Derek stared at Rose, then back at Harry. "But... but that thing just destroyed a Level 5 drake-controller like it was nothing! How is that trash-tier?!""It's not," Yona said quietly, studying Rose with new appreciation. "It never was, was it?"Harry didn't answer. Instead, he gestured toward the two bodies lying in the clearing. "What happened here? How did you encounter that fog creature?"The levity drained from the group immediately. Derek's face crumpled, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks."We were hunting together," Yona explained, her voice heavy. "Five of us—we'd been friends since childhood. We found a good spot with Level 2 beasts and were doing well. Then that... that thing appeared. We didn't even see it at first. The drake just attacked us out of nowhere, moving wrong, like it was drunk or possessed.""Jason tried to defend us," the stone turtle girl whispered. "He was always the brave one. But the drake was too strong. It killed him in one hit. Just... just one hit."

The group rushed toward the nearest exit point—a clearing marked by glowing runes where the portal would manifest. Other candidates were already there, dozens of them, all looking expectant and terrified.The runes pulsed.And pulsed.And pulsed.Nothing happened."Why isn't it opening?" someone shouted."It should be opening!""Something's wrong!"Panic erupted. Candidates pushed and shoved, some crying, others shouting accusations. The portal remained stubbornly closed, its runes glowing mockingly.Harry's blood ran cold. This wasn't supposed to be possible. The realm's magic was ancient, absolute. When the trial ended, it opened. Always.Unless something was interfering on a fundamental level.Across the realm, John's group huddled in a rocky outcropping, their earlier confidence completely shattered."Where the hell is the portal?!" John screamed, his voice cracking. His perfectly styled hair was matted with sweat and dirt. Blood streaked his expensive clothes from multiple encoun

Silence.Then chaos."We have to do something!" a woman screamed from the observation deck—a parent, Harry realized, who'd been allowed to watch the examination."My son is in there! He's only eighteen!""Please, you have to save them!"More parents joined the outcry, their voices rising in desperate pleas. Cross raised his hand, and somehow, the gesture brought silence."I understand your pain," he said quietly. "But you need to understand the reality. An ordinary Fog Demon is equivalent to a Level 20 magical beast. Its core—the only way to kill it permanently—is protected by dense fog that creates infinite clones. The clones can't be killed, only temporarily dispersed. They regenerate endlessly.""Then the candidates..." Walsh couldn't finish the sentence."Have no chance," Cross said bluntly. "These are newly awakened tamers with Level 1 to Level 5 beasts at most. Even working together, they couldn't scratch a Level 20 entity. The Fog Demon will hunt them systematically until every

Luna collapsed, completely spent. Yona caught her Chimera's head in her lap, tears streaming down her face.And then something changed.Luna began to glow.Brilliant white light erupted from the Chimera's body. Her three heads merged, reforming into a single massive draconic head. Her wings expanded, now crackling with pure elemental energy. Her body grew, muscles rippling with newfound power.[Evolution Complete: Chimera → Mythical Hydra][Rank Increased: Legendary → Mythical]"She evolved!" Yona gasped, staring at her transformed beast in awe.The Mythical Hydra roared, the sound shaking the entire clearing. It launched itself at the core, unleashing a breath weapon that combined all three elements into a lance of annihilation.The barrier cracked.But it didn't break.The fog clones closed in. Harry could feel their icy fingers reaching for him, draining warmth from the air itself. Rose stood in front of him, exhausted but defiant, her hammer raised.Death was seconds away."Master

"You watched a trash-tier beast defeat a Level 20 entity?" Catherine Moore from the Imperial Academy scoffed. "Miss White, I understand you're trying to be kind, but there's a difference between generosity and delusion."Ben pushed through the crowd next, leaning heavily on a medic. Tumble waddled beside him, bandaged but alive. "Yona's telling the truth! Rose is incredibly powerful! She—""So you're claiming you also witnessed this miracle?" Victor Klein interrupted mockingly. "How convenient. Two witnesses supporting an impossible lie.""We're not lying!" Ben shouted, his voice cracking.But the crowd wasn't listening. Whispers spread like wildfire:"They must have made a deal with Harry...""Probably trying to help him save face...""How pathetic, lying about something so obvious..."Through it all, Harry stood at the edge of the plaza, holding Rose in his arms. She was conscious but weak, her balance disrupted again from using the God of Night bloodline. Her small form trembled wi