As the sparks flew from the clash of the mana wave, and the barrier separating the south slums from the rest of the free city. Most wouldn’t be able to tell anything happened due to the multi-layered formation of the barrier, unless under a certain set of circumstances. One man enjoying dinner with his family just so happened to meet the criteria.

A middle-aged brunette in a weary tone said, “Dear what's wrong, why aren’t you eating your meal?”

Being broken from his trance, smiling the Man said, “Nothing marge, nothing at all just lost in my head.”

Along the border of the south slums, the free cities guardsmen bustling about. One such guardsman, wearing a silver badge that marked him as a lieutenant. Running to his superior, saluting the guardsman said, “Sir, the oracle division wanted me to tell you that we should prepare for a possible barrier breach.”

Captain of the west-guard, looking at the lieutenant in disbelief. The Captain said, “How, Eden sent a third-tier magus as proctor along with two, second-tier magi as assistance. There shouldn’t be anything in the slums that could cause them a problem. Contact the oracle division again double-check, and see if they can get more information on what the source of the problem is.”

Saluting again, the lieutenant said, “I’ll get right on it Sir.” Before turning, running off to follow the captain's orders.

The scraper queen let out a loud hiss, struggling harder to free herself. The sound of rattling ice-chains rang out across the south crux. Violent waves of mana rolled from the scraper queens body. Accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, one of the ice chains snapped. As the broken links fell to the ground. Letting out a gasp; quickly swiping his fingers through the air, the broken chain began to glow an even darker hue of blue, causing it to reform at a lightning speed. Yerian said, “My Tundric ice-chains aren’t that easy to destroy.”

Screeching even louder, the scraper queen began to glow with a violet hue, her body bulging with thick-corded veins, wiggling. The pressure the queen released increased greatly putting more pressure on Yerian. If anyone had been there and had their mana sight activated. They would see the scraper queens mana, devouring the blank spaces in between the sparse ambient mana. The scraper queen went silent for just one second, going completely still, except the huge veins wiggling beneath her scales.

You don’t become a third-tier Magus without having a keen sense of danger. Speeding up his chanting, the Proctor pulled out a large scroll from his spatial focus. While simultaneously activating a spell matrix called Thought-send.

With just a flicker of the color of his eyes giving away a change in the proctor. Yerian and Mential heard the proctor’s voice in their heads. In a serious tone, the Proctor said, “Stop what you're doing, and start sending your mana to me immediately.”

Looking at each other in confusion, Mential stopped his manipulation of the wind, diverting his mana to the Proctor. Yerian was tied deeper in His Tundric ice-chains, causing him to take longer to divert his mana. But once he released his connection with the tundric ice chains, they evaporated almost instantly, sending his mana to the proctor.

Looking worried about what could cause the proctor to change his plans. Yerian said, “What do you think is going on?”

Deciding it would be best to head to the ground, instead of wasting his mana on flight. Landing beside Yerian, Mantial said, “I don’t know but whatever it is it can't be good.”

Without Mantial keeping the smog from the scraper queen in check. causing it to spread quickly throughout the south slums, blanketing everything in putrid violet-clouds. Where the groups of trial participants were fighting the scaled scrapers. Adding another hurdle they had to fight against was the poisonous fog.

Stepping forward, in unison the Nein said, “We can handle the smog, but we will need protection from the scrapers if we are to purify so much at once.”

Coughing, and wheezing, multiple people said, “Just... do it... We will cover for you.”

Sitting in a circle back to back the Nein began to glow a deep emerald color, sending waves of matching mana. Cascading through the battlefield, purifying the toxic smog from the air. While the other trial participants began to pick off scraper after scraper. Just when they finally had a working rhythm down. A violent tremor shook the ground under their feet causing a few trial takers to stumble.

One trial taker with long jet-black said, “Now what.”

The scraper queens body Began to show signs of breaking apart; jagged cracks glowing with violet light spreading over her scales, as a high pitched vibrational whine shook the very air around the twisted form of the scraper queen. Just as the Proctor finished casting his spell, the scraper queens body began to expand at an even faster pace. The cracks in her scales grew wider, in the core of her being a violet ball of violent fire raged. As the last of the sinews holding the queen's body together broke apart, releasing a fiery explosion of violet energy. Sweeping outwards, slamming into the proctor’s mana field.

Now freed from chanting, with a grunt from the force of the collision of the two opposing energies. The proctor said, “We have to hold this down, we are too close to the border. If this explosion hits the barrier, the whole thing might break, and spread this mess into the rest of the free city.