Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Roy spotted a creature lurking in the distance.
"Alright, let's kick things into gear," he said, lightning sparking out of his eyes in excitement.
Locking onto his target, a horned rabbit, he took off at a sprint, sword in hand. Horned rabbits were known for their savage nature. If anyone was bold enough to confront them, they never shied away. But this time, a strange scene unfolded.
At the sight of Roy, fear washed over the creature, and it began to quiver.
While Roy could disguise his true power from humans, appearing just like an ordinary trainee, he couldn't fool the beasts. His bloodline of the Crimson Dragon Yulran wasn't something that could be concealed from them. And dragons were creatures every beast feared, notorious for their terrifying power.
So, when faced with Roy, the horned rabbit reacted as any prey would - it turned tail and ran.
"Ready for a shock, fluffy?" Roy yelled, launching a bolt of lightning from his free hand.
Boom!
And then a resounding reverberation rang out as if the sky had rumbled. The electric bolt whizzed through the air, striking the fleeing rabbit with a sizzling pop, leaving behind only smoke and a stunned silence.
[Kill ten Horned rabbits]
(1/10)
One rabbit down.
Nine more to go!
Sword in hand, Roy scanned the area, his eyes quickly zeroing in on a group of horned rabbits. With the swiftness of a lightning bolt, he leaped into action, throwing his weapon forward with all his strength.
Whoosh!
His sword glided through the air with an almost ethereal grace, catching the light as it arced towards the first rabbit. A black lightning bolt punctuated the air, accompanying his blade, and met its target with a crackling burst of energy.
Before the first rabbit had time to blink, it was down, but Roy was far from done. Like a dance, he moved from one target to another, his blade and magic bolts working in perfect harmony. The sword was like the scythe of the reaper, slicing through the air and the bodies of a monster easily, and the lightning bolts fell down like rain, illuminating the dark hollows with their bright flashes and striking one horned rabbit after another asunder.
One by one, the horned rabbits fell until ten lay defeated at Roy's feet.
[Ten rabbits have been killed]
[You have completed the challenge of the second test.]
[Return to Princess Seraphina with their head to verify your achievement!]
Roy cut their heads and stored them in his subspace.
But even after accomplishing the task at hand, Roy was far from taking a breather.
"Lyra, swing your sword in the left direction!" he called out, swiftly darting beside his wife.
A rush of exhilaration painted a wide grin on Lyra's face as she followed his guidance, swerving her sword to the left and cutting down the horned rabbit that had been annoying her.
"Gotcha!" She shouted victoriously, her eyes alight with thrill. All the while, Roy's protective aura enveloped her like an invisible shield, deflecting any potential danger.
"You did great, my love," he praised, his eyes reflecting the same admiration he heard in his voice.
The sweet words of acknowledgment from her husband made her heart flutter, igniting a radiant smile on her face.
"Thank you," she responded softly, her eyes sparkling with gratitude and love.
Meanwhile, Amelia and Syndra weren't left to fend for themselves either. Roy's voice boomed across the hollows, guidance hitting their ears just when they needed it.
"Amelia, your right!" He'd bellow, and with a swift nod, Amelia would twirl, her magic attacks finding their mark on the horned rabbit on the right.
"Syndra, duck!" He'd holler, to which Syndra would bend low, her lips curving into a satisfied smirk as she narrowly dodged a pouncing rabbit, then dealt it a swift, fatal blow.
After helping them win their battles, Roy saw that Julian was in danger. His gaze landed on Julian, who was surrounded by a menacing group of horned rabbits. While it was within his power to swiftly intervene and neutralize the threat, he restrained himself. He knew the importance of letting his companions learn to face and surmount their own battles, especially with the impending war on the horizon. His role was to guide them, not to fight their battles for them. If he perpetually sheltered them from danger, they would be left vulnerable and ill-prepared when faced with enemies on their own.
"Julian, ignite your fire talisman! These beasts are vulnerable to fire!" Roy instructed, his voice reverberating through the hollow.
Julian's eyes lit up with comprehension as he swiftly retrieved a fiery red talisman.
"Time to turn up the heat!" He declared, unleashing a searing inferno that consumed the group of horned rabbits advancing towards him.
As a result, he also hunted down ten horned rabbits and completed the challenge.
Roy had not only accomplished his own part of the trial with ease, but he had also expertly guided his team, ensuring their collective success!
The task ahead was simple enough - to return to the portal that had brought them into the Everlasting Hollows and retrace their steps back to the testing site. However, just as they began their journey back, a bizarre spectacle unfolded above them.
A vortex spiraled into existence above, tendrils of black energy unfurling from its center. It was no ordinary portal, but "That" gateway that bridged the Nether Realm, the dominion of Death, with the continent of the Far West. The nether realm was also the lair of Chaos!
From within the black portal, ominous silhouettes emerged, riding on the backs of vast, imposing bats. Chaos followers and crimson mages descended, a malevolent horde raining from the sky. Their menacing attention swept across the area, focusing not only on Roy and his companions but also on every human within the Everlasting Hollows.
"Everyone that we need to kill is gathered in one place. Good!"
They smiled insidiously, showcasing that they were driven by a dark intent and an intense desire to savor humans and that they were hell-bent on wreaking havoc and destruction on their targets!