Using Strong Light and Flashing Shadow, Vanessa successfully managed to get rid of Aesphyra, well, at least temporarily.
Normally, Aesphyra relied on the fact that they were in public, knowing Aesphyra wouldn’t dare to attack her, so she deliberately did all sorts of things to disgust her and take advantage of her.
But this time, the tables had turned. She was the one who had done her wrong.
Perhaps this was what karma meant.
The situation was urgent. Vanessa had spent four hundred Virtue Points to learn two auxiliary Saint Envoy skills.
It wasn’t that they were useless, after all, she had just used them in that critical moment.
Continuing to fight with Aesphyra would have been unwise.
If she hadn’t taken action, Aesphyra would have continued to harass her in various ways.
She wasn’t sure if Aesphyra’s emotions had fluctuated greatly, but hers certainly had.
If she could beat Aesphyra, she really wanted to go up and give her a good beating.
By the way, where had she ended up?
This was the first time she had used the magic Flashing Shadow, and she wasn’t entirely sure how it worked.
How far had it taken her? Did it move her randomly?
Vanessa looked around and noticed that the noisy scene had suddenly become quiet.
She found herself standing on a spacious altar surrounded by four broken stone pillars, with no one in sight.
Where had she ended up? Was this still the finals?
Vanessa glanced around and saw that the area was surrounded by stone buildings on all sides.
She must have flashed to the center of the castle.
But why was no one fighting in the middle of the castle? Had the battle already ended?
Just as Vanessa was pondering this, her eyes narrowed, and she sidestepped abruptly.
A fireball whizzed past her and exploded behind her.
Then, a massive blade came crashing down from above, aiming straight for Vanessa.
Clang! Clang!
The blade was blocked by her mace. Vanessa suddenly exerted force, pushing her attacker back.
“Tsk!” After landing, the man looked at his bruised knuckles and realized he had miscalculated.
He hadn’t expected this seemingly delicate cherry blossom-haired girl to be so strong, overpowering him so easily.
However, the trial and assessment weren’t just about who was stronger.
Under the moonlight, the man’s pupils gleamed with an oppressive golden light, dazzling and brilliant.
Being stared at by those eyes felt like being locked in the gaze of a giant dragon that had just awakened.
This Soul Armament... it seemed familiar...
Vanessa frowned slightly.
This was no ordinary Soul Armament. She had seen it before.
That’s right, the Wrathful Dragon Knights of Camella’s Palace had used it.
This Soul Armament must be the standard four-star Soul Armament of the Wrathful Dragon Knights of the Kingdom of Camella: Dragon Eyes. It was the same Soul Armament as Mirexia’s.
The fact that he was actually qualified to learn Dragon Eyes indicated that this young man’s magical aptitude and background were extraordinary.
Vanessa swung the mace in her hand. Although her Soul Armament was also a four-star Saint Envoy soul, and her compatibility with it was far higher than his, she didn’t dare to release it in such a competition.
The healing aura of the Saintness was completely different from that of others. The pink holy light was unique, and her identity could be easily exposed.
Especially for a young noble like this, who came from an extraordinary background and had influence in aristocratic circles.
If he were to tell his family about it, the matter would spread immediately, and it was hard to predict what would happen next.
She was still far from being able to protect herself.
As for those other abilities that were more recognizable, they absolutely could not be used.
Once used, it would cause a huge commotion. No matter the outcome, it was something she couldn’t afford.
Therefore, these abilities couldn’t be used in the entrance examination.
They could only be used against those who were destined to die.
Calculated this way, the mana Vanessa could use was almost negligible, leaving her with only her terrifying strength and weapon skills.
In the darkness, the young man’s golden eyes burned with anger. He raised his head and spewed out a burst of flames.
Vanessa’s pupils contracted slightly as she rolled to the side to dodge, but the young man didn’t let up. He continued to hurl fireballs at her.
Explosions erupted around Vanessa as she dodged rapidly, closing the distance between herself and the young man with the dragon pupils.
She leaped up in a half-crouch, swinging her leaf mace with a powerful gust of wind, aiming a heavy blow at the young man’s head.
The young man with dragon pupils reacted quickly. He raised his knife to block, but the sheer force of the mace, combined with the wind pressure, caused his knuckles to burst and bleed, the wound torn open by the violent gust.
“Ugh!” The young man groaned, stumbling back a few steps, blood staining the hilt of his knife.
His hands trembled so badly he could barely hold the weapon.
Vanessa naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
Her opponent had underestimated her speed, thinking he could eliminate her with his magic, and had fought carelessly.
Every mistake on the battlefield could cost a life, and even the smallest flaw could turn the tide of battle.
Vanessa followed up with a whip-like kick aimed at the young man.
Seeing this, the young man with dragon eyes seemed to have a backup plan.
Stone scales appeared on his arms as he raised them to protect his head.
Stone Scale
Bang! The stone scales absorbed the impact of the kick, but they couldn’t fully negate the force behind it.
The young man was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground.
Just as Vanessa was about to rush forward and finish him off, sending him out of the dungeon, a blinding flash of light erupted from the bushes, forcing her to cover her eyes.
Wait, this seems familiar...?
Vanessa shielded her eyes and took a few steps back. She couldn’t help but feel that the blinding light was oddly familiar.
After a moment, it hit her, wasn’t this the Strong Light she had used to blind Aesphyra earlier?
He actually knows the Light Technique? Could it be...?
After a few seconds, Vanessa opened her hazy eyes and vaguely saw a green light falling on the fallen young man, slowly healing his injuries.
The young man recovered slightly and stood up again.
He glanced at the cherry blossom-haired girl, who was still disoriented from the blinding light, and sneered, his eyes widening as he glared at her.
The Power of the Wrathful Dragon
Vanessa froze for a moment. Before she could fully recover from the effects of the Strong Light, her vision darkened.
All she could see was a pair of enormous golden pupils, giant dragon eyes staring straight at her.
Her body felt out of control, paralyzed and unable to move.
“Little girl, you think you’re good at fighting? What’s the point of your strength?” the young man mocked, holding Vanessa in place.
Behind him stood a silent boy holding a wooden stick.
It was he who had cast the Strong Light and Primary Healing Light earlier.
“To get involved in this, you need power, allies, and followers. This isn’t a game you can win with individual skill alone. Do you understand?”
The green light in the boy’s hand faded, and the young man’s previously injured hands were almost fully restored.
He had only been slightly impacted and wasn’t seriously hurt in the first place.
“I’m going to teach you a lesson today. Be more careful next time,” the young man said, his sword blazing with flames as he swung it toward Vanessa.
Vanessa frowned slightly. She wasn’t sure if she could withstand the blow head-on.
In addition to the magical damage, there was also the physical slashing force from the sword, which was clearly no ordinary weapon.
However, Armor Fortress offered almost no physical protection for Vanessa, meaning that if the blade struck a vital area, she would undoubtedly be judged as “dead.”
At that moment, time seemed to slow down. Vanessa watched helplessly as the blade, moving as if in slow motion, descended toward her neck.
But what came first wasn’t the searing heat of the flames, it was a cold, rose-like fragrance, one she recognized.
Then, she felt herself being pulled by the waist, falling into a soft embrace as they soared into the air.
The young man frowned, sensing that something was off.
Why did it feel like he hadn’t hit anything?
But if he hadn’t struck her, why had she disappeared?
“Two against one isn’t fair,” a voice as cold as the moonlight rang out, sending a chill down the young man’s spine.
He looked up and saw a stunning silver-haired girl standing atop a pillar.
In her arms was the cherry blossom-haired girl who should have been eliminated by his strike.
Under the moonlight, the two beautiful girls held each other, creating a scene so picturesque it seemed almost surreal.
Well, it wasn’t exactly mutual. Aesphyra was the one holding the sweet, soft beauty, while the beauty in her arms seemed to be resisting.
“Two against two, that’s fair, isn’t it?”
“Tsk, I didn’t expect reinforcements,” the young man with Dragon Eyes muttered, his frown deepening.
“Sorry, dear, I’m late,” Aesphyra said affectionately, holding Vanessa in her arms right in front of the young man with Dragon Eyes and the young Saint Envoy.
Her beautiful purple eyes, visible through the silver gauze, seemed to shimmer with an almost magical allure.
The young man with Dragon Eyes and the young Saint Envoy stared wide-eyed, shocked by the interaction between the two.
When they noticed the silver-haired girl’s affectionate gaze, overflowing with emotion, they both took a deep breath.
Damn, did we just stumble upon a pair of lovers?
After seeing the way these two girls looked at each other, the young man couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
“...Can you let me go before you talk?” Vanessa asked, her polite smile faltering as she noticed some of Aesphyra’s subtle movements, like leaning in to sniff her scent.
“Huh? But isn’t this nice? There’s nowhere else to stay here,” Aesphyra tilted her head, pretending to be clueless.
“You can put me down on the ground,” Vanessa said firmly, not giving the other girl a chance to play dumb.
“Aw, dear, don’t you want to stay with me a little longer?” Aesphyra pouted but reluctantly followed Vanessa’s request, gently setting her down on the ground.
“Thank you for your help,” Vanessa said, though she still felt Aesphyra’s behavior was a bit too forward.
Still, it was undeniable that Aesphyra had just saved her.
You can’t be too standoffish with someone who just rescued you.
“Thank me? Well, dear, how do you plan to thank me?~” Aesphyra smiled, her gaze playful, like a feather tickling Vanessa’s heart.
Vanessa’s eye twitched slightly.
“Miss, please be mindful of how you address others. Don’t impose inappropriate terms on people.”
“Oh, but Miss, you never told me your name. What else can I do but come up with a nickname?” Aesphyra looked genuinely aggrieved.
“Besides, I just want to get to know you better, miss. What’s wrong with that?”
Vanessa knew full well that the other girl was just putting on an act, pure theatrics.
“This isn’t the time or place for such things.”
“Then let’s find a place to talk about it. Will you tell me your name then, dear?” Aesphyra asked, her face lit up with a smile.
...Why is this heroine so clingy?
“Hey, you two, have you had enough flirting?” The young man, who had been forced to watch this display, couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Are you here for the entrance exam or to flirt? Are you seriously spreading dog food right now?”
“Please don’t say such irresponsible things. Who’s flirting with her?...”
“Mhm~ I’m sorry, sir. When love is deep, you can’t help it. What can you do?” Before Vanessa could finish her explanation, Aesphyra cut in, her face filled with blissful intoxication.
“Miss, please don’t say such strange things. This is the first time we’ve met, and I don’t even know your name. When did we fall so deeply in love?...” Vanessa couldn’t hold back any longer.
She forced a smile, reached out with her delicate hand, and pinched the soft flesh on Aesphyra’s waist, giving it a firm twist.
“Ah~” Aesphyra let out a soul-stirring cry, but there was no pain on her face, only eager anticipation.
“Please, use more force~”
What??
Vanessa was stunned.
The contrast in Aesphyra’s behavior was too extreme.
She could hardly believe that the person in front of her was the destined protagonist, Aesphyra, who had always been a thorn in her side, keeping her on edge and confused.
“...Please act normal. You’re scaring me a little,” Vanessa said, feeling utterly bewildered.
She had never dealt with someone like this before.
“What? I just want to get closer to you, dear~” Aesphyra reached out to brush a strand of Vanessa’s hair.
Before Vanessa could step back, the onlookers had had enough.
“That’s enough, you two!” The young man with Dragon Eyes shouted, his anger boiling over.
“What are you even doing!? There’s a limit to flirting! This is a dungeon assessment, can you take it seriously?”
“You two are acting like we don’t even exist! Do you even see us as people?” the young man shouted.
“Jade, give me a boost! As a true Sigma male, I’ll personally take down these love-struck idiots today!”
Did I offend you? Why are you dragging me into this?
Vanessa felt deeply frustrated. She couldn’t understand why she was being labeled as part of some romantic drama just because of Aesphyra’s antics.
In the blink of an eye, the young man with Dragon Eyes charged forward, his massive blade in hand.
Just as Vanessa was about to react, a flash of sword light intercepted him, slashing his weapon and sending him flying.
“Ahhh! This is unbearable! Hurry up and heal me!” the young man with Dragon Eyes snapped at the young Saint Envoy.
The young Saint Envoy quickly began casting healing magic.
“You two really have no respect for the rules! How dare you team up so openly!” the young man blurted out, speaking without thinking.
“What are you talking about, sir? Don’t try to shift the blame onto us,” Aesphyra said, her previously affectionate eyes now cold and mocking.
With a sweep of her sword, red lotus flames erupted, their terrifying heat distorting the air and engulfing the two young men.
The young man with Dragon Eyes tried to activate Stone Scale, but the tiny stone scales couldn’t withstand the intense flames.
In ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ an instant, the sound of shattering scales echoed, and the two were consumed by the fire.
This was the power of Breaking Shackles-level fire affinity.