Chapter 56: Farewell Before Departure

The phantom crystal beasts active in the combat arena presented considerable challenges to the re-examination students. A majority of the students failed to even clear the first minor stage, ultimately receiving scores ranging from 1 to 8 points based on their intermediate performance.

However, not everyone fell into this category; there were always a few geniuses who stood head and shoulders above the rest.

"Oconnor, congratulations on passing the first minor stage."

In the arena, the short-haired male student who had consistently been the first to participate in the assessments stood gallantly, accompanied as always by his dark navy-blue wolf cub.

"I never expected this guy to have already promoted to Sequence 3. No wonder he defeated that phantom crystal beast with such ease," the students below whispered among themselves.

"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Although the theme is 'bonds,' having one's own robust strength is what truly helps a companion."

"It seems my understanding of 'bonds' (strength) is still inadequate," muttered one student, rolling up their sleeves.

"That's how it is. Though it might sound a bit impolite, having zero strength while shouting slogans every day just makes someone look like a fool."

"Ahaha, then just wait and see the 'bonds' (strength) between my companion and me later on!"

Ignoring the animated and boisterous shouting of the students below, the challenge on the stage had already entered the second tier.

"Three of them? That certainly raises the difficulty."

Oconnor crouched slightly, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his eyes fixed intently on the three phantom crystal beasts opposite him before he abruptly charged forward.

Striking first, he slammed into the swift wolf, then delivered a heavy palm strike to the ferocious tiger, engaging them in a chaotic melee. At that exact moment, the wolf cub also surged forward to join the battle.

Dust filled the arena. After a series of fierce exchanges between both sides, the swift wolf dissolved into a pile of scattered fragments, while the ferocious tiger was left battered and mangled. However, the falcon in the sky remained completely unscathed, occasionally diving down to attack.

In the end, both man and wolf were utterly exhausted and defeated by the phantom crystal falcon, lying sprawled across the arena's turf, covered in crystal sand.

"Oconnor, final score: 17 points."

"Ooh, that has to be the highest score so far."

"Looks like it."

While everyone was buzzing with discussion, two young girls also arrived at the scene from the tail end of the queue.

"Has it already started? Looks like the action is pretty intense." Seeing the lively discussions among the crowd, Heshia and Miana also listened in carefully and quickly grasped the current situation.

"Time for us to participate." The two walked toward the high platform to collect their sequential numbers.

Shortly after, Miana stepped onto the stage.

"Heh-heh, watch me unleash my awesome might, Heshia!" The lively short-haired girl waved at Heshia, then clutched her large crab and climbed onto the combat arena.

Compared to earlier at lunchtime, the blue depth of the crab's shell had deepened further, and its surface seemed coated with a crystal-like enamel, making it look much more magnificent.

True to form, upon entering the arena, the strength displayed by this crab left many students utterly astonished.

"Is this a Sequence 2 creature? It doesn't look like it."

"Could it have advanced in such a short span of time?"

"That has to be it. From what I recall in the Astral Network database, it looks identical to a Tidal Sequence 3 Blue Crystal Sea Crab, except its claws are even larger."

Inside the arena, Miana maneuvered alongside the phantom crystal beast, seized the right opportunity to trip it, and suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, "Right now!"

"Use your giant claw guillotine!" The large blue-shelled crab in the arena seized the phantom crystal beast by the neck, brought its massive claws down with brutal force, and cleanly severed its head, which instantly dissolved into countless shattered crystals.

"Miana, you have passed."

"Yay~" The girl bounced up and down in celebration, leaving the students in the arena dumbfounded.

"It's rare to see someone let their 'companion' act as the primary combatant to defeat a phantom crystal beast."

"Perhaps this is the intended approach to solving the problem. We could give it a try."

Inspired by this, the subsequent students eagerly began looking up reference materials, racking their brains over how to communicate with their accompanying "companions" so that the creatures could comprehend complex advancement formulas and imprints, thereby condensing a qualified and stable transcendent core.

In the ensuing challenge, although Miana led her giant crab companion to defeat one phantom crystal beast, she was ultimately overwhelmed by the remaining two acting in tandem and forced to exit the arena.

"Miana, final score: 15 points."

"Higher than Paula's score earlier. That should put her in the top 10, right?"

"Yeah, we need to work hard too."

Amidst the heated discussions of the crowd, it was finally Heshia's turn to take the stage. Unlike the other students who were grappling with difficult choices, she was debating whether to let the little snake handle the enemy alone or to personally intervene. And if she did intervene, how much of her true strength should she hold back? Otherwise, relying solely on her innate talent, she could instantly disintegrate these crystal-core-formed phantom crystal beasts without the slightest bit of difficulty or visual spectacle.

Hiding one's strength was an essential life skill after all; keeping a few trump cards in reserve made things much safer. She might as well take this opportunity to see how far she could go without using her innate talent.

--

Indigo Snake Subspecies

Vocation: Primal Sequence 3 - Sunstone Snake (Superior Dark Silver Grade)

Status: Healthy (Growing, Adapting)

Talents:

[Antivenom Serum] (Superior): Possesses a certain resistance to various poisons; resistance is even higher against snake venom.

[Solar Snake] (Superior): Under sunlight, all attributes receive a certain degree of enhancement.

Abilities:

[Sunstone Scales] (Superior): Scales emit a dazzling radiance capable of searing the eyes of many creatures and inflicting deterrence.

[Sunlight Gem] (Rare): The gem condensed on its forehead can absorb sunlight and mana with greater efficiency, thereby boosting its various capabilities.

Skills: [Constriction Lv.3] [Deterrence Lv.4] [Sunbathing Lv.4] [Scorching Ray Lv.3]

--

"The challenge begins!"

A phantom crystal tiger leaped out onto the arena, baring its fangs as it charged directly toward the human-snake duo not far away.

Experiencing a challenge from within the arena felt completely different from watching from the sidelines; the tiger seemed to expand rapidly within the field of view, closing the distance in a mere 2 to 3 seconds. This left Heshia with barely enough time to issue a command before the engagement was already underway.

Fortunately, the human and the snake had built up a considerable amount of tacit coordination beforehand. A blinding flash erupted across the arena, temporarily blinding the phantom crystal beast—or whatever entity was manipulating it from behind—and causing it to lose its target.

"Right now, 'Scorching Ray'!" Heshia's voice rang out amidst the brilliant white light.

Instantly, a thin orange-red beam flashed across the combat arena, shooting toward the distant rear. By the time the blinding glare slowly dimmed, the spectators discovered that the phantom crystal tiger was already lying flat on the ground, its body cleanly sliced in two by the scorching beam, shattering into fragments scattered across the floor.

That should do it, the young girl thought to herself.

"Congratulations to Heshia for passing the first minor stage."

Once the announcement concluded, a staff member asked Heshia whether she wished to proceed to the challenge of the second minor stage. Upon receiving an affirmative reply, three crystal cores emerged from the device beneath the arena and were activated into three phantom crystal beasts.

When the second wave of blinding light flared up, the spectating students had learned their lesson, hurriedly shielding their eyes and waiting quite a while before opening them again.

Taking advantage of the brief window where the opponent was rendered incapable of attacking, Heshia directed the little snake to shoot down the falcon in the air. However, by this point, the indigo snake's mana was running low; if it wanted to fire another Scorching Ray, it would likely need to stall for several minutes.

Within the arena, the remaining phantom crystal tiger lunged at the little snake, while the swift wolf bounded toward Heshia.

If she used freezing-crystal-related abilities right now, she could easily crush them. But exposing those abilities without reason felt somewhat unnecessary, Heshia mused, shaking her head as she instead employed the unique attack method of the Wither Sequence.

She closed her eyes and focused her mind, then opened her azure pupils, within which ripples of serene, deep-blue brilliance floated. As she locked her gaze onto the opposing swift wolf, a mental shockwave caused the phantom crystal beast to instantly lose its focus, its body stiffening before it toppled over onto the ground and skidded forward.

Dodge-rolling past the tumbling swift wolf, Heshia followed up. While the wolf was still struggling, she gently placed both hands on its body, and a soft halo of light manifested.

Shortly after, the swift wolf grew quiet, ceasing its struggles as its body dissolved into fragments and scattered across the ground.

"That must be the Wither Sequence. Truly a rare sight."

"That kind of method... though it looks gentle, it's also rather terrifying at times."

"The ultimate gentleness, huh? I've always wanted to say that Wither Sequence doctors performing surgeries feel just like having a dinner party—such a subtle feeling."

"Still, it's extremely powerful."

On the other side of the combat arena, the indigo snake was locked in a fierce tussle with the phantom crystal tiger. Although its body was covered in a layer of crystalline scales, under those frantic bites, the scales continued to shatter layer by layer. The snake was sprayed with a thick layer of crystal sand, causing its movements to become sluggish and slow.

Heshia watched the two combatants in the distance, slowly raised her hand, and let a brilliant glow ripple through her eyes. The phantom crystal tiger suddenly froze, its movements turning sluggish.

Pity that at this distance, I can't rush over quickly, the girl murmured inwardly, leaving her with no choice but to command the little snake to wriggle out from the tiger's jaws and crawl back toward her side.

A few breaths later, the phantom crystal tiger recovered, shook its head, and scanned around once more to reacquire its target, spinning its body back around.

It initiated a second charge, surging with ferocious momentum.

However, right now... Heshia scooped the indigo snake into her arms and brushed the crystal sand off its body.

Gradually, the gem on the little snake's forehead recharged, and countless luminous points of mana gathered from the atmosphere, making the jewel shine with dazzling brilliance.

Then, an orange-yellow beam lanced out once more, piercing straight through the charging tiger and tearing a massive hole through its body. While it didn't cleanly cleave it in two, it was more than enough to kill it.

Seeing all three phantom crystal beasts dissolve into fragments, the staff member announced the clearance of the second stage.

"Congratulations to Heshia. Would you like to attempt the third minor stage?"

"Let's just take a look." The girl tilted her head. At this point, the indigo snake was exhausted; challenging the third stage was practically impossible.

Consequently, the environment within the arena shifted once more. A larger crystal core emerged, gradually activating under the focus of five blue light beams.

Before long, a silhouette roughly five meters tall materialized, finally shaping into a majestic, upright giant snake.

Its head was held high, its wide belly rested flat upon the ground, its blue-purple fork-tongue flickered in and out, and its vertical slit pupils radiated deterrence. By comparison, the little snake in front of it could have coiled around itself several times and still not match the thickness of the giant snake's neck.

Primal Sequence 4 - Phantom Crystal Serpent (Standard Brilliant Gold Grade)

Looking at this giant snake, Heshia had no choice but to shake her head. There was simply no way to win against this; continuing the attempt was pointless.

"I forfeit."

"Heshia, final score: 22 points." The extra 2 points were awarded because she was the first to reach the third minor stage.

"That's the highest score so far."

"Awesome, truly awesome."

"Still, no matter how you look at it, that giant snake isn't something an ordinary person can clear. It's probably meant for those special prodigies."

The students chattered amongst themselves, while Heshia walked out of the combat arena cradling the little snake in her arms.

"Heshia was amazing!" Miana trotted over, clutching her giant crab.

Under the guidance of the staff members, the two girls filled out their forms, essentially wrapping up their re-examination. For the two animal companions by their side, however, the time had come to part ways.

"Even though it was only for a single day, I'm suddenly feeling a bit reluctant to let go." Miana looked at the blue-shelled giant crab before her, gently stroking its cold dorsal shell with her hand.

"If we get to come here to study, we'll probably meet again," Heshia comforted her.

"That's right! If you two enroll in the academy later, the companions from the re-examination will also be awarded to you." A girl wearing a black-and-red uniform walked over. It was none other than Vetlina, the student council president from outside the Astral Hall, accompanied by two student council cadres in white uniforms.

Heshia and Miana stood up, looking at their senior.

"Very pleased to meet you. My name is Vetlina, student council president of this year's Iris Court Academy, and the third-year top student." She extended her hand.

"My name is Miana."

"My name is Heshia."

Guided by Vetlina, the three of them walked into the quiet Astral Hall. The floating spheres of light had already been cleared away inside, and the deep-blue, starlit-night flooring was coated with a faint golden sheen under the lingering rays of the setting sun.

"Let's go sit over there for a while." Vetlina pointed toward a bench near the front of the hall, which was located very close to the giant angel mural and deep in the interior.

The two student council cadres remained where they were, while the three girls walked to the inner side and sat down. Vetlina spoke first.

"Heshia's scores were exceptionally good."

"Not at all, my performance this time was just a bit out of the ordinary," the girl hurriedly waved her hands.

"Heh-heh-heh, are you feeling a bit shy?" Vetlina said with a smile. Although she didn't look particularly mature on the outside, her deportment was exceptionally graceful.

"Then I won't tease Heshia anymore. Let's talk about official business—Heshia, would you be interested in joining the student council after enrolling?"

"This... I'm afraid that can only be decided after I officially enroll." Having just participated in the re-examination and not even received her acceptance letter yet, considering this felt a bit premature.

"With Heshia's grades so stellar, there's no way she won't be admitted," Miana chimed in from the side, offering encouragement.

"Thank you."

"As expected, you have a very cautious personality," Vetlina chuckled lightly.

"We can talk about it once you receive your acceptance letter, though I personally hold a very favorable impression of Heshia. I pretty much watched all your performances during the assessments."

Facing such straightforward praise, the young girl was slightly flattered and at a loss for how to respond. Should she puff out her chest and say, "That's right, I really am just that outstanding"? That would be far too immodest.

"Um, actually, it wasn't that special." She averted her gaze slightly.

"Heh-heh-heh, still so cute." Vetlina covered her mouth with a chuckle before seeming to recall something.

"It's rare for you two to travel such a long way for the re-examination. Let me give you some souvenirs before you leave."

During the time that followed, Vetlina kept the two girls chatting about various topics, and then had her companions bring over two large boxes to hand to them.

"It's getting late, and you probably need to hurry back or rest, so I won't hold you up any longer."

Before their departure, Vetlina saw the two of them off outside the Astral Hall.

"Well then, see you next time. Bye-bye~" She waved, standing gracefully as she bid farewell.

"Goodbye~"