Magus Supremacy

"What is this last assessment?" Noelle asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Isn't it obvious? You will all be taken to our hunting grounds to hunt ten low-level beasts," Leo announced.

"What?!" all the applicants shouted in unison.

"Yes! You all will be taken to the academy's hunting grounds to hunt low-level beasts," Leo repeated with a firm tone.

"But aren't beasts dangerous?" one of the applicants asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Didn't you hear? He said the ones you are going to be hunting are low-level," Sage snapped, glaring down at the crowd. "The lowest of the low, which stage one trash like you can possibly handle."

"Sage, be nice," Leo said as he turned to look at the female instructor, who simply scoffed and crossed her arms.

"The beasts you all will be hunting are called hop bunnies. They rank at the very bottom tier of the beast classification system," Gunther announced, his voice calm but stern. "You are to hunt ten each. If you're not comfortable with this, the door to leave is wide open."

"If you can't hunt the beasts, you can leave," Leo echoed as he scanned the crowd below, but none of the applicants moved a muscle. Their determination was unwavering.

"That's what I thought. Now, if you may, everybody hold hands," Leo instructed.

Instantly, the applicants obeyed without hesitation, reaching out and linking hands with one another.

With a tap of the cane in Leo's hand, the entire coliseum erupted in a blinding light. The intense brightness forced everyone to shield their eyes with their free hands.

"Damn! It's to… too bright," Grey muttered as he clung to Ray's hand, who in turn held Finral's. Slowly, the light began to dissipate, and the group cautiously opened their eyes to take in their new surroundings.

They now found themselves in the middle of a dense forest. As they twisted and turned to observe the area, it became immediately clear that their numbers had been cut in half. Fortunately, Grey, Finral, and Ray had teleported together. However, the three direct descendants were nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like they've split us up," Grey muttered as he scanned the forest, eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's obvious by the looks of things, genius," Finral scoffed, folding his arms.

'But why does this all feel familiar? Like I've gone through an assessment like this before…' Grey thought to himself, glancing at the thick trees surrounding them.

The earthy scent of damp soil and moss filled the air, blending with the subtle fragrance of wildflowers and the musky aroma of decomposing leaves.

The ground beneath their feet was soft and spongy with moss, contrasting sharply with the rough texture of gnarled tree bark they occasionally brushed against.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and branches above, creating a soothing melody that echoed through the trees. Warm rays of sunlight filtered through the leafy canopy, casting a golden glow that mixed beautifully with the forest's cool, damp atmosphere, wrapping them in an odd sense of calm and connection to the wild.

"Let's get started on this hunt-of-a-thing," Ray said, breaking the silence as the trio picked a direction and began to move forward.

In what felt like a blink, they arrived at another part of the forest, more open and filled with dense shrubs and broken logs. They stopped there, trying to figure out how best to locate and hunt beasts that were fast, unpredictable, and hopped like the bunnies they were said to resemble.

"How about two of us trap the beasts, then one of us kills it?" Ray suggested, turning to the others with a raised brow.

Finral rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Grey simply nodded, eyes scanning the underbrush as though he expected something—or someone—to pop out at any moment.

"Trap it how? They're basically really fast. How do we trap something we can barely even see, let alone catch?" Finral asked with a raised brow.

"Incoming," Grey announced sharply. He pivoted cleanly on one foot, his body reacting instinctively. His hand shot forward in a clenched fist, slamming straight into a beast that was roughly the same size as a normal bunny. The only thing different about it was the short, curved horn protruding from its forehead.

His punch tore through the creature's small frame, and the beast dropped limply to the ground right in front of them. Grey stared down at his hand, stunned.

"How… how did you know that the beast was coming?" Ray asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"I don't know. I… I just sensed it. Something about its presence alerted me and I reacted," Grey replied, looking genuinely shocked, his voice low and uncertain.

"I guess we've just found our ticket to finishing this hunt," Finral said with a grin. He crouched quickly and harvested a small, gleaming crystal from the beast's broken body.

"Concentrate on that feeling," Ray said. "Whatever it was you felt when you sensed that thing—try to tap into it again. Track the others. Find them."

Grey nodded and closed his eyes tightly. His head turned slowly from side to side, as if listening to something only he could hear. His brow furrowed, his hands tightened into fists, and then—suddenly—his eyes flew open.

"Over there!" he shouted, pointing toward the East.

Without wasting another second, the trio bolted in the direction Grey indicated. They weaved through tall grass and thick trees, low branches whipping past their faces. And in just a few seconds, they arrived at a new clearing.

There were about thirty hop bunnies scattered across the field, hopping and prancing around as they nibbled on grass. The sunlight bounced off their smooth horns, making them glimmer faintly.

"Huh?" Finral muttered, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the terrain.

The trio crouched low behind some dense bushes and towering trees. Ahead of them, the bunnies continued grazing peacefully. Just a few metres beyond the creatures, however, lay a steep cliff—its edge dangerously close.

"I think we should be careful… one wrong move and we'll be falling off that cliff," Ray whispered, swallowing nervously.

Without another word, they crept silently from their hiding spot. Moving in unison, they each summoned the weapon they had been given during the second assessment.

Then, like a blur, they launched themselves into the fray.

In the blink of an eye, they leapt from one bunny to the next, striking with ruthless efficiency. Horns shattered, bodies crumpled, and one by one, the bunnies fell. The ground was soon littered with their small, motionless forms.

Grey, Finral, and Ray stood amidst the aftermath, panting and flushed, each of them wearing relieved, breathless smiles.

"So… we really did it, huh?" Ray said, still catching his breath as Grey knelt down to harvest more of the glowing crystals.

"Yeah. I can't believe this is our path into a prestigious academy," Finral added, his grin growing wider.

"I'm done," Grey finally said, tossing the collected crystals to Ray.

But something tugged at his attention. His eyes narrowed slightly, and without warning, he turned and strode toward the cliff's edge.

"Guys! I can't even see the bottom," he called out. He peered down, his voice echoing slightly against the rocks. "There's fog, thick fog. Starts around ten metres down, and below that… nothing. It's like the world just disappears."

The fog twisted and churned lazily, hiding whatever lay at the base of the cliff. It felt ominous, like a secret the earth itself was refusing to share.

"Careful peering down there, peasant. Wouldn't want you taking a tumble," a mocking voice rang out.

Grey spun around immediately, and the others followed.

A trio was approaching with slow, purposeful steps. Their faces carried deep frowns and sly, almost mocking smiles. The arrogance in their posture was unmistakable.

The three direct descendants.

And leading them was Mada, his eyes locked on Grey. He didn't speak, but his glare said everything. The fury burning in his gaze was intense, violent—like a storm waiting to break loose.

Tension thickened the air around them. Something was about to shift.