The mantis' strike was so powerful that it created a massive crater, exposing an underground level. Half of the applicants who failed to dodge in time fell through the hole along with the creature.
Before the others could even catch their breath, a wolf pack descended upon them, using the mantis' arrival as the perfect cue to attack in force.
A group of at least fourteen wolves descended from the prominent staircase towards those remaining on the second floor.
⌠Initiating Combat Support...
----------------------------------------
Scanning for danger...
----------------------------------------
Danger Detected:
Frostwolf
Synchro Materialization
Level 3
Non-living creature.
Synchro Percentage 0%⌡
A screen appeared on the TN devices in front of the applicants who had avoided falling into the crater.
"Shit... Katya, cover my back, I'll try to..." Nova began, having grabbed his companion by the arm as he dodged the mantis' attack. But he stopped abruptly when he noticed something was off.
"What? I'm not Katya," came a different voice. Nova realized he had grabbed the wrong person amid the chaos.
Standing next to him was Xin Hua, clearly taken aback by Nova's grip on her hand.
Quickly, Nova let go of her and attempted to reach the hole to find his friend. However, an ice wolf lunged at him, slamming into his chest and throwing him several feet away from the hole.
"Are you okay?" Xin Hua called out, trying to move closer to assist him, but she was soon surrounded by three wolves from different directions.
Not only were Nova and Xin Hua surrounded, but others near the hole were also being menaced by the wolves, who seemed to consider them their next meal.
"Well, that's what a real test should be like!" Sven's shout echoed through the area. Within seconds, the brown-skinned man, glowing with his synchro aura, charged fiercely at the three wolves blocking his path.
"I’m coming for you, damn midget!" Sven roared, pushing the wolves aside as he scrambled up the ladders.
"If your damned beasts are here, you must be nearby!" Sven concluded, driven by the need to confront the person who had injured his pride.
"Quick, Brennan! Follow that guy!" John shouted, chasing after the frenzied Sven. The cowardly duo decided to abandon the others, seeing Sven as their best chance of escape from the wolves' onslaught.
"Damn..." Nova muttered as he stood up, observing how the wolves focused on him, Xin Hua, and the other boy, ignoring Sven and the two cowards who had fled.
The other two who had avoided the mantis' attack took advantage of the chaos caused by Sven to make their escape. Now, it was only three against the pack of wolves.
Or rather, only two, since the remaining boy was none other than the trembling Frank Bettle.
Five wolves advanced toward him as he cowered in fear, barely able to shield himself as the beasts closed in.
In that critical moment, Nova and Xin Hua's Synchro Aura flared to life. They abandoned their own struggles and rushed to Frank's aid, driving the wolves away before they could finish him off.
Xin Hua sent three wolves flying with a powerful strike, while Nova dispatched the other two with equal force.
"No matter how scared you are, never look away," they advised Frank in unison, surprised to find they had given him the same guidance.
"Ah... yeah... I... I'm sorry..." Frank stammered, his voice a mix of surprise and terror.
"Nova Hawk, I'll hold you responsible if anything happens to my teammate," Xin Hua warned, her calm demeanor belying a threatening edge. She had quickly deduced his name from the small screen on her TN device.
"I'm sorry, but if she fell with my friend, I promise she will be okay," Nova assured, his gaze locked on the wolves.
The creatures surrounding them grew increasingly aggressive, their coordination unsettling as they prepared for a concerted attack.
Soon, the wolves they had previously driven away returned, tightening the encirclement around them with a slow but relentless advance.
"I doubt we can take them all on. Any ideas?" Nova asked nervously, inching backward until he was almost stepping on Frank.
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"Let’s follow Sven Wagner’s lead. We need to clear a path through them and try to reach the other floor to escape," Xin Hua suggested, preparing for the moment when the wolves would stop circling and make their move.
"This... sorry..." Frank said, his face contorted with fear. "But I hurt my ankle in the mantis attack..." His eyes brimmed with tears, and Nova could see the swelling beneath his clothes.
This was undoubtedly bad news.
Xin Hua and Nova knew that with Frank injured, he would be more of a liability than a help. They could leave him behind to improve their chances of survival, but neither of them voiced this option, for reasons they couldn’t fully articulate.
"All right, get on my back and hold on tight." Nova's voice surprised Frank. He couldn’t believe Nova was actually offering to help him.
Without hesitation, Nova bent down to let the smaller boy, who stood about 4.5 feet tall, climb onto his back.
"Come on, we don't have time!" Nova urged.
Frank quickly accepted the offer and gripped Nova's shoulders as he was lifted onto his back. Despite his efforts to remain calm, tears began to well up in Frank's eyes.
Xin Hua observed with a smile. "Are you ready, Nova Hawk?" she asked, tensing her muscles as she prepared to cut through the pack of wolves.
"To be honest, no, but we don’t have another option," Nova replied with a determined smile, mimicking Xin Hua's stance and focusing his aura.
Nova's decision to help Frank stemmed from seeing himself in the frightened boy. Without the support of Nathaniel, Adam, and Alpha, he might never have faced his fears or taken on a challenge like this. Witnessing Frank's fear yet resolute spirit, he felt a deep sense of kinship.
In an instant, Xin Hua and Nova charged toward the stairs with all their strength.
The wolves immediately lunged at them, and a fierce battle ensued against the icy beasts.
Xin Hua's agile movements allowed her to fend off the wolves with swift, precise attacks, clearing a path ahead.
Nova, on the other hand, used sheer strength over finesse, delivering powerful blows while enduring scratches and bites from the wolves, which left his limbs covered in wounds.
Together, Xin Hua and Nova managed to break through the pack and advance toward the stairs.
Frank glanced back, noticing the wolves still pursuing them with relentless determination.
"They're still after us!" he shouted in terror.
Nova and Xin Hua didn’t look back. They knew they couldn’t eliminate all the wolves; they simply pushed themselves to keep moving despite their frozen, aching limbs.
"This ability is terrifying," Xin Hua observed, noting the draining effect of the wolves' cold on their energy. "We not only have to deal with their numbers, but their coldness is sapping our energy."
Nova couldn’t agree more; his arms felt numb from the ice monsters' scratches. Even with his synchro aura activated, the cold was relentless.
"Saito wasn’t exaggerating when he said we just need to survive. We need to find a way to protect ourselves from both the beasts and the cold," Nova remarked as the group finally reached the second floor.
In front of them lay an icy expanse filled with exhibits, sculptures, and rooms. The question was, where could they find shelter?
"I know!" the boy on Nova’s back exclaimed. "I read about Gyokuseki before the exam. The second floor is dedicated to the history of weapons!"
Nova and Xin Hua appreciated the boy's attempt to assist them despite his situation.
"But if we’re looking for something to fend off the cold, there’s the Synchro-Fauna exhibit on the third floor. With some luck, the fur from a mannequin might help us," Frank suggested, motivating the others to search the room.
"Let’s check out the weapons display first! We can use them to avoid direct contact with the wolves!" Xin Hua said, quickening her pace. "Do you remember where the room is?" she asked Frank.
Frank nodded eagerly, excited to be of help. "If we go straight ahead, we’ll reach a large room where the weapons should be," he said, momentarily forgetting they were being pursued by wolves.
The trio hurried through the facility until they reached the large hall Frank had mentioned.
Xin Hua was the first to enter, while Nova paused at the entrance to pound on the ice that kept the doors locked. His goal was to weaken the barrier so they could close it and buy some time once they were inside.
"I don’t think this will hold for long," Nova shouted to Xin Hua as he continued to block the entrance.
"Do you know how to use any weapons?!" Xin Hua called out as she grabbed several from the shelves.
Nova's mind raced to the only weapon he had ever used—the mace from Alpha. "A mace!" he shouted back just as the wolves began pounding on the door.
His muscles strained as he fought to keep the door shut, while Xin Hua frantically searched for useful weapons. The seconds felt like an eternity as the door creaked ominously.
"We... are... running... out of time..." Nova strained to say, using all his strength to prevent the wolves from breaking through.
At that moment, the wood splintered, and the large wolves burst through, attacking Nova and Frank with ferocious intensity.
"Ready!" Xin Hua shouted as a blunt 4-foot mace flew through the armory.
Time seemed to slow for Nova. His reflexes, sharpened by adrenaline, allowed him to swiftly pivot on his supporting foot. With the mace in hand, he delivered a powerful blow to the first wolf that lunged at him, crushing its snout and sending it crashing into two other wolves.
"Good! The blunt attacks are working!" Nova shouted, gripping the mace with both hands and preparing for a fierce battle against the ice wolves.
Fortunately, Xin Hua soon joined him, swiftly dealing with a wolf that had tried to attack Nova from behind. With a precise, graceful strike using her steel-reinforced tonfa, she sent the ice beast hurtling across the room.
Both fighters were soon overwhelmed by the onslaught of wolves.
"Let’s go!" they yelled in unison, bracing themselves for the fight ahead.
..........................................................
Third floor of the museum
Meanwhile, on the third floor, Sven faced another formidable ice creature.
⌠Initiating Battle Support...
----------------------------------------
scanning for danger...
----------------------------------------
Danger Detected:
Ice Tiger
Synchro Materialization
Level 7
Non-living creature.
Synchro percentage 0%⌡
An imposing ice tiger roared menacingly just feet away from Sven. Nearly eight feet tall, the beast had razor-sharp claws the size of a man's head. Its bluish fur glowed with an icy sheen, and its piercing eyes reflected a fierce, unyielding rage.
John and Brennan, standing behind Sven, felt increasingly foolish for having followed him into this perilous situation.
"Mr. Sven, don’t you think we should go back to the other floor?" Brennan suggested, panic evident on his face as his legs trembled uncontrollably.
"Yes, Mr. Sven, maybe... maybe the others need help," John added, hoping to convince Sven to reconsider.
"Back off?" Sven replied sternly, never diverting his gaze from the tiger, which appeared to be gauging him.
"You think I’m just going to back down from this snowman?!" Sven roared furiously, intimidating the two men more than the tiger itself. He spoke as if addressing Saito, not knowing if he was being heard.
"Too bad, because I’m going to annihilate this thing and move on to wherever you are!" Sven continued, sounding increasingly unhinged to the frightened duo behind him.
"I’m not going to lose here or yield to anyone who thinks they’re better than me," he muttered, recalling the frustration of being thrown to the ground by Saito’s blow.
Sven recognized Saito’s strength and wasn’t naïve about the disparity between them. However, he had a goal that demanded he prove himself in this moment.
Though aware of his own shortcomings, he couldn’t afford to retreat without striving to surpass his limits.
"Remember this well, midget! I am Sven Wagner, and I will become the strongest living being!"
He declared.
Without hesitation, Sven and the tiger charged at each other, their clash a storm of powerful attacks as they each sought to destroy the other.
"Brother... it's not your fault... if we were just a little stronger, they wouldn't have all died..."
Amidst the battle, a single haunting memory clouded Sven’s mind, but he continued to fight with reckless determination.