"We are not fighting physically but mentally, our conscious is many times faster than our physical body that is why she fought for an hour inside the crystal but outside barely five minutes had passed." silent Reina explained in her melodic voice.
So that’s how it is! Its such a simple thing, how can I not thought it through.
"I’ll go next!" said Ben, we all nodded. Ben quickly walk up to the door scanned his batch and entered inside.
"So, how was the challenge?" I asked Sophia and everyone perked up their ears to listen to what she had experienced in the challenge.
"Well, my first opponent was human, very strong and skilled. It took me about an hour defeat and as for my second opponent, it was the monster and I got defeated in a single move, it just whipped me with its tail and I lost," she said in a sad voice.
"You are no even able to last one move?" Asked Emma incredulously, though Sophia may be a little weaker than other team members, she is not that weaker especially when it comes to defense even without her sister.
Her not lasting even a single move against 2nd challenge means I will not have much chance beating the 2nd challenge at all.
I felt a little disappointed as I am holding on hope that if I was able to use my all, including my trump card, I will have a chance to beat the 2nd but looked like I’ve way too underestimated the 2nd challenge.
Though I got a little disappointed, I got over and now filled with even more vigor, now I want to experience how strong this 2nd challenge is.
"How much time do you think ben going to last?" Richie asked Sophia as she is the only person who experienced the Guild’s challenge among us and knew how strong the challenge is.
"Ben is stronger than me, he should be able to exchange a few more moves with his 2nd opponent but not more than ten, so I think he will last between five to six minutes," Sophia replied.
Time passed by as we waited for Ben to come out and he came out between the time Sophia predicted, 5 minuits and thirty-two seconds.
"How was it?" we asked, "Just as Sophia said the 2nd challenge is very difficult, I was only able to exchange a couple of moves with it," Ben said with a little sad face.
"What opponents did you face?" asked Richie, " My first opponent was the Grimm race monster and second was an android," Ben replied.
"I’ll go now," I said and no one objected, I was planning to go last but hearing what Ben said, I couldn’t control myself.
I scanned my Guild batch to the door and entered inside, it is a small room white room of about 2 square meters and the center of it lay a fist-size purple crystal.
So this is the conscience crystal, I said in my mind as I looked at purple crystal in the center of the room.
I sat on the floor and concentrated all my mental energy on the purple crystal, The first few seconds I didnt feel anything but after that, I started to fell a little drowsy and found my consciousness slipping away bit by bit till I fell unconscious.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing around in extremely picturesque scenery. There hundreds of snow mountains around as I found myself standing on the large fighting arena which is situated top of the snow mountain.
I could even feel the wind and chill against my body. This manifestation is too real, If I hadn’t known it is all fake, I would have considered this all real.
My first opponent is human, she looked a year younger than me with pretty features. She is wearing a black suit and a white spear in hand. As for what stage she is at, I wasn’t able to sense it.
’Challenge Will Start In Three Second!’ said a monotone voice, as the countdown of three had appeared in front of me.
Hearing that I got ready holding as my red sword somehow appeared in my hands and power of Sunfire started coursing through my veins, just like the reality.
’Battle!’
Said monotonous voice, hearing that, I ran toward my opponent as he ran toward me.
As we got closer, I swung my sword at her as she whipped her spear at me.
Clank!
Out weapons clashed and I am very surprised to find that immense shock traveling inside me that that I had to take two steps back. The strength of her attack is very strong, she is stronger than the Elite Major stage Grimm race monsters, I’ve fought today.
Defeating her with the power of Sunfire alone would be extremely hard but I am willing to try.
Clank!
Just as I stabilized my footing, her spear came at me like a snake but unlike last time I am completely prepared to deal with her strength, so this time when our weapons clashed, I did not take a step back just endured the immense shock.
Clank Clank Clank....
Our weapons kept clashing against each other and with each clash, I kept getting a better understanding of her strength and fighting style.
The more I fought, the more I understood and started to gain the upper hand on her little by little. I could have finished this battle early if I wanted to if I had used the Killing Rule but I felt there is no need for that as I am confident that I could win using the power of Sunfire only.
There is also a second reason which is that I want to polish my moves, I want to refine them more and I will only able to that when I fight the numerous opponents of different fighting styles.
As the more time passed, I got quite an upper hand in a battle that she had to take a step back to deal with every move I make.
Puchi!
I pierced the heart of the girl after fighting her for ten more minuits, with my sword in her chest, the cracks started to appear on her body and she started like glass before disappearing to nothing.
What a fruitful fight! I thought, fighting that girl had taught me many things and made me know too many flaws that I have in my fighting style.
Soon my send opponent started to materialized and when I thought what it is I turned extremely happy.
’What a fucking good look I have!’ I whispered as I looked at the opponent in front of me.
My opponent is a Grimm race monster and it is from Wolfman tribe if it was a normal werewolf I would not have been happy but what is front of me is a member of the Special wolfman tribe.
Compare to brown and Grey fur that normal wolfmen tribe members have, this one’s fur is completely snow white, it is likely from snow wolfman tribe which have mastery over ice powers.
The Special Grimm race is very very powerful from the normal Grimm race tribe as they have inherent mastery over the power which’s might said to be comparable to rule powers.
Other’s going be very jealous when they know I had fought with the Special Grimm race monster as they are seldom found in the outposts.
This snow werewolf is the smallest, I have ever fought and seem quite young not like others I fought which are adults.
’Challenge Will Start In Three Second!’
I would have like to observe this snow werewolf more but unfortunately, the countdown started.
Seeing the countdown, I not only activated my Sunfire Rule but also activated my killing Rule because I want to give my all fighting this snow werewolf.
As for others knowing about my killing Rule, I am not worried as I had read that no one could snoop on these crystals except for knowing if I win or lose the challenge and it is likely to be true as if it is known that S Class guild spy on their member’s then it will become a laughingstock among all the Guilds which would be akin to suicide for it.
’Battle!’
Said monotonous voice and that exact movement we both moved but I am shocked to find that Snow werewolf’s speed at least four times stronger than as it swiftly appeared in front of me and its ax cleaved at me.
It was a good thing, I had activated the Killing rule. If it had been only Sunfire rule, I wouldn’t be able to react to such speed.
CLANK! Puh Puh Puh.....
Our weapons clashed and I flew back like a rocket while immense Icy force traveled in my body, freezing it but injuring at the same time and that is why blood I had puked has some icy crystal in it.
I would have vomited frozen blood crystals instead of Blood with icy blood crystals if not for Sunfire which reacted quickly as started to vaporize that icy force.
Thud!
I stabilized myself in mid-air and landed on floor but just as I did that I found ax coming at me that I hastily put up my sword to defend.
CLANK! Puh Puh...
I again flew away but this time having experience and quickly stabilized myself but like last time Axe of snow wolf have appeared in front of me.
CLANK CLANK CLANK CKLAK......
Ten times, twenty times, thirty times, forty times, fifty times... I cashed with snow werewolf more than fifty times and every time I flew back like a rocket, barely able to put defenses.
If not for this arena is very large, I would have clashed against the boundary.
This time, I am again flying back like a rocket but this time my condition is very different as this time I am completely frozen by an icy force that even my Sunfire is having a hard time melt it.
Crash!
I crashed on the floor due to my body completely frozen and like aways, the wolf had appeared in front of me and hacked his ax at me, I wanted to defend but I can’t due to my inability to move.
Seein the ax coming toward me that is going to decapitate me, I am not angry, disappointed or sad instead I am extremely happy.
Not only I’ve come to know the might of the 2nd challenge but I also get to fight the special Grimm race monsters which are known to be extremely powerful.
With such experience, if I ever come across the special Grimm race monster, I will not be completely clueless and will know what to do against it.
The ax finally come close to me and touched my neck, for a brief moment, I felt extreme pain before completely losing consciousness.