Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The black box in front of the green-eyed Harlequin went from acting irregular to becoming an alarm.
Harlequin stared as the crystal embedded in the box changed its colors from green to blue and then red.
Keith's eyes widened. That color should be impossible, especially in the part of the zone assigned for the test.
A second later, the scoreboard flashed a caution sign, signalling that participants had crossed the threshold.
At this time, Harlequin was outside with the box in hand and the scoreboard going into safety mode.
The beautiful woman recognized the pattern between the box and the board as she looked at Dex, who was assigning people in the clearing area into new shacks.
"Get in touch with Leona," she yelled, knowing fully well that whatever was happening out there would either leave multiple lives lost or a familiar going on a rampage.
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The Mag-Titan moved with authority. It's practically impregnable defense gave it a superiority that neither Dean, Astrea, or Astrea's companion hoped to possess.
Dean paid little attention to attacking the Mag-Titan at this point and prioritized figuring out how to find an escape route or stall till assistance came.
The Titan raised its clawed forearm again. The air around began to crackle as a blast of orange light swept the area, as another heat wave scorched the black ground, turning it red-hot to almost molten.
Fortunately, the slime had begun expanding again, even as the volcanic plating it absorbed earlier from the Mag-Titan was put in action.
The slime that moved, created a wall between them and the Titan, it also survived being hit by the forearm
Dean had to admit that if it wasn't for this slime. He would stand absolutely no chance, especially as an Aspirant Tier 10.
The slime again found itself pushed back across the zone by the brute strength of the Titan, accompanied by another crashing sound.
The underlying volcanic plating in its body pulsed with different colors just below its surface. As it took in the damage and redistributed it along its surface using the Armadillo's skill.
Hermit's eyes allowed Dean to pick up the distortion in the verge flow within slime.
The little menace was planning something or was it simply evolving. Either way, Dean had to be on the front foot unless he was willing to lose his life here.
Dean, with his tanto in hand, moved forward to the slime's side.
He was done observing and didn't plan to continue standing behind it like a passenger.
The slime was definitely thinking like him by buying time with those defensive maneuvers and alterations.
Dean planned to do the same.
He came into view from behind the slime and moved forward like he was prepared to engage. The Titan shifted its attention toward Dean now.
Raising its massive hand again, Dean read through its motions easily with hermit's eyes and moved out of the way. After all, this creature was tough but definitely lacked speed.
The Titan's hands descended towards where Dean was. Causing the ground to crack as lines ran across the black surface of the rock.
Dean was re-positioning when he muttered.
"Night Domain."
Using channeling and drawing from the slime, Dean's eyes flashed menacingly as a wave of darkness burst forward in a single direction towards the Titan's face.
Dean knew it wouldn't blind something at Ascended class for long, but it was to buy time, no matter how little.
"Combo," he said again.
The wind sprite that stayed back immediately flew higher and and released a burst of slightly concussive wind at the forearm of the Titan where Astrea's blood spear had hit earlier.
The impact left little to no effect other than a two inches shift in the resting position of the hand.
'That's something, right?' Dean thought.
Swoosh
Dean barely blinked when a massive red spear, like a bolt of lightning, flew past him.
The blood orb that was forming in Astrea's hand had been condensed and released as this projectile.
The spear moved through the air and pierced into the ground beneath the Titan's front foot.
The ground cracked as it glowed red before exploding into debris, causing the foot to sink.
The brief moment of blindness from the night domain skill and the destroyed ground prevented the Titan from gaining immediate stability.
Taking advantage of this, Astrea released another condensed spear of blood that actually missed the mark this time.
Dean had barely managed to sidestep the spear that went off the mark. For a moment he thought the vampire girl was trying to kill him.
But he could hear the visible frustration in Astrea's tone as she clicked her tongue again.
"Stupid," she murmured while still gripping hard on her umbrella, as the other vampire companion massaged her shoulders softly from behind.
'This rich folks,' Dean thought.
The vampire girl didn't have the best aim, but Dean recognized the fact, that without words, they could still coordinate.
In a matter of seconds, the disoriented Mag-Titan began asserting itself again.
This was its domain, and it wasn't afraid to show it.
The blindness had faded as it moved forward, causing tremors that shifted the terrain, releasing groans as massive debris flew up towards Dean, Astrea and their companions.
The slime shot forward again like a beam. Its body humming as its gelatinous form morphed into hard, bone like plates with orange veins stretching around it.
It mounted in front of Dean as an oval shield. Dean placed a hand behind it and held his ground.
Astrea and her companion, including the wind sprite, moved behind Dean in a straight line, covered by the shield formed from the slime.
The debris and shockwave were blocked by the body of the slime. The volcanic plating held up, but what intrigued Dean was the two colors and lines of verge inside the slime that were mixing together.
'i need to buy more time,' he thought.
With the tremors settling down. Dean pulled the familiar back as he stepped in front of all of them again with his tanto forward.
He knew that this wouldn't do much, but he needed to buy time, and there was no other way.
The approaching Titan looked at him with deep, hollow eyes.
Dean looked back but didn't flinch. He held his nerves between gritted teeth.
"Come on, then," he said with shaky resolve.
Astrea seeing this, took a deep breath as her eyes began glowing as a crimson arcane circle materialized below her feet.
The Titan's forearm rose again as streams of heat built up around its body in preparation for an explosion.
But before any of them could finish their preparations. A shadow was cast over everything.
The massive shape of a dragon covered the land above the restricted zone.
And immediately after, the crimson-winged menace descended like a missile, pushing the air downward as a figure suddenly appeared floating above the Titan.
Slashing sounds echoed, and right between the defensive plates of the Titan. Blood poured out like a stream.
The twin blades in Leona's grip tore through the Titan's neck as she moved like a spinning saw.
The Red Saint spun through the air as she came down, slashing through the legs of the Titan in a single fluid motion.
The motion was so fast, it was only after she landed like a feather was hermit's eyes able to fully recognize her.
Even as Leona walked forward elegantly, the Mag-Titan growled in pain. Struggling to hold its body in place with just three limbs.
At the moment, Rhaeys hit the dark rocky ground that groaned as its tail swept through the air, swatting the titan away through several rock formations.
Leona stood and looked at Dean
Then at the slime
Then at Astrea.
Her face didn't carry any particular expression, but she looked satisfied and intrigued.
"Go," she gestured. And turned toward the Titan that was struggling to get back up.
Instantly she was gone again, moving as if the space between her and the Titan was a step away.
With movements as fluid as water, her gray blades dissected the spaces between the Titan's plates, leaving the struggling Titan in a river of its own blood as steam curled from its body.
The Titan dropped withthe engagement lasting little more than 2 minutes.
Dean stood with tanto still raised, then he lowered the tanto slowly.
Astrea's verge pressure had lowered as well, the circle underneath her disappeared as she balanced her umbrella.
Leona stood over the Mag-Titan until the flux cores emerged from the creature.
Then she turned. Her red eyes found Dean first.
And immediately, he became even more aware that he was standing on restricted grounds.
Hermit's eyes were now deactivated as the slime finally returned to its base size and landed on his shoulder with a faint glow underneath its surface.
A system notification appeared next to him, but Dean didn't look, his focus was still on Leona.
The tension between them broke as Harlequin's voice crackled through the communication device attached to Rhaeys.
"All participants withdraw. Trial concluded. All participants withdraw immediately."
Astrea glanced between Dean and Leona before turning.
"The trial is over, Mr.Liar," she said.
It was only after her statement that Dean's expression changed.
He raised an eyebrow and with a smug smile.
"You're the only one saying it."
Astrea didn't turn back. Trying to ignore him as a smile curled on her rosy red lips.
He watched Leona sheathe both blades in one motion. Before he bow and turned away towards the threshold his eyes moving towards the screens in front of him.
Behind him, Leona still watched, saying nothing, before a smile appeared on her face as Rhaeys tapped her side with his tail.
Attached to the post is an illustration of a Mag-Titan.