Chapter 225: The Throne of Skulls

At last, Eleanor and her team reached the mountain’s summit. There, carved into the jagged rock, loomed the fortress they had glimpsed from below. The castle rose like a dark crown against the red sky, its towering walls jagged with age yet impossibly solid. From afar, it had seemed impregnable.

But as they crossed the wide stone bridge to its gate, it became clear that the battle had already been fought.

The main courtyard was littered with bodies... orc corpses, troll carcasses, even the twisted remains of goblin hounds. The stench of blood and smoke clung to the air. Cadets moved cautiously through the ruins, weapons drawn more out of habit than necessity. When Eleanor hailed one group, she learned what had transpired here... the castle had already been purged. No monsters remained alive.

Only one challenge was left... The Troll King!

His chamber lay at the heart of the keep. The cadets explained that once a group entered, they never returned to the trial grounds. Win or lose, the chamber was the end.

A queue had already formed. Six teams stood in line before them, their faces taut with fatigue and expectation. Eleanor’s group would be the seventh to step through those doors.

She ordered her team to rest. Their bodies needed strength, and minds needed calm. While they gathered their breath, Ophelia slipped away into the castle’s dim halls, her presence vanishing into the shadows as naturally as a sigh.

Eleanor sat cross-legged against a cold stone wall and summoned her status screen.

[Status]

Time Left: 0:38:22

Primary Objective: Kill the Troll King and recapture the stronghold.

Secondary Objective: Eliminate the monsters.

Team Members: 6

Points: 1322 (Rank–7)


[Do you want to hide the status screen? Yes/No]

With a thought, she dismissed it.

Enough to solidify their lead, but her rank had not shifted. Eleanor felt no disappointment. In truth, she was relieved. Being third meant safety. The eyes of rivals would fall on the

Ophelia’s return. She emerged silently

reported, "there is a restriction placed over this castle. Cadets cannot ascend beyond the ground floor. Only the throne chamber is accessible. The upper levels are sealed by some arrays... most

filled with sharp arrows. The weapons were still crude wrought iron, but compared to the rusted scraps from the

of approval. "Good work. Distribute them. When

***

more brightly once, then dulled to a dull stone-grey. Eleanor pushed it open, and a suffocating darkness swallowed them whole. Nothing... no light, no detail existed beyond a few paces. Even with their wolf eyes, they couldn’t

itself had been drawn down into the stone

The Troll King!

His white-grey skin stretched taut over slabs of rippling muscle. A crude yet imposing crown of crystal shards sat heavy upon his head, refracting

my land. You slaughter my kin. And now you dare crawl before me?" His thick lips curled into a snarl, jagged tusks bared. "Arrogant! Audacious! Allow me to


through the floor, shaking loose dust

storm of motion, his bulk impossibly fast. His roar boomed like thunder, reverberating

She whipped her broadsword into guard... only to feel empty

Her hand clutched nothing!

Her heart sank.

the castle had stripped it all away. They stood bare-handed, clad only in the

steep, now

this precarious situation. "Joshua, Maira, and Jaciara all have water abilities, but water has almost no effect on trolls. If it were a light ability, it might work to some extent. Kiara can only rely on her physical strength. It would be better to hide

chaos like thunder. "Surround

team scattered as the Troll King’s colossal fist slammed into the floor where they had

like brittle glass. Shards exploded outward in a deadly spray, peppering their enchanted uniforms. The shockwave itself

catching in his chest. "Bloody hell... he’s faster than a wolf

eyes narrowing as she tracked every motion. There has to be a weakness. Every


rams, each

raked at the troll’s hide with a flurry of strikes, water blades whistling from her fingers to sharpen the blows. The cuts opened... then sealed almost instantly, the wounds knitting closed before

lips pulled back in a snarl just as the troll’s massive hand closed around her torso. With casual brutality, he

coughing blood as she slid down to her knees. "Water is useless," she spat, dragging herself upright. Her jaw was

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