"Team A, commencing the plan!""Lumos!"
The first team (Team A) comprised of over 30 students. Those 30 students are all equipped with at least high athletic capability. And exactly as planned, the examinees were able to lead a large number of cyclops into the dead end.
Team B, on the other hand, consisted of fifteen students that followed the monsters stealthily. These fifteen students have a high affiliation with fire and earth.
They were tasked to wait until the perfect timing so they could trap the cyclops into the dead-end; and once they are contained, both teams could commence the next phase: kill as much as possible until Team C gives the signal that indicates they have solved the riddle and found the exit.
It was a simple plan, but carrying the strategy yo action is another thing. Everything should be done without fail, or else the efforts they had exerted would be for naught. Team A should lead all the possible monsters, conjuring Lumos in every possible place, whilst Team B should successfully create a barrier that would entrap the monsters caught.
And Team C . . . should be smart enough to decipher the riddles!
When the door first opened, Team A was swift to move. They stormed to take the lead, meeting the monsters head-on. The cyclops started to appear in h.o.a.rds. And as they predicted, they came from the North. East, and West. The first team went on ahead, gathering as much monster they could whilst Team B trailed behind. Team C went to higher grounds to get a better view of the whole vicinity and lower visibility to the cyclops.
And when Faustina thought was going well . . .
A cyclops unleashed a loud roar; its howl a cacophonous sound that evoked the deepest fears in Faustina. Of course, it won"t go that easy. Something should be bound to happen, sooner or later. Faustina held the wood of her staff firmly. That"s right. She shouldn"t be swayed by the likes of artificial monsters. She had seen a real monster. Real evil.
This should be nothing!
Faustina blinked. Offensive?! With only ten of them?!
Claire thumped her staff to the ground three times.
"Ventus excuare vade!" Claire pointed her staff as a magic hex formed.
"Wind slash!" Claire exclaimed. A magic hex transpired, which released a wind in the shape of a sharp curve. The wind quickly manifested and then swung towards the cyclops.
"GWAAHHHH!"
The cyclops let out an outcry; Claire"s spell made a cut into the cyclops" belly. Faustina gritted her teeth as she stared at the wound the spell had inflicted. That did not do any damage!
The cyclops howled and swept his morning star towards the students. The scar made by the wind slash looked like a simple paper cut, yet in closer inspection, it did cut deep!
But not deep enough.
"JUMP!"
The cyclops" weapon and its spikes landed towards the ground, marking down a spherical crash into the cobblestone.
"Ventus . . . Frustum!" Claire exclaimed, "wind slice!"
Multiple, small magical hexes appeared and surrounded the cyclops. The magical circles all unleashed dagger-shaped winds. Faustina blinked. How can wind take SHAPE?
The wind sliced the monster, resulting in it to collapse.
"Amazing . . ." Faustina muttered.
"IT"S NOT OVER YET!"
More cyclops came towards Faustina and her team. And they kept on coming.
Faustina"s eyes widened as she realized that they were in varying sizes. Smaller cyclops twice her height and larger ones appeared, peering into the buildings, walking slowly as they dragged their clubs and weapons. Faustina held her staff tight. Did the plan fail? Were the team unable to contain them?
Or . . .
Before Faustina could even finish her train of thoughts, one of the cyclops began to advance towards her. And not just her; the monsters have already begun to attack the examinees with their morning stars.
Faustina was able to dodge the attacks, but she—at some point—had to use magic. Faustina thinned her lips. She"d never used magic before, much less in battle. Faustina tightened her grip around the wood.
"Adolebitque!"
"Ignis . . . VULNUS!!!"
"Rigésc.u.n.t!"
"Repellere!"
Faustina was able to parry the cyclops" attacks as she jumps and ducks with the swings of its weapon. Faustina knew one the cyclops catches up to her, she wouldn"t be able to build momentum. The impact would be too much for her.
This is why she should use magic.
But her trembling hands were stopping her. She was holding her staff firmly—almost too tightly that her palms had gone red and numb. But Faustina could feel her fingers fidgeting as her tremulous body dodged the attacks. The examinees were already firing up their defensive spells.
Faustina knows that perhaps the instructors were watching them. She was smart enough to know they were being observed and graded for every decision they make.
Her very being was screaming for her to do something. To conjure a spell. It was simple. All she had to do is to focus on her target and let the medium of magic convert her mana to an elemental matter.
Just the language of Mystisch and she will probably be able to escape the monster.
"You have tremendous mana, Faustina!"
"Your mana is sealed; some of it has leaked out, and that leak just strengthens the fact that you hold a significant amount of potential. You might even be bigger than how Eulalia Fortunatorum had ever been!"
Move!
Faustina"s staff slowly began to set alight; the gem on top emanated a cyan beam. Both Anakin Disfiegro and the other students can"t help but notice the glow of Faustina"s odd-looking staff despite them being busy in their own battles.
The small gaps in the wood of Faustina"s staff filled with a cyan glow. Turquoise-colored static electricity emanated from the peak of her gem, which she slowly pointed to the monster.
She had to fight. She had to believe that she could use magic. She had to accept the fact that Eula lied!
Faustina gritted her teeth and then swung her staff into the three cyclops impending to attack her.
"VORAGINE GURGES AQUARUM!" Faustina thumped the hilt of her staff to the floor.
"WATER . . . WHIRLPOOL!"