Belrod, ranked ninth among the top ten apprentices of the Dark Realm Wizard Academy this year, had always been viewed as a humble and wise figure by others. Yet, nobody knew about the nearly pathological arrogance he harbored within.

He firmly believed that given enough time, he could surpass any apprentice wizard, as he had always done. Starting as an unnoticed newcomer, Belrod steadily outpaced his peers and even overtook the so-called top experts, ultimately becoming a prominent figure on the academy's top ten list.

These accomplishments fueled his pride, hidden beneath his ostensibly humble and wise demeanor, allowing him to look down on others with a sense of superiority.

Even the other supposed top ten experts ahead of him in the Dark Realm Wizard Academy rankings could be surpassed, given more time. He was certain of it.

“Yes! This is it! This is the opportunity!”

While others trembled in fear after the Dark Realm Wizard Academy announced the trial rules, Belrod was trembling with excitement, barely able to contain the urge to laugh aloud.

Normally, it would take a month of hard work to earn dozens of magic stones. In this trial, however, one could earn five hundred magic stones by killing a single apprentice.

Such a trial was nothing short of paradise!

“Yes, just kill ten of these foolish apprentices for five thousand magic stones. If I can kill twenty, that's ten thousand! And more…”

Belrod's eyes gleamed with excitement. By the trial’s end, the so-called top ten experts would be nothing more than fleeting shadows. “My goal is the Sacred Tower!”

Belrod coldly affirmed to himself.

Throughout the trial secret realm, Belrod was nearly delirious with frenzy.

“Haha, the fourth one—now it’s two thousand magic stones. This is too easy. Two thousand stones, just like that. Once I return to the academy, they’ll be enough to purchase everything I’ve ever planned.”

Belrod sneered, “Once I have those, the so-called top ten experts will be nothing more than insects beneath my feet. Hahaha… No, two thousand stones are not enough. Just one more kill, another five hundred stones—I want more!”

Frenzied, Belrod extracted his bloodied claws from an apprentice's chest, charging towards weak “prey” in the distance.

Half an hourglass later, Belrod growled in frustration, “Damn mark! The more people I kill, the stronger the signal it emits, scaring off these cowardly fools before I can get to them! Damn it!”

As he cursed, Belrod suddenly halted.

“What’s this…? The scent of blood and the resonance of a mark! Yes, it’s the mark’s signal! Haha, nearby, poor little cat, I’ve got you!”

Laughing wildly, Belrod’s body morphed with claws replacing hands, and dark purple scales and a black liquid, likely venomous, coated his skin, giving him a leopard-like agility.

“Muahaha, little kitty, here I come…”

As Belrod leaped from the woods, his voice abruptly cut off, leaving him stunned at the shocking scene before him, unable to make a sound.

The sight was overwhelming.

Even Belrod’s frenzy couldn’t withstand the shock, becoming instantly sober.

In a massive clearing, the landscape was devastated by spells—trees and grass obliterated, the ground pocked with craters, and the air thick with blood. Charred limbs were strewn about as if shattered by some explosive force.

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Such a terrifying scene suggested a battle involving at least twenty apprentices to have resulted in such carnage!

Yet, standing alone in the field was a single figure, panting and seemingly drained of magic.

Gulping nervously, Belrod swallowed hard, a cold sweat dripping unnoticed from his forehead.

Sensing the mark, Belrod perceived an enormous blazing light sphere ahead, radiating like a sun in the sky, blindingly bright, and painful to look at directly, as if prolonged viewing would cause blindness.

In comparison, his own mark felt like a firefly’s glow, barely perceptible under the sun’s glaring presence.

“How… how many apprentices had to be killed for a mark to become this terrifying?”

Belrod took a sharp breath, his mind suddenly crystal clear.

At that moment, he completely forgot why he came. All he wanted was to escape this hellish place, as the person before him was beyond his capacity to handle!

Such a figure transcended the so-called top ten experts list of newcomers!

No, this wasn’t a person—this was a monster!

Abruptly, the panting figure turned around, revealing a pale mask to Belrod.

His pupils contracted, and without hesitation, Belrod retreated at high speed, abandoning the notion of accumulating more marks.

The source of Belrod’s fear was none other than Nidhogg.

Originally, Nidhogg’s killing spree progressed steadily. After defeating his sixth apprentice, the mark on his forehead began emitting astonishingly strong pulses.

The sixth slain apprentice had already killed four others, so upon absorbing that mark, Nidhogg’s total signal equaled ten apprentices. This transformed his mark into a beacon in the trial field—a flame in the darkness—as other apprentices avoided him, making further “hunting” impossible.

After encountering a formidable apprentice who fled after testing him, Nidhogg decided to abandon the hunt and wait for the secret realm to open.

However, shortly after stopping, four apprentices—each emitting signals of varying strength—collaborated to challenge him. They had managed to teleport together, intending to overthrow Nidhogg and claim his marks.

Among them, the weakest had three marks, and the strongest boasted eight!

Thus, a fierce battle ensued.

With the mask’s formidable shield for defense, Nidhogg replenished his magic with mid-grade stones while repeatedly casting his firebird spell. Under his relentless assault, the four apprentices fell in despair, surrendering their marks to him.

Upon absorbing the final apprentice's mark, Nidhogg held thirty-three marks, and his signal pulsed like a sun in the sky. Centered on Nidhogg, a powerful wave radiated a hundred meters around him.

At that moment, any apprentice within a hundred meters of Nidhogg felt the overwhelming presence of a sun-like signal—a warning bell declaring the emergence of an irresistible apprentice wizard.

It was then Nidhogg detected a figure approaching from behind.

“Another greedy one? Five marks, hmph!”

Nidhogg’s eyes beneath the mask glared with icy resolve as he awaited the intruder’s approach, all while fervently absorbing magic from a mid-grade stone.

Yet, to Nidhogg’s disappointment, the figure hesitated, then turned to flee.

“What? Running away… Come and go at will? For twenty-five hundred magic stones, it’s worth pursuing!”

With that, Nidhogg’s staff emitted a wave of magic, conjuring a large wind elemental bat flapping its wings. Without hesitation, Nidhogg dashed forward and leapt onto its back, pursuing the fleeing figure.

Nidhogg’s mark blazed like a sun, prompting all apprentices who sensed it to steer clear, unwilling to approach.

The mark’s presence only hid when Nidhogg was fully channeled with magic, but without active magical fluctuation, it remained contained within a limited range.

As the wind elemental bat descended upon the fleeing figure, Nidhogg smirked, conjuring a fireball at his fingertip before launching it as a firebird.

Feeling the intense energy from behind, Belrod shouted, “No!”

Desperately, he deployed a precious life-saving artifact.

A translucent mirror appeared behind him, possessing extraordinary protective capabilities. Nidhogg’s firebird struck the mirror, unleashing a burst of flames so intense that the air wavered.

Yet, the mirror absorbed the attack, although it flickered, nearing dissolution.

“Blocked? This complicates things.”

Nidhogg frowned.

Despite having replenished some magic through stones, Nidhogg hesitated, mindful of conserving energy for the impending secret realm.

“Forget it, I’ll spare your life.”

With a sigh, Nidhogg landed the bat and focused on absorbing magic from his stone.

His earlier battle had yielded two useful magical devices, a bonus.

One was a ring capable of storing 50-60 magic points, allowing instant replenishment when needed.

The other, a necklace capable of releasing a moderate defense spell called the Flame Repulsion Ring, could reflect half of attacks below 30 degrees and partially weaken those under 40 degrees.

Yet, with Nidhogg already possessing the Fountain of Joy necklace and overlapping functions with his mask’s shield, the new necklace remained unused.

Watching Nidhogg abandon the chase, Belrod’s nerves eased, nearly collapsing with relief, murmuring, “What a monster from which academy, encountered on the first day, thankfully had a costly five-hundred magic stone lifesaver—Void Mirror. Hmm… Better put hunting on hold, find the group soon.”

Mentioning the Void Mirror, Belrod winced, but without looking back, he fled further away, determined never to cross paths with the creature again.