stroked Dodo's thick fur neck.
Gilgamel shook his head and said, "I don't have a habit of accepting things for free. How about this? I'll purchase it at market price, and you all can divide the mana crystals equally."
Medelien hesitantly raised her hand and said, "I didn't contribute much in this battle. Please exclude me from this allocation."
In response, Gilgamel didn't utter a word. Instead, he smoothly produced his bank card and facilitated the transfer of 125 mana crystals to Collin, Magnus, Farad, and Medelien.
"Despite not being on the frontline, your culinary creations provided invaluable support." Gilgamel acknowledged Medelien.
Medelien's cooking not only tantalized their taste buds but also bestowed beneficial effects crucial for the battle. Prior to facing the Mountain Ape, Medelien prepared a feast that enhanced their mana reserves and bolstered their magic spell prowess.
Although the enhancements were only effective for half the battle, they undoubtedly proved instrumental. Without Medelien's culinary contributions, the group would have faced a far more arduous battle against the Mountain Ape.
It's evident that Medelien played a pivotal role as the ultimate support in this battle.
Medelien, feeling embarrassed, hit Gilgamel's shoulder and exclaimed, "Aiyaa, stop it!"
Receiving compliments from Gilgamel was a rare occurrence for her.
At that moment, she wished she had a voice recorder to capture his words so she could play them back whenever Gilgamel mocked her in the future.
Gilgamel, rolling his eyes, chose to ignore her and shifted the conversation to discuss the allocation of points.
In this battle, Gilgamel earned 15 points by killing the Ground Rats, while Farad gained 5 points by landing the last hit on the Mountain Ape. When they sum up their points, the total comes to 20.
If they were to distribute the points equally, they would each receive 4 points.
When they combine these points with their previous scores, the total sum of points they have managed to muster is 10 points.
This signifies that they have successfully met one of the requirements for passing this challenging trial.
Now, in order to successfully complete the trial, all they need to do is survive until the trial period comes to an end.