Axis turned to Ronin. "I'm ready."

Ronin's ethereal eyes glinted, a deep hum resonating from his chest. "Very well, In the name of the ronin, I declare, let the trial begin."

The lizard-like Facoil hissed, its sleek, muscular body rippling with movement. It darted to the side, circling Axis with unsettling speed.

Its glowing eyes seemed to analyze every move he made.

Axis tightened his grip on the Black Chained Tome, his breath steadying. Alright, think. Magic resistance, fast on land, weak to lightning and physical attacks… I can work with that.

"Lightning Bolt!" he shouted, pouring mana into his spell. A streak of lightning surged from his hand, striking the Facoil's side.

The beast screeched in pain, its movements halting momentarily as electricity coursed through its body.

But the reprieve was short-lived. The Facoil shook off the paralysis, darting forward with its jaw wide open.

Axis barely dodged in time, the beast's venomous bite grazing his shoulder. He winced, stumbling back.

That was too close!

The Facoil lunged again, its speed catching him off guard. Axis raised his arms instinctively, bracing for the impact.

The beast slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. His back hit the stone floor hard, knocking the wind out of him.

"Damn it!" he gasped, rolling to the side as the Facoil snapped its jaws where his head had just been. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding as he kept his eyes locked on the creature.

"Focus, Axis," he muttered to himself. "You can't let it control the fight."

The Facoil hissed, circling him again. Its sleek body blurred as it moved, its speed making it nearly impossible to track.

Axis gritted his teeth, activating Instant Concentration. His vision sharpened, allowing him to track the beast's erratic movements. There!

The Facoil lunged again, but this time Axis was ready. He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding its venomous fangs, and countered with a Mana Bolt. The glowing projectile struck the creature, forcing it back.

But the beast recovered quickly, its claws raking against Axis's leg as it charged again. Pain shot through him as he staggered, blood staining his pants.

"Not good…" he muttered, limping slightly as he backed away.

Lyra chirped from the sidelines, her feathers glowing faintly. "Kree… krr!" [Stop hesitating. Hit it harder!]

"Easy for you to say!" Axis shouted back, gritting his teeth as he poured more mana into his spell. "Lightning Bolt!"

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The bolt struck the Facoil again, this time hitting it squarely in the chest. The beast screeched louder, its body convulsing as the electricity coursed through it. It stumbled, but instead of collapsing, it snarled and lunged one final time.

Axis's eyes widened. He braced himself, raising his arms defensively as the beast closed the distance.

At the last moment, he activated Smoke Screen.

A dense cloud of smoke erupted around him, obscuring the Facoil's vision. The beast hesitated, its movements faltering as it sniffed the air in confusion.

Axis used the distraction to summon every ounce of strength he had left. Channeling his mana into the tome, he unleashed another Lightning Bolt. This time, the bolt struck with enough force to send the beast sprawling.

The Facoil hissed weakly, its body convulsing one final time before it collapsed, smoke rising from its singed form.

{ Ding! Trial beast defeated. }

{ Task 5 completed. Rewards will be distributed upon the completion of the quest. }

{ party trick came in handy huh host }

' yeah '

Axis fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped down his face, mixing with the blood from the scratches on his leg. "That… was brutal," he muttered, his voice shaky.

Ronin stepped forward, his massive form casting a shadow over Axis. "You've struggled but proved your mettle, child. The trial is complete, and you have earned your reward."

The altar in the center began to glow, a soft light emanating from its surface. The final shard appeared, hovering above it like a beacon.

Axis dragged himself to his feet, his legs trembling. He approached the altar cautiously, his eyes locked on the shard.

When he reached out to grab it, a familiar surge of energy coursed through him, healing him of his injuries and washing away the exhaustion.

The shard made noise as if calling something.

" Take out other shards too, " Ronin pointed at the axis.

Axis put his hands in his pocket taking out the 4 shards he had collected all night but in reality he had stored them in inventory just to be safe.

Just as Axis brought them out of his pocket they also joined the chard and made noise and slowly started glowing.

Shards flew going up and up and shining more and more as the sun began to rise.

' How long has it been since the last time I saw a completed token? Ronin thought.

' A hundred… A thousand or ten thousand years the forest also seems happy. '

Wind blew, howling, shedding its mortal shell, the cracks on the token were repaired.

Slowly descending its shine gradually subsided, as it descended on the axis's hand.

Green metallic surface, with veins engraved on its surface forming a black rose.

Axis caught it instinctively, marveling at the token's craftsmanship. The moment he touched it, his vision blurred, shifting unexpectedly.

He saw Helga and Rida with several soldiers, all searching the forest frantically, calling his name.

The image vanished as quickly as it came, returning Axis to the present.

"...Thank you, Ronin, but we've got to go!" Axis said suddenly, clutching the token tightly. He turned to Lyra. "Lyra, let's dash!"

"Kree… kree…" Lyra chirped, tilting her head in confusion. [What's the rush?]

"Rida and Helga are out searching for us—with soldiers! If we don't hurry, we'll be caught!" Axis exclaimed, already sprinting toward the mansion.

" Kree.. Ee.. [ why? ] "Lyra tilted her head.

" What do you mean, why? didn't we sneak off in the night "Axis sighed not like it was gonna do any good now.

" We need to go back and think of a good excuse that will get us out of trouble "Axis bowed "Sorry ronin gotta go "

Axis and Lyra left in a hurry but on foot so they would get enough time to think about an excuse.

Ronin looked at the direction Lyra and Axis went.

"I wonder what's going on, forest wouldn't have shown him that just to remind him of going back"

" I am curious about it too, it seems you have taken a liking to the kid, " said a dark bird sitting on a branch nearby.

"I do like the kid, he is brave and interesting "

" Anything you find interesting is always troublesome ", the bird scoffed as it flew only to vanish as it came out into the light.