Chapter 143: The Speed Trial
The five participants all shook their heads. The spectators moved to the side, and the five contestants chose their paths by drawing lots.
After each of them had taken their place, they began to focus their attention, staring straight ahead and waiting for Noah's signal.
"On your marks... get set... GO!"
At Noah's command, all five of them shot forward, running down their respective paths with all their might.
My Requip Magic isn't working?
The moment she stepped onto the path, Erza, who had intended to change into more suitable armor, found that she couldn't use her magic.
Mirajane and Sorano, who were on the adjacent paths, had the same idea. Mirajane's Satan Soul gave her the ability to fly, and Sorano had a corresponding angel that could help her fly. They had both tried to cast their magic the moment they started, only to find it was sealed.
Is magic prohibited here?
The five of them, all familiar with Noah, immediately knew this was one of his obstacles. They focused even more, running forward while staying alert for a sudden attack.
Suddenly, from the forest ahead, several daggers made of ice shot out from each path, flying towards the five contestants. With their magic sealed, they could only rely on their physical abilities—jumping, dodging, or rolling—to avoid the incoming projectiles, all while trying not to slow down too much.
The moment they dodged the first volley, a second and third came right after. The daggers were all flying a certain distance off the ground; they could have been completely avoided by dropping flat, but all five of them were confident and wanted to win. They each displayed their powerful bodies and agile skills, continuously evading the assault.
After five rounds of attacks, they finally emerged from the magic-sealing zone.
The other four were unharmed, having only expended a good deal of stamina and concentration. Simon, however, due to his larger build, was unable to completely dodge the final volley. He had blocked one with his arm, and a cut was now bleeding on his forearm.
"Brother!" Kagura cried out from the spectator area.
Hearing her, Simon waved back without looking and continued to press forward. Kagura could only watch his retreating back with a worried expression.
After leaving the anti-magic zone, the five of them found they could use their magic again and immediately cast their spells.
"Requip: Flight Armor!"
"Full-body Take Over: Satan Soul!"
"Flying Angel!"
"Ice-Make: Floor!"
Erza, Mirajane, and Sorano, now all capable of flight, shot forward and disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye. Lyon created a path of ice and began to skate forward, his speed not slow at all.
Only Simon's Darkness Magic had no method for high-speed movement. Creating a pair of wings would consume too much magic, so he could only rely on his own two feet to run forward.
Seeing the three girls enter the forest, Noah waved his right hand, and five images appeared in the air, showing a top-down view of each participant and their surroundings.
They hadn't gotten far into the forest when their bodies suddenly dropped, nearly causing them to crash to the ground. Thankfully, all three reacted quickly and managed to stabilize themselves just a second before impact.
This is Noah's Gravity Magic.
The three of them immediately recognized the spell Noah often used in their training, and it seemed to be a uniform field of gravity.
Erza and Mirajane, having the strongest physiques, were in the best condition and their expressions didn't change much. Sorano, however, was having a much harder time. It was clear that she was struggling under the pressure, and her brow was furrowed.
Lyon, who had just entered the forest, also felt his body sink, but he was in better shape than Sorano. He just tensed for a moment and then continued on.
!!!
Just as she had stabilized herself, Erza felt a rapid gathering of magic power below her. She quickly dodged to the side. An instant later, a pillar of fire erupted from the ground where she had been. It was clear a direct hit would not have been pleasant.
A trap?
After dodging, Erza carefully observed the path ahead, then flew towards the left front. After a certain distance, she changed direction and flew to the right.
Mirajane saw Erza's cautiousness, just smiled and shook her head, and then suddenly accelerated, flying straight forward. But she hadn't gotten far before she felt an electric current shoot up from her feet to her head, and an immense sense of danger washed over her. She immediately did a flip, dodging sharply to the side.
The next moment, a thick pillar of lightning shot up from the ground with astonishing power. If she hadn't dodged, she would have been hit and likely knocked unconscious, losing her right to continue. Even if she wasn't knocked out, she would have been severely injured, which would have made the rest of the path incredibly difficult.
A cold sweat broke out on Mirajane's back. She no longer dared to underestimate the traps and obediently began to follow Erza's example, carefully trying to spot the traps and always being ready to dodge.
Sorano and Lyon, seeing what had happened to Mirajane, quickly abandoned their plans to rush forward and also began to carefully observe the path, trying to avoid the traps. When they encountered one they couldn't avoid, they would either dodge or defend with their own magic.
Simon, who was the last to enter, saw the four in front of him proceeding with caution. He wasn't reckless and followed their lead, carefully watching the road. He too discovered the traps and understood why the others were being so slow. His own physical condition was excellent, and the Gravity Magic didn't affect him much. He soon caught up to the other four and followed behind them.
The five of them advanced cautiously, continuously avoiding traps. Mirajane, having the shortest temper, was cursing the person who set the traps as she dodged.
The guild members at the starting point all looked at Noah. Through his magic, they could not only see the participants but also hear them. Naturally, they could hear Mirajane's cursing. A dark look crossed Noah's face as he thought about scheduling a "private training session" for her later to let her know the consequences of cursing him.
But he couldn't really blame her. The traps he had set were incredibly varied, using all sorts of elements, and there were even chain traps. Just now, Mirajane had dodged one trap, only for several more to be triggered right next to her. If she hadn't reacted quickly, she would have been strung up by countless branches that shot up from the ground.
And it wasn't just traps. As they got further in, they were also assaulted by various attacks: light bullets, ice lances, tree whips, rock spears, lightning bolts... the combination of diverse attacks and the traps on the ground had them completely flustered.
Finally, by using her various armors to deal with the different situations, Erza was the first to break through the trap zone. By this point, however, she had already expended a great deal of her stamina and magic power.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn