The Monster Dominion's jungle loomed like a living beast, its bioluminescent vines casting eerie shadows over the Obsidian Fortress, the national College Entrance Examination site. Zane Aldric stood at its rune-carved gates, his A-rank Ice Crown glinting, the B-rank Ice Spear strapped to his back. Skoll, his level 10 Adolescent Fenrir, growled softly, his *Frost Aura* chilling the air, blue eyes scanning the crowd of prodigies from across the country. The Luminaris Trials had crowned Zane top in his city with a Difficult-tier clear, but the exams were the real gauntlet—solo dungeons scaling from Newbie to Abyss, where only a Hell or Abyss clear would make him the nation's top scorer. The System's warning—*[OBSERVER'S CHALLENGE ISSUED: SURVIVE THE EXAMS]*—hung heavy, the serpent-fang rune from his windowsill still dripping shadow in his memory. The observer, a non-human entity tampering with the System, was close, and Zane's secret interface, visible only to him, was his edge.
Rhea Solis, her ruby-scaled dragon Ember at her side, shot Zane a venomous glare. Dren Varkus, his A-rank Lightning Spear crackling, stood nearby, his storm-gray eyes cold. Lia, the S-rank Shadow Dancer, lingered in the crowd's edge, her violet eyes unreadable, her *Phantom Step* making her a ghost. Hundreds of others—S-rank Elementalists, A-rank Knights, B-rank Enchanters—buzzed with ambition, their gear gleaming. Mira and Toren were back in Luminaris, their level 9 skills vital in past dungeons but useless here. Zane was alone, save for Skoll and the System's blue panel:
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**[Status Panel]**
**Zane Aldric**
- **Class**: Mythic Beast Tamer (SSS-rank)
- **Level**: 10
- **Skills**: Beast Command (+55% reaction speed), Tamer's Insight (+40% weakness detection), Wild Call (Beast attack speed +22%), Frost Lance (Range +25 meters, 8-second cooldown), Beast Sense (Detection range +35 meters, 30-second cooldown), Ice Barrage (3 spears, 15-meter spread, 12-second cooldown), Cryo Bind (Ice chains, 6-second duration, 15-second cooldown), Frost Nova (AOE ice burst, 8-meter radius, slows 30%, 20-second cooldown)
- **Talents**: Frostfang Pact (Ice damage +15%, cold resistance +15%), Wild Synergy (Beast ability potency +10% with allies)
- **Beast**: Skoll (Adolescent Fenrir, Level 10)
- **Abilities**: Ice Bite (Freeze chance +70%), Frost Aura (Enemy speed reduction +30%), Glacial Howl (Stuns 10-meter radius, 13-second duration, 10-second cooldown)
- **Evolution Progress**: 33/50 kills, 32/100 mana crystals
- **Equipment**: Ice Spear (B-rank, +20 attack, +10% ice damage), Amulet of the Wild (B-rank, +10% beast ability potency, +5% mana regeneration), Vine Cloak (C-rank, +10 agility, +5% nature resistance), Shadow Cloak (A-rank, +15 agility, +10% stealth), Frost Gauntlets (B-rank, +15 attack, +10% ice skill potency), Ice Crown (A-rank, +10% ice skill potency, +10 mana regeneration)
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Zane dismissed the panel, his gamer's mind sharp. The exams' dungeons were randomized, but the observer's tampering—seen in the Shadowmare Ruins' shifting corridors—meant traps or worse. Skoll's *Glacial Howl* and *Frost Nova* could control crowds, and *Tamer's Insight* would spot weaknesses. His 4,000 System Favor, earned from trials and the Spire, was a mystery currency he hoped to cash in. The fortress gates opened, and a robed proctor, an S-rank Chronomancer, spoke: "Each of you will enter a solo dungeon, from Newbie to Abyss tier, based on your trial performance. Clear to qualify for Aetherion Academy. Top scorers clear Hell or Abyss. No deaths, but pain is real. Begin!"
A rift opened before Zane, its edges pulsing with crimson static—an anomaly trace. The System flagged: *[ECLIPSE VAULT: HELL TIER. ENEMIES: LEVEL 10–13. BOSS: LEVEL 14 ABYSSAL HARBINGER. WARNING: ANOMALY EFFECT: ENHANCED ENEMY INTELLIGENCE.]* Zane's heart raced. Hell tier at level 10 was brutal, and the observer's touch made it a death trap. He met Skoll's eyes. "We've got this, buddy." The Fenrir yipped, tail flicking. Zane stepped through.
The vault was a cavern of black crystal, its walls pulsing with shadow, air heavy with a metallic tang. *Beast Sense* pinged, detecting level 10 **Eclipse Wraiths**—spectral knights with glowing blades. *Tamer's Insight* marked their hearts as weak points. Zane sent a *Beast Command*: *Skoll, Glacial Howl.* The Fenrir's howl stunned four wraiths, their blades frozen mid-swing. Zane's *Frost Nova* erupted, slowing them further, while *Ice Barrage* shattered two hearts, ice amplified by *Frostfang Pact*, Frost Gauntlets, and Ice Crown. Skoll's *Ice Bite* crushed another, his *Frost Aura* slowing the last. The System logged: *[4 KILLS. SKOLL: 37/50 KILLS. 1 MANA CRYSTAL.]*
The vault's paths shifted, crystals realigning with a screech. The System warned: *[ANOMALY EFFECT: DUNGEON RECONFIGURATION.]* The observer was rewriting the map. *Beast Sense* caught a level 11 **Abyssal Drone*—a spider-like shade with venomous claws—lurking above. Zane's *Shadow Cloak* boosted his dodge, and *Cryo Bind* chained its legs. Skoll's *Ice Bite* froze its face, and *Frost Lance* pierced its core, dropping a crystal: *[38/50 KILLS, 34/100 MANA CRYSTALS.]*
A level 12 **Void Knight* charged, its spear crackling with dark mana, its movements eerily precise—anomaly-enhanced. *Tamer's Insight* marked its knees. Zane used *Wild Call*, boosting Skoll's speed, and unleashed *Glacial Howl* to stun it. *Frost Nova* slowed its recovery, and *Ice Barrage* cracked a knee. Skoll's *Ice Bite* froze the other, and Zane's *Frost Lance* finished it, but not before its spear grazed his thigh, pain searing despite exam safeguards. Two crystals dropped: *[39/50 KILLS, 36/100 MANA CRYSTALS.]*
The boss chamber was a dome of swirling shadows, the *Abyssal Harbinger* a towering humanoid with crimson eyes and dual blades, its aura pulsing with observer runes. The System warned: *[LEVEL 14 ABYSSAL HARBINGER. IMMUNE: PHYSICAL, POISON. WEAKNESS: ICE. ANOMALY EFFECT: REGENERATION.]* Zane gritted his teeth. Regeneration meant a race against time. "Skoll, *Glacial Howl*!" The stun locked the harbinger, and *Frost Nova* slowed it. Zane's *Ice Barrage* slammed its chest, ice spreading, boosted by his gear. *Cryo Bind* chained its arms, and Skoll's *Ice Bite* froze a leg. The harbinger broke free, its blades slicing Zane's shoulder, pain blinding. His *Vine Cloak* absorbed some damage, and *Shadow Cloak* let him dodge a follow-up. *Frost Lance* pierced its chest, and Skoll's *Glacial Howl* stunned again. A final *Ice Barrage* shattered its core, the harbinger dissolving into a crimson rune that pulsed and faded.
The System chimed: *[ECLIPSE VAULT CLEARED: HELL TIER. LEVEL UP: ZANE, LEVEL 11. SKOLL, LEVEL 11. REWARDS: 5 MANA CRYSTALS, S-RANK FROST SCEPTER, 2,000 SYSTEM FAVOR. SKOLL: 40/50 KILLS, 41/100 MANA CRYSTALS.]*
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**[Status Panel]**
**Zane Aldric**
- **Class**: Mythic Beast Tamer (SSS-rank)
- **Level**: 11
- **Skills**: Beast Command (+60% reaction speed), Tamer's Insight (+45% weakness detection), Wild Call (Attack speed +25%), Frost Lance (Range +28 meters), Beast Sense (Detection range +40 meters), Ice Barrage (Spear spread +18 meters), Cryo Bind (7-second duration), Frost Nova (Slows 35%), Glacial Surge (New: Summons ice wave, 12-meter range, knocks back enemies, 25-second cooldown)
- **Talents**: Frostfang Pact, Wild Synergy
- **Beast**: Skoll (Adolescent Fenrir, Level 11)
- **Abilities**: Ice Bite (Freeze chance +75%), Frost Aura (Enemy speed reduction +32%), Glacial Howl (Stun duration +3.5 seconds)
- **Evolution Progress**: 40/50 kills, 41/100 mana crystals
- **Equipment**: Frost Scepter (S-rank, +30 attack, +15% ice skill potency, +10% mana regeneration), Amulet of the Wild, Vine Cloak, Shadow Cloak, Frost Gauntlets, Ice Crown
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Zane swapped his Ice Spear for the Frost Scepter, its icy staff amplifying Skoll's aura. His System Favor hit 6,000, its use still elusive. The rune's fade echoed the Spire's, but the observer's presence lingered. He exited the rift, the fortress crowd roaring. The System announced: *[ZANE ALDRIC: HELL TIER CLEARED. SCORE: 98/100. RANK: 1ST NATIONAL.]* Rhea's Difficult-tier score was 92, Dren's 94, Lia's Hell-tier 96. Zane's lead was ironclad.
Rhea's face twisted with fury, Ember snarling. Dren gripped his spear, silent but deadly. Lia met Zane's gaze, her *Phantom Step* fading her away. Aetherion scouts approached, their badges gleaming, but Zane's focus was elsewhere. The System pinged: *[OBSERVER'S ORIGIN QUEST UPDATED: CONFRONT ANOMALY IN AETHERION ACADEMY.]* A new marker pointed to the academy's grounds, far north.
That night, in the fortress barracks, Zane clutched the observer's mark, its rune cold. Skoll curled beside him, growling softly. *Beast Sense* flared—a shadow outside, carving a rune into the wall: a crimson claw, pulsing with a voice only Zane heard: "*Tamer, your trials end at Aetherion.*"
Zane stood, scepter glowing, Skoll's *Glacial Howl* ready. The observer was calling him out, and he'd answer.
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