Chương 80: The Third Day of Tests – Part 1/4

Time was running out. Less than two minutes remained to complete the 15 minutes. The crystal on the pedestal was already heavily damaged — several thin cracks spread across the blue surface, and its glow had grown weak. Any stronger hit now could destroy it. The creatures kept appearing without stopping. It seemed that the more time passed, the more aggressive they became. Some now ignored attacks and focused only on reaching the pedestal. Astrid was exhausted.

Her face was sweaty and she was breathing heavily, but she continued on the front line, punching and throwing the creatures that managed to get through. Rina was also tired — her fire tails were smaller and less intense than at the beginning. Harley swung her hammer with force, creating another impact wave, but her arm trembled slightly from the repeated effort. — They won't stop coming… — she muttered, frustrated.

Joker, who was still holding the shadow wall in front of the crystal, replied without taking his eyes off the creatures: — Just hold on a little longer. It's almost over. On the side, Sylvara was kneeling on the ground with her hands pressed against the earth. Her vines were thinner and slower now. Marina was also visibly tired — the mist around the pedestal had become thinner. Lirien continued singing, but her voice was already hoarse and weak.

Kuroe was placing runes on the ground as fast as she could, but her face showed exhaustion. The crystal groaned. A larger crack appeared in the middle of it. Harley looked at the crystal and cursed under her breath: Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. — Shit… it's going to break! At that moment, a larger wave of creatures came all at once, attacking from three different sides. Astrid and Rina managed to hold the front, but several creatures slipped through the sides.

Two of them leaped straight toward the pedestal. Joker tried to extend his shadows to catch them, but he was busy holding back other creatures coming from above. He couldn't reach the two heading for the crystal. Harley spun quickly, ready to strike the ground again, but realized she wouldn't have time. In that instant, something happened. Kuroe, who was farther back, ran toward the pedestal. She threw herself to the ground right in front of the crystal and slammed her palms against the earth.

Several chaos runes appeared at the same time, forming a circle around the pedestal. The two creatures that were about to attack the crystal stepped on the runes and immediately stopped, confused. One of them started attacking the other. The second hesitated, giving Astrid time to recover and throw them both away. Kuroe stayed on the ground for a few seconds, panting. Her runes were glowing more intensely than usual. Joker looked at her for a second and spoke in a low voice: — Good. Kuroe didn't respond.

She simply stood up slowly, still breathing heavily. Thirty seconds left. The creatures kept coming, but the group was managing to hold. Harley, Astrid, and Rina formed a more aggressive front line. Sylvara and Marina protected the sides. Lirien continued singing even with her weak voice. Kuroe placed runes whenever she could. Joker kept his shadows controlling the creatures coming from above. The final seconds were the most tense.

When only 10 seconds remained, one creature managed to get past everyone and leaped straight for the pedestal. It raised its claw, ready to destroy the crystal. No one was close enough to stop it. Except Joker. He appeared in front of the crystal at the last second, using shadows to move quickly. The creature struck him on the shoulder with its claw. Joker grunted in pain, but didn't move. He extended his hand and shadows rose from the ground, wrapping around the creature and pulling it down with force.

The creature struggled, but Joker held firm until the final second. When time finally ran out, a magical bell rang loudly in the arena. The creatures stopped appearing immediately. The ones still alive began to dissolve into the air, disappearing like smoke. The crystal was still on the pedestal — cracked, weak, but intact. The group stood still for a few seconds, breathing heavily, sweaty and exhausted. No one said anything at first. Harley was the first to move.

She walked over to Joker, who was still holding his injured shoulder, and rested her forehead against his chest for a second. — You're an idiot — she murmured. Joker gave a tired smile. — It worked, didn't it? Astrid let out a low grunt and sat on the ground. Rina let her fire tails extinguish completely. Marina sat down next to Sylvara, who looked completely exhausted. Lirien had her hands on her knees, breathing deeply. Kuroe was silent, looking at the cracked crystal.

Outside the arena, Lysithea was standing with her hands pressed against her mouth, her eyes full of tears. Elara stood beside her with a proud expression. Mirella and Graciela were also watching, visibly relieved. Master Harlan approached the arena and announced in a firm voice: — Time's up. The artifact was protected. The group passed the first test. A collective sigh of relief came from the eight of them. Harley raised her hammer high and shouted, her voice hoarse: — The circus is still standing, damn it!

Joker laughed quietly, still holding his shoulder. The second test of the third day was still to come. But for now, they had won another battle. End of Part 1/4 (continues in Part 1/5)