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nThe Monster Hunter event, as the name suggests, was a thrilling competition in the Twelve Academies Competition. It aimed to test the skills of the participants in hunting down and defeating creatures deemed as monsters by the organizers.

nThese battles took place in various settings, such as cages or specially constructed environments that resembled the natural habitats of the monsters.

nFurthermore, this event held significant importance as it attracted a large audience of commoners or non-practitioners, including some rogue practitioners who couldn’t attend any Academy.

nThe Arcanists who participated in the Monster Hunter event symbolized power and strength to them. The spectators eagerly anticipated witnessing these dangerous monsters being vanquished by the skilled Arcanists.

nOn the other hand, the Trial of Skills was another contest in the Twelve Academies Competition, but it catered to a more specific audience. This contest focused on testing the knowledge, wisdom, and critical thinking abilities of the participants. Only those involved in research, crafting, or alchemy would likely find enjoyment in this contest. It required a broad range of information and emphasized mental prowess rather than relying solely on Arcane Spells.

n“The Monster Hunter event in the sixth-year and seventh-year batch is no easy task if you want to take on the monster alone.” Anderson responded to Vale with a chuckle.

n“They usually pit us against fierce opponents like Rhilma or mutated animals caused by some mysterious corruption. Dealing with them can be quite challenging since no specific Arcane Path holds a clear advantage. As a fourth-year student, they’ll probably arrange similar creatures for you.”

n“Rhilma? So it was like that. I haven’t met them yet. I wonder if the Academy is keeping some of them.” Vale asked as he recalled that the Academy has the Serenity Hall where they could imprison an Evil Creature.

n“Unfortunately, the Academy doesn’t keep those creatures for long… They’d normally be sent to various classes in the higher years to be used as experimental subjects. Unlike the Evil Creatures that could survive using Arcane Energy, the Rhilmas have strong desires to eat human flesh.” Thelma added.

nVale nodded at this since, based on their studies, these creatures would indeed die after a few weeks if not fed properly. However, he didn’t think too much of them before since their professors emphasized that if the animals that were mutated were only cats, dogs, rabbits, or any smaller ones, they wouldn’t really pose any threat to Arcanists like them.

nOnly those commoners who don’t have guns or weapons could probably die from those creatures. Furthermore, these mutated animals would rarely appear, typically in places with a high Arcane Energy concentration, triggering their mutation.

nNaturally, such mutations are not a common occurrence. There have been numerous instances of groups of animals being exposed to Arcane Energy without displaying any signs of mutation. It almost seemed as if the mutations were random or limited to only a select few animals, much like how only a few individuals possess the inherent “talent” to become Arcanists.

nThe group continued discussing the matters that they had to look out for during the Competition. This includes their set of Spells, the Mystical Items they could bring, the Potions and Pills they could use, and the importance of the duration and cooldown of their Phantasm State.

nThis type of conversation was also happening to the other three students in their batch who were selected to participate in the Competition. Philip Hoffman and Crystal Ravinie from the Dark Magic Branch and Luna Moon from the Necromancy Branch had also met their seniors in their Branch and started sharing their experiences.

nFinally, Anderson gave his final advice to Vale and Maya.

n“Are you guys aware of the Elite Rankings in our Academy?” Anderson suddenly asked.

n“Yes, Senior. I heard that only fifth-year students and above can enter the Elite Ranking.” Vale replied since he knew that they could only have a class for Mock Battles in their fifth year.

n“That’s right… However, because of the changes, I heard that the Headmaster can allow the five of you to test your strength by challenging the Rankers in the Academy. I suggest that you take this opportunity.” Anderson chuckled as he looked at the two’s expression.

n“Can we really do that?” Maya’s eyes were filled with excitement since if she managed to enter the top 100, she could earn 1 Contribution Point monthly!

nIt was better than nothing, but at the very least, he could have a chance to challenge the 90th rank to increase it by 1.5 Contribution Points per month. 𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝘰𝑚

n“Haha! Of course! However, the two of you have to be careful. Maya, I know that you’re incredibly strong, especially with your incredible control of Darkness Manipulation Spell and with your special set of Dark Spells, but that would be tough against the Rankers.”

nAnderson then shifted his attention to Vale. “Vale, I know you have ridiculous strength and vitality. You also have a decent Ghost Hand Spell. However, the Rankers are on a different level. Especially those in the top fifty. Even with my skills, I can only reach the Rank 79 in the Academy.”

n“Senior, I heard that the top 50 were all 10th-year students with a handful of 9th-year students… May I know what’s special about them?” Vale curiously asked.

nHe had seen a few battles of the Elite Rankers in the Archive Room, but aside from not knowing what Spells they were using, he didn’t think that they were that special, considering how he was even able to defeat the Previous Headmaster.

nAfter all, even if the Previous Headmaster was already old and weakened, he should still be quite strong. Unless, of course, Charles Blackwood was in a bad condition, and his forte wasn’t in actual head-on combat but rituals or crafting.

nMaya also learned forward as she was curious about it.

nThis time, however, it wasn’t Anderson who answered.

nCassie looked at the two and thought of an idea.

n“I think that instead of telling you two, it’s better if you see for yourself… How about challenging your Seniors in a duel? This way, you’ll see the difference between the rogue Dark Practitioners and the ones educated by the Dark Arts Academy.”

nAs Cassie suggested this, Thelma immediately raised her hand. 𝘪𝑟𝘦.𝘤𝑜𝓂

n“Me! Let me do it! Vale, you’re a member of the Battle Arena Committee, right? I’m sure you can reserve an Arena. I can allow the two of you to fight me simultaneously. I’m Top 88 in the Ranking, so I have to give this handicap…”

n𝙡𝒊𝒃𝒆.𝙘

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