The Return of Godkin

Chapter 205: The Eighth trial (Part-1)

Giselle glanced down at the tablet in her hands. "After the seventh trial, Ray, you have fifty points." Her gaze lingered on him for a moment. Excluding the fourth and fifth trials, where they had scored zero, he had achieved a perfect score on every other test.

"Lily has thirty-eight points. Raziel has forty-eight. Violetta has forty."

Lily's total was the lowest, a result of her conserving strength and skipping parts of the endurance trial.

Ray and Raziel were relatively safe. They only needed ten and twelve more points respectively to pass, and since direct entry into the inner court was no longer possible, merely reaching the threshold was enough.

Lily's situation, however, was far more precarious. With only eight points of leeway across the remaining three trials, she could not afford to lose more than three points per trial. One misstep could spell elimination. Violetta was slightly better off, but her margin was still thin.

After resting, Raziel's fatigue faded, Ray was already back in peak condition, and the two girls recovered quickly thanks to their ample soul power reserves.

Soon, the eighth trial loomed.

Ray was in the middle of recalculating possible outcomes when Giselle spoke again. "The eighth trial is a comprehensive battle. Each of you will fight a current Central Academy student. Your opponents are randomly assigned, so luck will also play a role. Last ten minutes against your opponent to pass. If you defeat them, you earn full marks. Otherwise, your score will be judged between six and ten based on performance."

Hearing that it was a battle, Ray finally felt a measure of relief. At the very least, Lily would not struggle here.

As for Violetta, much would depend on her opponent.

The sky outside the windows had darkened, twilight settling over Central Academy as the seventh trial concluded.

Ray's heart gave a small leap as he asked, "Teacher, will we be fighting together, or one at a time?"

"One at a time," Giselle replied.

"Good," Ray said at once. "Then can we choose the order?"

Giselle nodded. "There will be ten possible opponents for you to choose from. This trial tests not only strength, but judgment. Some opponents will naturally counter you, while others may be countered by you. Your choice will heavily influence your performance."

"I understand."

They soon entered a vast circular hall, far larger than the previous trial rooms. While they had been completing the seventh trial, preparations here had already finished.

Ten figures stood waiting.

The eighth trial was about to begin.

The opponents Class Zero would face were only a single grade ahead of them, so the difference in age was negligible.

What truly mattered was not age, but pedigree.

Every one of these students had survived Central Academy's entrance exam and spent a full year being tempered by the continent's most ruthless teaching system. They were geniuses in their own right, sharpened by real instruction rather than raw talent alone.

This was no simulation or illusory battlefield. It was true combat, a direct confrontation between soul masters.

Giselle's voice was calm and detached as she addressed them. "You may now select your opponents. Once a choice is made, it cannot be changed. All selections are final. The only restriction for this trial is that no soul devices are allowed. You have ten minutes."

Ray nodded, then immediately gathered his teammates to one side.

Lowering his voice, he spoke quickly but clearly. "I've already decided the order. I'll go first. Raziel will be second, Lily third, and Violetta last. Raziel, Lily, you two need to drag your fights out as long as possible. Especially you, Raziel. With your speed, that shouldn't be hard. We need to stall until nightfall so Violetta can use her Starwheel Ice Staff at full strength."

Violetta's eyes lit up at once, and she nodded vigorously. Lily also inclined her head slightly, expression unreadable but agreement clear.

"As for picking opponents," Ray continued, "choose whoever you think is best."

All four turned their attention back to the ten Central students lined up before them.

Ordinarily, a soul master's build offered clues to their martial soul. Power-types tended to be broad-shouldered and sturdy, while control or spiritual-types often appeared more refined. However, Central Academy was anything but ordinary.

Raziel's gaze initially locked onto a burly-looking student, his instincts screaming power-type. Just as he was about to speak, Ray caught his arm.

"This is Central Academy," Ray said quietly. "The Monster Academy. If someone looks straightforward here, that's exactly why they're dangerous. Try thinking in reverse."

The words struck Raziel like a bolt of lightning. He grinned, gave Ray a thumbs-up, and reassessed the lineup with renewed caution.

At this level, attribute compatibility mattered greatly.

Agility-types were nightmares for slow attackers but could be crippled by control-types.

Power-types feared ranged suppression, while control-types struggled against overwhelming speed.

Even with confidence in their abilities, Ray knew better than to underestimate anyone here. This was the continent's number one academy, after all.

Raziel finally pointed. "I choose number two."

The student he selected had a lean, flexible build, unmistakably an agility-type soul master.

Violetta chose next, pointing at the sturdy man Raziel had almost picked earlier. "Number six."

Lily's choice was immediate and emotionless. "Number one."

The first student looked painfully ordinary, lacking any standout features. That, in itself, made him suspicious.

Ray was the last to choose. His gaze drifted across the remaining candidates before settling on one. "Number ten." Even as he spoke, his feet carried him toward the arena.

Number ten was a tall, slender girl. Her expression carried a faint arrogance, and her looks were pleasant enough, though still a step below Violetta's. In fact, she bore more resemblance to Lily, quiet and composed, yet sharp beneath the surface.

"I'll be supervising this match," Giselle said, her gaze fixed squarely on Ray. "You will follow my commands. When I tell you to stop, you stop immediately. Understood?"

"Yes," Ray replied respectfully.

"Good. Prepare yourselves. Begin."

The instant the signal was given, the girl moved.

She shot forward like a streak of lightning, her body low and streamlined, pouncing toward Ray with terrifying speed. Raziel's eyes widened involuntarily. He had always taken pride in his own agility, yet compared to her, he felt sluggish.

Three soul rings bloomed around her, two yellow and one purple. Silver streaks threaded through her hair as her ears twitched, and her pupils narrowed into sharp vertical slits.

A beast martial soul. Ray recognized it at once. Snow Leopard.

The Snow Leopard was a rare soul beast from frigid regions, renowned for its speed and ice-attribute abilities. Ray's memory of it was vague, but one thing was clear: it was not a simple agility-type martial soul.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Agility-types feared control-types above all else, and control was exactly his domain. Even if she was faster, his Purple Demon Eyes could still track her movements.

Two purple soul rings appeared beneath his feet as strands of Silverfalls Vine surged outward, spreading like a massive net to ensnare her.

For most agility-type soul masters, being caught by a control-type meant the battle was already over.

Yet reality shattered that assumption in the very next instant.

The girl halted abruptly in midair as her first soul ring flared. Snow erupted from her body in a violent burst, instantly plunging the arena's temperature. Sharp popping sounds echoed as ice-laden wind collided with Ray's Silverfalls Vine.

The grass slowed dramatically under the freezing assault. Had it not undergone multiple evolutions, it might have shattered outright.

Ray's pupils narrowed. She's fast, yet she's fighting like a control or assault-type. This academy really is filled with monsters who refuse to fit into neat categories.

The blizzard thickened as their powers clashed. Ray tried to consolidate his Silverfalls Vine, but the snow slipped through its gaps, drifting inexorably toward him.

Without hesitation, Ray retreated. Behind him, Silverfalls Vine spun violently, shredding incoming snowflakes before they could touch him.

"Coward," the girl sneered coldly.

The air hissed as she gestured, and the snow obeyed. She vanished into the storm, which rapidly condensed into the shape of a massive snow leopard that lunged after him.

Unlike the examinees, these Central students had a different objective. The faster they ended their battles, the better their evaluation. She had no intention of letting Ray stall easily.

Her second soul ring ignited. The moment the leopard formed, the arena's temperature dropped even further, sapping the speed of Ray's grass. The beast tore through the sluggish vines and charged straight at him.

Ray fled in a winding path, his movements frantic and far from dignified. Silverfalls Vine lashed out continuously, doing its best to slow the relentless pursuit. To an outside observer, he looked thoroughly miserable.

The girl remained calmly at the center of the arena, arms folded as she directed her leopard with absolute confidence. So you want to stall? Then let's see how long you can keep running.

After several moments, Ray's brow furrowed. Amid the biting cold and relentless chase, he felt something subtly wrong.

The temperature wasn't just dropping.

It was changing.