Arthur pushed through the gathered crowd, breathless, and made a beeline for the check-in desk.

  “Arthur, from Twileaf,” he said, panting as he handed over the application form.

  The guard looked over the paper, then barked, “You’ve arrived just in time, boy!” He marked something on a scroll. “Fifteen minutes before the trial starts. Take this to identify yourself.”

  He slammed a badge on the desk. It read: Participant.

  Arthur picked it up and exhaled heavily. “Phew... that was close.”

  He looked around the hall—trying to get a feel for the competition. And he didn’t like what he saw.

  Several participants were casually flaunting their magic—summoning flames, levitating objects, casting illusions—clearly trying to intimidate others.

  Arthur gulped as his eyes locked onto one particular figure.

  A boy—around seventeen—stood near the corner of the hall, surrounded by others who looked just as confident. But he was the biggest of them all. Broad-shouldered, gruff-faced, and wearing a crooked grin aimed straight at Arthur.

  Arthur’s heart sank.

  “What the hell is he doing here…”

  He slowly made his way through the hall, and people instinctively stepped aside.

  “Woah… isn’t that Luke?”

  “The talented one from Twileaf? With his whole guild?”

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  “Why are they here? This is just the preliminary…”

  Whispers spread like wildfire as heads turned, eyes following the group. The buzz of gossip filled the air, thick with curiosity and unease.

  "Well, well, well… look who it is! The useless one!” Luke bellowed, his voice echoing through the hall.

  Laughter erupted around him as his guild members joined in, jeering with mock applause.

  Luke turned to the rest of the hall, arms outstretched like he was on stage.

  “Everyone! Good news—you’ve got one less participant to worry about!” he shouted.

  “Why, you ask?” He pointed at Arthur, grinning wide.

  “Because this idiot right here has no magical attribute!”

  More laughter. A few nervous chuckles from the crowd. Arthur clenched his fists.

  That’s enough, Luke!” Arthur called out, his voice trembling but firm.

  The hall fell silent.

  No one had ever dared to question Luke before.

  At just seventeen, he was one of the most talented—and feared—guild masters in the entire province. His low epic Fire attribute made him practically untouchable, unless other guild masters intervened. To put it simply: one strike from Luke wouldn’t leave a single bone in Arthur’s body.

  Luke’s grin vanished. His eyes darkened as he bellowed, “What did you say, monkey?”

  Before Arthur could react, Luke threw a brutal punch.

  Arthur barely dodged—Luke’s fist smashed into the wall, sending a shockwave that made the entire town hall tremble.

  “One punch did this?” gasps echoed around. The crowd stared in stunned silence, awed and terrified by the sheer power of the guild master.

  Arthur hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. Memories of childhood—the bruises, the taunts, Luke’s relentless bullying—flashed through his mind like lightning. At that monment guards rushed in, followed by the town elder.

  “Master Luke, we kindly request you not cause any havoc,” Elder Schwang said, bowing respectfully.

  Luke smirked, spitting on the ground.

  “Elder Schwang. Nice to see you. I was just checking on an old friend. I’ll be gone now.”

  He fixed Arthur with a cold, lethal stare—pure kill intent burning in his eyes. He and his guild members turned and strode out, their footsteps heavy and deliberate. The chatter slowly died down, leaving a thick silence in their wake.

  Arthur slowly got to his feet and slumped into a quiet corner of the hall. He stared ahead, replaying the brutal encounter over and over in his mind, the weight of it pressing down on him like a stone.

  But one thing was clear—Arthur felt it deep in his bones. Every pair of eyes in the hall was now fixed on him like he was easy prey.

  WOAH — ARTHUR WAS ALMOST CRUSHED INTO SMITHERINS!

  STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TRIAL...

  BUT ONE THING’S CLEAR: HE’S DEFINITELY NOT IN A GOOD SPOT.

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