Whilst Team 4 and Team 5 braced themselves for the greatest battle of their lives, deep within the quieter reaches of the Martial Bunny Dungeon, Team 7 moved with precision.
Led by Quinn Dale, a lightning mage renowned for his unique control over lightning essence, the squad carefully avoided the thunderous clashes echoing in the distance. They were not here to compete for showmanship—they were hunting victory through efficiency.
At the center of their diamond formation, Kara walked protectively beside Kelix, the team's unawakened member. Sunlight speckled through the tall canopy above, casting flickering patches of gold over the undergrowth as the group traversed the verdant forest.
Kelix, a green-haired, bright-eyed boy with endless energy, glanced up at Kara, his curiosity barely restrained.
"I heard you're the best healer in Room A," he said, voice light but genuinely impressed.
Kara gave a quiet nod, her eyes scanning the terrain. "That's what they say."
"Then why aren't you with the top dogs? I mean—no offense, but if you were on Denwen or Roy's team, you'd probably win this whole thing in no time."
She chuckled softly, the sound crisp in the calm air. "Oh, they tried to recruit me," she replied, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But where's the fun in following the obvious path? Besides, never underestimate anyone in Room A—we're all monsters in our own way."
Suddenly, the leaves around them rustled unnaturally.
A vibration hummed through the ground.
The calm shattered.
"Down—now!" Quinn barked.
His voice echoed like thunder.
He slammed his fists together, and the moment they connected, a surge of white-blue lightning burst outward. Static snapped through the air, forming ring-shaped arcs around his forearms, like glowing manacles of pure power.
In the same heartbeat, five early Rank 1 martial bunnies burst from the undergrowth, each mid-leap, aiming for the team with lethal precision.
But they were already caught.
Quinn's rings detached mid-air—five crackling halos that spiraled outward with unerring accuracy. The sound was deafening: a series of sharp ZRAAK! noises as the rings collided with their targets.
The rings didn't just bind—they bit into the creatures. Each bunny seized up midair, limbs convulsing, eyes glowing white as arcs of high-voltage electricity surged through their muscular bodies.
They hit the ground with smoldering thuds, fur smoking, bodies twitching in death.
The entire confrontation had lasted under four seconds.
Kara slowly rose from her crouch, eyes wide at the smoking corpses now littered around them. The forest smelled of scorched fur and ozone—hot, pungent, and metallic.
The rest of the squad exhaled collectively, adrenaline still lingering.
"Lightning loops," Kara murmured, stepping forward.
Quinn stood tall, his chest rising with controlled breaths. Beads of sweat glistened on his brow.
Without a word, she stepped behind him and pressed her glowing palm between his shoulder blades. A warm, golden light pulsed outward, soft and calming, flowing through his mana circuits like silk.
His eyes fluttered briefly as the drain of essence began to reverse.
"Back to full," Kara said softly.
Quinn rolled his shoulders, sparks dancing briefly across his arms. "Thanks. Let's keep moving before the bigger ones come sniffing around."
Kelix looked between the two of them in stunned admiration, then muttered, "That was so cool" Kelix said with stars in his eyes as Kara just gave him the gaze simply stating that she told him so, causing him to look away shyly.
As they were about to keep on moving a brown-haired girl known as Hazel who had begun to dabble into earth magic stopped moving as she felt some odd movement across the earth, it was negligible at first but it began to approach them very quickly:
"Hey Cap, something's coming," Hazel said, her voice tense as the ground beneath them began to quiver unnaturally. The earth rippled in concentric waves, and suddenly the terrain beneath their feet heaved—lifting.
The entire squad staggered as the forest floor rose beneath them like the back of a breathing beast.
"Hazel, what's wrong?" Quinn asked, eyes narrowing as Klein, the sharp-eyed scout beside them, unsheathed his twin daggers with a low growl.
BOOOOM!
An earth-shattering explosion tore through the clearing. Dirt, leaves, and stone erupted into the air like a geyser of chaos. From the maw of the earth, a monstrous figure burst forth—not a bunny, not even close. A twisted creature, tall and lean with blade-like claws and warped limbs, eyes glowing with malevolence.
With a vicious snarl, the creature slashed at Hazel. The claw gleamed as it cut the air—too fast, too close.
Time slowed.
Hazel's eyes widened in terror. She couldn't move in time.
But Quinn could.
CRACK!
Quinn lunged, shoulder slamming into Hazel, knocking her clear. At the same time, his fist met the disaster's face—five lightning rings firing from his gauntlet like projectiles. The rings struck the scion with terrifying force, detonating on impact with arcs of high-voltage energy. The creature was launched backward, crashing through trees, its body twisting in pain as static screamed through its flesh.
Smoke hissed from the singed grass.
The team was frozen. Their minds scrambled to process what had just happened.
That... was no bunny.
Quinn's expression tightened as he snapped into command mode.
"Kara! Get to Hazel—now! Check her wounds! Klein, perimeter defense—nothing sneaks up on us again."
He kept his voice calm, but inside, fear twisted in his gut.
'What the fuck was that?'
________________________________________
Below the coliseum, chaos rippled through the command center.
The massive viewing wall buzzed red as alert glyphs flashed across every panel.
Alarms blared.
"How the hell did scions get into the dungeon?!" Dvalin roared, slamming his fist on the edge of the console. Sparks danced from the impact.
"Sir, we're not sure," one of the technicians replied, hands flying over her runic keyboard. "We think... a cloaked portal might've been created inside. The dungeon's stability is collapsing—we're detecting wild essence fluctuations."
She turned to face him, pale. "I'm afraid... we may have been compromised."
Dvalin's eyes burned with fury. "Fuck. What the hell is going on in there?"
He turned and marched toward the gate. The pulsing green surface had started to shimmer violently—unstable.
He tapped his earpiece, shouting over the noise.
"Agrona. Dame. Zara. Do you hear me?! We might have an Ember among the students. Locate them immediately."
Dame's voice buzzed in, strained. "Sir, before that, I think we need to stop the rest of the scions that made it through. I've already eliminated five and I'm heading for the por—"
Static.
"Dame? Hello? Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Shit."
Dvalin turned to the gate.
"I'm going in. Shut down the screens above. End the exam. Now."
He stepped forward—but the moment his boot touched the barrier, lightning surged upward, forming an electric wall.
It sparked and pulsed, pushing him back with raw force.
He tried again, and the resistance intensified, slamming into him like a tidal wave of energy.
"DAMN IT!" he bellowed, veins bulging as he slammed his fists against the barrier, his own aura flaring in violent bursts.
But it didn't budge.
The gate was sealed.
________________________________________
Above, the audience's cheers had long since died out.
What started as thrill turned into confusion. Then dread.
The main screens, once displaying the high-octane showdown between Teams 4 and 5 versus the Martial Chief, had suddenly flickered. Additional screens had begun showing horrifying footage: strange humanoid monsters bursting from the ground, nothing like the bunnies everyone expected.
They moved with brutal intent.
Students—children—were caught off guard. Some fought. Others ran. Many were cut down.
Blood painted the forest floor.
Hazel's near-death. The scion's slash. Other screens showing worse.
And then, just like that—
The screens went black.
Gasps filled the coliseum.
Screams followed.
The panic spread like wildfire.
In one moment, the dungeon exam was a glorious display of magical excellence.
In the next—it was a slaughter.
And no one outside could do anything about it.