Lysan lay defeated on the ground, Kael took a shaky breath, feeling the strain on his body. Miren, still carrying him, seemed just as exhausted, her energy depleted from the use of the Aurora Veil and the effort of fending off Lysan’s onslaught.

"I’m... out of energy," Miren admitted, her voice quieter than usual, as if the weight of the battle had finally caught up with her.

Before Kael could respond, the atmosphere shifted. The air seemed to grow heavier, the surrounding forest suddenly feeling much darker. He turned, his senses alert.

A figure emerged from the shadows, moving slowly toward them with an aura so dangerous it seemed to suffocate the very air. He looked to be their age, but there was something about him that made Kael’s blood run cold. His presence alone sent a chill down Kael’s spine. The way he moved was calculated, purposeful, as though he was already certain of his victory.

Lysan, still twitching on the ground, seemed to react to this new presence, but he didn’t have the strength to say anything. The stranger, with an almost mocking smirk, glanced at him. "Incompetence," he muttered, stepping over Lysan’s fallen form without a second thought.

Then, his gaze locked onto Miren and Kael.

"I see," he said, his voice low and predatory. "You two must be the ones who just barely survived that." He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "How fortunate. I don’t often get to fight such... interesting opponents."

Kael instinctively tensed, despite his exhaustion. This person was different. There was no arrogance in his demeanor—only a chilling certainty that he was far beyond anything Kael had faced so far.

As he stepped closer, the air around him seemed to warp, darkening with a sinister energy. His face, already shadowed in an unnatural way, seemed to grow even darker, as though the very light of the forest was being swallowed by him. The man’s skin began to shift, turning a mottled, reptilian shade, his body rippling with a fluid motion that resembled a snake’s coiling form. His eyes—those bright, glowing green eyes—shone with an unnerving intensity, the color of poison and venom.

Kael’s heart pounded as the transformation continued. Behind the man, a massive, shadowy snake materialized, its coiling form stretching high into the trees. It was no ordinary beast—it radiated power, its glowing green eyes matching its master’s.

The man’s teeth elongated, revealing razor-sharp fangs, and his skin took on a smooth, scale-like texture, the transformation now complete. He looked like a monster, a creature out of legend, and Kael could feel his pulse quicken in fear.

"Avatar Manifestation Stage... two," the man declared coldly, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Miren stiffened beside him, her voice almost a whisper. "He's way out of our league. I don't think we can survive this one, Kael."

Kael felt his stomach drop. "What do we do?"

The man smirked, watching them with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Oh, don’t worry. I’m not here to kill you. Not yet, anyway." He tilted his head, sizing them up. "I’m just here to enjoy the show."

Just as the man—his appearance now fully transformed into something out of a nightmare—prepared to move closer, the air suddenly crackled with static. A harsh, mechanical voice echoed through the forest, cutting through the tension like a knife.

“Stage has ended.”

The words reverberated in the air, and for a moment, everything went still. Kael’s heart skipped a beat, and Miren blinked, her expression a mix of disbelief and exhaustion. The man, too, froze in his tracks, his sinister grin faltering for just a second as the world around them began to distort.

“You are being summoned out of the virtual reality. Please prepare for transfer.”

Kael let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Miren’s shoulders sagged, her earlier intensity fading into a brief moment of relief. Both of them felt the familiar tug of the system’s summoning force, pulling them away from the battlefield, back to reality.

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"Thank... gods," Kael murmured, his voice hoarse. He couldn’t believe they had made it through, even if only by the skin of their teeth. He glanced at Miren, who seemed just as exhausted, though a bit relieved.

"That was... close," she said, letting out a small, tired laugh. "Too close."

As the world around them warped and flickered, Kael couldn’t help but glance one last time at the monstrous figure before him. The strange, venomous man who had been on the brink of obliterating them—he was still there, but the very next moment, he was gone, his presence swallowed by the shifting reality.

The cold, dark forest faded into nothingness, replaced by the familiar bright lights and sterile environment of the real world.

Kael blinked, rubbing his eyes. His body ached, his muscles screaming in protest, but the overwhelming sense of relief was undeniable.

"Well," Kael said, his voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and amusement, "Looks like we made it out alive."

Miren shot him a tired grin. "Yeah, somehow." She exhaled deeply. "I’m just glad we don’t have to fight that guy for real."

They were summoned out of the virtual reality pod, and the cool, sterile air of the real world hit him. He slowly climbed out of the pod, his muscles still aching from the simulated battle. Around him, a throng of eliminated participants eyed him with a mixture of anger and resentment. He could feel their glares, but he chose to ignore them, focusing instead on the task at hand.

Among the crowd, he spotted the trio he had eliminated first: the girl with the black flames, the muscular guy, and the one with ice-related abilities. The girl, with her fiery glare, pushed through the crowd to confront him.

"You don’t deserve to have survived that long," she spat, her voice dripping with venom.

Kael, unfazed, met her gaze with a calm, logical reply. "Survival isn’t about deserving. It’s about skill, strategy, and sometimes, a bit of luck. If you didn’t make it, maybe you should reconsider your approach."

Her face twisted with anger, and she stepped forward as if to strike him, but a sudden commotion shifted everyone’s attention.

Dragonflies gathered once more, and the stage lit up. Dean Winslow appeared, his presence commanding immediate respect and silence.

“Congratulations to all of you,” Dean Winslow began, his voice echoing through the hall. “Your performance was commendable, but only sixty of you will advance to the next stage. The names of those advancing will now be announced. Please come to the stage when your name is called, in order of your rank.”

The tension in the room was palpable as the first name was announced: “Rank 1, Harlan Drayke.”

No one seemed surprised as a tall, confident young man with piercing blue eyes stepped forward, his presence exuding power and capability.

“Rank 2, Theron Voss,” the Dean continued.

Kael recognized him immediately—the dark aura, the menacing presence. This was the person they had faced just before exiting the virtual reality.

“Rank 3, Elara Nyx.”

Names continued to be called, each participant stepping forward in turn. “Rank 7, Lysan Voltera.” The arrogant electric wielder from their battle before.

When the name “Rank 17, Miren Winslow” was announced, Kael’s eyes widened in surprise. The connection between Miren and Dean Winslow clicked into place. Perhaps that was why she had been targeted so intensely.

More names followed, the tension building with each one. Finally, it was his turn.

“Rank 31, Kael Darnel.”

Kael stepped forward, feeling a mix of relief and satisfaction. As he made his way to the stage, he couldn’t help but notice the varied expressions around him—some impressed, others envious or resentful.

Once all sixty names were called, Dean Winslow addressed them again. “You have all shown great potential, but the challenges ahead will be even tougher. Prepare yourselves, and congratulations once again.”

As the group began to disperse, Kael found himself next to Miren. “Winslow, huh?” he said with a raised eyebrow.

Miren shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. “Surprised?”

“A bit,” Kael admitted. “But it explains a lot.”

“Just don’t expect any special treatment,” she replied with a wink.

Kael chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Meanwhile, in a shadowy corner, the trio from earlier huddled together, their expressions dark with resentment. The girl, with her fiery eyes, looked at her companions and asked, "Did you catch his last name? Darnel, wasn’t it?"

The muscular guy nodded. "Yeah, Darnel. Never heard of it before. Not from any of the known families."

The ice-wielder, a slim boy with a cold demeanor, added, "Exactly. We should teach him a lesson for showing us up. We have the resources."

The girl, now identified as Verina, smirked. "With our families' influence in the military, we can make his life a living nightmare."

The muscular guy, named Tyros, clenched his fists. "Let’s plan to break his spiritual circuits. That'll end his path as a warrior."

The ice-wielder, called Ellian, nodded in agreement. "We’ll use our connections to get our revenge. We’ll make sure he regrets crossing us."

As they were plotting, Verina suddenly felt a powerful gaze directed at her. She whipped around, scanning the area behind her, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She shook her head, dismissing it as a hallucination brought on by her anger and the intensity of the moment.

"You okay, Verina?" Bronn asked, noticing her sudden distraction.

"Yeah, just thought I felt something," she replied, brushing it off. "Anyway, let's stick to the plan. We’ll get our revenge."

Ellian smirked. "Kael Darnel won't know what hit him."

As the trio continued their conversation, they mentioned each other's names more freely, their voices filled with spite and determination.