The distance between the trainees and the horde vanished within seconds as the frontlines of both sides crashed violently into one another.
Weapons swung through the air.
Magic attacks surged forward with controlled utilization of Aether.
The demonic beasts retaliated immediately, sweeping their claws and baring rows of razor-sharp fangs.
From the very first clash, dozens on both sides were badly wounded, while a few unfortunate trainees lost their lives instantly.
Marlon sprinted alongside the others, slipping through openings in the chaos until he came face-to-face with his first opponent.
A mutated rat the size of an adult deer.
A sharp horn protruded from its head as bloodlust radiated from its glowing eyes.
The mutated rat snarled viciously, exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth before lunging straight at him.
Marlon abruptly halted his sprint and planted his feet firmly into the ground before raising his fist.
With a thought, he activated Punch of Judgment.
An ethereal white glow wrapped around his fist, buzzing with an indescribable power.
Without hesitation, he threw the glowing punch forward, colliding head-on with the mutated rat midair.
−250
A number flashed before Marlon's eyes as the punch landed squarely on the beast's head, cracking its horn and sending violent ripples through its skull.
The mutated rat squealed painfully as it was flung backward, its claws carving deep trails through the dirt while it struggled to regain balance.
Seeing the devastating damage from a single strike, Marlon did not hesitate.
He immediately followed up with Punch of Iron, instantly shaving away the creature's remaining fifty health points and killing it on the spot.
[ You've killed x1 Low-Rank Mutated Rat. EXP +37 ]
[ Drain activated! You've absorbed 10 Aether Points. ]
Before Marlon could fully enjoy his first kill, two demonic beasts lunged toward him simultaneously.
He quickly twisted his body in an attempt to dodge, but his movement speed was still lacking.
He narrowly avoided one beast completely, while the second managed to graze his shoulder with its claws, costing him ten health points.
Marlon's eyes sharpened.
Before the injured mutated rat could launch another attack, he countered immediately.
Punch of Judgment.
Followed instantly by Punch of Iron.
The beast collapsed dead within barely three seconds.
[ You've killed x1 Low-Rank Mutated Rat. EXP +37 ]
[ Drain activated! You've absorbed 30 Health Points. ]
Fortunately, the recovered health points immediately replenished the damage he had just taken.
Refocusing on the battlefield, Marlon quickly faced his next opponent.
A demonized monkey lunged at him aggressively, but this time, he was ready.
His fist shot forward with lethal precision, smashing into the beast and ending its life in a single blow.
[ You've killed x1 Demonized Monkey. EXP +37 ]
[ Level Up ]
[ New Level: Level 1 ]
[ Drain activated! You've absorbed 15 Aether Points. ]
At last, he reached his first level up.
A new surge of energy coursed through his body. He felt his strength, agility, and every other physical stat improve in that instant.
The newfound power filled him with confidence and he sprang deeper into the horde.
With just his fists and extraordinary skills, low-level demonic beasts fell one after another.
'This is exciting.'
A grin spread across his face as his eyes gleamed with fierce delight.
Not too far away, Drever surged fearlessly into the center of the horde while wrapped in crackling blue lightning.
The sword in his hand buzzed violently with electricity.
Each slash resembled a venomous serpent, paralyzing unfortunate beasts before mercilessly cutting them down.
He was unstoppable.
One demonic beast after another fell beneath his blade as experience points flooded in rapidly.
He even rescued nearby trainees who had become trapped by the beasts, proving exactly why he was regarded as the strongest trainee in the camp.
But Drever was not the only one dominating the battlefield.
A beautiful young lady with long white hair shining beneath the moonlight calmly waved her hands as a glowing green aura wrapped around them.
The next instant, durable vines burst violently from the ground.
They swept across the battlefield, strangling, piercing, and slicing through nearby beasts with deadly precision.
"Wow... Selena Whitlock really is unstoppable!"
"The Whitlock family produced another monster!"
"I heard her elder brother is about to take the Guardian Trial!"
"A Guardian? Only a handful of hunters ever reach that level. If he succeeds, the Whitlock family's reputation will rise even higher."
Nearby trainees could not stop praising her, completely captivated by the elegance and lethality of her talent.
But Selena paid no attention to the admiration around her.
Her stoic expression never changed as her piercing blue eyes remained fixed on the demonic beasts that had interrupted her peaceful sleep.
While controlling her deadly vines, her gaze shifted farther into the battlefield toward her younger sister, who was visibly struggling.
Like every direct descendant of the Whitlock family, the girl possessed striking white hair.
However, her shorter stature and glowing red eyes made her stand out easily.
She was Lyra Whitlock.
Unlike Selena, Lyra could barely hold her ground against the approaching beasts.
She swung her dagger desperately, gritting her teeth with frustration and focus as she repeatedly stabbed at her opponents.
Suddenly, two demonic beasts lunged toward her at the same time.
Panic flashed across her face.
At that critical moment, two vines lashed out from behind her, piercing deeply into the monsters and severely wounding them.
The moment Lyra recognized the vines, her teeth clenched tightly.
"I don't need your help, showoff!"
Still, she was not foolish enough to waste the opportunity.
She immediately rushed forward and finished off the injured beasts, her dagger slicing cleanly through them.
Nearby trainees who witnessed her clumsy and desperate fighting quietly began whispering among themselves.
Although the battlefield was filled with thunderous clashes and shrill beast cries, Lyra already knew exactly what they were saying.
"I didn't ask for her help... I could've handled them myself," she hissed under her breath.
Ignoring the whispers around her, she stubbornly charged another demonic beast as though none of them existed.
...
As time passed, the clash between the trainees and the demonic beasts only grew more intense.
Hundreds of beasts had already fallen beneath the combined efforts of the trainees, their blood staining the desert sand red.
Nonetheless, dozens of trainees had also died gruesome deaths beneath claws and fangs, while many more writhed on the ground with horrifying injuries.
Even so, the battle only became fiercer with every passing moment.
Some trainees slowed down from grief after watching comrades die.
Others weakened from accumulating injuries.
But Marlon was different.
With every beast he killed, the grin on his face only widened further.
The sensation of his fists tearing through flesh...
The thrill of leveling up...
The intoxicating rush of points flooding into his body...
It was becoming addictive.
He wanted more.
"Punch of Judgment!"
A familiar ethereal glow wrapped tightly around his fist once more.
With a sharp exhale, Marlon drove the glowing punch straight into the towering beast before him.
It was a massive demonized monkey nearly twice his height, its grotesque head dominated by a mouth wide enough to swallow two grown men whole.
−800
A massive hole exploded through the creature's stomach.
The beast released a low painful cry before staggering backward and crashing heavily onto the ground, sending dust billowing into the air.
Dozens of heads immediately turned toward the scene.
Both trainees and demonic beasts paused briefly, eager to see who had slain such a massive creature.
"Who was that?"
Murmurs spread throughout the trainees.
Selena narrowed her eyes toward the mysterious fighter.
However, even with her sharpened perception, she could not identify him because his face remained hidden beneath a black scarf.
'Who is he... and why is he hiding his face?' she wondered with a slight frown.