The corpse of the beast crashed heavily against the forest floor.
A massive Ironback bear, its plated hide cracked open from Zael's final strike. Black blood seeped into the soil while the creature's enormous body slowly dissolved into particles of system energy.
Zael exhaled slowly.
His breathing was steady, but his muscles hummed with fatigue. Continuous fighting since being dropped into the wilderness had already begun to accumulate.
Beside him, Zane rolled his shoulder.
"Not bad," he muttered. "These things are already stronger than the monsters in the university training grounds."
A few steps away, Lily wiped her blade clean on the grass before sheathing it.
"That was the fourth one in the last twenty minutes," she said. "If this keeps up, we might not even make the checkpoint before the six-hour limit."
Zael glanced down at the smart watch on his wrist.
The glowing arrow still pointed deeper into the wilderness.
Distance Remaining: 41 km
"…We're not even halfway."
Zane laughed under his breath.
"Guess the academy really wants to kill us."
But before anyone could respond—
A slow clap echoed through the trees.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
The three of them immediately tensed.
Zael's instincts sharpened.
Someone was nearby.
Not a beast.
Awakeners.
Three figures stepped out from behind the trees.
Their uniforms were unfamiliar—sleek black combat suits with a silver insignia shaped like a burning crown.
Zane's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…Great."
Lily whispered quietly.
"Rival university."
The man at the front smiled lazily as he approached.
Tall.
Confident.
Dangerous.
Behind him stood two others, both radiating powerful auras.
The leader stopped about ten meters away.
"Well, well," he said lightly. "Looks like we found some students from AEGIS PRIME."
Zane's voice turned cold.
"…And you are?"
The man bowed theatrically.
"Allow me to introduce ourselves."
He tapped his chest where the emblem sat.
"Students of Crownfall Apex Institute."
Zael's eyes sharpened.
He had heard the name before.
One of the top combat universities.
Extremely competitive with AEGIS PRIME.
The man continued speaking casually.
"My name is Cassian Vale."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Mythical Talent Awakened."
Then he gestured lazily to the two behind him.
"Legendary."
"Legendary."
Both of them stepped forward slightly, smirking.
Three against three.
But their intentions were obvious.
Cassian stretched his neck slowly.
"You see…" he said, smiling faintly. "The instructors never said we couldn't eliminate competitors before the checkpoint."
Zane cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, I like this."
Lily sighed softly.
"Of course something like this would happen."
Cassian's gaze moved toward Zael.
His eyes lingered.
Then he frowned slightly.
"…Level nineteen?"
He chuckled.
"Did AEGIS PRIME get so desperate they started bringing first-years on field training camps?"
The two Legendary awakeners behind him laughed.
But Zael said nothing.
His eyes were calm.
Cold.
Cassian continued.
"Well, no matter."
He pointed lazily at them.
"Take their watches."
"Break their supplies."
"And if they resist…"
His smile sharpened.
"Break their legs."
The two Legendary awakeners stepped forward instantly.
Their auras surged.
Zane grinned.
"Finally."
His combat aura ignited violently.
"Something interesting."
Lily drew her blade again.
But Zael—
Zael's gaze shifted toward the forest.
His instincts tingled.
Something else was wrong.
Something approaching.
Fast.
Very fast.
Before he could speak—
A massive roar suddenly exploded through the forest.
The ground shook violently.
Trees snapped.
A gigantic shadow burst through the forest canopy.
All six awakeners looked up at the same time.
And their expressions changed.
Because what landed between them…
Was a Level 32 Apex Predator Beast.
The system message flashed on every watch simultaneously.
[Warning: Alpha Rank Monster Detected]
For the first time since arriving—
Even Cassian's confident smile disappeared.
---
The forest floor was torn apart.
Massive claw marks carved through the earth, trees snapped like brittle twigs. The monstrous beast towered before them—a hulking creature with dark armored scales and two curved horns that glinted under the dim canopy light.
It roared.
The sound shook the surrounding trees.
Zane tightened his grip on his spear.
Lily's fingers flickered with gathering mana.
Zael stood slightly behind them, eyes sharp.
But they weren't alone.
Three awakeners stood on the opposite side of the beast.
Their uniforms were different—dark silver cloaks bearing a jagged crown crest.
Cassian.
The mythical-talent awakener from Crownfall Apex Institute.
Behind him were his two teammates, both radiating the heavy aura of legendary-grade talents.
The beast roared again, slamming its claw down.
Cassian dodged with practiced ease.
"Finally," he muttered. "Some good luck."
His gaze flicked toward Zael's group.
Zane frowned.
"Good luck?" he muttered. "Looks more like we're the unlucky ones."
The beast lunged again.
This time all six awakeners moved.
Steel flashed.
Mana exploded.
Zael vanished.
Void Step.
He reappeared above the beast's back and slashed downward.
Night Sever.
A crescent of darkness carved across the monster's scales, forcing it to stagger.
At the same moment—
Zane drove his spear into the creature's shoulder.
Lily unleashed a concentrated blast of wind that slammed the beast sideways.
For a brief moment…
The six of them actually had the upper hand.
But Cassian's eyes weren't on the monster.
They were on Zael.
Watching.
Calculating.
And then—
He smiled.
The beast suddenly slammed its tail across the battlefield, forcing everyone back.
The moment of chaos lasted only a second.
But it was enough.
"Now."
Cassian stepped back.
His two teammates followed instantly.
They retreated in perfect coordination, leaping through the trees and vanishing into the forest.
Zane blinked.
"...What?"
The beast roared again—its attention now locked completely onto the remaining three.
Lily's eyes widened.
"They ran!"
Zane's expression darkened.
"Those bastards!"
Zael watched the direction Cassian disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
"They didn't run."
"What?" Lily asked.
Zael's gaze shifted deeper into the forest.
"They're waiting."
Zane frowned.
"Waiting for what?"
Zael's voice was calm.
"For us to die."
Silence fell between them.
Then the beast charged again.
Massive claws tore through the ground as it rushed forward.
Zane cursed and stepped forward to intercept.
Steel clashed against bone.
The fight exploded again.
---
Deeper in the Forest
Cassian crouched on a branch, watching the battle through the trees.
His teammates stood beside him.
"Should we help?" one of them asked.
Cassian chuckled.
"Why would we?"
His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.
"That beast is worth at least 20 starting points."
"And their watches?"
He smiled.
"Another 30 to 40 points combined."
One teammate frowned slightly.
"But if they survive—"
"They won't."
Cassian interrupted.
"This trial isn't about survival."
His eyes gleamed.
"It's about points."
He tapped his own smart watch.
"Without points you can't eat."
"Can't buy equipment."
"Can't access training chambers."
"Can't use recovery pods."
"Can't even stay inside the dorms."
The officials never explained any of that.
But Cassian already knew.
His family had influence.
He had received information before the trial began.
"So we let the beast weaken them," he said calmly.
"Then we finish whoever survives."
Below them—
The beast roared again.
A massive explosion of mana shook the forest.
Cassian smiled faintly.
"Easy points."
---
Back on the Battlefield
Zael slid backward across the ground as the beast's claw slammed down.
Dust exploded into the air.
Zane was breathing heavily now.
Lily's mana reserves were already dropping.
The beast roared again, more furious than before.
Zael exhaled slowly.
This beast was stronger than the dungeon monsters.
Stronger than anything they'd faced so far.
And somewhere ahead—
Cassian's group was watching.
Waiting.
Zael's mind turned briefly to something else.
A message burned quietly in his thoughts.
[Awakening Level Task — Extreme Difficulty]
Objective: Survive continuous combat against opponents above your level for 24 hours.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The task never said anything about it being completed In one go, that meant he could probably begin and take a break before returning to it again, he just needed a cumulative time of 24 hours.
The beast lunged again.
Zael vanished.
Void Step.
He reappeared beside the creature's neck.
His blade glowed.
Resonance Strike.
The impact detonated like thunder.
The beast staggered.
But it didn't fall.
And Zael realized something.
If this kept going…
This fight might actually help him complete his awakening task.
Slowly…
Zael smiled.
A cold one.
"Zane," he said calmly.
Zane deflected another claw strike.
"Yeah?!"
Zael looked at the beast.
Then toward the forest where Cassian was hiding.
"Don't hold back."
Lily blinked.
"What are you planning?"
Zael's voice was quiet.
"Let them watch."
The beast roared.
Zael's aura exploded outward.
Dark energy rippled across the battlefield.
Far away—
Cassian's smile slowly faded.
Something about Zael's presence…
Suddenly felt wrong.
---