In front of a barricaded steel gate stood a captivating elven boy with leafy green hair and striking red eyes.
With confident strides, he approached the gate.
The fat guard performing his duty there didn't stop him, as he noticed several small drones trailing behind the Elf.
It quickly became clear to him that this boy was participating in the King's Tournament.
As William walked past him, the guard simply offered a short bow before proceeding to open the gate.
"Get ready, Rui," William looked at his shadow as if someone was hiding within it. "I'm not sure why, but Lucas mentioned that this might be a trap. So we need to stay on guard."
After uttering those words, he infused mana into his dimensional ring and took out a long, needle-like red spear into his hands.
"Let's go," he declared, rushing into the forest as soon as the guard swung open the gates.
William was fast.
Like a blur, he effortlessly maneuvered through the forest with an agility that could only be described as inhumane.
He skillfully evaded or leaped over any obstacles—branches, rocks, roots—that attempted to impede him, relentlessly running forward.
To assist those seeking the flag, the second-year students had already placed red arrow signs on the trees, ensuring they wouldn't lose their way.
–"Gwaaaar!"
–"Muaaaaaar!"
Before long, he came across two second-year cadets dressed in all-black uniforms. They held the leashes of two colossal mana beasts in their hands.
These creatures resembled rhinos in structure, with a horn protruding out from their foreheads, but they stood on two legs.
They had collars around their necks and tethered by leashes held by the second-years.
William halted in his tracks and tilted his head to the side.
"Bipedal rhinos?" he remarked, a sense of amusement evident in his voice.
The two second-year cadets chuckled in response to his reaction.
–"They're called Rhinoloths," one of the second-year cadets informed.
"I've never seen them," William admitted. "Are they strong?"
–"They dwell deeper within the forest, where the first-year cadets aren't allowed to go. That's probably why you haven't encountered them. And yes, they are indeed strong," replied the other second-year cadet.
–"By the way, are you here alone?" inquired the second-year cadet who had spoken earlier.
"Yes," William responded. "My teammates aren't here right now. I've been instructed to go in and secure the flag."
–"I see," the other second-year cadet mused, touching his chin. "But as you progress along this path, you'll encounter more mana beasts. It might become challenging for you to face them alone."
"Oh, please don't worry about me," William waved his hands and flashed a courteous smile. "I am a Sinoath. I'm a hunter by blood."
–"Oh?" One of the second-years raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. We'll release the beasts. However, if it seems like you're in imminent danger of dying, we will jump in, and you will be disqualified from further participation."
William didn't respond verbally. He simply bent his knees slightly and raised his spear to his chest while maintaining his smile.
Taking his actions as confirmation, the second years released their grip on the leashes, and both Rhinoloths charged aggressively toward the elven boy.
Without flinching, William infused his spear with mana and tensed his leg muscles as the Rhinoloths charged at him.
"Gwaaaar!"
As one of the Rhinoloths entered striking range, William jumped up and leaped over its head.
From his position over the Rhinoloth's head in mid-air, William gripped his spear tightly in his hands.
In the blink of an eye, his spear radiated a blinding white light.
William quickly threw his spear down with a powerful throw as it hurtled towards the Rhinoloth directly beneath him.
Thwaaah—!!!
The spear impaled the bipedal rhino from head to lower abdomen before striking the ground.
Thud—!
As the lifeless body of the Rhinoloth crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, the elf landed gracefully a few steps away.
-"Maaaaaur!"
However, the battle was far from over.
Without giving him a moment to take a breath, the other Rhinoloth charged at William, its horn aimed to strike him.
Reacting swiftly, William retrieved his spear from the point it struck the ground.
He began to spin his weapon skillfully using both hands, building momentum for his next attack while channeling mana into it once more.
By the time the Rhinoloth closed in on him, William had already executed a swift spin on his foot, propelling his spear towards the oncoming creature, utilizing the accumulated momentum from his spin.
Thaaawk—!!
As soon as his spear hit the Rhino's head, a hole drilled open in its skull, causing blood and gooey brain matter to spurt out in all directions.
–"...."
–"...."
Naturally, the Elf's performance left both second-year cadets utterly speechless.
Williams' prowess with the spear was truly remarkable, and his execution was flawless in his every move.
There was no trace of hesitation or panic in his actions.
He ended his opponent without any hesitation, akin to a disciplined soldier following orders.
They couldn't help but question whether he truly was just a first-year cadet.
Could they even hope to match his technique, despite being a year older than him?
Although all William demonstrated was his basic spearmanship, both second-year cadets instinctively knew that he possessed far greater power than what he had revealed – power they themselves did not possess yet.
"Excellent warm-up," William declared, stretching his limbs before assuming a sprinting stance. "Thank you, seniors. Until we meet again."
Whoosh—!!
With those parting words, William bolted away at lightning speed.
†
Twenty minutes later...
A trail of lifeless mana beast corpses followed the path that a certain leafy green-haired elven boy walked on.
Only destruction followed everywhere he went.
Since this was a team-based game, the second-year cadets had specifically caught strong mana beasts that would pose a challenge for the first-year cadets so they would require teamwork to overcome it.
It was meant to be a lesson in camaraderie from the second-year seniors to their junior first-years.
However, a lone Elf shattered all their plans and efforts.
He effortlessly defeated every mana beast they unleashed on him, single-handedly and without breaking a sweat, until the final one met its demise.
"Phew~" William exhaled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "That Winged Black Jaguar put up a good fight."
Undoubtedly, it did. The last mana beast he fought was of [Silver] rank and it had managed to leave a small scratch on William.
Just a scratch.
"Regardless, it's finally over," William remarked as he traversed the dense woods, following the red arrow signs.
It didn't take long before his gaze fell upon a crimson flag.
The flag was simple, its fabric fluttering in the breeze, anchored to the ground by a steel pole.
That had to be it. With that thought in mind, William made his way toward it.
".....?!"
However, before he could get close to the flag, William noticed a young man with bluish-black hair and teal eyes leaning against one of the trees nearby.
It was Kai!
His clothes were still tattered and burnt from the explosions he endured during his fight with Lucas.
However, only his clothes were damaged and not a wound could be seen on his chiseled body.
"Hello there."
