A new level
Marc, having borne the unconscious student to sanctuary, tenderly positioned him beside another student with remarkable healing abilities, ensuring he was in a state of therapeutic respite.
Unexpectedly, he found himself confronted by a peculiar creature - a slime, assuming a humanoid form. But this was no ordinary slime, it was one composed of water and, strangely enough, also a student.
"Please, don't be afraid," the slime spoke, its voice a melodic echo, gentle but strange. It seemed to perceive Marc's suspicion, his doubts about this odd creature.
The slime extended a tentacle, laying it delicately on the student's chest, where the memory of a scar lingered. It emitted a cool, blue light, a healing luminescence that enveloped the student. The slime was also surprised, it was just a small wound but he only passed out.
"Do you want to be healed as well?" the slime offered Marc its assistance.
"Appreciate it but I'm okay," Marc declined politely.
Suddenly, the student stirred, his eyes snapping open. "Hmm? Where am I-Aggh! A SLIME!" Startled, he quickly retreated, seeking safety behind Marc.
The slime seemed crestfallen, it hadn't intended to incite fear.
"Relax," Marc soothed the student. "He helped you."
"Really? Phew, for a moment I thought I was under attack again. Didn't mean to be rude, sorry." the student said, sheepishly rubbing his head.
"It's all right. Both of you showed courageous effort in that fight, we're really impressed" the slime said, its eyes wide with admiration, same with the students who also grateful for their brave acts.
"Nah, not me. He did most of the work," the student deflected the praise onto Marc.
"Not really," Marc humbly disagreed. "If you hadn't landed that punch on the dragon, I wouldn't be alive." He expressed his gratitude to the rest of the students as well.
Suddenly, a monstrous roar echoed throughout the area, causing a wave of alarm among the students. Without a moment's hesitation, Marc took off, the student he had helped hot on his heels.
Meanwhile, all the students took no effort in following since they were recovering while also not ready for what lied ahead.
"The name's Anaky Skain," the student introduced himself. He sported fiery red hair, a prominent scar across his forehead, and wore tattered remnants of the Hermnschl academy's robe. The stench of dragon's stomach acid still clung to him, so potent it had caused him to lose consciousness.
"Marc Zelynk," Marc responded briefly.
As they raced on, they came face to face with an army of monsters - hundreds of them. Marc released a powerful lightning spell - "Aclimakiphlatura Arrow", obliterating 157 monsters within a 70-meter radius.
[Fist Of Abomination: Hellish Execution]
Anaky, however, outdid him, landing a flurry of punches and taking down 300 in a continuous assault which surprised Marc himself, knowing he had more potential.
Finally, they emerged from the room, their mouths falling open at the sight before them. A dragon, similar to their previous adversary, lay dead with a massive hole in its chest. Atop the creature's corpse sat a young man, nonchalantly drinking some kind of soda. He was unscathed, his powers seemingly limitless. The dragon, known for its impenetrable scales, was broken.
Upon finishing his drink, the young man rose and sauntered off in the direction of another approaching monster.
"What was that..." Anaky profusely sweating.
Marc was staggered by the sheer magnitude of the force he'd witnessed, yet it was far from inconceivable given the immense potential harbored by many of his peers.
In the blink of an eye, they descended from their lofty vantage point, finding themselves in close proximity to the vanquished dragon. Marc could discern the lingering traces of a ferocious power that had been cruelly unleashed.
With careful precision, Marc traced the path tread by the lone warrior who'd challenged the beast.
Upon their entry to a cavernous antechamber, the ground beneath their feet began to ascend, acting as a hidden elevator.
Their destination: the second level.
Their arrival was met with the sight of survivors, students who'd weathered the brutal assault. Marc mentally tallied the survivors. From an initial count of 1,700 students, a mere 567 remained.
A significant number had ascended to the second level, some aided by their peers, others having fought their way through the monstrous horde single-handedly.
The initial level had been a trial by fire, and Marc could sense that what lay ahead was an even greater peril. A formidable aura pulsated from the depths of the cavern, setting his nerves on edge.
"Well, you look pale. Your forehead is slick with sweat and you're gulping hard. Something wrong? You okay?" Anaky queried, his brow furrowed in concern.
"You can't sense it, can you?"
"Not really. I'm no wizard like you. I'm from Miklomia, a school renowned for martial arts," Anaky confessed, revealing his contrasting background.
Yet, even without Marc's magical sensitivity, Anaky could feel a potent force lurking behind that gate in front of them.
"Why aren't you more concerned about the students death?" He asked Marc.
"We're inside someone's void creation. A power that comes in contact with the environment. In short, we're in a dimension created by someone else. But, I'm more impressed by the phenomenal power used to create a big void such as this, along with the summoning of those monsters." Marc explained, his voice tinged with a mix of dread and awe.
Void creations were significant accomplishments, demonstrations of an individual's ability to create dimensions that suited their whims. These dimensions varied widely, some being unique while others were mere imitations. A void could either expand the visible zone or transport those within to an entirely different dimension. Some voids were nothing more than elaborate illusions.
"So we're trapped in a sort of illusory barrier?"
"Something like that. It's hard to tell. They could be illusions or tangible realities," Marc admitted, his foot tapping anxiously as he contemplated the overwhelming aura.
A chilling realization washed over him: they were dealing with a power that was leagues beyond his own. Marc felt a strange sense of relief knowing that there was so much more to the world, so many more experiences to be had.
"Look, the gate is opening!" A student's voice rang out, drawing their attention to the slowly opening entrance.
The menacing aura intensified, causing Marc's heart to race in anticipation of the forthcoming adversary. He knew this enemy would be twice as terrifying.
Survival was the only thought that occupied Marc's mind. Beside him, Anaky seemed energized, his excitement outweighing any anxieties.
As the colossal gate creaked open, a startling apparition emerged amidst the shell-shocked students. A humanoid figure, wrought entirely from a black void, loomed ominously before them. Its body was a haunting abyss, save for its eyes and mouth, which glowed with a disconcerting radiance.
It unleashed a scream.
A sound so deafening it forced many to their knees, their hands clutching their ears in a futile attempt to block out the cacophony. Yet, some students managed to withstand the aural onslaught, teeth gritting in determined resilience.
Abruptly, the creature ceased its ear-splitting cry, and with a sudden, violent pull, drew them all towards the gate as though they were nothing more than dust caught in a vacuum's path.
Now, they found themselves huddled together, encircled by a bestiary of nightmares: golems, dragons, serpents, minotaurs, and that enigmatic void creature.
The students fought valiantly for their lives, but some fell swiftly to the monstrous onslaught.
"AGGGHHH!" A young man, bold enough to confront the minotaurs, was brutally torn limb from limb.
"SOMEONE PUT OUT THE FIRE, PLEASE! HURRY!" Three students were consumed by dragon fire, their cries for help silenced as the flames devoured them.
"HELP ME! PLEASE…!" Another unfortunate soul met a gruesome end, his body disintegrating under a serpent's corrosive spit.
"My head! MY HEAD!!!" A young woman shrieked, her head grotesquely swelling, eyes bulging in terror. Blood seeped from her mouth, ears, and nose, until finally, her head exploded in a grisly spectacle.
The terror invoked by the mysterious void creature was beyond comprehension, and many students faltered, their will to fight crumbling under the weight of their fear.
Yet, some students remained unfazed by the chaos.
"EVERYONE, STOP PANICKING! DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! This is but a taste of what we will come across after this test!" One student, clad in heavy armor and wielding a hefty shield, bellowed with fervor.
His rallying cry echoed through the battlefield, and all eyes turned to him.
"Die fighting or die in vain! Didn't we all come here with a purpose? Then let that purpose overshadow your fear! YOU'RE MORE THAN WHO YOU ARE, SHOW IT!" His words injected a burst of morale into the terrified crowd.
Suddenly, a wave of magic washed over them, emanating from the armored student. A surge of determination and newfound confidence surged through their veins.
"He's right! We didn't come here to cower! We came here to be the better version of ourselves!"
Their fear forgotten, the students rallied, no longer scattering like panicked ants.
Marc watched in awe as the student beside him managed to rejuvenate their spirits, an admirable character it was. The magic he'd used was some sort of mental magic, bolstering their confidence rather than their physical strength. Marc knew the power of confidence was formidable, but he also knew that overconfidence could be their downfall.
Emboldened by the rallying cry, some students smirked, others remained skeptical, but all summoned their courage and regrouped, ready to fight and prevail.