Current rankings ticked upward in bright characters across every board:

  1st: Aashna Icenfield — 997

  2nd: Winay Hecksopian — 990

  3rd: Oscherin Terrion — 977

  4th: Aarna Asval — 955

  5th: Gonad Valtoris — 830

  6th: Carg Capster — 710

  7th: Grandellion Cellewars — 695

  8th: Laxsi Stalwart — 650

  9th: Miron Tuberlin — 590

  Ramyas exhaled slowly. “That boy Winay is already in second place. With ten minutes left, reaching first isn’t impossible for him at all.”

  Kaigal’s lips curved. “At this point, anything is possible. Let’s see it through.”

  Everyone watched the screens with focused curiosity, waiting to see who would stand at the top when the Trial ended.

  Outside the Trial Grounds, students stared at the ranking board, more stunned with each refresh.

  Everyone murmured their own theories, though now with less paranoia—after the teacher’s earlier declaration, talk of cheating had mostly died down.

  Miron scratched his head. “What is going on with him? His rank jumped to second from second?last in such a short time… Is he really that strong? Haa… and here I was planning to eliminate him the moment I found him. I even looked for him for a few minutes. Guess my luck wasn’t bad after all…”

  Some students simply stayed silent, eyes locked on the rankings. They just wanted to see who would win first place and claim the artifact.

  Inside the Trial Grounds, WINI paused for a moment between hunts and glanced at his wristband.

  “Let’s see… I’m second,” he murmured. “Seven points behind—”

  The numbers jumped.

  “…no, now it’s twelve points.”

  He looked up.

  “Fine. First, clear this group.”

  Ahead, a cluster of Oxjackals charged, their twisted heads lifted, emitting grating cries—“moowl, moowl”—that scratched at the ears.

  “I don’t like that sound,” WINI said calmly, Void Eye opening.

  The Oxjackals took one more step.

  Their minds stalled.

  A single downward pull of his hand, invisible threads snapping tight—

  Six heads fell almost together.

  His wristband flashed.

  1st: Winay Hecksopian — 1020

  Far away, Aashna checked her wristband and frowned.

  “How is this guy, who was at the bottom, now right beside me?” she muttered. “If I don’t increase my points, he’ll definitely take first. I can’t let that happen.”

  As she spoke, WINI’s new kills pushed him past her.

  Her jaw tightened.

  “Is he hunting them… or are the beasts just going to him and dying?” she thought bitterly. “How are his points rising this fast? …Fine. If he wants the lead, I’ll at least take the boss.”

  Even though teachers hadn’t announced the final boss reward, everyone knew from the Trial three years ago: whoever landed the finishing blow on the boss beast got a huge bonus—more than fifty points total.

  “If I kill that beast, I’ll still surpass him,” Aashna decided, turning toward the central zone.

  Aarna checked her own band.

  “Looks like first place is impossible now,” she said quietly. “Winay is hunting like crazy.”

  Gonad wiped sweat from his brow. “Is it still the same WINI or did he get replaced? How is he moving this fast… I’m already tired. Huff, haa… I’ll rest for two minutes, then move again.”

  Deeper inside, Grandellion laughed as he cut down yet another beast.

  “This is how it should be! I just entered and already faced ten beasts,” he boasted. “I’ll find the boss first, kill it, then eliminate the one in first place. Then I’ll be the strongest. Uhahaha.”

  He slowed, panting. “But these central?zone beasts are really strong… I’ve used half my energy on just these ten…”

  WINI’s Void Zone pulsed quietly around him.

  “I’m almost at the center,” he said. “Let’s see what kind of beast they prepared as the boss.”

  A few minutes later, the core of the central zone opened before him—a wide, blasted clearing beneath a broken canopy.

  He wasn’t alone.

  Except for Gonad, everyone reached the core at almost the same time.

  Aashna. Aarna. Grandellion. WINI.

  They instinctively checked one another, tension rising.

  Grandellion squinted at WINI. “How did you reach the core zone? Isn’t your soul a trash soul?” he demanded.

  WINI said nothing.

  Aarna stepped closer. “Winay, how did you kill that many beasts in such a short time?”

  WINI smiled faintly. “I just used some threads.”

  Aashna stared at him, expression flat. Threads, she thought. Is he serious?

  Grandellion scowled. “You still didn’t answer me, trash soul. If you stay silent, I’ll eliminate you before I kill the boss.”

  Aashna turned toward him. “Are you really that dumb, or just acting? Didn’t you check your wristband rankings?”

  Grandellion blinked. “Rankings… on the wristband? There’s something like that?”

  He looked down, tapped the screen, and his eyes widened.

  “Ohhh, there really are rankings here. I thought it was only for teleporting out. Hahaha. Let’s see… first rank is Wi—…nay?”

  He looked up, incredulous. “You’re first?”

  His grin sharpened. “This is getting interesting. So I just have to eliminate you and kill the boss myself to become first. Hahaha. Let’s see my rank—what? Sixth…? How…?”

  He shook his head. “It must be that beasts went to weaker people first. That has to be it,” he muttered, continuing to grumble.

  WINI ignored him and looked around the clearing.

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  “Where’s the beast? Why isn’t it visible… Void Eye.”

  He opened the eye fully and spread Void Zone outward.

  Within ten meters, nothing.

  “If I increase the radius, I’ll burn through my energy in ten seconds…” His gaze shifted. “Wait.”

  A faint fluctuation above.

  He looked up.

  A shape hung upside?down from a high branch, folded within its own wings like a dark cocoon.

  The beast shivered, waking at last.

  A pair of dark red eyes snapped open.

  The air vibrated.

  The sound hit them a heartbeat later—a piercing, knife?edged screech that tore through their ears. All four clutched their heads on instinct, pain stabbing into their skulls as the beast’s sonic attack crashed over them.

  They looked up, grimacing.

  The final boss descended from the shadows.

  A creature with massive wings, scaled body, and a cruel hooked beak—hanging like a bat, now unfurling with lethal speed.

  Aarna’s eyes widened. “An Ashscreech…?”

  Her face paled.

  “This is the worst nightmare for beginners with low adaptability,” she said quickly. “It has a tough scaled body for defense, sound?screech attacks that damage our senses and disrupt energy flow, and then sudden ambush strikes because of its speed.”

  Aashna’s reaction was immediate.

  “Glacial Veil—full output,” she called, flooding the area with cold.

  Frost exploded outward, trying to slow the beast’s movements. She followed in the same breath.

  “Ice Spikes!”

  But the Ashscreech moved almost as soon as her veil spread. Her spirit energy was already heavily consumed from previous fights. Ice Spikes fired, but the condensation was weaker; the shards lacked their usual killing edge.

  The Ashscreech took some of the attack head?on, scales cracking slightly, yet its speed barely dropped.

  Not even five percent, Aashna realized, teeth clenched, as the beast twisted away from the densest part of her volley.

  A burst of flame shot in from the side—Aarna’s attack.

  Nirvana’s echo flared, a concentrated wave of fire smashing into the beast’s side.

  The flames washed over steel?hard scales and scattered.

  Aarna’s eyes widened. “No damage? Even for a corrupted beast, it’s just a low?tier Voidspawn, right? Is it because it formed a core already?”

  Grandellion snorted. “Who cares about toughness in front of me? Watch as I finish this beast in one strike!”

  He stepped forward, sword rising, spirit energy surging.

  “Cellewars style—Pseudo Iron Domain Slash, first form: Simple Strike.”

  The air around the Ashscreech split as his blade descended. The beast reacted fast, crossing its wings and twisting to guard. Even so, a shallow line opened on its chest, scales cracking.

  Aashna raised an eyebrow. “For a second, I thought you were using your family’s core technique—the real Iron Domain Slash.”

  Grandellion sniffed. “Not just anyone can understand the core art. Without soul energy guidance, it’s hard even to see the path. Before Awakening, the clan only teaches the pseudo technique. You weak fellow don’t understand the might of it. I don’t need the real thing to kill this weak beast.”

  He raised his sword again.

  “Second form—Random Strike!”

  Blades of force slashed from multiple angles, but when the flurry ended, the Ashscreech’s body remained largely unharmed—only a few more scratches along its scales.

  “I’ll use Nirvana,” Aarna said, drawing a deeper breath.

  Flame lotus energy stirred, gathering at her core.

  Just before the lotus could truly manifest, the Ashscreech turned sharply in mid?air. It faced only her and screamed.

  The screech was sharper, more focused—directed solely at Aarna.

  She anticipated it this time, quickly blocking her senses for an instant, dulling the worst of the impact. Even so, the violent vibration severed her concentration. The Nirvana buildup scattered, her attempt disrupted.

  She tried again.

  Her chest tightened. Breath grew shallow. Forcing Nirvana now felt like pushing a boulder uphill with bleeding hands.

  WINI watched her, remembering.

  “I already told you earlier, when your skill went berserk,” he said quietly. “Your pathways aren’t strong enough yet to handle this level of pure, condensed energy. Something is still missing in how you activate it. You’ll understand once you reach a higher realm. Don’t force it now.”

  Aarna bit her lip, then slowly nodded and let the buildup dissipate.

  The Ashscreech kept moving, combining screeches and dives, using its speed and altitude to maintain distance—never staying in one place long enough for a heavy melee blow.

  WINI narrowed his eyes.

  “This beast is keeping a safe distance, flying from there to here constantly,” he thought. “And for some reason, the Void Eye’s mental pull didn’t work earlier. Is it simply stronger than the other beasts?”

  In the monitoring hall, eyes stayed locked on the central battle.

  Kaigal chuckled. “That kid Grandellion isn’t bad. Lots of potential. Aashna and Aarna are doing well too. Let’s see how much damage the four of them can inflict on that beast in the last five minutes.”

  Ramyas pointed at a replay. “The Ashscreech attacked all of them indiscriminately at first. But when Aarna tried to fully activate her skill, it focused only on her.”

  Rainor nodded. “I think she tried to use her innate skill… Nirvana.”

  Robert’s eyes sharpened. “Yes. When someone at Integration uses the learned Nirvana technique, most corrupted beasts don’t feel truly threatened—even Voidspawn act on instinct more than fear. But Aarna’s version carries lotus soul energy mixed into the flame—a purer force. Fire plus lotus becomes a highly dangerous combination.”

  He folded his hands behind his back.

  “Even if her cultivation is still far too low to fully utilize that combination, she can draw a little of it at moments. That trace alone is enough to make corrupted beasts feel genuine danger. That’s why the Ashscreech singled her out the instant she tried to manifest it.”

  Ramyas nodded slowly. “Yes… that explains its reaction.”

  They all turned back to the screen, watching in silence.

  The Ashscreech circled once, then attacked again.

  This time, it didn’t just scream.

  Its throat pulsed, and a sonic beam exploded outward—thick, shimmering, washing across the clearing in a wide arc.

  Everyone knew this attack from the briefings. They moved.

  Dodges, barriers, partial blocks—no one took the hit head?on. Even so, the beam still grazed them. Ears rang, muscles jolted, and light wounds opened where the wave’s edge scraped their defenses.

  WINI steadied himself, mind racing.

  “It’s not coming down,” he realized. “If it refuses to enter melee range…”

  He clenched his hand.

  “I can’t use pure physical attacks now, or I’ll break my own rule,” he thought, jaw tightening. The rule I swore to Mother—that there’d be one day every week I wouldn’t rely on raw physical power.

  He exhaled.

  “What do I do… Use that attack? The one I planned to test after the Trial?”

  He watched the Ashscreech wheel in the sky.

  “I’m not even sure exactly how it works. I only have a guess,” he admitted inwardly. “But for it… everyone needs to move back. If they’re too close, they’ll get caught in the crossfire.”

  He thought back to the first awakening of his Void Eye.

  “At the beginning, I didn’t understand the node connections I was seeing,” he recalled. “But after using it again and again, I realized this: If I release energy into my palm, spin it as fast as possible, push it toward the smaller nodes, and then compress it at a larger node before releasing…”

  His right hand opened slowly.

  “What will happen? My theory is some kind of blast. It’ll probably consume a lot of energy too.”

  WINI drew in a breath.

  “Move back a little,” he said aloud, eyes still on the sky.

  The others glanced at him, but something in his tone made them obey. They shifted a few steps away, never taking their eyes off the Ashscreech.

  WINI activated the Void Eye.

  Nodes lit up in his vision, threads linking like a web. He traced the lines, chose a focal point in the air between them and the beast, and calculated the range.

  His palm began to glow.

  Void energy swirled over his hand, spinning faster and faster, forming a small, rotating sphere that bent the light around it.

  The moment it left his palm, the sphere expanded slightly, growing as it traveled—then, just before reaching the Ashscreech, it collapsed.

  Compressed into a dot so small it almost vanished.

  WINI’s fingers folded into a fist.

  “Singularity Crush,” he whispered.

  The dot imploded—silently.

  For an instant, nothing seemed to happen.

  Then half of the Ashscreech’s body simply… crumpled inward and disappeared.

  It was as if an invisible force had grabbed its internal structure and crushed it from the inside. Scales, bone, flesh—all at once, drawn into an unseen point and erased.

  The remaining half convulsed and fell.

  All attacks that had been preparing to fire suddenly froze.

  Aarna, exhausted from her Nirvana attempts.

  Aashna, mid?calculation for a large Ice Spikes volley.

  Grandellion, about to launch what he grandly considered his “final strike.”

  Gonad, who had just arrived, ready to help them finish the beast.

  Every one of them stood there, mouths slightly open.

  What just… happened?

  The Ashscreech’s corpse hit the ground with a dull, final sound.

  WINI exhaled, lowering his hand.

  Since the energy is compressed to a single point and used to crush the nodes, he thought, calling it “Singularity Crush” sounds right. But… something still feels off. It didn’t work exactly how I imagined.

  He stared at the fading Void nodes for a moment longer, then relaxed.

  “Well,” he thought, letting the Void Eye close, “this ends the Trial. Time to go sleep…”

  Around him, the other four still hadn’t fully processed what they’d seen.

  How did that hard?scaled Ashscreech just get crushed?

  It died… just like that…

  The Trial time reached zero.

  Light wrapped around their bodies, and all remaining participants were teleported out of the Trial Grounds.

  In the monitoring hall, the last scene played one more time in slow motion.

  Kaigal stared. “What… just happened? For a second, all of them were struggling, and in the very next moment, that boy Winay moved his hand, made a few signs, and the beast died instantly…”

  Ramyas nodded slowly. “That attack looked like an area?wide strike but vanished before reaching the beast. Then… half its body was crushed, like something had pulled it from inside out.”

  Robert and the others said nothing for several breaths.

  Then Robert smiled—a rare, genuine curve of the lips.

  The more I watch this kid, he thought, the more unpredictable his actions and attacks become. Did he really comprehend his awakened soul already? How else could he pull something like this off…

  Soft laughter echoed in his mind.

  He is truly exceptional.

  This chapter marks a major turning point in the Trial and in WINI’s growth. From here on, the scale of the story will start to widen—both in power and consequences.

  See you in the next chapter!