Day Two – Morning
The morning sun barely peeked over the treetops when the fog in the forest began to lift. The soft chirping of artificial birds and the breeze weaving between trees gave the illusion of peace—but deep within, the students were no longer fighting to survive. They were fighting to win.
Team Kael had been up since dawn. After packing up their camp, they moved toward the nearest magic pillar located at coordinate Y-4.
> "If we can activate this pillar without any interruptions, we'll widen our lead over the others," Rose said as she examined the map.
Kael gave a silent nod, a glowing blue flame pulsing gently in his hand.
But as they arrived at the location...
> "Wait… there's residue magic here," Irelith said, eyes narrowing at the scorched ground.
Perona added,
> "Someone's been here—but they didn't activate the pillar. Either they failed... or—"
A sudden whoosh—a magic arrow shot down from the treetops, aimed straight at Kael!
> "Ambush!" Leinhardt shouted, raising his shield just in time.
From the shadows, Team Darim emerged—an aggressive squad known for silently eliminating two teams. They were here to claim the pillar by force.
They made a mistake.
Irelith blasted a jet of wind-fire at the trees, forcing the archer down. Rose summoned a wall of roots to block further attacks. Kael rushed forward, his Blue Flame forming into a sword.
> "Let's end this quickly," he muttered.
In a matter of moments, Kael overwhelmed their leader, forcing Team Darim to surrender.
> "Looks like I miscalculated," Darim said bitterly.
> "Tch. Overconfidence will be your downfall," Rose sneered.
Darim simply laughed.
> "Don't get cocky. Your real enemies are still out there—Team Leon... and Lancer."
Irelith shot him a cold glance.
> "Then they should be the ones worried. They haven't faced us yet."
🕑 [DING!] – Points Update – Hour 30
Team Kael: +280 points (Defeated Team Darim + Pillar Activation)
Total: 420 Points
Team Lancer: 385 Points (One Pillars Activated + Defeated One Mid-Class Monster)
A beam of blue light soared into the sky the mark of another conquered pillar.
Team Lancer – Somewhere in the Forest
From a distance, Lancer watched the blue beam rise into the sky.
> "The southwestern pillar has been claimed," he murmured.
Taylor frowned.
> "It's Kael again, isn't it? Why let him keep rising?"
Yuki chimed in sharply,
> "Are you sure you can beat him, Lancer?"
Lancer replied confidently,
> "Yes. Because when I defeat him... I want him to be at his peak."
Without another word, the team moved toward another pillar. A path that would soon converge with Team Kael's.
Dusk – Illusion Trap and Rising Pressure
As Team Kael approached their next destination, they suddenly walked into an illusion zone. A thick, magical fog enveloped them, disorienting everyone. Soon, they began seeing false images—of each other.
> "Kael?! Why are you attacking me!?" Perona cried out, panic-stricken.
> "That's not me!" Kael yelled, trying to hold back his own illusion.
Irelith quickly chanted a purification spell. After five tense minutes, the fog faded leaving the team mildly injured and mentally drained.
> "If this keeps up... we might lose not to our enemies, but to the forest itself," Rose whispered.
🕑 [DING!] – Points Update – Hour 46
Current Rankings:
1. Team Kael – 420 Points
2. Team Lancer – 385 Points
3. Team Leon – 380 Points
4. Team Velna – 345 Points
5. Team Ren – 300 Points
End of Day Two – Calm Before the Storm
On a small hilltop, Kael stood gazing east toward the location of the final pillar.
> "Tomorrow… we'll meet," he whispered.
Leinhardt walked up beside him.
> "You mean… Lancer?"
Kael nodded.
> "Tomorrow will be exhausting. Let's rest here for the night."
> "Ugh, thank goodness. My legs are killing me," Perona groaned.
> "You're weak," Leinhardt teased.
> "Excuse me? Who's been handling logistics, navigation, and resource management all day? My mana's drained because I've been keeping all of you on track!"
Leinhardt let out a soft laugh, raising both hands in surrender.
Rose spoke up,
> "Who's on the first watch?"
> "Kael and I," Irelith answered.
Leinhardt frowned.
> "Shouldn't the core of our team rest first?"
> "That's exactly why we take the first shift. So we're fully rested by sunrise," Irelith replied calmly.
Night descended. Irelith and Kael sat under the stars as the others slept nearby.
> "I need to win this trial," Irelith said softly. "It's not just about pride… it's about my family name."
Kael didn't know how to respond. Deep inside, he could sense it—tomorrow would be the real trial.
Irelith leaned on his shoulder and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Kael smiled faintly.
> "This isn't a dream anymore," he thought. "Back then, I was just a normal guy. A regular human from a modern world, living an ordinary life. I never imagined I'd end up in a fantasy world… fighting like this."
> "Why was I brought here? What's waiting for me at the end of this path?"
He didn't have the answers yet.
But tomorrow… might bring them closer.
📌 [Countdown – 2 Hours Until Final Day Begins]
> Only one pillar remains.
Three teams—Kael, Leon, and Lancer—are headed for the same destination.
And only one will stand at the top.
📖 Continue to Chapter 18 – "Three Kings in the Inferno"
The final clash begins. Magic will burn. Wills will shatter. And only the strongest will claim the crown.