Iginis widened his eyes. She faintly shifted her gaze towards the floating mirror, which showed the reflection of a blonde-haired young man effortlessly slicing through abyssal creatures as if they were mere blocks of tofu.
"You mean to tell me that child is the illegitimate son of the Head of House of Sword?"
"Indeed," Claus replied, lifting his finger to adjust his glasses. "It seems there's been a dispute within their household. Instead of being raised in the House of Sword, they sent him to Owl. It matters little to us, though. This child is remarkably talented. If he manages to pass the Fifth Trial in the future, he could become a formidable asset for our organization."
Hearing this, the light in Ignis' eyes dimmed faintly as she muttered: "It's not easy to pass the Fifth Trial."
The trials in Owl have varying levels of difficulty. As members progress through the floors, the challenges become increasingly difficult.
Claus could say this calmly because he had passed the Fifth Trial not long ago. The only thing holding him back from advancement to the fifth floor to the sixth floor is that he hasn't reached level 60 and become a Sixth Circle Wizard.
As for her...
Ignis pushed distracting thoughts aside and redirected her attention to overseeing the ongoing trial.
While gently stroking his short beard, Framis's gaze fell upon a particular participant who immediately captured his attention. With a look of intrigue, he remarked: "Picture Magic, huh... another promising young talent with a remarkable background."
The four elders turned their attention to the individual to whom Framis was referring. A captivating scene unfolded on their mirror screens, showing a young man using magic spells to bring his drawings to life, ultimately using them to defeat an abyssal creature.
Upon witnessing this display, Claus managed to identify the young man and said: "This child must be Collin Pastille from the Pastille Family. He is also one of the three abstract talent owners in this current batch."
"Magic spells related to Picture Magic are known to be weak in the early stages but are extremely terrifying in the middle and upper stages. It is a wise decision for this child to join forces with other members. Otherwise, he will have a hard time in this trial." Rhodeus commented.
"That's true," Ignis scoffed, shaking her head: "Wizards with abstract talents are usually very proud and arrogant. They'd rather die alone than cooperate with others. Their unnecessary pride often causes them to be isolated from other people."
Rhodeus cast a sly glance at the middle-aged man and remarked, "Senior Framis, she must be talking about you."
"Shameless Rhodeus, I'm talking about you!" Ignis retorted, her face turning red with embarrassment.
Rhodeus casually lifted his shoulders and smirked, "Well, it's a pity for you, but I've got a knack for connecting with people. In fact, I've amassed more friends than both you and Claus combined – and you know how standoffish you two can be."
"Please spare me from your petty couple quarrels," Claus interjected, adjusting his glasses with disdain.
"Watch your words, Claus. Or I'll bury in the sand." Ignis said coldly, fixing his gaze on Claus.
"I highly doubt you can do that," Claus responded with indifference.
At that moment, the tension between them suddenly intensified, much to Rhodeus's delight as the instigator.
"Cease this at once, both of you. Can't you be ashamed of bickering in the presence of Senior Framis?"
As the tension escalated, a slightly hoarse yet authoritative voice broke through the air.
The speaker was Heddic Warmmail, the final elder responsible for overseeing the First Trial. A Fifth Circle Wizard residing on the fifth floor, he was cloaked in a dark robe that obscured his features, rendering recognition challenging.
Heddic's piercing gaze landed on Rhodeus as he spoke icily, "And you, Rhodeus, refrain from provocation. Our purpose here is to assess the first-floor members, not to indulge in mockery. I trust you comprehend the gravity of this task."
"Always so serious, Heddic," Rhodeus remarked playfully, shaking his head. "You give me a headache."
Rhodeus's attempt at taunting went unnoticed by Heddic, who had already redirected her attention to the mirrored screen.
"Oh, this boy uses magic spells very well. His proficiency in mastering magic spells has far surpassed all his peers..." Framis praisedly commented again.
Despite the commotion among the other elders, Framis remained fixated on the mirror screen, displaying an indifference to their discord.
His attention was wholly absorbed by the trial participants engaged in combat against abyssal creatures, each showcasing unique abilities to confront the difficult situation.
It was evident that Framis derived great pleasure from identifying talented young individuals as if it were a personal hobby of his.
***
A week has passed in Elkia City.
The First Trial has led to only two possible outcomes: either becoming the hunter or the hunted.
To accumulate points, participants in the trial will seek out and eliminate every abyssal creature they come across. Similarly, the abyssal creatures, fueled by their instinct to kill, will pursue and attack any trial participant who crosses their path.
However, the trial participants are already exhausted after just one week due to the lack of food.
After all, not all teams have someone who can purify the flesh of abyssal creatures like Gilgamel and someone who can prepare delicious meals from the flesh of abyssal creatures like Medelien.
Although wizards have a higher tolerance for hunger than normal people, relying solely on mana intake cannot enable them to endure hunger for a week.
However, that one week is still far from the trial time limit stated in the rules. In that case, some trail participants who have no other alternatives can only eat the flesh of abyssal beasts that still contain abyssal energy.
Eating the abyssal beast meat that still contains abyssal energy may not have any effect in the short term, but the more the trial participants consume it, the more obvious the effects will appear.
Many participants are even required to venture into the nearby forest in search of edible fruits. However, the forest is home to dangerous abyssal creatures who fiercely guard the precious food. Consequently, the trial participants are forced to engage in battle with these creatures in order to secure the much-needed sustenance.
As the other participants in Elkia City battled fiercely for survival, Gilgamel and his team were enjoying a barbecue inside their base.
The air was filled with laughter and camaraderie as they took a brief respite from the intense trials.
Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Collin couldn't help but chuckle and remark, "I bet we'd be the only ones relaxed enough to have a barbecue in the midst of this trial."
Gilgamel smiled and replied, "This is our way of embracing life amidst uncertainty. This trial is fraught with danger; we never know when we might fall prey to the abyssal creatures and become their meal."
"Danger?" Collin shook his head in resignation.
Only Collin and his teammates were aware that the one who was in danger was not them but the relentless abyssal creatures within the Colosseum. After all, they were the ones being hunted, their numbers dwindling perilously in just a week.
Within a week, Gilgamel's team's days proceeded smoothly, apart from a challenging first day.
On the second day, Farad regained consciousness.
Collin and Dodo conducted reconnaissance in the Colosseum on the third day, successfully identifying the locations of the abyssal creatures in the area.
Subsequently, from the fourth to the seventh day, Gilgamel and his team commenced hunting the abyssal creatures one by one.
Apparently, their intensive hunting decimated the number of abyssal creatures in the Colosseum.
However, in order to earn more points, they could only target the Tier-2 abyssal creature that was preventing them from leaving the Colosseum. However, despite days of reconnaissance, Gilgamel's team had still not found where the Tier-2 abyssal creature was hiding.