The five students gathered quickly before stepping onto the stage. Amaya’s lynx eyes narrowed as she studied the two who had been assigned to join them.
"What’s your transformation?" she asked, her tone brisk but not unkind.
The first, a thin boy with nervous hands, swallowed hard. "I... I can transform into a mole. I learned it first because I like peace. I just wanted to hide quickly, burrow into the ground, and be safe."
The three prodigies exchanged glances.
Brannic’s brows furrowed, Vin’s lips twitched, and Amaya tilted her head. A mole was hardly the kind of ferocious beast they expected to fight alongside.
Still, Vin nodded. "Burrowing has its uses. You can scout beneath the roots, maybe disrupt Eryn’s footing."
Vin himself didn’t believe that it would work, but he could tell that their classmate had zero combat experience, so they just had to accept it.
The boy looked relieved seeing that he was no scolded at all. They were certainly better than his family.
The second student, taller and broad-shouldered, spoke with more confidence.
"I can transform into a boulder. A huge one. I know it sounds strange, but I can roll, block, and... well, mostly endure."
Brannic blinked, then let out a short laugh. "A boulder? That’s... unexpected."
That was sothing they had never considered transforming ever. Still, that might be useful.
Amaya sighed, though her eyes softened. "It’s not bad. A boulder can be a stepping platform or cover. Defense matters."
Vin nodded again. "We’ll make it work. Everyone has a role."
With their plan loosely ford, the five stepped forward.
Eryn’s treant body lood before them with its roots curling across the arena floor, branches swaying as though stirred by an unseen wind. His green eyes glowed, and he calmly looked at them.
"So, you’ve chosen ," he said.
"Like before, five against one. Show your instincts, your unity, and your wisdom."
The crowd hushed as they wanted to see the skills of these three candidates.
Amaya crouched, and soon, fur rippled on her body as her Shadow Lynx form ca into being. Vin’s wings unfurled as well while Brannic roared, his Demonic Bear form swelling with raw power.
Then, the mole student shrank, with his claws elongating, nose twitching as his body shifted into a burrowing creature.
After that, the boulder student hardened, skin roughening, limbs retracting until he beca a massive stone, immovable and solid.
The watchings students were shocked at their transformation especially for Vin’s transformation. Avian transformation was really difficult. Flying wasn’t sothing humans could instinctively do after all. So avian transformations would normally fail to fly...
However, Vin was obviously different. As soon as he transford, he imdiately flew above the treant’s branches!
"Aweso!"
"They all looked good!"
"The mole and the boulder looked terrible but it might work... Look, he’s already digging!"
"You think he’s planning to attack the treant’s roots?"
"That’s actually genius... But I’m sure that those roots will also attack him."
Eryn only smiled seering everyone’s transformation... As soon as he confird they were ready, he spoke, "Co."
Just like that, the battle began.
Amaya darted first, her lynx moved so fast...
She aid for the treant’s flank with her claws. However, Eryn’s branch lowered, not to crush but to redirect, guiding her strike into empty air.
Thud! Thud!
"Good... That’s fast. Try again!" Eryn said.
On the other hand, Vin swooped overhead, wings slicing the air. He dove with a wave of wind blades around him!
Boom!
Eryn’s branches braided upward, forming a funnel. Vin twisted, trying to slip through, but the funnel narrowed, forcing him down. He landed hard, wings scraping bark.
His wind blades barely scratched the treant!
"Not good enough... Concentrate your energy and try again. You can be faster than that." Eryn encouraged.
Eryn wanted to say more, but Brannic charged, his bear form a wall of muscle. He struck the treant’s trunk, bark cracking under the force.
For a mont, it seed effective. But Eryn’s roots surged, shifting the ground beneath Brannic’s feet. The bear stumbled, his strike turned aside.
It was so easy to disrupt his attack!
"Strength without balance... You can do better."
The mole student burrowed, claws digging into the arena floor.
He disappeared beneath the roots, hoping to disrupt Eryn’s moving from above. But the treant’s roots sensed him instantly, curling downward, brushing against his tunnel. A root lifted him gently, depositing him back on the surface.
"Burrows are graves if you never erge." Eryn said as he knew he had to be careful with this mole. It was too fragile, and if the ground beneath collapsed, he might really die. His master, Sreas, would surely punish him for letting a student die.
Nonetheless, it was at this ti that the boulder rolled forward, heavy and slow. He slamd against Eryn’s trunk, the impact dull but solid.
Eryn’s branches lowered, tapping the stone lightly.
"This is amusing... I think it’s difficult for my current branches to break this thing." Eryn mused. He was genuinely unsure how to break it. After all, his Treant Transformation was lacking in the first place. It wasn’t his best transformation, and the Spell Level was only Level 4.
Because of that, its branches weren’t hard enough to break such a huge boulder.
However, if he was also not getting hurt, he just pushed it aside.
Soon, the five students retreated...
Their first assault had been dismantled with ease.
Amaya frowned. "He’s reading us like a book."
Vin agreed, "Then we change the plan."
Brannic’s claws dug into the stone floor. "We hit together."
They moved again.
Amaya dashed forward, aiming for the roots above ground. At this ti, she planned to tear them with her fangs!
Vin soared as he gathered more Arcane Energy to unleash a powerful wind blade.
Brannic, on the other hand, didn’t want to be easily read once again, so he feinted left, then right, then charged straight.
He knew that he could push back this treant, and he just needed the montum...
Once he was able to cling to it for a few seconds, he would be able to release his secret move...
As for the mole, he burrowed again, this ti aiming to erge behind Eryn while the boulder rolled wide, positioning himself as cover.
However, none of them were aware that at this point, Vale’s Avatar was already watching the battle!
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