The trial continued.

  Screams resounded through the forest.

  As examinees rushed through the towering trees, some panicked, leaving their partners behind, while others froze under the pressure, paralyzed by fear.

  And then some stood firm, facing the trial head-on.

  Neris grinned near a reasonably open area in the forest as a Malignant charged him with its jaw stretched wide.

  “Perfect.”

  BOOM

  A burst of pure, luminous energy shot right towards the malignant, sending it backward. Then Neris twisted mid-air, using the recoil to launch toward another target.

  He grinned. “Man, this is fun.”

  A Malignant charged from behind.

  BOOM.

  Without looking, Neris fired a concentrated blast, the force sending the creature crashing into a tree and vanishing into mist.

  Still airborne, he glanced at his partner.

  “Don’t waste your energy,” Serin said as she examined the other malignants. “You’re going to burn through all your energy too fast.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever, you're no fun.” Neris muttered, “You worry too much about the small stuff.”

  “I can handle anything.”

  Serin ignored him, finding it useless to try to communicate with him. She extended her hands, and then golden strands of energy came from her fingertips.

  Tether Bind.

  The tendrils snapped forward, latching onto a Malignant’s legs, stopping its movement momentarily.

  “It’s your move, Neris,” she said.

  Neris smirked. “So, you do know how to have fun.”

  With a single charged palm, he sent a point-blank blast into the Malignant’s chest. The explosion rocked the trees and disappeared into nothingness.

  Serin scanned their surroundings, noticing something was off.

  Another malignant reappeared in the same spot where they had just defeated the last one.

  The two turned to face each other.

  “Cool infinite training dummies!” Neris yelled.

  Serin shook her head in disbelief.

  “We should conserve our energy; I doubt you can keep up that power level forever. Plus, something is off about these malignants.

  Neris grinned, unfazed.

  “I can keep this up the entire day. Look at me, Steller Impact has never failed me—”

  Before he could finish, Serin started walking away.

  “Wait--hey! Don’t you want to hear about my Lux.”

  In another part of the battlefield, Tank crouched low, putting his fingers to the dirt. His Lux, Echo Sense, sent faint pulses through the ground, picking up movements around him.

  “Two behind and one closing in fast from the left side.”

  Lance stood beside him with a blade in hand.

  The malignant appeared just as Tank predicted. Aiming straight for Lance’s head.

  CLANG

  Lance’s sword gleamed with a sharp silver aura, slicing easily through the creature's arm like paper and causing it to screech before disappearing.

  Edge Catalyst.

  “I only have two more strikes like that in this blade,” Lance said. He eyed the next malignant who was beginning to charge.

  “Better make them count,” Tank muttered.

  The second Malignant lunged; this time, Tank acted as bait. He readied his slingshot, sending a small projectile—

  CRACK!

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  A perfect shot to the Malignant’s eye. Causing it to slow down.

  “I knew it! They are moving in some pattern,” he shouted.

  “Lance, now!”

  Lance rushed forward, using his Lux once again. The silver blade shone brightly again. Then

  SWINK.

  A precise, clean cut severed the Malignant’s head from its body. However, the two malignants they had just fought reappeared in the same spots.

  Tank exhaled, standing upright.

  “Every time we take one down, more comes from the same spot,” he muttered. “Like… they’re being reset.”

  “Yeah, let’s keep moving; fighting here is a waste of time. I think the professor said head north?” Lance asked.

  “Yeah, she did.”

  “Okay, let’s move.”

  “How is this even possible?” Tank questioned.

  Elsewhere, Gaius moved cautiously, attempting to avoid as much interaction as possible. He held his daggers close to him. Beside him was Lira, his partner, an average-sized girl with brown hair who was trembling.

  “I-I don't think I can fight.’ Lira said.

  Gaius exhaled. “Right...”

  They decided to traverse up in the trees to avoid as much fighting.

  “Going up in the trees seemed to have been a good idea...” Lira said, “There are no scary monsters.”

  “Just be quiet. You're making too much noise.”

  For a second, Lira’s face lit up with anger.

  A Malignant leaped toward them, branches snapping under its weight. Lira shrieked, clinging to a thick limb as Gaius cursed.

  He twisted, barely avoiding a swipe. Claws tore into bark inches from his face. He lashed out—missed, and his footing slipped.

  Too slow. Too messy.

  The Malignant pounced again. Gaius kicked off a branch, flipping to another limb as his Mirage Art flickered—three shifting copies scattering in different directions.

  The malignant picked the wrong copy.

  Gaius dropped from above, daggers flashing—one blade sank into its skull, the other into its neck.

  It crumbled into dust as he landed hard, catching himself on a branch.

  But something nagged at him.

  It felt like a clean kill…

  He turned to Lira, who was still trembling.

  “There’s still more, Gaius!”

  The same malignant he took down appeared once again, ready to pounce.

  Gaius’s patience was thinning between the malignant reappearance and Lira’s attitude. He snapped.

  “You’re full of crap.”

  Lira froze.

  He tilted his head. “You wanna drop the act?”

  “I don’t know what you're talking about,” she said frantically.

  "Whatever, keep your secrets, but don’t slow me down. I need to pass this exam,” he said

  He turned his attention back to the Malignant.

  Lira’s scared demeanor quickly changed into a frown as he turned away.

  “Damn, he’s quite perceptive,” she cursed in her mind.

  Still, at the beginning of the forest, Nona was trapped. She barely dodged a Malignant swipe.

  “Golden Prism!”

  A golden barrier materialized between her and the creature, blocking its attack.

  Next to her was Julissa, one of the bratty noble girls. She let out a scream.

  “Do something, Nona!”

  Nona anger flared, “At least pretend to be useful, YOU DOLT!”

  “My lux isn’t for combat! Do something!” she cried.

  The Malignant kept relentlessly attacking the barrier, causing cracks to form.

  “I can’t hold this forever!” Nona shouted.

  She noticed that some of the other students were in the same position. Their only choice was to run.”

  “Come, we are running; there’s no other choice,” she shouted. “Stay behind me, and don’t lag.

  Julissa nodded

  And they ran.

  Many students began to tire themselves out, seeing no way to continue through an endless gauntlet of malignants. Some gave up allowing the malignants to strike them, and some cried.

  Abell twisted his body, barely dodging the malignant’s claws. He swung his blade; the broken blade clashed with the creature’s arm. The hit landed, and The Malignant vanished.

  “Finally! I landed a hit!” he shouted.

  Then—it reappeared.

  His stomach tightened. “Oh, come on.”

  Masako, a few steps away, had been watching. Something wasn’t right. She scanned the battlefield—the same thing was happening everywhere.

  Students would take down a Malignant, and then, seconds later, it would return.

  No wounds. No exhaustion. No end. Her grip on her sword tightened. She noticed the pattern.

  “What if I stand still?”

  She stepped forward, right in front of a Malignant. With her sword lowered and with no intention of attacking.

  “Masako, what are you doing? Are you crazy?!” Abell barked.

  She didn’t answer.

  The Malignant didn’t move. It just stood there. Waiting.

  Then, slowly, she reached for her sword.

  The moment her fingers touched the hilt— The Malignant lunged.

  Masako sidestepped, its claws slicing through the air where she stood a second ago.

  Her grip tightened. The creature twisted, coming at her again—erratic, fast.

  A clear step forward. One precise slash.

  Her blade met the creature. A deep gash tore across its ribs, black mist spilling from the wound. But it wasn’t enough.

  It rushed again.

  She ducked low, then countered. A clean cut—its arm hit the dirt, dissolving into nothing. It screeched.

  Then she stepped in. Pivoted. One fluid motion—Her sword carved straight through its core.

  The Malignant froze, then shattered into mist. But reappearing in the same spot it was before.

  Masako exhaled, flicking the dust off her blade. “They only attack when we fight back,” she muttered.

  Abell’s expression twisted. “That’s—” He stopped.

  “This isn’t a battle. It’s a distraction.”

  Abell’s fist clenched. “Damn it…”

  Masako’s voice remained steady. “The professor said the trial was simple—”

  “Reach the safe zone before sunrise.”

  Abell clicked his tongue. “And here we are, swinging at things that don’t even matter.”

  Masako grabbed his wrist. “No more wasting time. We move.”

  They sprinted through the trees, weaving between students still caught in the fight. The malignants watched them go but did not follow them intensely.

  Abell was shocked that someone his age could figure out a complex matter like that.

  Masako figured it out first. He glanced at her as they ran. She didn’t hesitate. She wasn’t just strong—she was sharp.

  He frowned. “Sorry for not listening before.”

  Masako didn’t look at him. Hiding her surprised expression.

  “It’s fine, but from now on, let’s work together, okay?”

  “Yeah,” he said softly.

  They kept running—leaving the starting battlefield behind.

  Elsewhere…

  The forest was loud. Screams, the clash of weapons, the howls of Malignants.

  Izego moved alone in silence.

  A Malignant rushed from the shadow, sensing his malicious intent. However, he stepped aside, his motion smooth, almost casual. The creature’s claws swiped but missed.

  His fist shot out—

  CRACK.

  The Malignant’s head snapped back, the force caving its skull inward before fading into mist.

  One more appeared from above.

  Izego ducked, pivoted, then drove his elbow into its ribs—a single blow. The impact sent it sprawling, its body twitching before it dissolved.

  He barely slowed his pace, walking like nothing happened.

  As he walked, the trees thinned ahead.

  “Finally.”

  He was already nearing the end.