Azriel was, of course, shocked. Seeing the ugly gorilla in front of him—a Grade 3 demon—was enough to unsettle anyone. After all, Azriel was arguably the strongest first-year in the hero academy and the strongest cadet in this test.
If a void creature stronger than him existed here—one he doubted he could defeat even at his best—how were the other cadets supposed to manage?
It made sense now why it was worth 20 points. But even then, comparing the Shardling Giant, worth 15 points, to the Ebonclimber, worth 20, the gap between them was massive.
Just because two void creatures shared the same rank—both Grade 3 demons—didn’t mean they were equally powerful. There were dozens of factors to consider.
Some void creatures were simply beyond explanation. Even if their mana cores ranked lower than a human’s, they could still be nearly impossible to kill.
Take the Sky Devil, for example. Mira and Amon had fought it—and failed.
Despite being a single level beneath the two Grandmasters, the Sky Devil had proven too difficult to take down.
It wasn’t uncommon. Most void creatures with the same mana core level as a human were practically suicidal to fight alone. Read new chapters at empire
The best a human could hope for was to fight a void creature one level below them and pray it wasn’t inexplicably more terrifying than the Sky Devil.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible to kill void creatures ranked above one’s level—or even those at the same level.
If the void creature was categorized as a “beast” or a “monster,” it was feasible, even for a skilled human. But the moment a void creature reached the rank of “demon,” everything changed.
It was the same with humans. Crossing into the advanced ranks meant a paradigm shift, and the same held true for void creatures. Once humans faced a demon-ranked void creature, extreme caution became a necessity.
So, naturally, Azriel was stunned. The gorilla in front of him was a creature he wasn’t certain he could defeat—neither alone nor with the weak cadets alongside him.
Even Celestina, the princess, might stand a chance against most awakened humans, but that didn’t matter here.
Azriel was just as confident he could take her down—or any intermediate-ranked human—but this wasn’t a fight among humans. The gap between them and the Ebonclimber was on a whole different level.
If Azriel himself was hesitating, what about the other cadets? How would they fare against this monstrosity if they encountered it?
And the Ebonclimber in front of Azriel wasn’t the only one. He was sure of that.
This forest was, after all, a breeding ground for the Academy, teeming with void creatures.
Right now, they were in the outer layer of the forest, where the highest-ranked void creature should have been no stronger than a monster.
It was only in the middle layer of the forest that Ebonclimbers like this one typically appeared.
If anyone ventured too far—reaching the edge of the middle layer—Solomon would stop them.
The Academy wasn’t reckless enough to send its students to their deaths.
So why was a Grade 3 demon here…?
Unlike the two Void Scorpions, the Nightstrider Hawk, and the Shardling Giant, which were mere juveniles, this one was clearly in its early adult stages.
As Azriel contemplated the situation, a smile masking his caution, the others couldn’t share the same expression.
Then, out of nowhere, the speakers of their watches activated, and Solomon’s voice rang out.
“Heh, surprised, are you? Well, I certainly am! To think you all encountered the one anomaly pack of void creatures in the outer layer of this forest! You see, surprisingly, the Ebonclimbers in the middle layer haven’t been reproducing much in recent years, leading to a shortage of them. That’s why we have a single adult Ebonclimber in the outer layer. But don’t worry, this is a safe layer. I won’t let any of you die. If you accidentally wander into the middle layer, I’ll be there to princess carry you back. Anyway, even though this is an adult Ebonclimber, you don’t need to worry too much about being outclassed. Now, look closely at its neck. There’s a metal collar. That collar, actually, is one of the Hero Academy’s engineering department’s inventions! It’s a mana artifact capable of suppressing even a Level 3 mana core by an entire level. So, the Ebonclimber in front of you is actually only capable of fighting like a Grade 3 monster when using mana. Isn’t that amazing? Damn, those kids really are geniuses. I almost fell asleep when they explained it to me.”
Azriel stared at his watch for a moment, mouth slightly open, unsure whether to be impressed by this latest invention or to be amazed at how Solomon could talk so much without taking a single breath.
Shaking those thoughts away, Azriel turned his attention to the Ebonclimber’s neck. Beneath its thick fur, something shiny glistened.
A mana artifact.
Mana artifacts, unlike Void artifacts, which are found in the Void realm, are creations made by humanity. Some might argue that a mana weapon is also a mana artifact, as they’re all crafted by mana engineers, with most mana artifacts containing important ingredients like mana stones.
“Well, one thing I forgot to mention,” Solomon’s voice crackled through the speakers, “you see, one of the few things they couldn’t fully suppress was the Ebonclimber’s ability to mind control. So, all these Void creatures in front of you, staring at you like creepy perverts, are being controlled. But don’t worry, what I mean is that its mind control ability isn’t the best. As long as you have strong mental fortitude, you should be fine! Anyway, that’s enough from me. Good luck, and please don’t say this is unfair. After all, we could say this was destined to happen with two cadets in the same team—one the apex and the other ranked third, right? There are no easy wins in this academy! Good luck!”
With that, the speaker cut off, and Azriel couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at Solomon’s behavior.
At least Isolde, Lyra, and Curtis seemed more relaxed. The latter two still looked extremely nervous, but Isolde had composed herself.
As Solomon had said, the Void creatures stood still a good distance away, as if waiting—puppets under the Ebonclimber’s control.
But… the gorilla wasn’t moving. It glared fiercely at Azriel, its eyes seeming to scrutinize him.
‘Wait, isn’t this the perfect opportunity for [Soul’s Crucible]?’
What better moment than when they’re surrounded by all the Void creatures they were supposed to hunt, only to become the prey themselves?
Especially hearing that one of them was a Grade 3 demon, with only a strong collar on its neck holding it back from peeling them like bananas.
Azriel didn’t hesitate. He activated the skill instantly, even as the gorilla continued to assess him.
The change was immediate.
The colors around him faded, replaced by a dull grey, the kind one might see in old movies—devoid of anything but black and white.
Azriel felt his vision sharpen.
Blinking, Azriel turned his head and looked behind him at Isolde, Lyra, and Curtis. He could see a blinding glow coming from each of their chests.
The glow was so bright it made him squint, and within that light, there was darkness swirling, like something moving in a pool.
Azriel instinctively knew what to do. In the next second, he made a pulling motion, focusing on the darkness swimming within the light of their chests.
The darkness stirred, then shot out of their bodies, invisible to everyone except Azriel. Like wisps of pure darkness, they shot towards Azriel’s chest, burrowing into him.
“Uhk…”
Azriel staggered back as the wisps entered him one by one until they were all gone.
It didn’t hurt, but it was extremely uncomfortable—like something wet and slithery was caressing the inside of his chest.
Azriel turned to Celestina and did the same.
When the wisp of darkness entered his chest, Azriel fought the urge to stagger back and kept his mouth shut.
Sweat began to drip down Azriel’s face. He could feel that he had already used 20% of his mana just to apply the skill to all four of them.
Looking at them, even the gorilla seemed surprised. Celestina, Curtis, Isolde, and Lyra were wide-eyed, staring at themselves and one another.
Their bodies were glowing.
No, literally. It seemed like a white glow was radiating from their bodies, surrounding them like a protective layer.
“Ah… I feel so light and warm,” Isolde murmured, seemingly lost in the effect she was experiencing.
The Ebonclimber was watching them more cautiously than ever.
“My mind feels so clear. It’s like I can do anything…” Curtis spoke next, his voice filled with awe.
Lyra nodded. “It feels good. The same way I feel when… my mom hugs me.”
Azriel sighed in relief, seeing their reactions. For some reason, he had been worried that it might not work.
The color in his vision slowly returned, luckily, as he kept the skill activated.
‘Keeping this active is draining my mana, but it’s slow. As long as they don’t get too far, I can keep this up while fighting. They should be able to fight without getting scared.’
A truly ridiculous skill.
Turning around, Azriel looked at the Ebonclimber and didn’t hesitate to summon his soul armor.
Dark, smooth plates began to form around his entire body, from his feet to his neck. His hands were covered in the same material, now shaped into smooth gauntlets.
Then, Void Eater appeared in his right hand, gripped tightly by the black gauntlet.
Azriel looked down, surprised inwardly.
‘Those red veins are gone… why?’
He remembered that the armor had been decorated with lines of red, but now, his soul armor was pitch-black, smooth enough to blend into the night if needed.
Azriel shrugged it off as he looked up at the Ebonclimber.
He was about to grin at it when something strange caught his attention.
The Ebonclimber stood frozen, petrified, its eyes wide, clearly trembling.
The other Void creatures mimicked the Ebonclimber’s stance.
Azriel furrowed his brows, sensing the gazes of his teammates.
And as he looked at them…
Celestina, Curtis, Isolde, and Lyra all wore the same expression as the Ebonclimber.
They were all frozen.
The speaker of his watch, buried beneath his armor, clicked on again.
“Fucking hell, Cadet Azriel, are you planning to conquer America and Africa?”