Cyril exited the cave, leaving the old withered tree alone.
The sun outside was now obscured by clouds, further enhancing the forest's gloomy atmosphere.
The forest itself looked different, though what exactly changed remained vague.
It now looked more alive somehow.
I'm not sure how long the test will take, but it won't be that long.
I need to make the most of my time.
Cyril scanned his surroundings and focused on his hearing, trying to see if anything was happening nearby.
Someone is fighting...!
Picking up distinct sounds, he quickly ran towards the source, slowing down as the noise got louder.
He reached a clearing among the woods, near a small lake.
In front of the lake, under a bizarrely strong ray of light, was growing a conspicuous plant.
One student was fighting two others a certain distance away from it.
"Give up, you imbeciles! I am the only one worthy of this bounty."
This was a male student with terribly messy hair, reminiscent of a bird's nest. His eyes had deep eye bags.
He theatrically motioned with his hands, pointing at his opponents.
"It's Bonzo. He was with us at the Tower. His specialty appears to be poison."
I see.
Cyril carefully walked closer, trying to stay unnoticed for now.
Opposite Bonzo were two students with annoyed expressions.
"Shut up, Bonzo. Do you have to be like that?"
One student raised his hands and began casting a spell.
Just as the magic circle was beginning to shape up, it disappeared, the student suddenly frozen.
"What's wrong?"
The other student cautiously approached his friend, warily glaring at Bonzo, who didn't seem to do anything.
Then, he suddenly froze as well, every muscle in his body refusing to move.
At the same time, the two fell to the ground as Bonzo's laughter filled the clearing.
"Hahaha! You imbeciles!"
The students' eyes turned unwilling and frustrated.
Unable to reply in any way the two of them soon began disappearing bit by bit.
Bonzo laughed with his hands on his hips. His voice appearing somewhat crazy.
"Time for my due rewards!"
He turned around in the direction of the plant and made as step forward, before freezing himself.
"You controlled a flying needle, that's not bad."
Cyril walked out from his cover, openly greeting the student.
Bonzo looked at him in surprise and waved his hands in alarm.
"Cyril Thorne...! What are you doing here!? You are supposed to be the area boss!"
What did he call me?
"He must be insulting you! Make him pay!"
Ignoring Rhamn, Cyril blankly looked at the student with terrible hair.
"You had the wrong impression."
Bonzo took a step backwards, shakily observing him, then flinched.
His eyes were glued to the crystal Cyril was holding.
Soon, a smirk soon grew on Bonzo's face as fear slowly left him.
"Cyril! This is not an ordinary duel, even you should be careful here!"
"Indeed."
Bonzo raised his hands.
"Thank you for saving me back then, but this is a competition."
Cyril calmly looked at the greed that's now replaced the fear in his gaze and nodded.
"Let's see what you've got."
He threw the crystal disc in the air, where Morpho quickly caught it and flew higher.
"...!"
Bonzo widened his eyes and pointed at the insect in the air.
"That's cheating!"
Ignoring the cry, Cyril shot forward.
Just as he was about to reach the student, a cloud of green gas exploded on his way, so he halted.
"I am not a fool, Cyril!"
Bonzo's flamboyant voice came from the smoke that soon spread around, making Cyril retreat a few steps.
"Unlike those you fought previously, I know how to use my brain! Of course I will never enter a direct spar with you!"
Cyril walked around the green smoke, curiously trying to get a good look inside.
It must be poisonous.
"So, what's your plan?"
As soon as Cyril said that, he quickly twisted his body and grabbed something behind him.
In his hand was now a thin needle with crystal lining it.
"I told you I saw what you did to those two."
Bonzo still stayed silent, no noise coming from the smoke.
Huh.
Cyril raised his other hand and cast a spell.
From the magic circle a gust of wind appeared that blew away all the smoke.
Revealed within was Bonzo, with a magic circle in front of him.
"Take this!"
Before he finished saying these words, a bolt shot forward.
Cyril stepped to the side, dodging it, and quickly yanked his other hand, grabbing another needle from the air.
He held two needles together and showed them towards Bonzo, whose expression quickly turned somewhat despairing.
"Hiding another needle behind a spell is not a bad idea, but you were too slow."
Morpho, flying in the air, dropped the disc above him and dodged a spell that suddenly flew at her from somewhere.
Cyril calmly caught the crystal, eyes on Bonzo.
"That was a good idea as well, but you didn't mask the spell well enough."
Not that it would've helped with Morpho here...
Bonzo's hands shook as he pointed at Cyril with a pale face.
"Are you really the same age as us!? We just started studying!"
At this moment Morpho flew like a cannonball.
The red blur struck Bonzo's chest, and the frail student was knocked to the ground with a pained yelp.
"Damn it..."
His body began to slowly shake as in convulsions, and he soon disappeared into nothingness.
Morpho triumphantly flapped her wings, declaring her superiority to the world.
But Cyril sighed as he looked around him, feeling a bit disappointed.
Bonzo wasn't that strong. Somehow I expected more.
"How tragic, these inferior beings could never bring you any challenge. You even had to pretend his pathetic poison can affect you, just to have some fun."
Rhamn put a hand over her face and sighed dramatically.
...Is it ever embarrassing for you to speak this way?
"No."
Cyril shook his head, getting rid of the distracting thoughts, and approached the plant from earlier.
So they were fighting for this.
The moment Cyril got closer, the light shining on the plant intensified, soon forming into words hovering in the air.
"Good work!"
The handwriting was elegant, with even a smiling face drawn cutely at the end.
...Is there a professor with a personality like that?
"I recognize that writing."
Soon the words changed, smoothly reconstructing themselves.
"Reward!" Now a treasure chest was drawn above with fireworks going off.
After a delay, the text finally disappeared, letting the plant back into view.
It had a coiling stem covered in spikes, with a purple, bell-shaped flower.
"So the reward was actually real? The Academy sure is generous."
Yeah...
Cyril grabbed onto the plant, and it immediately changed.
He suddenly held a perfectly preserved, harvested specimen.
I don't recognize it...
I'll check it later.
With that, he put it in the pocket and turned around.
There, lying on the ground, out of nowhere, was a simple metal spear, along with bright words floating in the air.
"This too!"
"..."
Cyril blankly picked up the weapon, carefully feeling it in his hands.
"Thanks."
He nodded towards nowhere in particular.
Cyril took one last look around to make sure he didn't miss anyone or anything and went away.
The butterfly on his shoulder twitched her antennae with playful complaint.
"Yes, Morpho, that won't do! Where's your reward!?"