Celestial power: the war of realms

As the second round gradually came to an end, the third and last round got started. It was considered being the most difficult of all—a test for the selected. This time, the participants had to tame magical beasts—at least one. Only victorious participants would be crowned winners and could go to the battle to prove themselves as the next Sage. Tension hummed through the arena. At this moment, no one had any idea who would take the title of Sage. As General Mason took the stage, his dominating presence caught everyone's attention. Before speaking, he looked over at the enormous throng, his voice loud and calm.

"Citizens of this wonderful region, the time you've been waiting for has come. The last round has begun, and the trials will shortly be fruitful." The air filled with enthusiasm as the throng burst into yells and clapping. Meanwhile, in the participants' relaxation chamber, the competitors were preparing for the final round.

In the changing rooms, all competitors prepared to get set up for the round; at that point, they had to come to the stage together, and then they would be sent away to the sky realm through the magic to tame the beast. Finally, the time came. All the contestants arrived at the stage at the appropriate time, stood up, and formed their line. Dimitri, Draco, Max, Sadi, Thor, Fiora, Caelina, Nikita, Avil, and Benjamin were all present, ready to take their fate.

Mason reached the top of the tower. He used magic to make his voice resound throughout the arena. "Take your places, challengers!"

The competitors steadied their attention and poised themselves.

"Now…" Mason's voice expressed the order.

Suddenly, everything around them disappeared into a pitch-black hole. There was nothing, a nothingness, no movement, no sound. Then they were hurled through the darkness at the speed of light, like the snap of a bowstring.

A few seconds later, every contestant landed down on rough terrain, scattered over uncharted territory.

Sadi grumbled as he rose to his feet and brushed dirt from his clothes. He discovered that he was in a calm woodland. Birds chirped in the woods, and sunshine crept through the foliage. But the calmness did not lull him.

He moved forward, cautious yet deliberate, driven by his curiosity.

Dimitri steadied himself somewhere in a similar situation, though in a different area. Each competitor was now on their own, entrusted with discovering and taming a magical beast.

The trial was on.

"Tweet... Tweet."

The heavy, thick air hummed with the faint chirping of birds. There was an eerie sense that something invisible was watching, even though the woodland seemed serene.

The steps Dimitri took were slow and cautious. He was alert, listening carefully for any noises that could mean a magic beast was around. So far, his search had turned up only small, harmless animals running through the underbrush.

Then he heard it.

A little splash, like a stirring of water.

His gaze suddenly moved to the source. Dimitri turned to face the sound and walked warily into the bushes. As he pushed away a huge leaf, his gaze was drawn to a broad, boiling hot spring tucked deep in the forest.

Vapor surged into the air, dense and swirling, and the water bubbled gently.

"It must be hot," Dimitri thought, slowing his pace as he got closer to the spring's edge.

But before he could process, there was a loud splash that reverberated through the steamy air. Dimitri froze; his muscles stiffened. He surveyed the lake and the mist that surrounded it, but his view had been blocked by the mist, making it difficult to see.

His intuition sparked.

Something was present, something deadly.

He needed to be alert.

Dimitri cautiously unsheathed his magical blade, taking deliberate and controlled steps. The woodland was engulfed in a spooky calm as the birds' chirping gradually subsided. As he looked around, his keen eyes noticed tiny waves forming on the hot spring's water. He became sure that there was something in the water.

Lowering himself to one knee, Dimitri cautiously dipped his fingers into the spring. He could tolerate the warm water against his skin. He cupped some in his palm to look at its crystal-clear surface. The transparency was hypnotic, reminding him that this was no normal forest but rather a mythical place where anything might happen.

As he stared at his image in the water, something changed. His eyes grew wide as a monstrous monster rushed out of the spring with rapid speed, intent on swallowing him in one fierce snap.

"Damn!" Dimitri muttered and backed away instinctively. He clutched a thick limb to support himself, his gaze fixed on the gigantic figure coming from the depths.

It was a Leviathan, a fabled sea creature of immense strength and size.

The creature's sleek, obsidian-black scales shone with an iridescent radiance, moving between deep blues and blacks in the dim glow. Sharp, fin-like ridges on its back cut through the water, resembling a shark's dorsal fin. As the Leviathan got up higher, its massive size made Dimitri appear like a tiny ant in contrast.

When its mouth widened, rows of sharp, jagged teeth—some as long as swords—were exposed. The huge mouth appeared capable of swallowing whole ships, and its gigantic tongue was laced with barbs meant to grasp onto victims with horrifying accuracy.

For a minute, Dimitri remained motionless, his thoughts racing as the Leviathan's luminous, golden eyes stared at him. Its eyes were full of insight and unbridled rage.

The beast's enormous tail suddenly arced into the air, heading straight for the limb where Dimitri had been sitting. He rushed aside barely in time as the tail crashed into the limb, splintering it with a thunderous sound.

Dimitri swiftly got to his feet after landing on the ground. His grip on his blade tightened as the Leviathan let out an earth-shattering roar that echoed through the forest like a thunderclap.

The sound spread far, reaching the other contestants' ears. Sadi, closer to the source than the others, frozen as the thunderous roar echoed through the air.