Inside the royal viewing box, the atmosphere was regal yet relaxed. The king and queen sat comfortably alongside the first prince, Art, and advisors Lyandra and Amon. Former generals, including Gundrik, were also present, chatting and reminiscing. Only Sunshine and had been invited to join among the active Generals.

"Your Highness, you called for me," Sunshine said, kneeling respectfully with Althea following suit.

"To be exact, only General Sunshine was invited. Why is a Silvercrest here?" Lyandra asked bluntly, her tone as cold and direct as ever.

Althea paled, realizing she had unintentionally followed Sunshine into the viewing box without being invited. She kept her head down, feeling out of place.

The king chuckled warmly. "Hahaha! It’s fine, Lyandra. A member of the Silvercrest is always welcome."

The queen added gently, "Please, be at ease. We also sent someone to call for Eclipse, but it seems she left the throne room earlier."

Althea, relieved by the king and queen’s kindness, spoke up. "Yes, Your Highness. General Eclipse left earlier, but don’t worry. Knowing her, she’s probably watching and monitoring the second trial."

Sunshine, still kneeling, asked, "Your Highness, is there a specific reason you called summoned me?"

The king grinned. "I just wanted you to watch the match with your father. I thought he might enjoy watching it with you."

Gundrik, who had been laughing with the other former generals, was caught off guard. "Arnold! Why are you deciding things without saying anything to me!? Sunshine is a big girl now; she can do whatever she wants! Gahahaha!" he said, addressing the king by his first name, a testament to their close friendship.

Sunshine sighed good-naturedly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I’ll watch the match with my father, then," she said, standing up. Althea followed suit, and the two bowed respectfully before joining Gundrik, who was still laughing heartily.

As Sunshine and Althea settled near Gundrik, the atmosphere in the viewing box remained lively. The king and queen exchanged amused glances, while Lyandra maintained her usual stoic demeanor. For Sunshine, it was a rare moment of family bonding amidst the chaos of her duties as a general. And for Althea, it was a reminder of the warmth and camaraderie that existed even among the most powerful figures in the kingdom.

Inside the Colesseum.

"Everyone! Ahem ahem," Edward, one of the Knight Captains under Sunshine's, began. "The second trial is called the Duel of Wits and Might. You might think this is a simple one-on-one battle, but it’s not. First, let’s change locations." He activated Terrain Shift, a special magic that teleported all participants to an open space near the Aether Mountains.

Edward continued, "This trial will test your physical strength and tactical decision-making. The monsters in the mountains are dangerous, and each one is worth points. The bigger and stronger the monster, the more points you earn. However, knowing when to attack, retreat, or feint will also be judged. A knight’s duty is to know when to fight and when to back down. Now, check the bags you were given earlier."

The participants, including Mixarnt, opened their bags to find magical items like Lightning Scrolls, Fire Scrolls, Support Magic Scrolls, Healing Scrolls, Healing Potions, stamina potions and more. "These items are your resources for the trial, which will last seven days. Those who earn 500 points or more will advance to the third phase. That’s the basic explanation," Edward said, pausing before adding, "Now, here’s the special event: Deep in the mountains, you’ll find one of Aetherlight’s Generals, the Demon Hunter Kalavan. If you encounter him, you can choose to fight him. Don’t worry—the General isn’t allowed to hunt participants. He’s the wild card of this trial. Defeating him will grant you a special reward: a wish from the king and queen. That’s all!"

The participants buzzed with excitement, though some were skeptical. Battling a General seemed impossible, especially since the first trial only required grazing Lancelot once to advance. But the reward—a wish from the king and queen—was too tempting to ignore. For Mixarnt, this was the perfect opportunity. If he could defeat Kalavan, he could make his wish and ensure Moonlight wouldn’t have to leave the guild.

As the 251 participants scattered into the forest, Mixarnt found himself ambushed almost immediately. Five participants attacked him with a barrage of magic arrows, fireballs, thrown daggers, and even poison darts. Mixarnt reacted quickly, leaping high into the air and spinning to increase his momentum, dodging the attacks with precision. The second trial had barely begun, and chaos was already unfolding.

"Some of them are targeting me because I managed to graze Lancelot during the first trial. They know what I can do and won’t let me advance easily. But the time limit is seven days—I have plenty of time to rest. The area is just a normal forest and mountain. There’s no need to hold back!" Mixarnt thought, his expression shifting from a carefree grin to one of sharp focus. He was in serious mode now.

"Mana Wave!" Mixarnt shouted, unleashing 100% of his power. The mana blast erupted from him, hitting the ground with devastating force. The shockwave was immense, catching his attackers and even some nearby participants in its radius. The blast created a massive 50-meter crater, sending debris and dust flying in all directions.

As Mixarnt landed, he breathed heavily, but he wasn’t done yet. "Enigma Enhancement—100%," he muttered, black lightning crackling around his body as he dashed forward, vanishing into the depths of the mountains in an instant.

Back at the ambush site, the attackers were in disarray. Adrian, one of the nobles leading the ambush, clutched his bleeding arm, his face twisted in frustration. "Fuck, we lost him," he growled, glaring at the crater Mixarnt had left behind. He couldn’t believe a commoner had managed to injure him so badly. The initial plan had been for five participants to attack Mixarnt while 40 others waited in hiding to provide backup and tire him out. But Mixarnt’s devastating Mana Wave had left 30 participants unconscious and badly injured, while the remaining 15 were deeply wounded.

Aurelian, another noble, remained calm despite the chaos. He drank a healing potion, his expression thoughtful. "Easy, Adrian. We have seven days. For now, we need to revise our plan and decide if we’ll continue searching for him."

Caelum, the third noble, was the only one unharmed, having protected himself with a barrier spell. "For now, it’s better to gather points," he said calmly, his voice steady. "We can’t afford to waste more resources on Mixarnt right now. Let’s regroup and focus on the trial."

Adrian scowled but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But this isn’t over. That commoner won’t get away with this."

Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, Mixarnt slowed his pace, his Enigma Enhancement fading as he caught his breath. He knew the ambush was just the beginning. The nobles wouldn’t give up so easily, and he had to stay on guard. But for now, he had bought himself some time.

As he moved through the forest, Mixarnt’s mind raced with strategies. He needed to gather points, avoid further ambushes, and, if possible, find the Demon Hunter. Defeating a General was a long shot, but Mixarnt had never been one to back down from a challenge.

As he reached the mountain peak, he reaches for a healing potion, he drank it in one gulp, letting its effects instantly soothe the strain in his muscles. With his body recovering, he lay down on the ground, closing his eyes as he activated his mana cycle, allowing his energy to recharge.

Deep in another mountain,

"Detection magic?" Kalavan muttered, eyeing Rosalind, who stood before him, rapier in hand.

"Yes. My class is 'Searcher,' and this is my special ability," Rosalind replied.

Kalavan smirked. "Are you sure you want to attack me? You're the granddaughter of former General Rosalinda. Out of respect for her, I won’t kill you. But be prepared to get hurt—badly."

With a grin, he casually lifted his massive bastard sword as if it weighed nothing. Dressed in a red hunter’s garb, black pants, combat boots, and a hunter’s cloak, he radiated an intimidating presence. As he stepped forward, his aura grew heavier.

Without hesitation, Rosalind charged at him with her rapier, moving at incredible speed.