Chapter 23
The atmosphere in the courtyard was thick with tension, the weight of failure pressing heavily on the participants' shoulders. Every attempt to break the mysterious green egg had ended in failure, leaving the crowd restless and uncertain. Some had begun to question if the trial was even possible to complete.
One by one, mages of various talents stepped forward, each wielding their most powerful spells. A towering young man unleashed a fiery inferno with "Fire Blast," only for the egg to remain untouched. Another conjured a jagged spear of ice with "Ice Shard," launching it at full force—yet still, the egg did not crack. Thunder rumbled as a contestant used "Thunderclap," a deafening shockwave meant to shatter solid stone, but the egg stood defiant. Each failure was punctuated by a cold, mechanical voice echoing through the courtyard:
"You failed."
Desperation settled over the participants. Frustration turned to doubt. Was this trial merely a cruel joke?
Then, amidst the murmurs of uncertainty, a single figure emerged from the crowd. His long black hair shimmered under the sunlight, his calm yet confident presence drawing all eyes to him. Rayden Hailo—one of the most talented mages of his generation. The onlookers fell silent as he approached the egg, their breath held in collective anticipation.
A voice from the crowd whispered, "Do you think he can break it?"
Rayden's partner hesitated before replying, "If anyone can, it's him."
Rayden studied the egg for a brief moment, then slowly extended his palm over it. His fingers barely grazed the surface as he muttered two words:
"Gravity Bind."
A crushing force rippled through the air. The egg trembled violently, an eerie cracking noise filling the courtyard. Splintering lines formed across its surface before—
Shatter!
Fragments of the once-indestructible egg rained to the ground.
"You pass," Hannah announced. But Rayden had already turned away, his expression unreadable, as if breaking the egg had been no more difficult than breathing.
Before the astonishment could settle, another figure stepped forward. Clad in a dark cloak, his face obscured, he raised a hand toward the egg. Murmurs spread among the crowd.
"Is he trying to copy Rayden?" someone scoffed.
"Only a fool would attempt to repeat that feat," another replied.
The cloaked figure exhaled, then spoke softly: "Total Freeze."
A wave of icy mist spread outward. The air turned frigid, frost creeping over the egg's surface at an unnatural speed. In mere seconds, the entire egg was encased in solid ice. With a final whisper—
"Break."
The ice shattered, taking the egg with it.
Enax, one of the headmasters, narrowed his eyes. "His ice power is formidable."
The other head wizards nodded in agreement. The stunned silence of the crowd was shattered only by Hannah's voice: "You pass."
Then, one after another, other prodigies stepped forward. A yellow-haired boy wielding a sword hilt. A cold-eyed youth standing beside an expressionless female companion. A pink-haired girl with an aura so fragrant and intoxicating that a mere tap of her finger reduced the egg to dust. Each shattered the egg effortlessly, proving themselves as parallel geniuses—individuals whose talents transcended the norm.
Among them was Gold, a messy silver-haired boy. Though not as naturally gifted as the others, he unleashed a devastating earth technique, "Terra Firma." The ground trembled as his power cracked the egg into four precise fragments. The achievement was significant—especially considering he was only in the 6th stage of the foundation phase.
Finally, only five participants remained.
Blaze and his group stepped forward.
The crowd watched with bated breath as Hannah addressed them. "Who will go first?"
Without hesitation, Lucas, a brown-haired boy with feral eyes, stepped forward. A whisper ran through the spectators.
"A beast Invitus…" one observer muttered in awe.
Lucas crouched, his muscles tensing like a predator poised to strike. With a guttural roar, he lunged forward, his claws infused with raw beast essence. "Claw Ripper!" He struck with lethal force, but the egg held firm.
Then—a crack.
The crowd gasped as a fissure snaked across the egg's surface before it crumbled apart.
"You pass," Hannah declared.
Encouraged, Nephis, Lucas's twin sister, took her stance. Channeling both fire and water, she formed two pulsating orbs of energy. With the speed of the wind, she launched herself forward— "Full Thrust!" The impact shattered the egg instantly.
Next was Blaze. As he prepared, a notification flashed before his eyes:
New Quest Received
Quest: Destroy the Level 2 Enchanted Egg and pass the second trial.
Rewards: Instant Level Up.
His heartbeat quickened. Without hesitation, he activated "Feral Pounce," combining it with his lightning gloves and boots. He surged forward in a blur of energy.
"Lightning Feral Strike!"
His attack combined the full force of his astral strike, feral speed, and lightning essence. The egg didn't just crack—it vanished, reduced to dust. A stunned silence fell over the arena.
Then, a voice broke through:
"You pass."
Simultaneously, another notification rang out:
Quest Completed.
You have leveled up.
You are Level 8. Your stats have increased
---
Akira's hands trembled as she stepped forward, her heart pounding against her ribs like a war drum. The weight of expectation bore down on her, suffocating in its intensity. She had watched warriors far stronger than her—Invitus at the 7th stage of the foundation phase—fail to so much as dent the egg. What hope did she, a mere 4th-stage fighter, have against such an impenetrable force?
The whispers cut deep, but she clenched her fists, forcing herself to drown them out. There was no turning back now. She inhaled sharply, feeling the cool rush of water essence flow through her veins. If this was her moment to prove herself, she wouldn't let fear hold her back.
Raising both hands, she summoned every ounce of mana within her. The air thickened, the temperature around her dropping as a swirling vortex of water formed between her palms. The once-gentle ripple expanded into a raging tempest, a spiraling mass of raw, untamed energy.
Her teeth clenched. Now or never.
With a defiant cry, she hurled the Aqua Tempest at the egg. The ground quaked beneath her feet as the massive current surged forward, a maelstrom of crushing force. Water slammed against the egg, a deafening roar echoing through the arena as torrents cascaded in every direction. The sheer pressure alone could have split boulders in half.
For a moment, hope flared in her chest.
And then… silence.
The raging water settled, forming a misty veil over the battlefield. Akira held her breath, waiting, praying for even the slightest crack.
But as the mist cleared, reality struck like a dagger to the heart.
The egg remained. Untouched. Unmarred. Pristine.
The air felt colder than before. The realization clawed at her, suffocating, paralyzing.
Hannah's voice sliced through the silence like a blade.
"You failed."
The words crashed down on her like an avalanche, crushing the last remnants of hope. The weight of them was unbearable. Akira's knees threatened to buckle, her vision blurring at the edges.
To be continued.