“Wow. just wow, a-are you guys okay?” I say, concerned.

Ivana shrugs. “I’m obviously a bit weirded out, but nothing more than that.”

“I concur” Sylvia says while nodding.

It is hard to even imagine the scene described to me by Sylvia. This place is filled with arrogant, haughty, and cruel people, but this is beyond any of that. I can only be described as vicious. How can someone have such a twisted mind? To torment others simply for the fun of it is beyond me. Sure, I voluntarily inflicted pain upon Peregrine during my first Showdown, but he deserved it. What else should I do when someone threatens my family?

Before I can pry further into the utter strangeness of their trial, a loud voice resonates from the entrance of the room. The old man standing guard clears his throat and promptly makes his announcement.

“Congratulations to all fifty of you who passed the trial. You have effectively proved that you are among the strongest, most resilient or perhaps simply the luckiest trainees to have entered DaiKar this year.”

He pauses for a second. Once he is certain that he has grabbed everyone’s attention, he continues his speech.

“I have had the pleasure to take a look at all of your trials, and I must say that this quarter’s participants are especially interesting. I am excited to witness the next event!”

A trainee raises his hand to speak. “What do you mean by ‘next event’?”

The older man smiles as if he was expecting that question. “I’m glad you asked! All fifty of you will have a chance to participate in an event which will put your skills to the test in two months from now. It will be one of three special events done during the third quarter.”

‘Another virtual competition huh?’

As if reading my thoughts, the professor says: “This event, however, will occur in real life, right here, in the DaiKar forest! This time, your lives really will be on the line. But fear not, you will not be fighting each other, well, you mostly won’t.”

The Professor then proceeds to present the details behind this special competition. He explains that the event will occur in two months from now and that each and every single one of us will be participating at the same time. We will be located in a certain perimeter in the large forest surrounding DaiKar where [echo-blessed] beasts personally captured by the Professors will roam freely. The event will replicate a subjugation expedition where our task will be to rid the premises of threats. In teams, we will be made to take down as many of these beasts as possible. With each one vanquished, points will be awarded to the team responsible. Depending on their level of strengths, different creatures will award different amounts of points. To better present the event, he briefly goes over how [echo-blessed] beasts are classified and how many points they will grant:

Echoborne - 5 points: These are beasts who have barely been under the influence of an echo. Their overall combat power is mostly equivalent to one or two skilled early first stage [enlightened]. The bear with crimson fur Sylvia and I fought on our first day was Echoborne.

Echotoned - 10 points: This category encapsulates beasts who have managed to develop an ability beyond mere physical enhancement. Generally, this ability is connected to the environment they resided in, their intrinsic biological properties or their behavior. There is a clear distinction between that ability and a [melody]. According to research, the ability seems to be a result of a biological process born from a mutation, and does not draw from their flow reserves. One extremely skilled late first stage [enlightened] could take it on by themselves, but that is not recommended.

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Echoluminous - 50 points: The term ‘luminous’ comes from the fact that they have reached a state nearing the [enlightenment] experienced by humans. Their ability from the last stage has now started drawing from flow reserves and is undergoing a metamorphosis, approaching a state resembling a [melody]. They rely on more than their instinct and begin showing signs of intelligence. A team of experienced and skilled first stages could attempt to take it down, but one mishap could spell disaster.

This is very well-known information. Most of us have undergone rigorous preparation in the aspiring [enlightened] academies of Melodica, as such, we are well aware of how beasts equating the 1st stage of [enlightenment] are classified. Despite that, a question sprouts into my mind, and I feel compelled to voice it.

“What of beasts which have surpassed the Echoluminous stage, what are they referred to as? Is that even possible?” I ask.

The Professor’s lip curls upwards.

“Some of you might not be aware, but even beasts can grasp the essence of their [melody] and reach [enlightenment]. One such example is the Siren Queen who rules the middle continent, Zephyra Fa Marysvale. She is one of the few to have attained the fourth stage. However, before reaching what we know as [enlightenment], there is one transitory state that every single beast must go through. In that state, they are referred to as [illuminated] because they bask in the light which fills our souls. The only remaining step being to internalize it and become [enlightened].”

He pauses, letting the weight of his words sink it, then proceeds. “They differ greatly from their [echo-blessed] counterparts. They are able to separate and distinctively use both their innate ability as well as a rudimentary iteration of their [melody]. On paper, they have not even reached the first stage, but do not let that fool you. Not only do they rely much more on their wits, but their range of power is such that there have been records of third stages being sent to dispatch an [illuminated] beast.”

The room, which had already been silent, feels even more quiet now. I had known before that humans were not the only ones allowed to reach [enlightenment], but the thought of other creatures reaching such a level of power before even understanding their [melody] sends shivers down my spine. With a grave look on his face, one of the other trainees asks another question, making this tangent feel like somewhat of a class.

“...A third stage you say? How can a creature be this strong without even fully possessing a [melody]?” He asks.

“Excellent question! You see, unlike us, they do not get assistance from [it] to understand their [melodies, but they also do not have a strict timeline to do so. They can take years, decades, or centuries even for the long-lived ones to attain that goal. During that time, however, their power grows with nothing to stop it. They may not truly be able to play their [melody], but with their innate abilities and their pureflow, given enough time to develop them, the [illuminated] can become terrifying existences, threatening even the most skilled [enlightened].”

No one says anything else. It seems this piece of information is not something that is widely known, even among DaiKar students. The atmosphere is tense. Now that we know that we will be in a forest swarming with [echo-blessed] beasts, knowing this makes us uneasy. Who’s to say an [illuminated] beast won’t have infiltrated their ranks?

Realizing the tense atmosphere, the professor looks at his watch and attempts to reassure us.

“Oh my, would you look at the time. Either way, you do not need to worry, the strongest creature you’ll encounter will absolutely not surpass the Echoluminous stage! Not only has every single beast been thoroughly inspected by the Professors, but even the dean himself has made sure there are not going to be any surprises! Now, why don’t I get back to the purpose of this speech.”

Pulling away from the parenthetical lecture on [echo-blessed] beasts, the Professor resumes his explanation of the trial. He states that on the field, we will often need to cooperate with complete strangers to defeat a dangerous creature or an enemy, sometimes even having to associate with them for months on end. As such, for this competition, we will be paired with the other victors of our group rather than being allowed to make our own teams. A few faces, mine included, drop upon being faced with this information. The implications of his words immediately increases my apprehension towards this event by at least tenfold. I look around the room and locate Sophia and Ugo. When we lock eyes, Ugo’s expression radiates disgust while Sophia blows a kiss in my direction.

‘Awesome. One of my teammates is a borderline insane sadistic woman, while another is an extreme classist who is likely to refuse to even breathe the same air as me. No, really, great, just great…’

The mature man then continues to explain that we will have the next two months to learn to work together and coordinate our efforts to come out on top. Finally to lift our spirits, he shares one last piece of information before dismissing us.

“Let me tell you all something before letting you go. Every year, scouts from different associations, the government, and the great families come to watch the DaiKar events, and this quarter will be no exception. Don’t you all think it would be great if they find something this time as well!”

This might not be enticing for those hailing from families or organizations which are true titans of the social hierarchy. However, for those from lesser families, fallen families, and especially for the other few commoners such as me, this is an unbelievable opportunity to gain recognition. After all, while there is no such thing as a lack of employment for the [enlightened], there are most definitely options which are better than others.

My heart somewhat races at the idea. ‘I might have to really give it my all in this one.’