From the audience, Daniel watched the unfolding scene with great interest.
He knew exactly what had just happened.
The Fantasia Realm was a world filled with every imaginable fantasy—beautiful creations but also horrifying nightmares that people preferred to avoid.
What Nina had done was to pull the most dreaded elements of the Winterrealm inhabitants’ fantasies into reality.
This was a power Nina had discovered and developed after arriving in Winterrealm.
The Fantasia Realm seemed to have undergone subtle changes upon her arrival, prompting her to research and unlock this new ability.
She could now drag illusions into the real world—or pull people into the illusions themselves.
This match marked the first time Nina had tried using this power.
Sure enough, it was devastating.
Not only had it overwhelmed Fesya on the arena floor, but it also affected many of the spectators.
With this technique, Daniel was confident that Nina would make it to the finals.
But Nina’s demonstration had also revealed something new to Daniel.
For instance…
When the yellow snowflakes had begun to fall on the arena, he had sensed an unusual aura approaching.
Was it a passing powerhouse?
However, under the current circumstances, it didn’t seem likely that anyone could simply pass through Westwind Pass unnoticed.
Daniel sent a sliver of mind power to monitor the mysterious presence.
He noted that from start to finish, the stranger had shown no intention of leaving.
…
The battle ended swiftly, and after two more rounds, it was time for the distribution of the level 2 essence drops.
At this stage, only a handful of contestants remained.
Daniel noticed something peculiar—the source of the level 2 essence drops seemed to be that mysterious presence…
Could it be that this individual was one of Bear Prime’s subordinates, responsible for distributing the essence drops?
Daniel didn’t think it likely that Bear Prime itself would bother with such a trivial task.
Perhaps the true Bear Prime would only appear when the final victor was decided.
Daniel had waited this long and had no shortage of patience.
…
When it was her turn to receive the level 2 essence drop, Nina quietly asked Sarra,
“Sarra, have you used the essence drop from before?”
“Not yet,” Sarra replied. “I’m saving it for when I really need it. I haven’t hit a bottleneck yet.”
“I see…” Nina murmured.
Then, she slyly pulled out a small bottle and handed it to Sarra.
“Here, Sarra, take this. It’s way better than the level 2 essence drop.”
“What… what did you say?”
Sarra couldn’t believe her ears.
Had Nina just claimed that what she handed over was better than a level 2 essence drop?
How was that possible?
The level 2 essence drops were personally bestowed by Bear Prime, a treasure countless people dreamed of obtaining.
How could Nina have something even better?
Sarra doubted herself for a moment, wondering if she had misheard.
She knew Nina wouldn’t lie to her, but it was hard to believe.
Essence drops from Bear Prime were treasures that surpassed all others.
…
After the event ended, Sarra returned to her room.
Mindful of her previous experience opening the box containing a mana core, she carefully checked her surroundings this time.
Mana cores were rare but not entirely unattainable—every adventurer had their share of lucky finds.
But essence drops…
Those were something else entirely.
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Only during Bear Prime’s trials could anyone acquire them.
Compared to mana cores, they were far rarer.
This time, Sarra was extra cautious.
Ensuring no one would interrupt her, she opened the small bottle Nina had given her.
A rich, almost overwhelming fragrance wafted out, instantly filling the room.
Startled by the intensity of the aroma, Sarra quickly sealed the bottle again.
The scent was incredibly potent.
Sarra had previously opened a level 1 essence drop, just to sniff it, even though she didn’t plan to consume it yet.
Even that had given her a sense of deep comfort.
But the aroma from Nina’s bottle was far stronger—so strong that it made the level 1 essence drop pale in comparison.
Curious, Sarra opened her level 2 essence drop for comparison.
The result was disappointing.
The level 2 essence drop was indeed superior to the level 1 drop, offering a slightly stronger feeling of comfort.
But compared to what Nina had given her…
The essence drop from Bear Prime didn’t even come close.
It wasn’t just weaker—it didn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath.
The disparity was staggering.
As Sarra pondered the miraculous quality of Nina’s bottle, a new question emerged in her mind:
Who exactly was Nina?
…
The trial continued in full swing.
As expected, Nina’s subsequent battles were easy victories.
Her go-to teleportation ambush remained an unbeatable strategy.
Aside from Fesya, no one had been able to force Nina to reveal her new ability.
And so, Nina advanced to the finals.
Her opponent in the final match? Sarra.
Sarra’s strength was already impressive. Among fourth-tier competitors, she was considered one of the best.
Under normal circumstances, she would have comfortably secured a spot in the top thirty.
However, advancing further would have posed significant challenges.
But before the trial began, Nina had given Sarra a mana crystal.
It was the mana crystal from the wolf king of the northern mountains near Westwind Pass.
For Sarra, a wolf-bloodline warrior, the crystal’s effects were explosively powerful, elevating her abilities exponentially.
Thanks to this boost, Sarra had overcome all obstacles and reached the finals.
Standing on the final stage, Sarra felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Winning first place or gaining access to Bear Prime’s god realm didn’t matter to her.
She knew her own limitations.
Her current success was entirely thanks to her friend, Nina.
As Sarra stood on the arena, she entertained the thought of throwing the match to let Nina claim first place.
But Nina seemed to sense her intention and spoke up,
“Sarra, let’s have a proper fight! Don’t hold back.”
“Nina…”
“My guardian is watching from the audience. This time, I want to showcase the new ability I’ve learned. So, Sarra, give it your all and show me your full strength!”
Hearing Nina’s words, Sarra realized how foolish her idea had been.
Nina didn’t need her to hold back.
She wanted to win fair and square, to earn the recognition of her guardian.
For Nina, this trial was a test, a chance to prove herself.
“Nina, get ready!”
As Sarra spoke, a wave of cold energy radiated from her body, instantly coating the arena in frost.
This was Sarra’s newest ability, unlocked after absorbing the wolf king’s mana core.
The frost transformed the arena into a battlefield tailored to her strengths.
Two daggers appeared in Sarra’s hands as she dashed toward Nina with incredible speed, a palpable bloodthirst emanating from her.
As a bloodline warrior, Sarra had been steeped in bloodshed since childhood.
Her fusion with a wolf spell beast made this inevitable.
She had also witnessed Nina’s fight against Fesya.
Unlike others, Sarra wasn’t fazed by the legend of The Yellow Plague.
The yellow snowflakes and eerie song didn’t affect her in the slightest.
She would strike decisively, aiming to eliminate her opponent as efficiently as possible.
“Nina, your illusions won’t work on me!” Sarra declared, slashing with her daggers.
But in the next moment, the surroundings abruptly shifted.
Sarra froze in place, stunned.
Nina wasn’t limited to dragging illusions into reality—she could also pull people into the illusion itself.
Now, Sarra stood motionless, occasionally twitching her hands, signaling that she still had the will to fight.