Gorrath remained silent, locking eyes with Eclid. The air between them grew thick with tension, their auras clashing as if they were silently fighting, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
Then they both moved.
Their fists shot forward at the same time. Gorrath pivoted his hips, channeling power into his right fist. Eclid mirrored him, twisting his body to launch a devastating left hook.
Their punches blurred through the air, traveling at insane speed
CLANG!
A sharp impact echoed through the cabin as a figure appeared out of nowhere, effortlessly deflecting both attacks. His long, jet-black hair flowed from the momentum, his movements precise yet effortless.
Gorrath narrowed his eyes. "Huh… Ling?"
Ling Feng remained expressionless, his sharp eyes still closed. "First rule of the festival," he stated calmly. "No fighting inside the cabins."
Gorrath and Eclid slowly pulled back their fists, tension still crackling between them.
Eclid grinned. "Heh. I guess we'll continue this outside."
Gorrath didn't respond. He simply stared.
Meanwhile, Shin stood to the side, watching the exchange. "Who's that guy?" he whispered.
George, his expression serious, responded, "Ling Feng. One of the six students who achieved four mana cores just like me."
Shin's eyes widened. "Damn… so I'm meeting the academy's monsters right now," he thought to himself. "I never got the chance to see them before since I was too busy training."
Across the room, a man leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, legs resting casually on the table. He pulled off his orange-tinted glasses and spoke in a commanding tone.
"Save it for the tournament."
"Tsk, shut up, blind fucker," Eclid sneered.
The student stood up, revealing his scarred, muscular arms. His presence alone was enough to make the room feel hotter.
"You wanna try me?" he asked, glaring down at Eclid.
The air grew heavy with tension.
Flames erupted around his clenched fists. The heat radiating from his body made the air shimmer. He and Eclid locked eyes, neither one backing down.
"Ugh, they're doing it again." Ling sighed, rubbing his temple in annoyance.
"Hey, clown, calm them down."
A slim figure stood up, adjusting his clothes. Unlike the others, he had a leaner build, but the speed at which he disappeared and reappeared between the two fighters was terrifying.
Before Eclid or the fire-wielding student could react, he placed a hand on their backs.
"Come on, guys," he said with a grinning smirk. "Don't fight, or you'll get disqualified~."
His voice carried a mocking, playful tone, yet there was something unnerving about it.
"Don't touch me, clown." Eclid scoffed, stepping back.
The fire-user exhaled, calming himself. The flames in his arms slowly died down.
"Sorry, Lorenzo. I lost my temper," he muttered.
Lorenzo still grinning shrugged. "It's fine, Victor. Everyone loses something temporarily in their lives."
His smile lingered eerily clown-like.
The Great Hall buzzed with excitement as the audience cheered for their loved ones, their voices filling the grand chamber.
At the highest seat, the King sat in silence. Though his golden mask revealed nothing, his eyes remained fixed on the cabin on the students who had already qualified for the next challenge.
Inside that mask, a thought lingered. Something was stirring in his mind.
Then the second challenge ended.
A bright announcement flashed inside the cabin:
[CHALLENGE COMPLETED]
Students Survived: 239
Students Disqualified: 60
Shin blinked, surprised. "Wow, that's a lot compared to the first challenge."
Around him, murmurs spread among the students.
"Yeah, it's almost double from before."
"I mean, a lot of people got disqualified right at the start."
Another announcement appeared.
[NEXT CHALLENGE]
[Desert Oasis]
Objective: Protect the civilians until you reach the cabin.
Eclid clapped his hands sarcastically. "Oh wow, they're actually putting names and objectives now." His tone dripped with satire.
Desert Oasis? Shin frowned. A harsh, dry environment this time.
The challenge was about to begin when a portal appeared.
A group of female mages walked through, their robes swaying as they stepped into the cabin. One of them, a frail-looking girl, hesitantly stepped forward.
"H-hello…" she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "W-we're the p-people y-you will p-protect until we r-reach the c-cabin."
Shin's eyes widened. "It's her…! The girl I bumped into on festival night!" His thoughts raced. So she's a mage?
Great Hall – The Grand Announcement
In the Great Hall, Dante appeared on stage again, gripping his echo mic.
"HEEEEEEEELO EVERYONE!!!" he roared, his voice shaking the entire chamber.
The audience erupted into cheers.
"For this third challenge, we're introducing a little twist! Each academy group will be assigned a mage to escort safely to the cabin. But… there's a catch."
He grinned.
"The mages cannot use their magic. No combat abilities allowed. They're completely vulnerable."
Gasps filled the hall.
"This rule was personally suggested by our King!" Dante added, gesturing toward the masked figure.
The crowd cheered even louder.
Back in the cabin, Lix finally woke up.
George greeted him immediately. "How are you feeling?"
"I… I'm fine," Lix muttered, still groggy.
George smiled. "That's good! The third challenge is about to start! Let's team up!"
(I won't ask why he was unconscious… he just woke up.) George thought.
Soon, students began forming teams. Some groups were small, but others grew massive, with over 50 members.
George's team quickly came together:
George
Shin
Rayden
Lloyd
Jack
Gorrath
Lix
"I'll get our mage," Shin said, stepping forward.
Shin Meets the Mage
Shin approached the girl, standing a bit straighter as he spoke.
"Hey."
The girl slowly removed her cloak, revealing shimmering white hair that glowed under the cabin lights.
"Y-you're the g-guy I bumped into y-yesterday!" she stammered, her face turning slightly red.
Shin smiled. "Ah, yeah. I'm Shin. Would you like to join our team?"
She hesitated before nodding. "S-sure… n-no one p-picked me yet…"
"Great! Follow me."
As they walked back to the group, Shin glanced at her. "By the way, what's your name?"
"D-Desiree…"
Shin grinned. "Wow, that's a unique name!"
(Desiree… It really is a unique one.) He thought.
Finally, they reached the group.
"Hey, guys! This is our mage!" Shin said cheerfully.
Desiree gave a small wave. "H-hello…"
Before anyone could say more, the final announcement appeared.
[GET READY.]
A powerful energy filled the air.
The portal in front of them rippled ominously.
Everyone tensed, ready for whatever lay ahead.
Meanwhile, in the Great Hall, the King watched.
Beneath his golden mask, his lips barely moved.
"Now."
His voice carried an eerie lethargic tone.