Silvanus followed the sound and ran toward it—only to see a familiar face.
Ariana was being ensnared by a shadow creature shaped like a plant, her body suspended helplessly in midair.
That jet-black plant was unfurling its massive petals, each over three ters long. At the center of the flower was a gaping pit that seed bottomless, and its petals were lined with countless razor-sharp teeth. Thick mucus bubbled up from its core, dripping onto the ground with a constant sizzling hiss—it was clearly ready to enjoy its al.
Just then, a blade of light tore through the air, slicing cleanly through the writhing vine stalks and severing the ones that had bound Ariana.
Ariana imdiately plumted to the ground. She couldn’t help but let out a scream, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing for the pain.
But at that very mont, soone caught her. Ariana only felt herself falling into a pair of warm arms, carrying a presence as radiant as sunlight.
Her eyes flew open—and she saw the sharp, defined line of Silvanus’s jaw. Under the gloomy sky, he seed to be glowing, dazzlingly bright.
Silvanus landed smoothly, lowered his gaze to look at Ariana, and asked, "Are you alright?"
Facing him, Ariana stamred for a mont, unable to speak.
Silvanus, however, had already set her on her feet and pushed her gently toward Matthew, saying, "You two, get to safety."
Ariana pressed her lips together, speechless, as Matthew grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
Outside, the crowd burst into noise.
"Is that guy allergic to romance or sothing?"
"That should’ve been a romantic scene—hero saves the beauty! Not even a kiss? What a waste!"
"Feels like the only thing Silvanus sees is that shadow creature."
"Guess fighting’s more important than the damsel, huh? Hahaha!"
Whip!
The vines lashed through the air like massive whips, striking the ground and sky alike, forming a wall of writhing tendrils as they attacked the intruder!
Silvanus dodged swiftly, but the shadow creature’s speed was astounding. A few lashes still landed, leaving several wounds on his body. His already-tattered clothes now looked even more ragged.
He leapt, body lifting into the air. The vines surged upward after him, trying to drag him down—but of course, Silvanus wasn’t about to give them the chance.
Countless arrows of light materialized from the void, then poured down like a rainstorm toward the shadow creature.
Shrill, ear-piercing sounds echoed through the air—whip-like cracks mingled with what seed to be the shadow creature’s agonized screams.
From outside the battlefield, onlookers comnted one after another:
"He really only has that one move, huh."
"As long as it works, who cares? Against these shadow creatures, light’s all it takes to wipe them out."
"Silvanus!"
As soon as Silvanus landed, Ariana rushed toward him in panic. Seeing the wounds on his body, she didn’t hesitate—raising her staff high. A soft, gentle light enveloped him, and after a while, every cut and bruise on his body faded away.
Silvanus looked at Ariana in surprise, then nodded. "Thanks."
Ariana shook her head. "If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been forced to drop out of the competition because of that shadow creature."
Then her expression dimd a little. "My power leans toward healing... but there are so many others like . I’m not strong enough—there’s no way I’ll make it into the top two thousand..."
She looked rather downcast.
Silvanus said, "Then co with us."
Ariana’s head shot up, her blue eyes wide with surprise.
Silvanus added casually, "I’m leading Matthew to find the exit door. You can co with us."
Ariana’s eyes lit up; she nearly jumped to hug Silvanus but froze when she saw his expression. Instead, she grabbed his hand and said brightly, "Thank you, Silvanus!"
Silvanus waved it off without a second thought and started walking ahead. "Let’s go."
On the way, Ariana healed Matthew’s wounds as well, announcing cheerfully that the three of them were now officially a team.
She didn’t even know yet whether she or Matthew would actually be admitted into Lumina Academy—but she was already planning how their future party would operate once they started taking missions together.
Matthew couldn’t help thinking she was worrying a bit too far ahead.
More than that... Silvanus had always had only one friend—him.
But now, it seed that from this day onward—no, ever since they’d stepped into this brilliant land and joined this competition—many eyes had started turning toward Silvanus.
Silvanus would have plenty of friends, countless admirers, just like he’d always wanted.
And Matthew... Matthew would be nothing at all.
"Matthew," Ariana suddenly said, her voice soft and sincere, "the tests yesterday showed you have a strong Light affinity too. Once you get into Lumina and learn how to use it properly, you’ll definitely beco soone remarkable."
Facing Ariana, Matthew couldn’t help but blush. He lowered his gaze and murmured, "I... I want to stay by Silvanus’s side, that’s all."
Ariana paused for a mont, then suddenly leaned closer, a playful glint in her eyes. "You and Silvanus are close friends, huh?"
It was the first ti a girl had ever co so close to him. Matthew froze, lips pressed tight, almost forgetting to breathe. His face turned so red it looked like it might start bleeding.
He nodded, turning his head away. "Y-yeah... why do you ask?"
Ariana chuckled, shaking her head. She nudged a pebble with her foot, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and said lightly, "It’s nothing. Let’s talk about it once we get into Lumina."
Matthew bit his lip, glancing between Ariana and Silvanus without saying a word.
Did Ariana... like Silvanus?
Only Silvanus would be utterly oblivious to other people’s feelings—he always seed warm and full of emotion, but in truth, there was a kind of emptiness inside him.
Ariana would end up getting hurt, Matthew thought silently.
Just then, Silvanus, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
Before them lay a boundary—on their side, the ground was pitch-black; beyond it, a blizzard raged, fierce and unrelenting.
They stood still for a long while, waiting until the storm finally subsided.
The ground beneath their feet had turned into crystal-clear ice, smooth as glass, reflecting the sky above like a mirror. Far into the distance, only the endless horizon could be seen.
It was a breathtaking sight—hard to imagine the scale of the storm that had just passed, or how they were supposed to find the exit door in such a vast, frozen land.
"Let’s go," Silvanus said firmly, taking the lead once more.
Behind him, Ariana and Matthew quickly followed.
Almost the instant they stepped onto the icy terrain, the cold struck them like knives, freezing them to the core. Every breath they took burned with pain, as if shards of ice were tearing through their lungs.
Ariana instinctively curled into herself, while Matthew fell to the ground, clutching his throat and coughing violently.
Silvanus turned around imdiately, frowning. He raised his hand, and a soft glow surrounded them both—warm and gentle, like sunlight breaking through the frost.
Ariana looked up and saw Silvanus gazing down at them, his voice calm but concerned. "Are you alright?"
Within the light, everything felt dreamlike. Ariana stared dazedly as Silvanus leaned down toward her. She raised a hand without thinking—
—only to see Silvanus pull Matthew up instead.
"You holding up?" Silvanus asked Matthew, then turned to Ariana, who was frozen in place, her hand still half-raised. Seeing her standing there stiff as a statue, he frowned and stepped closer, taking her hand to pull her upright. "What’s wrong with you?"
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