Of course, Violetta's Starlight Shackles had been indispensable. Without that moment of absolute restraint, Ray would never have had the chance to finish the battle in a single blow. Given the rhinoceros's many soul skills, the fight could have dragged on disastrously.

Just as Ray began replaying the battle in his mind, the arena dissolved.

Darkness swallowed everything.

The stars overhead twisted and warped, leaving the four dizzy for a brief instant before their vision cleared.

They found themselves standing exactly as before, hands linked, facing one another.

It was as if the battle had never happened.

They were no strangers to illusory combat. The spirit ascension platform had exposed them to similar experiences, but that relied on advanced technology.

This place felt different.

More real. More terrifying.

They couldn't comprehend the method behind it, only the awe it inspired.

Giselle appeared before them, her expression unusually complex.

The beast arena was the second trial of Central Academy's entrance exam.

The strength and number of soul beasts varied depending on the number of examinees. Surviving for one minute was enough to pass. Injuring the beast earned bonus points.

Giselle had deliberately kept the passing criteria from them. She had never imagined they would be this ruthless.

An Earth Demon Rhinoceros.

Even for her, killing one with over three thousand years of cultivation without battle armor would be troublesome. Its defenses were simply too monstrous.

Yet these four had slaughtered it.

Her gaze lingered on Ray's arm. Would his claw still pierce if the rhinoceros were even stronger? And that golden soul ring…

No matter how she analyzed it, the boy seemed to possess twin martial souls. But Alfred would never have failed to mention something so critical.

"The results of the second trial, the beast arena," Giselle announced. "Ray, ten points. Raziel, ten points. Lily, eight points. Violetta, ten points."

"What? Full marks?" Raziel blurted out, stunned.

Giselle nodded. "Because you killed the Earth Demon Rhinoceros together. Killing it wasn't required to pass, so even Lily, who didn't attack directly, scored highly. Let's continue. Follow me."

As she led them onward, anticipation surged in her heart.

These children truly embodied Central's creed.

Monsters.

Their combat prowess was exceptional, their teamwork seamless, and their composure under pressure remarkable.

Not a single one of them had panicked when facing the Earth Demon Rhinoceros. Lily was the calmest, but the others had fought with blazing excitement.

Raziel had even identified the beast aloud, meaning they all understood just how terrifying it was. And yet, they advanced without hesitation.

They had clearly faced deadlier situations before.

Senior brother… you've trained them well.

Ray, however, was frowning.

Despite their success, he felt no relief.

The exam wasn't over. Worse, there had been no time to rest.

Trial after trial, no breaks, no meditation.

With their current cultivation levels, their soul power would inevitably be exhausted.

His new bloodline soul ring gave him an advantage, but Violetta had already spent nearly a third of her soul power for that brief restraint. If the fight had dragged on any longer, the cost would have been severe.

He glanced at Lily. Her nod reassured him that she was still fine.

Still, the warning was clear.

This exam had only just begun.

Giselle pushed open a sliding door, revealing a narrow space between stone buildings.

"This is the third trial."

Rows upon rows of gates stretched out before them, at least a hundred in total, arranged in staggered lines.

Each gate was fitted with a massive guillotine blade, two meters wide, one meter tall, and half a meter thick. One strike would split even a full-grown cow in half.

"These are guillotine gates," Giselle said calmly. "The third trial tests adaptability."

She raised three fingers.

"Once I tell you to prepare, you'll have one minute. When I say begin, you must pass through all the gates. Finish within thirty seconds and you get six points. Every three seconds faster earns one extra point. Every three seconds slower costs one point."

Her gaze hardened.

"Two things to remember. First, the closer you are to a gate, the faster its guillotine falls. These are real blades. If you're hit, you die."

A pause.

"Second, this trial allows negative scores. If you can't clear this, don't bother thinking about the later trials."

She gestured sharply.

"Raise the guillotines!"

Metal clanged violently as the blades lifted.

The frontmost guillotine slammed down with a deafening crash, sparks spraying as it struck the groove below.

The sound alone sent chills down their spines.

Then the blade rose again.

And fell.

Again.

The first guillotine slammed down.

Then the second.

Then the third.

Heavy blades fell in sequence, their thunderous clangs overlapping until the air itself seemed to tremble with metal.

"Get ready. The one-minute countdown starts now." Giselle's voice was crisp, merciless, allowing no room for hesitation.

Ray's mind shifted into overdrive.

"Thirty seconds. Six gates on the shortest path," he muttered rapidly. "Lily, test the blades."

Calm judgment was the lifeline of trials like this.

While Raziel's body itched to sprint forward and Violetta stood pale and frozen, Lily remained composed. She lifted her palm, blue light condensing into a two-meter-long icicle that shot straight beneath a guillotine.

Clang!

The blade fell.

The icicle exploded into frost, its thick core sliced cleanly in two.

"About three thousand kilograms of force per drop," Lily said evenly. Her estimate came from her intimate control over the elements.

Ray nodded. "Can you handle it?"

"I can protect one person," she replied.

He turned. "Raziel?"

Raziel bounced on his toes. "I'm good."

Ray was about to speak when Lily interjected, "I'll shield Violetta. You carry me. With your strength, it won't be an issue. Raziel follows behind."

Ray hesitated.

It would work. His original plan had been similar, except he would carry Violetta instead. Something about Lily's proposal felt… deliberate. He glanced at her suspiciously.

A faint blush crossed her face, vanishing just as quickly.

"Ten… nine… eight…"

The final countdown had begun.

No time to argue.

Lily stepped forward and mounted Ray's back in one smooth motion. Green light flowed from her hands, enveloping all four of them.

Violetta's legs were stiff with fear, her eyes locked on the falling blades.

"Violetta," Lily said gently. "Go first. I'll use the earth to hold the blades. Just run straight through."

Violetta clenched her fists, then nodded sharply.

"Three… two… one… begin!"

The moment Giselle's voice fell, Lily chanted softly. Using only her legs to hold herself in place, she pressed close to Ray's back, arms looped tightly around his neck. Yellow light flashed as a stone pillar surged upward beneath the first gate.

Clang!

The blade crashed into the pillar, cracking it instantly.

"Now!" Lily shouted.

Violetta bolted forward, terror replaced by trust. Raziel had already flashed past, his figure a blur.

Ray moved last.

Just as he stepped beneath the guillotine, the stone pillar shattered.

The blade plunged.

Lily squeezed her eyes shut, arms tightening instinctively around his neck. Her heart hammered violently.

Ray, however, felt only the warmth of her pressing closer.

Three thousand kilograms?

And weakened by the pillar?

His right arm surged with power as golden scales erupted. The golden dragon claw snapped into existence.

He thrust upward.

Clang!

The blade stopped.

Ray caught it bare-handed.

From the sidelines, Giselle froze.

She had overseen countless examinees. Seen countless strategies. Never, not once, had someone dared to catch the blade.

That guillotine weighed over a thousand kilograms. With gravity, its impact exceeded three thousand.

He can't—

She nearly shut her eyes.

But nothing happened.

Ray merely bent his knees slightly, absorbing the force.

"Up!" he roared, forcing the blade back overhead. Carrying Lily on his back, he strode through the gate.

Raziel gawked. "Boss… are you even human?"

Violetta stared in disbelief, her fear evaporating.

"Lily," Ray said calmly, "you don't need to do anything else. I've got this."

Confidence flooded him.

He marched toward the second gate.

The blade fell.

He caught it.

Lifted it.

Let his teammates pass.

Gate after gate, Ray treated the guillotines like toys. His golden dragon claw held each blade aloft with casual strength.

Six gates.

Fourteen seconds.

Silence fell.

Giselle stood speechless.

This wasn't adaptability.

This was overwhelming dominance.

The third trial was meant to test courage, reaction speed, and judgment. Against these monstrous blades, most examinees froze. Even elites often failed, unable to overcome the instinctive terror of death.

Yet this boy…

The trial never even crossed his mind.

He simply advanced.

Ray withdrew his claw, shaking out his arm as his scales faded.

"Fourteen seconds!" Giselle announced at last.

A monster indeed.

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