"Amarok, please. Don't lose," Mist said. Amarok halted his steps but didn't turn, negating further continuation.

"Get closer," the Arcana elder commanded. The twelve candidates moved in. Amarok's eyes landed on the familiar figure of Lyra, who cast him a mesmerizing smile. He nodded. He also noticed the familiar Kinty standing out with his meat in hand, two swords sheathed on his back. He nodded at Amarok too. Then, the elder began drawing a rune in the void, and the crowd of students looked on with anticipation. It wasn't every day they had the chance to witness a rune of this caliber. Amarok also stood in awe, knowing an Arcana elder needed to be a Rune Sorcerer Scholar, the third rank.

The void shook, the elder slammed his palm forward, and the rune grew instantly. Winds whistled, blowing particles into the void. The crowd retreated, and the Aetherial Midrel aura bloomed to protect the people. Water particles slowly converged towards them. Amarok stared in amazement as the morphic bubbles rune flickered, levitating in the void.

He held onto his sword as his body dangled in midair, a strange yet enjoyable feeling. The Arcana elder waved his hand, and the rune spun. They were enveloped in translucent water bubbles. "Go," he ordered, and they shot through the void. Alden Academy was located at the center of the city but had a huge water pool where they were. The water bubbles flashed, striking the water with violent energy, and water columns rose upon impact.

Suddenly, a mirror-like water surface appeared above the pool, showcasing the descent of the candidates. Everyone held their hearts as they stared in anticipation.

Amarok's body landed with a huge thud. His gaze swept through the area, revealing a sea of coral stretching boundlessly. It was breath taking, the sailing vast expanse of marine life. He could feel his skin tingle with the contact of water.  It was slightly cold but manageable. He reached out, attempting to grip the Luminous ball before him, but it shook and fled, leaving little water bubbles in its wake.

Amarok's eyes widened as he held his breath. Quickly realizing he could actually breathe, he thought, "What an impressive Rune Sorcerer," reflecting on the power of the Arcana elder. He was even more curious about Elder Calder. How strong could he be?

"Find five Luminous Silks, and you will be considered to have passed," the elder's voice resonated throughout.

"It should be this," Amarok immediately analyzed, looking at the Luminous round bubble in front of him. He waved, but the silk moved so fast that he caught nothing but air. He frowned, knowing that using conventional means wouldn't be enough.

Amarok's senses kicked in. A huge figure burst from underneath him, razor-sharp teeth attempting to tear him apart. He used his sword to block the mouth as his body was propelled upward.

The monster kept pushing forward, wanting to tear him into pieces. Metal grinned as he stood between the monster's teeth. Its strength was monstrous, dragging him forward. A coral wall stood a few meters away.

Amarok's muscles cried, his body about to crash onto the wall. He threw his legs backward, then stepped twice on the wall backward. A frightening explosion was heard as his body, now above the monster, was flung away. Amarok slid on the bedrock, attempting to stop the violent momentum. The resistance from the bedrock created smoke underneath his feet, with water bubbling.

Amarok's heart was beating violently when he finally stopped, his hands slightly trembling. The monster didn't cease and charged once more.

Amarok rushed to the side, and the monster chased with fury. Its speed was inconceivable. Amarok rushed, flipping through the coral obstacle, and the monster's bite came at the same moment. His heart skipped a beat when he felt the violent winds behind him with teeth brutally clacking.

The Luminous silk was still following closely. Amarok's eyes sparkled. He slashed with his sword, but the Luminous silk evaded effortlessly.

Amarok used the opportunity to jump back exactly at the same time the huge monster lunged forward to bite once more, devouring it with no pity.

Amarok spun acrobatically to his feet as he slid through the little valley he had entered. It was deep and steep, and he didn't have time to carefully descend. He threw his sword and immediately started gliding down.

The monster burst out from underneath his previous spot, sending bubbles exploding. The rocky valley exploded upon impact, sending huge debris falling in his way.

Amarok hit his sword with his foot, sending it to his hand as he rushed. Then, he stepped to the side, evading a debris that crashed nearby. He flipped through the obstacles that had appeared before him, landing and pivoting his body to face the falling debris as he slid down. His shoes had been completely destroyed. Barefoot, he glided on the rocky valley, friction on his foot causing water to whistle around it, his sword clashing with falling stones.

Sparkles bloomed, and bubbles exploded. His hands trembled upon every impact, but he couldn't care less.

With a violent impact, he collided with the largest rock. He heard a cracking sound as his body was sent flying down the valley. He heavily crashed on the broken rocks, eyes widened as he gritted his teeth. Carrying his bleeding body, he rushed into a crevice, evading the last monster attack.

His heart was beating violently, his hands still trembling. He didn't even feel the pain from his broken arm or his bleeding foot. Everything had happened so fast that he didn't have time to register; he had only acted purely out of instinct.

"Six candidates have been eliminated. Six more to go," the Arcana elder's voice sounded once more. Amarok frowned. Already six people eliminated? It had not even been a minute since they entered. The difficulty was way higher than what he had expected. Only six people were left now, certainly the strongest of the group.

Amarok tried to stand but fell back on his buttocks. He held his arm, his eyes almost teary. His arm was broken, sweat trickling down his face as he understood the implications. He was supposed to catch five Luminous Silks. If each one of them was followed by that beast, then forget about even catching them. Surviving alone would be a real nightmare.