The Gauntlet

The towering gates of the arena creaked open, revealing a vast stretch of untamed wilderness bathed in the golden light of the afternoon sun. The landscape before them was no ordinary battlefield—it was an enchanted expanse teeming with dense forests, jagged cliffs, and rivers that shimmered with an unnatural glow. The air itself hummed with residual mana, a sign of the magical constructs that lay dormant, waiting for the trial to begin.

Instructor Alden stood at the entrance, his piercing gaze sweeping across the gathered applicants. "This is the second stage of the entrance exam: The Gauntlet. Your objective is simple—reach the center of the battlefield. However, the path will not be easy. The further you go, the greater the danger you will face."

A low murmur spread through the crowd as students assessed their surroundings. Some exchanged confident glances, while others swallowed nervously. The challenge was clear—this was no mere test of strength but of survival.

Alden continued, "Scattered throughout the field are magical constructs—beasts, golems, and entities formed purely from mana. They will hunt you, test your resilience, and eliminate those who cannot hold their own. You may choose to work together or go alone, but remember this—there is no shame in failure, only in arrogance. If you are rendered unconscious or deemed incapable of continuing, the academy's safety wards will remove you from the battlefield."

At those words, a series of faint golden sigils appeared in the air above them, shimmering before fading out of sight. Elias recognized the advanced protective enchantments—this was a controlled test, but that didn't mean it would be easy.

"There are also bonus objectives hidden throughout the battlefield," Alden added. "Completing them will earn you additional rewards, and excelling in this trial will grant you more prestige when you enter the academy. But do not let greed cloud your judgment. Your primary goal is to reach the center. Now—" he raised his hand, and a deep pulse of mana surged outward. "Begin."

In an instant, the ground beneath the students shimmered with bright blue runes. Before anyone could react, the magic activated, and the applicants vanished in flashes of light, teleported to random locations across the battlefield.

—

Elias landed in a crouch, his boots sinking slightly into the damp earth of a dense forest. The scent of moss and freshly disturbed soil filled his nostrils as he quickly surveyed his surroundings. Thick trees loomed above, their twisted branches casting eerie shadows despite the daylight. He could hear the distant echoes of movement—other students stirring, creatures awakening.

No time to hesitate.

A whisper from the void slithered into his mind, a chilling murmur that carried an undeniable warning. Danger Is Close. He exhaled slowly, placing a hand on the ground as if to confirm what the whispers had told him. A faint pulse of mana spread outward, and within moments, he sensed the presence of lifeforms—several human signatures scattered around him, but more concerning were the pulsating mana sources lurking deeper in the forest.

Magical constructs.

A sudden rustling in the underbrush snapped his focus forward. From the darkness between the trees, a creature emerged—a quadrupedal beast made of what seemed to be living stone, its glowing red eyes locking onto Elias. Its form was sleek yet jagged, a blend of crystalline rock and raw mana, its movements unnervingly fluid for something so rigid.

Elias didn't wait for it to charge. With a flick of his wrist, arcs of lightning crackled around his fingertips before he sent a bolt surging forward. The construct recoiled but did not falter. Instead, its body shifted, absorbing the electricity before retaliating with a burst of kinetic force.

He barely managed to sidestep, the blast shattering a tree trunk behind him.

Adaptable.

Elias narrowed his eyes. This wasn't going to be as straightforward as overpowering the enemy—he needed to outthink it. As the beast lunged again, he exhaled, shifting his stance. Wind gathered beneath his feet, and in a blink, he propelled himself upward, flipping mid-air as he summoned a concentrated sphere of water. With a sharp motion, he compressed it into a high-speed projectile and launched it downward.

The impact struck true. The moment the water connected, the beast's core shimmered erratically, destabilized by the conflicting elements. Seizing the opportunity, Elias landed, his sword flashing into existence in his grip. Just as he prepared to strike, the Void whispered again.

The core. Left side. Strike now.

Without hesitation, Elias twisted his blade and slashed precisely where the whisper guided him. The construct shuddered violently before crumbling into lifeless fragments, its mana dispersing like mist in the air. A faint pulse of energy rippled outward, marking his victory.

Elias straightened, adjusting his grip on his weapon. If the Void had to warn him this early, then the trials ahead were only going to become more dangerous.

—

Elsewhere, the battlefield was already descending into chaos.

Lucian Varian moved with practiced ease, his fiery mana roaring to life as he incinerated a swarm of shadow-like constructs that had ambushed him. He scoffed, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve as he continued forward. "Pathetic."

Further in the field, groups had already begun forming temporary alliances. Some were strategizing, pooling their strengths against the lurking threats, while others had more aggressive tactics—eliminating competitors to secure an easier path forward.

Screams and battle cries echoed through the arena, a testament to the intensity of the trial.

Back in the forest, Elias pressed forward, his senses on high alert. He could already tell—the deeper he went, the stronger the enemies would become. He needed to be smart, efficient. Survive first, dominate later.

A flicker of movement caught his eye—something fast, something unnatural. He barely had time to react before a second construct emerged from the shadows, larger and more menacing than the first. But this time, Elias was ready.

As the sunlight filtering through the trees dimmed, he tightened his grip on his sword, the whispers of the Void murmuring once more in the back of his mind.

Watch closely. The real hunt has begun.