Exhilarating.
That was the only word Aldrich could find to describe what he was feeling at this moment.
Walking on water, with waves crashing around him, challenging his balance yet never defeating him—it was pure thrill.
The way his footing swayed but held steady, the unpredictable rhythm of the ocean beneath his feet...
Aesthetic.
Yet, Aldrich wasn't one to dwell on the beauty of the moment.
He knew better than to get lost in the scenery when things were just getting started.
"Keep your toes ahead, guys," Aldrich called out, his voice steady as he and his companions ran side by side, effortlessly navigating the turbulent waves.
Their main objective was clear: find the island.
That was the quest the officials had laid out for all candidates.
What none of them knew, however, was that a hidden challenge awaited—one that had to be completed before they could achieve their goal.
By now, Aldrich, Fiona, and Trevor had ventured far from the shore.
Land was nowhere in sight, and the once-crowded bay was now deserted.
The other candidates had dispersed, each following their instincts or relying on sheer luck to find their path.
For anyone with a fear of water, this would have been a nightmare.
Just being on a boat could induce panic.
But standing directly on the ocean's surface, with nothing but mana holding them up, was a different level of terror.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Minutes stretched into an hour, then two.
As time passed, the first signs of strain began to show.
Frustration and fear gripped many of the candidates, chipping away at their concentration.
Mana control faltered, and for those who lost focus, the consequences were immediate—plunging into the ocean depths.
As prepared, Dion, one of the examiners, was watching from a distance, using a spatial technique to teleport any drowning candidates to safety.
None of the candidates could see him, adding to the psychological pressure the challenge brought along.
Two hours had passed, and the island was still nowhere in sight.
But Aldrich wasn't worried.
For him, finding the island wasn't the challenge—what came next was the real test.
The officials had set up safeguards to ensure that even if someone reached the island early, they would face obstacles that required their utmost skill and focus.
"Aldrich! MOVE!"
Fiona's warning came in aloud, sharp and urgent.
She was already moving out of range as she shouted, her instincts guiding her.
Aldrich didn't hesitate.
He knew better than to ignore Fiona's warning.
Fiona Helmswoth possessed an innate ability—danger perception.
The more life-threatening the situation, the stronger the sensation she felt.
It hadn't activated earlier in their journey because she had been relaxed.
Everything changed after witnessing Dante's brutal massacre at the Cotillion.
That event had triggered her latent abilities, and now, the danger was a constant whisper in her senses.
Even she hadn't fully understood the extent of her power.
It seemed to manifest subconsciously, especially in high-stress situations like this.
Aldrich acted on her warning without question.
He leapt, crashing into the water six feet away from his initial position.
His focus never wavered; the mana flowing through his body remained steady, keeping him afloat even as he landed hard.
It was a close call for him as shortly after his exit, a tentacle, thick and serpent-like, erupted from the spot where Aldrich had stood mere moments before.
It shot up from the depths and slammed back down with tremendous force.
The impact sent violent waves rippling across the ocean, the sheer force destabilizing the surface.
Aldrich, Fiona, and Trevor fought to stay balanced, their bodies swaying with the current.
Yet, they remained standing, their mana-infused feet anchoring them.
The tentacle, having stirred up chaos, slipped back beneath the waves.
Its brief appearance had been enough to raise the tension.
Fiona stood frozen, her body trembling.
Every muscle in her body screamed danger, her senses on high alert, blaring an annoying warning instinct.
She glanced down and her breath caught.
A shadow.
A massive, hazy silhouette moved beneath the water, obscured by the restless waves.
"It's here," Aldrich thought, his eyes narrowing as he saw the same shadow. His pulse quickened. "That means we're close."
The presence of the creature confirmed it—they were near the island.
The test covered a lot of categories from testing their resolve to their endurance and then this?...
The Institute prides itself as a notable place for scholarly activities.
However, trumping over all of that is a category that comes in first place. Combat capabilities.
The student's combat potential comes first and is valued above any book knowledge they might have.
To see to it that the admitted students were not just strong on paper and with a few demonstrations, they put in place a condition that would only surface when they were near the goal.
Find the island.
The island was shrouded in a powerful sealing art, hidden from sight.
Only those who could overcome the challenges would find it.
This was the final hurdle—the last test to determine which of them met the requirements with enough combat potential to survive as a student of Eldora Institute.
The stakes had never been higher.
Suddenly, the waters, which had momentarily calmed, began to churn again.
"Out of the way, NOW!" Aldrich's voice cut through the tension, his command sharp and immediate. He was already moving, his instincts kicking in.
The surface of the ocean trembled, a clear sign that something was ascending—fast.
Aldrich's eyes stayed locked on the disturbance below.
Whatever was coming, it was massive.
And it was rising too quickly for them to outrun it.
"JUMP!" he ordered, his voice urgent.
Without hesitation, Aldrich, Fiona, and Trevor concentrated their mana, channelling it into their legs.
The power surged, propelling them high into the air—far higher than any human could jump unaided.
Just as they ascended, a monstrous creature broke through the surface of the ocean.
The first thing they saw was its head—a bald, gleaming mass that emerged from the depths.