Atop a grassy plain that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, three youngsters were currently running away from a Kral, and exhaustion was evident on their faces.

"Doesn't this thing ever tire?" Isabella asked

"Doesn't seem that way," Silver replied

"What the hell is it?" Zac asked

"Not sure, to be honest. Some sort of rhino chicken?" Silver was currently leading the retreat.

"Very observant of you there," replied zac sarcastically.

"Shouldn't we stop running and kill this thing?" asked Isabella.

"Yeah, you're right. We can't keep this going forever." Zac smacked his head as he slowed down.

[ Bad idea ]

Silver thought, but he knew there was no other option, so he decided to help them.

"Guys, remember to brace yourselves for its... disturbing appearance. Also, don't draw your weapons. It's probably better to use ranged attacks to fight this thing," Silver advised in the few seconds before the Kral had caught up.

Getting in contact with its bubbling skin was sure to have repercussions. Silver didn't know the level of danger it would pose but knew not to risk it either way.

"MOOOO!"

Right on cue, a half rhino, half chicken trotted across and was now upon the three young adults. Zac started the attack off with Incandescent Flames, bringing the Kral to an abrupt halt as it shrieked. Isabella followed with three shots from a magic bow which all hit the same spot between the beasts' eyes.

Silver didn't want to lose out either, so he threw an Ice Spike, which shot out and went cleanly through the Kral's open mouth and through the back of its throat.

With a loud thump and scatter of feathers, the beast dropped dead onto the grass.

"Wait, is it really over? Just like that?" Isabella was the first to voice out her disbelief.

"I guess we're stronger than we thought, Hahaha," Zac laughed. The problem with a group attack was that no one really knew who did the most damage.

"Well, it was obvious we could beat it, but I just didn't want to fight it, to begin with," Silver said as he contemplated whether or not he could get the core inside the beast.

"Anyone want the core?" he asked, but neither of his companions seemed eager. He decided it wasn't worth the effort either.

"Uhm, anyways, have the two of you been introduced yet?" Zac asked after a brief moment of awkward silence between the three.

"Silver, this is Isabella, a rather enigmatic young lady. Isabella, this is Silver, my good friend and sworn brother," he added, noticing the awkward looks between the two.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," replied Silver without making eye contact. He was more interested in thinking about what to do next.

On the other hand, Isabella was becoming frustrated at this youth, who continued to ignore her even after they had become acquaintances. So she gave a cold humph and started walking off.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Zac asked

"What? Need me to protect you?" Isabella teased as she walked off

"Let her go. I doubt there's anything more dangerous than the beast we just encountered," Silver advised as he saw the look of defeat on his friend's face.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, there's not long left before the end of the trial"

"Exactly, I say we find a nice quiet tree and wait for that lady to announce the end," Silver replied as he started walking towards the direction they had come running from.

That lady Silver had just mentioned was standing atop a mountain, trying her hardest not to let her frustration seep through.

"Hey, Anna. Isn't this trial of yours a little easy?" asked Lucas.

"Don't piss me off! This is way harder than your little shitty scare tactics."

"Woah, Woah. Chill out, guys, not in front of the kids," Victor pleaded as he gestured for the two to calm down.

"Then why is it that those three were able to dispose of your so-called 'hardest obstacle,' huh?" Lucas interrogated

"I refuse to talk with an imbecile" Anna closed her eyes and acted as though not being able to see him would also mean not being able to hear him.

"C' mon Lucas you saw it with your own eyes. That was a high-level D class beast. Instead of criticizing Anna, you should be praising the level of those three candidates."

"Humph, it was probably injured. There's no way three beginner-level mages would be able to dispel a D class beast that easily" Lucas refused to accept the matter.

"And yet, you just saw it happen. Only a fool would refuse to believe what they themselves witnessed with their own eyes," Anna chimed in as she momentarily chose to go back on her words.

"Eyes can be deceiving" Lucas refused to give in, but to his surprise, Anna didn't reply as she just looked at him as though he were the dumbest person she had ever seen.

"It's almost time to end the trial. It seems they all pass except that one over there," Victor interrupted as he pointed towards an 18-year-old lying unconscious a few meters away. The youngster was being attended to by one of the students, and his condition seemed to get better every minute.

"A part of me wants to take them to the Academy already. Just looking at what those three have achieved, it would be our honor to have them," said Anna as she looked into the magic apparatus ahead of her.

"I agree. But customs are customs for a reason. And they are always to be upheld unless one wishes to forget their origins," Victor refuted somewhat dejectedly.

"I guess it can't be helped then," Anna sighed as she began preparing to address the candidates.

"Congratulations on passing the second trial" A lady's voice came as Silver and Zac happily discussed something.

"If you could all make your way to the nearest teleportation array, you will be taken to the location of the third trial," The lady added, and this was then followed by five massive flares that covered the sky.

Their red color could be seen from dozens of kilometers away, but Silver and Zac happened to be very close to the nearest one. Once they arrived at the flare's location, they noticed a teleportation array similar to the one they had used to arrive on these plains.

"I guess I'll see you on the other side, friend," Zac said as he stepped into the array first.

"Maybe," Silver replied as he too followed along.

Once he reached the location, he was sent to by the array. Silver noticed he was now in some sort of building made of marble. The ceiling was high, making it look like the inside of a castle. However, there were no stairs or upper floors as though it was a house made for giants.

Silver noticed that he was one of the last to arrive as the entire Acadamy entourage was there, and all the candidates, apart from one boy, were also present.

"Now that you have all arrived, let me start by introducing myself" the muscular teacher stepped forward and addressed the four remaining candidates.

"I am Victor Kane, and I shall be hosting this year's Combat trial. Soon you will each step into one of these rooms behind me and partake in a battle simulation," said Victor as he pointed towards four adjacent doors behind him, which seemed to be the only thing in this overly sized room.

"Since it's only a simulation, your physical body won't get hurt, so you do not need to fear death. However, the pain you feel will be very real, so if I were you, I would withdraw before taking too much of a beating" Victor started handing out gold medallions as he said this.

"These will be your way out. All you need to do is inject some magic will into them, and you'll return to reality. However, if you come back without completing at least three waves, you will fail this trial and will be unable to enter the Academy. You may start when you are ready, I wish you all the best of luck," Victor concluded.

"Sir! How many waves are there in total?" Silver asked

"Oh? Do you wish to complete all the waves?" asked Victor. He was beginning to like this youth even more.

"Well, I'll try my best, of course."

"Hahaha, I like your confidence. There are a total of 5 waves. If you complete them all, I will personally give you a gift. And that goes for all of you" Victor was even more sure of his hypothesis. This youngster in front of him had the drive and mentality to go very far.