The time ticked by. At eleven and a half minutes, an unexpected disturbance rippled through the high-mana zone. A few meters away, Tavin was struggling. He already had six spirit creatures under his control, but now, to his horror, two of his six creatures—a graceful swan and a sturdy boar—suddenly slipped from his control, their energies surging unpredictably. The water churned violently, forming uncontrolled torrents as Tavin gritted his teeth, desperately trying to rein them in, but due to the intense exhaustion, he was no longer able to control them.
Suddenly, a massive surge of water spiralled out of control, rushing toward Ronan's position. Tavin's eyes widened in horror as another surge followed. His hands trembled as he tried to suppress the chaotic flow, but it was futile.
"Hey, idiot," Ronan called out, his tone firm but teasing. "Don't panic." His eyes remained closed, his focus unwavering, before he continued. "Control what you can and leave the rest to me."
Tavin swallowed hard, nodding. He tightened his control on what little he could manage and swiftly stepped back, evacuating the area.
As the torrent of water surged forward, several of Ronan's flaming squirrels darted toward it. asked, "Orin, think you can help?"
Orin chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "Sure, why not?"
In a synchronised motion, the fiery squirrels merged together, forming a colossal flame that towered above them. Orin raised his hands, summoning a powerful gust of wind that intensified the fire's brilliance. The moment the water and fire clashed, the entire field was enveloped in a dense, scorching steam that hissed and swirled, momentarily obscuring all vision.
As the steam cleared, Ms. Rose stepped forward, a hint of pride in her voice. "Tavin, you did well. You remained composed when it mattered most."
Tavin exhaled in relief and nodded.
The trial continued. Both Ronan and Orin pushed their endurance to the limit, lasting for a full fourteen minutes. As the time ran out, Ms. Rose's authoritative voice echoed through the field. "That's enough. You two have completed your task. Return."
As they exited the high-mana zone, Mr. Arnold approached them, his usual stoic demeanour slightly softened. "You did well," he remarked, his gaze settling on Tavin. "Here, take this." He extended a beautifully crafted sword toward him. The blade shimmered with an ethereal blue glow, a faint mist swirling around it. "This is a spirit sword, suitable for a Water magic user. It is known as Aqueora, the Flowing Tide. It holds a water spirit within, making it one of a kind."
Tavin's eyes widened as he carefully accepted the sword, nodding in appreciation. Alongside the sword, Mr. Arnold handed him several Water Spirit Orbs, their liquid-like cores pulsating gently.
Ronan and Orin, meanwhile, stepped forward, exhaustion creeping into their movements. Ms. Rose gave them a nod of approval. "Well done, both of you."
"Thank you, Ma'am," they responded in unison.
Ronan smirked, summoning a small flicker of blue flame and playfully pushing it toward Ms. Rose. She took the blue flame.
Mr. Arnold suddenly pulled out three weapons and held them out before them. "I was thinking of rewarding you two as well." Among the weapons were a fire spirit sword and an Eight-Tailed Fox Flame, a wind spirit sword, and a thunder spirit sword.
He folded his arms. "Now, tell me. Which one do you want?"
Ronan and Orin exchanged a glance before smirking. In unison, they answered, "We want access to the books in Room Zero."
A heavy silence fell. Mr. Alaric immediately snapped, "That's enough, you two!"
But Mr. Arnold merely chuckled. "Bold request," he mused, pulling out two identical books. "Fine. You can have access, but only while you're here. These books list every tome stored in Room Zero. Each day, you may borrow up to two."
Ronan and Orin accepted the books, exchanging a silent fist bump without even looking at each other.
Orin then turned to Ms. Rose. "Ma'am, do we have class today?"
Ms. Rose shook her head. "Tomorrow morning, we depart for the next training ground."
"Good," Ronan muttered, stretching. "I don't have the strength to keep going." He barely finished his sentence before collapsing onto the ground. "Goodnight," he mumbled, eyes shutting instantly.
Orin yawned and plopped down beside him. "Might as well," he murmured before drifting off to sleep.
The others watched them in silence.
The cool night air carried the rich aroma of sizzling meat and bubbling hotpot as Amelia, Elias, Eldrin, Kellan, Selyra, Tavin, and Andera gathered around the crackling campfire. The flames flickered in the darkness, casting warm golden hues on their relaxed faces. Tavin's cousin, Auron, sat beside him, sipping from a cup of tea, his sharp gaze occasionally drifting toward the group's lively chatter.
Tavin tore off a piece of roasted meat and chewed thoughtfully when Auron leaned in slightly and spoke in a low, yet firm voice. "Tavin, you should carefully choose whom you befriend." His tone wasn't forceful, but there was an undeniable weight behind his words. "I'm not telling you to cut ties or anything like that—just consider this advice."
Tavin paused mid-chew, glancing at his cousin with furrowed brows. "I know what I'm doing, Auron."
Before Auron could respond, a familiar voice interrupted them. "Good evening, everyone."
All heads turned toward Ms. Rose, who approached with a basket of fresh ingredients. Auron immediately straightened, setting his cup down before rising to his feet. "Good evening, ma'am," he greeted politely, giving a respectful nod.
The others also stood and greeted her in unison, to which she responded with a small smile. "Good evening, everyone." She scanned the group briefly before her gaze settled on Kellan. "Where are Orin and Ronan?"
Kellan shook his head, stirring the hotpot. "Still not back yet."
Ms. Rose sighed. "They certainly take their time." Then, shifting the subject, she added, "For your second training, some new students will be joining you. They withdrew after the first session but decided to return."
Elias raised a brow. "More competition, huh?"
Ms. Rose chuckled. "You'll manage." She glanced at the sizzling meat and the bubbling broth before asking, "Would you mind if I joined you all?"
"It would be our pleasure, ma'am," Tavin responded with a smile, gesturing for her to sit.
Not long after, Mr. Alaric arrived, bringing Serena, Elenor, Egan, and Oliver with him. After exchanging greetings, the group settled around the fire, their conversation quickly becoming lively.
Elenor, scanning the group, suddenly frowned. "Tavin, where's Ronan?"
Before he could answer, laughter echoed through the trees. Ronan and Orin emerged from the shadows, their faces beaming with unrestrained joy.
"Hey, there are some new faces," Orin noted with an easy grin, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Tavin smirked and nodded toward Elenor. "Here they are."
Elenor's sharp, bright eyes locked onto Ronan as she stepped forward. He turned to her with a warm, almost nostalgic smile. "Good evening, Elenor. It's been a while. How have you been?"
A mischievous smile curled on Elenor's lips. "Good evening. I'm doing fine," she said, before crossing her arms. "I heard you've been having fun without us."
Ronan scratched the back of his neck, offering an awkward chuckle. "Not that much."
Elenor's eyes narrowed, and before anyone could react, her fist connected squarely with Ronan's chest, sending him flying backwards. He landed on the ground with a loud thud, groaning in agony.
"Oho! That hurts!" he coughed, rubbing his ribs. "What the hell did I do this time?"
Elenor turned on her heel with a sharp "Hmph!"
"You didn't even come to see me after I got back from training," she accused, her voice carrying a hint of disappointment beneath her irritation.
Ronan sat up, shaking his head with a resigned sigh. "That's why you're mad?"
Elenor scoffed.
Ronan dusted himself off and stood. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again." A small, knowing smile played on his lips. "I brought something for you, though."
Elenor arched a brow, eyeing him suspiciously. "If you think a gift will erase my rage, you're mistaken."
Ronan extended his hand, and in his palm, a mesmerising purple flame flickered to life. The eerie, yet beautiful glow reflected in Elenor's eyes as she stepped closer.
Her expression softened. "Is this… the Five-Tailed Fox's Flame?"
Ronan nodded. "Yep."
Elenor reached out and carefully took the flame into her own palm, watching it dance with intrigue. "I'm still mad," she declared, though her tone lacked conviction.
Without warning, she grabbed Ronan's wrist and dragged him toward the fire. "Sit. We have a lot to talk about."
Ronan chuckled as he obliged. As they ate, Elenor recounted her training experiences in vivid detail, her enthusiasm contagious.
Meanwhile, Orin, still chewing, perked up. "Oh, I boiled some red octopus." His eyes landed on Tavin and Ronan. "I heard you two like boiled—"
Before he could finish, both Tavin and Ronan choked violently on their food, coughing and gasping for air.
It took several moments for them to regain their composure. Orin, completely oblivious, continued, "Should I add some sauce?"
Both Tavin and Ronan shot each other a panicked glance before darting their eyes toward Ms. Rose, who remained blissfully unaware.
Orin finally realised the tension and smirked, leaning back. "Ohhh, I see…"
Tavin bolted up. "Come here, you idiot! Let me beat you!"
Before Orin could react, Ronan was already on his feet. "You're not getting away!"
Orin's instincts kicked in, and he took off, laughing wildly as the two lunged after him.
Mr. Alaric, sitting beside Ms. Rose, stroked his chin. "Boiled octopus…?" A moment later, his face twisted in realisation. He let out a small, stifled chuckle before clearing his throat. But it was too late—Ms. Rose turned to him with a questioning look.
He immediately stood, schooling his expression. "I'll catch those three. They're definitely up to no good."
Ms. Rose eyed him suspiciously but let it slide. Meanwhile, the sounds of pursuit, shouting, and laughter echoed through the night.
As the fire crackled and the food slowly disappeared, the night ended with warmth, camaraderie, and laughter.