Night fell over the island, plunging the surroundings into an oppressive gloom. The beasts seemed more active in the darkness, their eyes glowing like tiny lanterns as they stalked the aspirants. Kael had found a relatively safe clearing to rest, but his mind wouldn't let him lower his guard.
Kael sighed, thinking that even though the beasts in the trial ranged from Rank F to D, the aspirants still faced a titanic challenge.
"For them, even a Rank D beast might feel like a Rank A," he reflected, recalling his fight against the Manticore.
Point of View: Lucas Emberlain
Lucas had managed to lose the group of students that had attacked him earlier, but not without consequences. A superficial wound on his arm reminded him of his mistake: he had underestimated their determination.
He stopped at a cliff, gazing at the sea surrounding the island.
"I can't keep wasting energy on unnecessary fights," he told himself, closing his eyes and channeling his energy to recover his strength.
As he did, a shadow emerged from the trees. It was a Lesser Basilisk, a Rank D beast whose venom was lethal in high concentrations.
Lucas rose to his feet immediately, adopting a defensive stance.
"I don't have time for this... but it seems I don't have a choice."
The basilisk attacked with a quick leap, and Lucas used a gust of wind to deflect it. However, the beast quickly recovered, its tail sweeping the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust that reduced visibility.
Lucas took a deep breath, focusing on the sounds. When he sensed the basilisk's movement, he unleashed a horizontal wind slash that hit it directly.
+40 points obtained
"That was close," he muttered, glancing at the corpse before moving on.
Point of View: Kael
Kael decided to move before dawn. He knew that staying in one place for too long would only make him an easy target.
As he advanced, he heard the sounds of a fight. Following the noise, he arrived at a clearing where two groups of students were battling fiercely.
One group had formed a magical barrier, using combinations of abilities to keep the other group at bay. The attackers, led by a student with ice magic, were trying to break through the defense with constant assaults.
Kael watched from the shadows, analyzing the situation. He could use the chaos to attack both groups and claim their points, but something stopped him.
"This isn't just a competition," he thought. "It's a lesson."
Instead of intervening, he decided to skirt around the area, searching for beasts farther from the conflict.
Point of View: Maya Larksworth
Maya was deep in a forest teeming with Crimson Wolves. She had taken down several with her fire magic, but the pack seemed endless.
"Don't they ever get tired?" she said, launching another wave of flames to keep them at bay.
Suddenly, a larger wolf appeared. It was the pack leader, an enhanced version known as a Crimson Alpha. Its size and strength classified it as Rank D, a greater challenge than the other wolves.
Maya adjusted her stance, knowing this would be a tough fight.
The Alpha attacked swiftly, and Maya barely managed to dodge. She countered with a fiery explosion, but the creature endured, lunging at her again.
Using her speed to stay out of its reach, Maya attacked with precision until she finally brought down the Alpha with a decisive strike.
+50 points obtained
"And that's that for now," she said, wiping her sweat as she continued on her way.
Point of View: Kael
Kael stood in front of a small cave when he sensed a presence behind him. Quickly turning, he saw a student with a magical spear, watching him with an arrogant smile.
"Kael Ashborne, right? I've heard of you."
Kael didn't respond, adopting a defensive stance.
"Don't worry. It's nothing personal," the student said before attacking.
The battle was swift and intense. Kael used his shadows to create distractions and block the spear's strikes, while his opponent tried to maintain distance.
Finally, Kael found an opening and disarmed the student, forcing him to surrender.
+30 points obtained
Kael looked at the defeated youth before walking away, his thoughts returning to the trial as a whole.