The focus shifts to the students, where we see the yellow-haired student looking utterly defeated upon learning that Lyra, the instructor, had arranged the teams "perfectly." Lyra addresses the group with a confident voice, explaining the game's rules:
Lyra continued, "Now that the teams are set, I'll explain the rules for the flag-retrieving game:
There will be a total of four flags randomly placed throughout the game zone.
The game duration is five hours. By the end, whichever team possesses the most flags will be declared the winner.
Teams are free to clash and steal flags from one another—but try not to harm your opponents too much.
In the game zone, you're free to engage or avoid the metabeasts as you see fit."
She paused, allowing the rules to settle in. "The game will take place in the Tidegrove Wilds. Everyone, prepare yourselves for a magnificent contest!"
As the teams assembled, we saw Kaelith, carrying a sleek suitcase, approach Regin and the others. He greeted them all respectfully, and Kaelor nodded approvingly. "You old-timers could learn a few things from this young man," he teased, to which the others responded with faint smiles but stayed silent.
Kaelith says to Regin, "I've brought the gauntlet. Where's Ryen?"
"I'll take you to him," Alastair said, leading Kaelith toward Team A. As they walked, Alastair asked, "How have you been, Kaelith?"
Kaelith nodded. "Doing well. And you?"
They exchanged a few words in a brief reunion, the camaraderie of an old teacher and student. When they reached Ryen, Kaelith presented the suitcase to him. "Here you go."
Ryen's eyes lit up as he opened the case. The dark purple gauntlet seemed to shimmer slightly under the sunlight, its intricate spiral designs catching the light. He slipped it onto his arm, feeling its weight—or rather, the lack of it. "It's amazing…it feels like I'm wearing nothing at all!"
Kaelith smiled with pride. "Try channeling your core energy into it."
Ryen focused, letting a small amount of energy flow through the gauntlet. Instantly, he felt a surge of power, his senses sharpening, his body feeling stronger. "Wow…this is incredible!"
Kaelith gave him an encouraging nod. "This is only the beginning. Use it in combat, and there's a high chance it will awaken a unique skill."
Ryen's eyes glinted with excitement as he admired the gauntlet, the possibilities of what it could do swirling in his mind.
In a dimly lit chamber, the eerie form of the fox-like creature is restrained by thick, binding chains. It thrashes weakly, snarling, and the room feels tense and ominous.
Meanwhile, both teams had entered the Tidegrove Wilds, a dense mangrove forest where murky water reached up to their knees. Team B trudged through the thick mud, expressions of irritation and frustration on their faces. The pink-haired girl broke the silence first, her voice filled with annoyance. "What the fuck! Of all places, why the hell did they pick this disgusting swamp?"
The rest of the team looked equally annoyed—except for the yellow-haired boy, who seemed practically lifeless, dragging himself along with a broken stick he'd picked up from a nearby tree. He muttered, "Why…why did I have to end up on a team with all girls…"
The scene shifted to Team A, where Xander and Ryen moved quietly through the swamp, refraining from complaining. Kaelen, however, looked more irritated than ever, about to voice his frustration, when suddenly a creature lunged at him from the left.
The beast, covered in thick moss and lined with bony ridges along its spine, had sharp, fin-like claws extending from its limbs. With a vicious snarl, it leapt for Kaelen—only to pass straight through him as his body transformed into a swirling mass of dark purple smoke. The beast landed on the other side, stumbling as its body began to decay, crumbling to the ground with half its flesh dissolved.
Kaelen glared at the remains of the beast with even greater annoyance. "First this fucking swamp, and now this motherfucking beast."
Ryen, still shocked by what he'd just witnessed, stammered, "What…what was that power you just used?"
Xander, standing beside him, looked serious. "This isn't good. We need to move—quickly. This one may be dead, but its pack will be nearby."
Kaelen scoffed, his expression defiant. "Let those bastards come. I'll kill every single one of them."
Xander shook his head, pointing to the decayed creature. "That was an infant Gravewake. If a full-grown one shows up, forget about killing it. Landing a single hit would be a feat in itself."
Ryen's eyes widened, realizing the gravity of the situation. "They're…they're really that strong?"
Xander nodded grimly. "They're powerful and extremely resilient to both poison and venom-based attacks. We'll need a serious strategy if we encounter an adult."
Kaelen, finally understanding the pressure, rolled his eyes and started walking faster. "Fine, fine. Let's get moving. Why the hell are you wasting time?"
Xander and Ryen exchanged an exasperated glance, both with veins pulsing on their foreheads. In unison, they muttered, "You're the one wasting time, you motherfu—"
And with that, they hurried onward, the swamp's murky depths and the ominous presence of unseen creatures adding tension to the game.
In the academy's observation room, the principal, Regin, Orion, Alastair, and several instructors stood around a mystical orb, which projected real-time images of both teams navigating the swampy Tidegrove Wilds. The orb showed the students battling metabeasts, trudging through thick mud.