Chapter 52 Defeating the Phantom Rat

"So it's just beating rats, truly a simple test."

The girl who had chosen the golden scorpion as her "partner" stepped forward, looking down at the arena below. She wore a golden dress—and the gold was not merely a metaphor, for her attire was literally woven from golden threads and silk, gleaming like flowing gold with a style that walked the fine line between extravagant vulgarity and exquisite elegance.

"Let the assessment begin!"

At the command, the barrier gate was lifted, and a single golden scorpion entered the arena. Pitted against it were still the two phantom rats. Compared to the wolf cubs from earlier, the golden scorpion was significantly smaller in size and perhaps even inferior in raw physical strength.

However, these "partners" each possessed their own unique skills and abilities.

"Such boring illusions. Clark, use 'Golden Armor'!" The girl above waved her hand, and the golden scorpion below rushed forward as a metallic sheen washed over its exterior, hardening its shell.

Faced with the diminutive golden scorpion, the two phantom rats had their ferocity triggered, charging forward blindly to flip the scorpion over and sink their teeth into it. Yet, the golden carapace deflected their bite, preventing any effective damage.

"Now is the time, use 'Venomous Stinger'!"

Hearing the command from above, the golden scorpion below whipped its gleaming venomous tail, piercing directly into the nose of the phantom rat that was biting it. Moments later, the phantom rat began to convulse all over, bleeding from its mouth and nose before perishing.

The second phantom rat met the same fate following the exact same attack method, collapsing shortly after the poison entered its system. The entire combat process was exceptionally effortless.

"How impressive," commented a secondary-exam student below.

"How did she manage to issue those commands? They clearly weren't in the manual, which only listed some basic commands."

"Perhaps this is the hidden test. Think about it—since the manual states 'basic commands,' the subtext is that there must also be unlisted 'standard commands' or even 'complex commands,'" a student skilled in analysis adjusted their glasses.

"I see. I suppose since these are extraordinary creatures, the skills they know must go beyond simple ones like 'attack' or 'defense.'"

"But how am I supposed to know what skills my 'partner' has? It can't exactly speak."

"Well, I'm afraid we'll just have to figure it out through trial and error. For instance, it's only natural for a scorpion to use a venomous tail, isn't it?"

The students murmured amongst themselves. Having witnessed the demonstrations of the first two, the subsequent students slowly began experimenting with various commands, striving to direct their own "partners" to defeat the phantom rats.

Some students quickly grasped the trick, ordering their "partners" to pick off their foes one by one. Others issued commands, only for the "partners" below to remain completely uncomprehending—perhaps because they simply did not possess the instructed skills. Meanwhile, some students managed to figure out their "partners'" capabilities, yet still struggled immensely with coordination.

"Don't run away, it's going to be fine, Shiro. Those are just little mice, you can beat them," a girl in a pink dress pleaded anxiously to the white cat below, but the feline continued to scurry about in panic, showing no intention of obeying.

Such a scene amused the surrounding spectators while also evoking a sense of pity, yet nothing could be done.

Ultimately, as the eight-minute time limit expired, the girl was forced to face the reality of failing the assessment.

"She's a very cute and gentle girl, but she's far too soft," remarked a senior student from Iris Court Academy.

"Gentleness isn't a bad thing, but gentleness without boundaries or principled concession gives that white cat the feeling that it won't face any blame or punishment even if it disobeys commands. Naturally, when the crucial moment arrived, it simply ignored her words."

"Ah, what a good kid, but such habits are truly detrimental."

"Let's look at the next one."

Before the arena, Hexia placed the small snake in her hand into the cardboard box entering the grounds, soothed it with a few words, and then stepped onto the elevated platform of the battlefield.

"Northern District Seven, Hexia." After briefly stating her name, the assessment commenced.

The opposite passage opened, releasing two ravenous phantom rats, while the passage on her side delivered the cardboard box into the arena, opening it to release the indigo-blue serpent within.

"This girl's 'partner' is a snake? That's rather rare."

"It must be another venomous one. Venomous snakes taking down mice is quite straightforward."

"Not necessarily. Didn't you just see a white cat get chased everywhere by mice? Bloodline suppression isn't all that absolute for extraordinary creatures."

"Let's wait and see."

Within the arena, the two phantom rats shook their greyish-white fur, their bodies suddenly swelling in size before locking their gazes onto the slithering blue-and-white serpent and charging forward.

Faced with these two "oversized" and aggressive phantom rats, the small snake below panicked momentarily, turning tail and fleeing in an attempt to find a place to hide.

Watching its panicked slithering, Hexia did not utter a command, choosing instead to watch in silence—a reaction that slightly surprised the surrounding spectators.

"Is she not going to give any commands at all?"

"Perhaps snakes are extremely difficult to tame and obey, so she's simply letting it fend for itself?"

Evasion would lead nowhere, yet expecting the terrified indigo serpent to rise up and fight back right now was asking far too much, the young girl thought silently to herself. She glanced at the rotating timer; plenty of time remained, and everything had only just begun.

The arena was not particularly large. After a few rounds of chasing, the two phantom rats sank their teeth into the indigo serpent's body, the pain causing the little creature to writhe and thrash.

"Now, use 'Flash Scales'!" Hexia finally issued her first command.

With no help and no way out, the indigo serpent accepted the command almost reflexively. A dazzling radiance burst forth from the scales on its body, and the high-intensity glare at such close range scorched the eyes of the two phantom rats, causing them intense agony.

Taking advantage of the moment when the phantom rats were blinded and helpless, the indigo serpent wriggled free. Furthermore, the close-quarters melee and the blinding flash had dispelled the hallucinatory effect of the phantom rats; faced with foes not much larger than itself, the indigo serpent suddenly found its courage.

"Wrap around them, 'Constrict'!" The second command followed immediately.

Buistered by the positive feedback of its successful escape from the first command, the indigo serpent responded even more swiftly this time. It coiled rapidly around one of the phantom rats, tightening its grip relentlessly to gradually suffocate it.

Meanwhile, as the blinding pain in its eyes slowly subsided, the other phantom rat attempted to bite the snake's body once more using its blurred vision. However, the scorching heat radiating from the snake's skin forced it to immediately abandon the attempt and flee instead.

Time slowly ticked away. After completely constricting one phantom rat to stillness, the indigo serpent released it. Then, at Hexia's instruction, it lunged toward the remaining phantom rat, ultimately completing the task before the timer ran out.

"Hexia, pass!"

Hearing the staff member's declaration, Hexia let go of the tension in her heart and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she believed in her ability to properly direct the little creature below, the indigo serpent's attack method was far too slow. Had the time limit been any tighter, the assessment might have concluded before it could finish off the second phantom rat.

She needed to do something, otherwise subsequent assessments might end in failure. She calculated silently in her mind, then walked down the platform, approached the exit, picked up the slithering little snake, and fed it a few morsels of food.