Chapter 31: Earth Antelope

"Electric shock!"

Under Izy's powerful electric shock, the colossal Earth Antelope momentarily froze. Acting quickly, Sebastian rushed away to save himself and the others. Despite being an auxiliary arcane, Sebastian should be at the rear, but the arcane beasts targeted him as if he held a specific interest in him.

They had little anticipation that the assessment wouldn't only involve facing the Earth Antelope.

Striking the air with his fists, Darwin unleashed "Fist of the Blazing Lion," perceiving a shadow, and materializing a Leopard tornado. It seemed poised to clash with Sebastian, but Darwin's reflexes proved to be swift.

Exhaustion gripped their group, having tirelessly worked for two days to collect the 30 flags scattered across the Night Forest. These flags served as entrance passes to the main campus of the academy. The 40 students in the experimental class were divided into four groups, each at a different level.

Those attempting the level 3 exam were in the Night Forest. Although the level 3 exam was challenging, the chance of passing was significant due to the 30 flags in the Night Forest. Meanwhile, the level 1 exam had 10 flags, and the level 2 exam had 20 flags waiting.

Two groups were now together for the level 3 exam, and after two days, they had only collected 15 flags. They needed 5 more for a 100% success rate. Other sections had only collected five compared to them because they had the highest count.

"Lysander, try restraining the Leopard tornado using the roots of your arcane power. Emily and Emma, boost his power so the Leopard won't escape, while the Earth Antelope is not yet dead."

Sebastian commanded his comrades to take action. During their two days in the Night Forest, Sebastian's orders were the only ones they followed. Yet, every so often, he sought ideas from his companions to not limit but maximize the potential of the entire class.

The siblings immediately started the duet piece, "Song of Solidity," to strengthen Lysander's arcane power roots.

"Alduos, target the Earth Antelope's eyes with your bullets! But save your ultimate skill for now; our opponents are getting stronger." Alduos nodded, engrossed in fending off the frequent attacks from poisonous bats.

Unbeknownst to the exam takers, two middle-aged men, one middle-aged woman, and another woman were inside the room, quietly observing everything happening within the Night Forest. Occasionally, the tall man, despite his stern countenance with a furrowed brow, would nod in approval, revealing a hint of his dignified nature.

"Bro, do you think all those kids will pass?"

"It wouldn't be bad if at least half of them make it," replied the tall man to the ponytailed woman's question.

"But I hope you reconsider them. Look, this class is quite special."

"All Arcane is special, Ariana if they possess a strong will. What good is a powerful and unique arcane power if you lack the will to break limits? Remember! Nexus can make even a stone powerful if it desires, but it won't happen unless it wills it." He responded firmly to the young woman.

"Hmph!"

The two companions exchanged smiles at Ariana and Adson's banter.

Despite Ariana's appearance as a young woman, she was, in fact, a teacher—a teacher in the inner court and the core student section of Nexus Arcane Academy. Adson, on the other hand, was one of the ten elders of the school. Their companions were Elder Nara and Elder Pacio. For three years, they had been monitoring the branches of Nexus in the Eastern region. While Angela was the only one present at the Academy, the elders frequently visited to monitor the conditions of potential students at the main campus.

They scrutinized their students carefully to avoid a repeat of the harsh past.

"Eh? What are you doing here, Ariana?" Angela's abrupt entrance into a spacious room greeted them.

"Be quiet, Angela, and help me bring the kids closer to my brother" Ariana snapped at Angela, still in a bad mood.

"What do you mean?" Angela was momentarily confused by Ariana's response but noticed the three elders.

"A blessed day, my teachers." Angela slightly bowed in respect to the three elders accompanying Ariana.

They nodded in acknowledgment, redirecting their attention to the examination.

Ariana and Angela were batchmates in the core student section of Nexus, so friendly banter was normal between them. However, Angela sensed Ariana's bad mood.

"Just trust that class," Angela replied to Ariana's scowl and took her seat.

The Earth Antelope, momentarily stunned by Izy's electric shock, revealed a massive mound of earth before Alduos could act. Sebastian quickly ordered Alduos to shoot its eyes. The creature's horns seemed to be controlled by an unseen force, directing this substantial mound. As it descended, Sebastian readied himself.

"Aegis protection!"

A large barrier enveloped the entire team, enhanced by Sebastian's auxiliary companions to fortify the protection. Sharp rocks from the sizable mound showered down onto the barrier created by Sebastian.

Their opponent, the Earth Antelope, was a Tier 2 master arcane beast, making it challenging to devise strategies. Each level brought significant leaps in power, especially in arcane energy and arcane force, giving the Antelope a considerable advantage. Sebastian's leadership kept the entire group resilient.

The large rocks slowly devoured the arcane force of the students. Intense fear was evident on their faces, compounded by occasional attacks from other arcane beasts.

Bellowing loudly, the antelope signaled for backup while pressuring the students. Sebastian never anticipated that the antelope still had hidden strength, catching them off guard with a sudden outburst of arcane force.

"Wendy, prepare your ultimate skill, the BOOMER. Accel, take Wendy 100 meters north from our current position in 3 seconds after I count, and Wendy, detonate it once you get there! In 3...2...1..."

The group swiftly executed the next plan.

"Arnold, the barrier won't withstand the impact of the Antelope's earth knives any longer. Prepare your ultimate skill. You're the only one who can deflect them."

Noticing the rapid drain of energy from the auxiliaries, Sebastian promptly issued the next order.

The Twin Mjolnir was quickly spun by Arnold, releasing numerous lightning bolts that sliced through the earth knives to mitigate their impact on the barrier. Simultaneously, Wendy reached the location Sebastian instructed to release her ultimate skill.

"BOO...MER!" Wendy's large bazooka emitted a strong and straight light as it rested on her shoulder, nearly difficult to carry due to its impact.

Wendy's ultimate skill went straight towards the massive mound of earth, accompanied by the sound of a phoenix crying, blending with the surroundings and enhancing its power.

"ALDUOS!"

Alduos nodded in response to Sebastian's call, indicating their understanding. Sebastian ended his barrier, casting a 100% enhancement skill on Alduos. Despite their exhaustion, they all persistently fought against extreme fatigue, maintaining positivity in Sebastian's direction.

Alduos fired a bullet that, due to its incredible speed and Sebastian's enhancement skill, seemed to glow. It quickly hit the Antelope's eye, still focused on controlling the massive mound of earth, now diminished by half thanks to Wendy.

The earth began to gradually fall from above.