The ethereal clone of the Fairy Queen hovered in the air, as if it were made of moonlight and morning mist. Her eyes shimmered softly as she watched the battle.
I darted around the arena, dodging the blows of the salt golem, and my every move was filled with stubborn determination. The Queen couldn't help but notice this, as I lacked experience, but I didn't give up, and that was what earned my respect.
—Interesting...
She spoke softly, and there was a hint of approval in her voice.
—She continues to learn even when her strength is waning.
At that moment, Fritte cautiously flew towards the ephemeral figure. His small wings made a soft tinkling sound as they cut through the air, and there was a genuine light of concern in his eyes.
—Mother... can I help Disava?
He asked, looking at me as I dodged the massive blows in a desperate dance.
The Queen turned her gaze towards her son. She remained silent for a moment, as if weighing his words and observing the situation ahead. Then a slight smile touched her lips.
—There's no need for that. Let the girl harden herself. Every dodge, every breath in battle now makes her stronger than any hint or help from the outside.
Fritte frowned. He wanted to rush down and shield me, but his mother's words penetrated deep into his heart.
—But... what if it gets really hard for her?
The ethereal figure of the Queen shook her head, and a cold gleam shone in her eyes.
—Then you can fly over and keep her company. But only when her determination reaches the point of desperation. As I see it, she doesn't need any extra support right now.
Fritte looked at me again. Despite the difficulties, I continued to fight, and there was no fear in my eyes, only a strong desire to win.
He sighed and nodded, accepting his mother's words.
I swiftly dodged the golem's massive strikes, each one threatening to crush me into a paste.
The monster's heavy arms crashed to the ground, raising clouds of dust and crumbling grains of salt. I used the [Roll] skill, dancing across the arena, and the lime-green aura gathered around my fists and wrapped around the [Blood Rose Knuckles] glowed with a living flame.
With each movement, the aura became denser, as if a real pair of invisible hands were controlling my weapon.
I hit the golem on the back, and at that moment, it felt like it wasn't a stream of energy, but rather my own hands crashing into the enemy's stone form.
The recoil, the vibration, the feeling of heavy resistance it was all too real to be an illusion.
It was as if I was truly fighting on my own! My strikes caused cracks to appear on the enemy's salt-like back. Large chunks of salt broke off and crumbled down with a dry, crunching sound as they collided with the arena.
But to my surprise, as soon as the first crystal of salt touched the ground, a sharp crack pierced the air, and the piece exploded like a miniature bomb.
I barely had time to roll as the blast wave roared past, scattering sharp shards in all directions.
—W-what?
I gasped, shocked by the unexpected effect. The next piece fell and exploded again, lighting up the arena with green flashes of magical reaction.
The ground around me was covered in craters, as if the arena itself had decided to join the battle against me.
Each of my attacks not only dealt damage to the golem, but also triggered a chain of explosions that could destroy me.
Therefore, my strategy had to be different: I had to strike and immediately move away before the salt could touch the ground.
I rolled again, dodging a massive blow from a stone hand, and unleashed my aura again in a jump.
The brass knuckles lit up with a soft light of lime, and I struck a sharp blow to the side of the golem.
At the same moment, a piece of salt broke off and fell, but now, anticipating the moment of the explosion, I managed to roll back sharply.
The earth flashed with fire and exploded with a crystal hail, but my body was already in another point of the arena, only the wind swept across my cheek.
The system immediately responded:
[Learning progress: 80%]
***
[Attention!]
[Learning progress: 100%]
[First Stage: Aura Separation – Lvl 1. Learned]
System notification lines appeared before my eyes. My heart started beating faster, I had done it!
Now the lime-green energy I felt in my hands was no longer just a haze. It had taken on form and substance. From my palms, translucent fists of aura emerged, massive and sturdy, as if crafted for battle.
Now they could replace any weapon: if the daggers or brass knuckles were destroyed, I would still be a fighter capable of breaking armor or piercing defenses with a single blow.
The apprentice fairies who were watching the process gasped in unison. Some even covered their faces with their hands, unable to believe that I had completed the first stage so quickly.
Fritte grinned proudly, almost leaping into the air, but the Fairy Queen only smiled mysteriously.
"This is just the beginning. Now she really starts to look like a Pioneer."
But the test wasn't over yet. The salt golem, which had shattered into dozens of pieces with a loud crack, suddenly began to reassemble.
The stone fragments were drawn together like a magnet, and soon the same opponent stood before me, albeit with cracks across its body.
—What the... is it regenerating?
Each movement was difficult for me, my breath was ragged, and my muscles ached from constant rolling and dodging. But I refused to give up. The golem raised his hand to strike again, and I felt my new aura fists glow brighter, as if urging me, "Use us."
I stepped forward and faced the stone opponent head-on. The aura's strike collided with the golem's massive arm, and the sound of cracking stone echoed throughout the arena.
Yes, I now had a weapon capable of withstanding even monsters that not every player could defeat.
However, the system mercilessly reminded me that the reward for this battle was insignificant. The small increase in experience was almost useless for my level. It was strange.
I frowned, does this mean that the true value of the trial is not in the reward, but in the skill itself?
[ Attention: Victory 1/5]
I let out a heavy sigh, and despite my exhaustion, my eyes were filled with determination. The first monster had been defeated, but there were still four more to go.
Fritte gently landed next to me and, with a flutter of his transparent wings, spoke in a calm voice, as if trying to reassure me.
—Don't worry, you're not really gaining much experience. These challenges are not designed to level up, but to help you master a new skill."Battles with the Queen's summoned creatures should not feed you experience; their purpose is to strengthen your spirit.
I frowned slightly, but nodded. I exhaled heavily, feeling the aura around my hands still trembling from the first battle.
—I understand... But thank you anyway. Thank you for giving me this chance. Even if I don't gain any experience, I will complete these trials. I owe it to you.
Fritte smiled approvingly, and at that moment, the arena shook. From the glowing gate that appeared directly in front of them, a new enemy slowly emerged.
A massive lizard fell heavily to the ground, its scales burning red like hot metal, and its eyes glowing with a wild, furious light.
But that wasn't the most disgusting part: long, dark worms were wriggling out of the deep wounds covering the monster's body. They fell to the ground, hissing in the heat, and immediately began to crawl towards my feet.
—W-what is this abomination?
I involuntarily stepped back, clutching my fists to my chest. I shuddered in disgust, but my fear quickly gave way to determination.
The lizard lunged forward, its mouth open, but I gritted my teeth, activated [Roll], rolled to the side, and used my brass knuckles to strike the worms that were already crawling nearby.
The light green aura on my fists flared brighter, and with each strike, the foul creatures were blown to shreds, disappearing in sparks.
The beast roared, lashing out at me. Its claws dug into the ground, leaving deep furrows, but I ducked under its paw and delivered a series of quick strikes to the beast's flanks.
Each strike was accompanied by a flash of aura, and my brass knuckles sank into its scales, crushing them.
Fritte, watching from the edge of the arena, whispered in admiration.
—Wow... she's learning faster than I expected.
The lizard lunged again, but its movements became increasingly erratic. The worms that had been protruding from its wounds were now writhing in agony, and many had already been destroyed.
I leaped forward and delivered a decisive punch to the monster's jaw. The brass knuckles flared with crimson light, and the massive creature collapsed to the ground, emitting a final, piercing hiss.
—I never want to see those worms again...
The third enemy in the garden was a centipede the size of a domestic cat, and although it was agile, it was easier to kill than the others. All that was required was a swift swat.
The fourth battle was with the Red Bees, who for some reason didn't eat honey; they preferred the blood of others, as evidenced by their red color and vampire-like fangs. I quickly defeated them, albeit with a wound, as one of the bees attempted to bite me. However, I swiftly swatted it away.
After conquering the four monsters, which had become a familiar stage, I was confronted with something entirely different.
Suddenly, the garden where the training was taking place changed. The bright petals that had been floating in the air before crumbled and disappeared, as if they had been washed away by a shadow.
The glass vaults of the arena became cloudy, as if they were enveloped in smoke, and the air became heavy and echoing, like before a thunderstorm.
—Something is happening...
The apprentice fairies, who had been watching her fights with curiosity, fell silent.
Their faces turned pale, and they began to whisper, as if they were afraid to even say out loud what was about to happen next.
The ethereal clone of the Fairy Queen did not look worried, but there was a special seriousness in her eyes. She waved her hand, and the fairies brought a huge, almost two-meter-long sealed box into the arena.
He was bound with thick chains adorned with tiny runes that occasionally flashed with a deathly blue light.
But the most eerie thing was that the box was alive. From within came muffled thumps, as if something were beating furiously against the walls, demanding freedom.
The metal rang, the wood creaked, and it seemed that any moment the monster sealed within would burst forth.