Breakthrough

A massive, white-furred yeti loomed over the seemingly frail figure before it, its iron-tower-like frame swinging a devastating claw.

The strike could shatter a human to pieces, but it was heavy with power and lacking in speed. The figure vanished in a flicker of afterimages, leaving the yeti’s claw to strike empty air.

Before it could react, a dazzling silver arc sliced through its neck.

The yeti froze, as if breath itself had stopped. A crimson line bloomed across its throat, and its massive head and body collapsed in a thunderous crash.

Selina stood behind it, casually twisting her neck to ease a kink. Not a speck of blood marred her form. With a flourish, her twin blades danced before sliding into their hidden sheaths.

Silver streams of light coalesced above the yeti’s corpse, merging with Selina’s identity token. The display ticked up from 4,580 to 5,080 points.

Each yeti was worth 500 points, and the passing threshold of 5,000 seemed within easy reach—just ten such kills.

To Selina, it was effortless, but for most candidates, facing an adult yeti required a coordinated team.

Its steel-like hide and brute strength demanded hours of effort, and the 500 points, split among a group, dwindled to a pittance.

True solo speed-runners were rare—fewer than ten in the cohort could manage it.

Scoring 5,000 points in a day without rest was a feat that would echo through Tianqi Academy’s exam history.

As the yeti fell, snowflakes drifted down, staining the snow red with its blood.

Selina caught one, its crystalline form melting against her palm. The Secret Realm had shifted from grassy plains to a frozen wasteland, desolate and birdless.

Icy winds lifted her silken silver hair, her breath forming faint mist in the frigid air.

Ordinary humans couldn’t endure this cold without heavy clothing, but as an elf—nature’s favored child—Selina thrived. Golden elves, as royals, inherited traits from all elven subraces, adapting to any environment.

Though her silver hair echoed moon elves, her golden elf bloodline shone through, her emerald eyes shifting to icy blue as she became a snow elf.

Her breath synced with the environment, sensing it through elemental affinity.

Every snowflake and hidden creature became her eyes and ears. Her token’s points already surpassed the passing threshold.

The aptitude test had been a breeze, but an unintended spectacle with the Sky Eagle had drawn attention. Now, she needed to avoid further mistakes.

Selina preferred finishing early. With enough points secured on the first day, she could hide for the remaining two, slipping into the academy unnoticed.

Her elven gifts tamed the Sky Eagles, but the academy’s overseers would likely reset their safeguards after a day. Reusing the trick would fail, and human movements were unpredictable.

Clashes with other candidates were inevitable, and while she could handle dozens, revealing her full strength wasn’t an option.

Tokens ensured safety by teleporting candidates out in danger, but fighting while holding back was taxing.

Hiding in this remote wasteland was ideal. She’d cleared threats and confirmed safety.

Now, she needed an ice shelter to wait out the exam.

Closing her eyes, her form shimmered. Her silver hair whitened, blending with the snow.

Frost coated her lashes and brows, her ears sharpened, and her eyes turned icy blue, fully transforming into a snow elf. The cold became a gentle breeze.

Snowflakes rested on her skin without melting, her royal blood granting unmatched adaptability.

Raising a hand, she summoned ice elements without chants, shaping a crystalline shelter from the snow.

The structure rose, its icy bricks gleaming.

This wasn’t magic but an innate gift. As a snow elf, she wielded ice with mastery.

Satisfied, she prepared to hunker down, confident in the wasteland’s isolation.

But her suppressed magical energy, long dormant, now surged toward a breakthrough.

Restraint had balanced her mana, but unleashing her snow elf powers ignited it like dry tinder.

She needed to channel the breakthrough without interruption, trusting her thief’s instincts in the shelter’s safety.

Elsewhere, the Secret Realm’s harsh reality unfolded. Beyond monster-hunting, a hidden rule allowed candidates to find treasures for bonus points.

This ancient battlefield held relics exchangeable for scores.

Though unstated, desperate candidates sought these as shortcuts.

Aelir Canaan, a frail girl clutching a dusty trophy-like relic, fled a pursuing mob led by the red-clad noble boy.

They hunted her treasure, discarding dignity in the exam’s crucible.

Aelir’s delicate frame would inspire pity elsewhere, but here, weakness was a target. “I must pass Tianqi—for Father!” Tears streamed down, but she pressed on, exhausting her frail body.

The cold sapped her strength, frosting her pink dress and purpling her lips.

Her trembling legs faltered. In a haze, she glimpsed a fairy-tale ice shelter, like her father’s stories of kind snow elves. But reality offered no mercy—only hallucination.

A brutal kick to her back sent her crashing into the shelter, cracking its surface.

The noble loomed, panting with rage. “Keep running, huh?” His boot struck viciously, fueled by frustration.

Aelir curled up, clutching the relic, enduring blow after blow.

Pain numbed her; her father’s death had already stolen her joy.

If the world offered only despair, perhaps death was her fate. Her lost token left her vulnerable—she faced death without escape.

The noble’s fury grew, savoring her suffering. Only the shelter’s collapse halted him.

Snow buried the scene, and he fled with magic, leaving Aelir entombed.

To him, her life was worthless. Spitting on the snow, he cursed, “Damn it, I wasn’t done! The treasure’s buried!” His followers caught up, awed. “Boss, you okay?” a pockmarked boy asked, using wind magic to clear the area.

“I’m fine. Shame about the treasure—her life wasn’t worth it,” the noble sneered.

The snow shifted, parting to reveal a silver-haired figure.

Her white dress shimmered with frost, her skin radiant, ice-blue eyes gleaming with divine authority.

Cradling Aelir, she was a goddess descended.

The noble and his gang froze, awestruck. Her emotionless gaze swept over them, her voice ethereal and commanding.

“Humans, have you trespassed into my domain?”

Her words carried irresistible majesty, chilling their souls.