A heavy silence settled between the trees, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
The air around Nyx began to twist unnaturally—tiny spirals forming, faint disturbances in the mana, and a subtle vibration spreading through his immediate surroundings.
The Stone-Gorlatsh stood only a few steps away, ready to lunge.
Its maw widened further, revealing razor-sharp stone teeth. The creature sensed danger—yet could not understand its source.
Nyx remained still, even with blood trailing down his chin.
His eyes gleamed with a strange color—one that didn't belong to any known element.
He slowly raised his hand.
The mana around him recoiled, pulling back as if something were swallowing it whole.
"…Void."
The word left his lips quietly, but it was enough to change everything.
A faint black glow traced along his arm—not a shadow, but an extension of something indescribable.
And suddenly… the sound diminished.
All sound.
The wind vanished.
Leaves froze mid-flutter.
Even the air around the Gorlatsh stiffened for a heartbeat.
Then—
BOOM!
A burst of invisible pressure erupted from Nyx—not like wind, but like space itself expanding outward.
The Gorlatsh was thrown back with unexpected force, stumbling as its massive weight cracked the soil beneath it.
Nyx opened his eyes fully, dark swirling currents twisting around his right hand.
"This… is heavier than I thought…" he murmured through clenched teeth.
Using the Void wasn't easy—it felt as if his entire body were being pulled inward, as if the mana inside him resisted being reshaped this way.
But he had no other path forward.
The monster roared, shaking the surrounding forest, then charged—far faster than its size should allow.
Its yellow eyes burned with rage… and a hint of fear.
Nyx lifted his hand and dragged his fingers through the air.
A thin line appeared.
Black.
Straight.
Just a line.
But the moment the Gorlatsh collided with it, the world reacted.
The air cracked.
Yes—air itself split open, as if the line Nyx created was a tiny fracture in reality.
And upon impact, a portion of the creature's stone armor shattered, chunks of rock thudding heavily to the ground.
The Gorlatsh screamed in pain for the first time.
"It worked…" Nyx whispered as he struggled for breath.
But the black rift vanished quickly, as if the ability refused to linger.
The monster recovered swiftly, now angrier than ever.
Its jaw expanded as it prepared its most lethal technique—Stone Smash Impact.
Nyx jumped aside, but slower than usual; the Void had drained him more than expected.
The Gorlatsh's head slammed into the ground beside him, sending dirt and stone exploding outward.
Nyx raised his arm, aiming at the beast.
He couldn't create another rift—his mana resisted.
So he turned to a different technique.
"Void Rend."
A brief black flash… and a small wave appeared, no bigger than a palm—yet unbearably dense.
It struck the Gorlatsh's front joint.
Slice.
Yes, even its legendary defense could not endure it.
Part of the joint was severed, and the beast collapsed to one knee, spilling thick black blood across the dirt.
Its shriek rattled the forest.
Nyx panted heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"I… can't keep this up for long."
The Void drained him from the inside—like a power humans were never meant to wield.
Yet even so, the Gorlatsh didn't fall.
It rose—unstable, trembling, but alive—and began dragging itself forward once more.
Its eyes darkened, sinking into a deeper rage.
"It's… preparing its final strike."
The air thickened around the beast.
Its stone plates shifted slightly, reinforcing themselves.
It raised its head, lifted its heavy tail, and readied an all-out charge—the kind that ended the lives of trained knights.
For a moment, Nyx felt helpless.
Could he launch another technique?
Would he collapse before doing so?
"…No."
He stood firm despite the pain.
"I won't back down here."
Nyx raised both hands.
A massive swirl of black energy engulfed him—denser and more oppressive than anything he had summoned before.
The entire forest sensed the threat.
Birds fled.
Trees leaned away.
Even the Gorlatsh hesitated.
"Void…" Nyx whispered through a trembling breath.
Then he shouted:
"—Collapse!"
A moment of absolute silence.
Then—
A small portion of space in front of him imploded, as if reality itself were crushed inward.
A tiny black vortex formed—not growing, but impossibly deep.
Deep enough that even light couldn't escape.
Like something tearing a house apart from the inside… not the outside.
The Gorlatsh charged—
But it never reached him.
Simply nearing the vortex pulled its massive body off balance, dragging half its weight toward the collapsing point.
Cracks burst across its stone plates.
The creature tried to retreat—
But Nyx forced more mana into the technique, agony spiking through his chest.
"F—Fall…!"
The vortex intensified, swallowing the monster's shoulder, then part of its torso.
The beast was too large to be fully consumed—
But the damage was catastrophic.
Its armor shattered—
Its body convulsed—
And finally, with a deafening boom—
Its form burst apart into white light and vanished.
Nyx collapsed to his knees instantly.
The vortex faded.
The air returned to normal.
But Nyx was beyond exhausted.
His body trembled.
His mana was nearly gone.
"…Did I… win?"
He let out a faint, tired smile, closing his eyes for a long moment.
"If this… was only a Rank C beast…
How terrifying will the path to the summit be?"
Yet one thing was certain:
He had taken a step toward the power he needed to survive this world.
______
Alright everyone, the entrance exam will officially end in the next chapter.
And with it, the real story will begin—everything so far has just been the start, a setup for the arcs to come.
If there's anyone out there enjoying my story, I would really appreciate a bit of support.
It truly motivates me to keep going.