Back at the students' dorms…

Azar meditated quietly as he reviewed everything he knew about the

Magi.

This was a world of mana and magic.

On one side were the dangerous monsters that appeared from an unknown dimensional plane. They were the bane of Magi, creatures that devoured magic and possessed strange abilities capable of suppressing or killing Magi.

On the other side were the Magi themselves—magic users whose bodies were enhanced by mana itself.

According to the books, at a particular realm, once a person could create a magical domain, their body would also become extraordinarily powerful, allowing them to pursue the path of a physical Magi as well.

But all of that was still too far away for Azar.

Right now, he only wanted to break through to Tier 3.

After learning how to draw in mana, one could apply to the academy. Depending on the strength of their mana resonance, they would either enter the normal magi class or the elite magi class.

The known Magi power system was divided into tiers.

Tier 1 was the stage of basic mana usage—the point where one could proudly say, "I possess magic."

Tier 2 was when one began properly using spells, gaining a basic mastery over magic.

Tier 3 was the stage where one advanced into intermediate spells.

For the first three tiers, all Magi were required to chant the spells they wished to cast. A slight mispronunciation could weaken the spell or even cause the magic nodes to collapse entirely.

From Tier 4 to Tier 6, a Magi would progress from intermediate spells to advanced spells. Starting from Tier 4, chanting was no longer necessary, allowing spells to be cast silently.

Tier 7 was a terrifying realm where spells could be cast almost instantaneously. At this stage, one could use forbidden-level spells capable of destroying cities, kingdoms, and more.

A Tier 7 Magi was considered a true powerhouse of the world, and only a few existed across all the continents.

Lastly came Tier 8.

At this realm, one became a taboo existence.

The known number of Tier 8 Magi could be counted on two hands, and most of them were ancestors of great Magi families or members of the royal family of Continent A.

These beings possessed incredibly long lifespans, and generations could pass without ordinary people ever seeing them.

They no longer merely studied instant spell casting but instead sought to transcend their mortal bodies and comprehend dimensional laws.

As for Azar, he was currently at the peak of Tier 2.

He was only one step away from becoming a Tier 3 Magi.

As long as he survived the upcoming trial and experienced enough life-and-death pressure, he believed he would successfully break through.

Even now, he could already understand intermediate spells.

The only drawback was that he lacked the mana reserves of a true Tier 3 Magi. If he attempted to cast an intermediate spell now, he would enter mana overdrive and suffer severe injuries.

"I wonder what the new trial will be…" Azar muttered as he remembered Teacher Tofan's warning.

This year's trial would be far more dangerous than the previous ones.

Of course, Azar was not foolish.

He knew something must have happened for the academy to suddenly increase the trial's difficulty.

But guessing would not help him.

Only sufficient strength would allow him to uncover the truth.

So Azar returned to meditation, trying to keep his mental state at its peak.

Mana gathered around him, flowing through his body as it formed magic nodes that strengthened his concentration and protected his mind from external interference.

---

Very soon, the days passed, and the day of the trial finally arrived.

Everyone had been waiting for it.

Discussions spread throughout Magi society, and even ordinary humans were aware of the upcoming examination.

This trial would determine the future of the younger generation.

At the same time, it carried the risk of death.

In previous years, deaths during the trial had been rare. But due to the increased difficulty this year, many believed the death rate would rise drastically.

Inside the academy…

Azar, Veya, and the rest of the students gathered around Teacher Tofan as he cast a teleportation spell.

The students—around one hundred in total vanished instantly.

The next moment, they appeared at the site of the trial examination.

"This is as far as I can accompany you," Tofan said calmly.

"Of course, all of you will be livestreamed for the public to watch. Unless a large-scale disaster occurs, neither I nor the other teachers will interfere. From this point onward, you are on your own."

As he explained, the teachers and students from the academy's other four branches also arrived.

Now, at the edge of the massive island, only the teachers and the five hundred students remained.

"Good luck," Teacher Tofan said before disappearing alongside the other teachers.

And with that, not only did the trial begin...but the livestream began as well.

"Welcome, everyone, to another trial of our young talented Magi!" a lively voice echoed across countless screens.

"Most people already know how the trial works, but for the newer generation watching today, I will still give a brief explanation!"

The voice belonged to an Arcane Commentator.

Not only was the academy broadcasting the event, but many Magi organizations across Continent C were also watching.

Even ordinary citizens had tuned in to witness the future elites of humanity.

"They have a week to finish the trial, but completing it early is considered commendable. Now, what is considered passing? If a candidate wishes to pass early, they must defeat one of the twenty powerful monsters within this trial. These monsters grant a huge amount of points, but their strength is terrifying as well. High risk, high reward," the commentator paused briefly before continuing.

"As for the others, you need to obtain 1,000 contribution points to be considered successful. A Tier 1 monster grants ten points, while a Tier 2 monster grants fifty points. But among the twenty monsters with terrifying strength, each one grants 1,000 points."

"So, with all that said and done, welcome to the 600th Academy Trial. Please buckle up."

The arcane commentator stopped speaking as the candidates finally appeared on screen.

The screen split into two sections.

One side displayed the leaderboard and contribution points.

The other side showed about twenty students at a time, introducing them alongside their families.

Back at home, their loved ones cheered for them while praying for their safety. In the previous trial, there had been no deaths, and the people were grateful for that. Although unrealistic, many still hoped this trial would end the same way.

Soon, the students began forming groups.

If they worked together to kill a monster, the points would be shared based on the amount of damage and contribution each person made. However, individual achievements still granted personal points.

One reason they formed groups was for safety.

After all, these monsters devoured magic, meaning a Magi's mana reserve could quickly run dry, creating a dangerous situation. Only by relying on others could they safely recover, and like that, a symbiotic relationship naturally formed among the candidates.

And so, the five hundred students marched into the massive island crawling with magical beasts.

At the same time, this exact trial was occurring across all ten continents simultaneously.

Azar was one of the most promising candidates, so many people wanted to join his team. He politely declined most of them and selected only a few whom he believed would be truly useful.

That group included Veya.

Although he initially wanted to reject her, she had mastered a particular spell that was almost impossible to learn unless one had already reached Tier 3.

A mana recovery spell.

But that was not all.

Teacher Tofan had once said she was blessed, for she possessed several rare support spells, ranging from enhancing spell damage to weakening mana-devouring beasts.

Veya had been heavily sought after by many groups, but she was only interested in joining Azar's team.

In that regard, Azar was both lucky and unlucky.

"Alright, let's finish this trial as quickly as possible. We're heading toward the deepest part of the island to hunt one of the twenty beasts," Azar stated calmly as the others nodded.

Their team was strong enough.

Everyone present was a peak Tier 2 Magi, while Veya could heal, buff their strength, and recover their mana reserves.

Victory seemed guaranteed.

Or so they thought.

---

Deep within the island…

A man wearing a red hoodie sat atop a massive branch while casually eating fruits as he observed a gigantic man-eating tree nearby.

Suddenly, he smiled.

"Our prey is here," the man laughed softly.

At the same moment, the tree's countless eyes snapped open wide as its roots began writhing violently across the ground.