Both of the teams would emerge into a clearing that was surrounded by tall obsidian colored trees, their barks were pulsing faintly with crimson light.

One one side stood Class S and on the other side there was Class A which was waiting. It has ten string students as well and they all wore combat ready expressions.

Jake von Bazel ever so arrogant was the first to speak up, there was a sword that was rested in his shoulder and green mana was swirling faintly all around him. "So it seems like the rumors were true. We're actually paired up with you people."

"Paired? As if we'd be paired with a loser like you." Adam spat back flatly. Although his gaze was calm, it was still cold. "We're in a competition, we just ended up being trapped in the same hell together, that's all there is to it."

Jake just smirked. "You still trying to act tough huh? I heard about your little duel in the palace. Seems like your only good at fighting knights. Let's see how you'll handle real talent."

Adam just scoffed. "Didn't I beat your ass with one move a while back? Guess your brain has been rotting way too fast lately."

Then Charles, a black haired commoner who was from class A folded his arms. "This isn't the time, Jake. We have bigger problems to deal with."

But Jake wasn't even listening. His pride as Duke Bazel's heir and jealousy towards him Adam clouded his judgement.

And before anyone could even stop him, Jake stepped forward and his blade was cutting through the air.

"Let's make this whole scene interesting shall we? The first to land a hit on the other wins. Or what, are you scared?" Jake said, his eyes glinting with a challenge.

Adam just made a low sigh, and titled his head. He was getting annoyed by Jake's antics. "We're in a dire situation where anyone could die, surrounded by monsters that are higher ranked than we expected. And you want us to duel? Is that what they teach you in the Bazel Duchy?"

Jake's expression changed as a vein appeared on his forehead visibly angry, buy still pressed on with his challenge. "So your afraid?"

That's when Adam's expression changed, his gaze turned shape and his tone dropped into an icy whisper. "No, just need to put a child in his place."

The whole battle was short and it didn't even last 10 seconds.

It was Jake who attacked first, his movements were like a blur of wind. The air around him was howling, and it sliced through the trees and earth as he was aiming to close the gap in an instant.

"Howling Wind Slash!"

A blade made out of condensed wind shot forward with great speed.

But Adam didn't even move. He just took out his sword and moved his hand.

CLANG!

He slashed the attack and made it disperse with just one swing of his sword.

Jake's whole attacked dissipated, leaving only the ringing of steel.

Jake's eyes widened in shock. "What jus—!?"

He didn't get to finish his words.

Adam's form instantly vanished and he reappeared in front of him.

Jake saw this and instinctively tried to counter but Adam's next words froze him in place.

"Too slow." Adam said as there was a shimmer of frost that coated his fist.

BOOM!

With just a single strike aimed squarely at Jake's stomach, he was sent flying and crashed against multiple trees making him cough up small amounts of blood.

He crashed to the ground as the whole earth trembled from the strong impact.

He groaned, and he tried to stand up but there was a layer of ice that had already spread across his armor, which locked his limbs in place.

"Next time," Adam said quietly, his voice low and cold. "If you swing your pride around like it'll make you something. I'll kill you right then and there."

Charles just sighed. "...and this is why no one in class interacts with you anymore."

This was Charles Akuma, a foreigner from a distant land he uses wind and lightning affinity and his weapon of choice is a Katana.

Even Damian and Akira both hail from house Caelthorn, they both use twin daggers as their main Weapon. Damian has the lightning affinity, while Akira has lightning and darkness affinity.

"He sure has monstrous strength..." Akira muttered, though her voice was calm she was intrigued. "He's totally different for a C-rank."

Damian nodded faintly, to his sisters statement. "Yeah, he has no wasted motion. He's strong but isn't arrogant. And also has pure efficiency."

While the Class S students saw this they weren't surprised, and they had smug grins on their faces knowing that Class A hasn't noticed that Adam is now B-rank.

Sarah who was a water and earth elemental user, coming from the Corven Duchy, she stepped forward, her staff in hand. "Enough with this! Stop fighting amongst each other! We have bigger issues to deal with, the corruption hasn't ended yet!"

And right on cue that ground started to tremble. The corrupted fog was growing thicker and the mana pressure began to double.

And from out of the shadows, that's when black tentacles erupted, they coiled like snakes and they were devouring the corpses of the slain monsters.

"What the hell is that thing!?" Amy shouted, raising her guard.

Simon Corven a water element user, his face darkened. "It's absorbing the mana residue, and it's also turning anything it touches it into another extension of itself."

"It's a core of corruption," Sarah said with a grim look. "And if it stabilizes, this gate will evolve once more."

"Then we should destroy it before it can stabilize." Adam's eyes narrowed as he said that.

Without even an argument all of them agreed.

They were two classes who were rivals by title, but now their allies in a fight for survival.

Eve, Duke and Sarah were in charge of the defense as they conjured layered barriers on top of each other.

Grace, Drake and Casey were the ones who were handlings air mobility and also support.

While the rest of them were preparing to launch their strongest spells and attacks.

That's when the core shifted and started to move.

A massive black sphere was floating above the ruins, its tendrils lashed out like whips.

Eyes began to open on its surface and there were hundreds of them, they were glowing red eyes.

"Stay together everyone!" Adam shouted to them.

Charles acted first and he moved forward with lighting quick speed, and his katana gleaming with a green light. "Wind Blade!"

He made a slash cut through the several tendrils but this barely grazed the core.

Jake was still scowling and butter but he was refusing to be dead weight here, he gripped his sword tightly. "I'm not done yet!"

"Then fucking focus?" Adam barked at him. "We need as much power as we can get for this!"

'I'm already B-rank and my stats and skills are great, but I don't know what this thing has in store or what'll happen next. I should save my strength for bigger threats.' Adam thought to himself.

He started to spread his mana outward, creating several distortions that were glowing midair.

These spatial rings were forming around his hands, and each on of them was glowing with a faint blue and white. The ice mana was pouring into them, chilling the air itself.

"Eve you freeze the tendrils!"

"Grace, burn the residue once they are brittle."

"And Finn, you going with me!"

"On it!" All of them shouted.

Eve holding her rapier in hand thrust it forward, this created a wave of freezing air that erupted towards the sky.

Grace came in with a follow up, she ignited the frozen limbs with an explosive fire. The core was screeching and recoiling with pain.

Adam's yellow-golden eyes started to glow and he muttered one words under his breath.

"Collapse."

The spatial rings detonated all at once, the space was compressing inward, and it caused part of the core's body in a violent implosion.

The shockwave was rippling through the ruins like a very silent explosion.

The core screeching once again, its black blood was spraying across the ground.

"Yes! We did it!" Amy exclaimed in excitement.

But their victory was short lived.

The whole ground cracked and from out the shadows emerged humanoid figured who were cloaked in black clothing.

All their faces were hidden, and their eyes glowing with a faint violet red. Each of them was holding weapons that were twisted with dark mana.

Eve's expression hardened when she saw them. "Those aren't the monsters..."

"No," Adam replied, his voice cold and filled with killing intent. "These are those damned Outer God Cultists."

Far Beyond The Gate

This was far beyond the gate, this was in a sealed chamber within the royal palace.

Cedric was standing before a glowing projection that showed the corrupted gate. And his lips were curving into a cruel smile.

"So it has begun," he murmured. "Seems like the cultists managed to enter. Good."

Behind there was one of his agents who knelt down, it was a silent assassin clad in dark armor.

"If the boy survives this again," Cedric said softly, "send the other in as well. This time he mustn't leave the gate alive."

"As you command."

Cedric turned towards the crystal again, his own reflection was glimmering on he red light. His eyes burned with jealousy and hunger. "This time, you won't be able to Survive. Adam."

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