Thornspire of the Iron Gate granted the Tiers to the Awakened for a reason. As the chief agent, Melisa had to be sure that an Awakened could complete the mission, especially if it was a newcomer.
Sure, Melisa didn't do it alone, after all, she was an ordinary human, so an Awakened always had to be present at the test to give an opinion.
For Garet, that Awakened was Xir. Normally, this was not allowed, and there had to be an Awakened inspector personally from the Thornspire, and there were reasons for that.
Crunch.
The crunch of a fresh apple came from the balcony on one of the upper floors of the Iron Gate. A man with purple hair and amber eyes looked at the moon as his gaze slowly turned toward the Bloom Forest.
"You took the Bronze Tier Mission right away, right?" Xir smirked. "Melisa said it wasn't worth the risk, that the Bronze Tier is a big responsibility, but I think he can handle it. Hah, at least I hope so, otherwise it'll be awkward."
True, usually newbies didn't go straight to a Bronze Tier Mission, but that didn't mean an Awakened didn't have a chance.
Garet was about to prove it right now.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The ground shook as stone pillars rose from the earth, causing Garet to stumble in surprise.
He had the will to fight, but not the experience.
"What the...!" He exclaimed and fell silent, watching Korona, who, unlike him, was able to keep her balance.
Like a nimble cat, she jumped onto one pillar only to leap to the next, moving toward the Stone Groug on the steps that he caused himself.
"Take this!" Korona exclaimed and crossed her blades, bringing them down on the monster.
In response, the Stone Groug raised his arm, blocking Korona's attack. Sparks flew from the blades as their eyes met.
Whooooooosh.
With a wave of his hand, the Stone Groug threw Korona aside, forcing her to dig her blades into the ground to slow down and land smoothly.
"Shit! I couldn't even scratch him!"
Then, the Stone Groug turned his gaze to Garet, who was completely confused and didn't understand what he was supposed to do.
Well, that was his problem, not the fearsome monster in front of him.
Crack.
One of the pillars cracked as the Stone Groug stretched out his hand. The stones did not fall to the ground, instead, they hung in the air under the monster's control.
Garet's pupils narrowed as dozens of rocks flew toward him, cutting through the wind.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The hail of rocks crashed to the ground, raising clouds of dust.
"Shit!" Garet managed to jump aside at the last moment, hiding behind the pillars.
Looking back, he was horrified.
Wide holes remained in the ground, as if from cannonballs. If even one rock had hit him, it would be the end for him.
He would already be dead.
Panic built up in Garet's mind, which was not surprising for a novice.
But... something changed in an instant.
'No.' Garet's gaze became more serious as he gripped the hilt of his sword. 'He has abilities, just like me, there's nothing unusual about that. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't win, especially with Korona's help.'
There was no practical sense in panicking, but people had emotions, and sometimes they could take over.
Not this time.
Step.
Garet stepped out from behind the pillar as he fixed his gaze on the Stone Groug. Without a word, he lunged forward as his Genesis Core trembled.
He never used his sword's ability before, but since it was his Blank, connected to his Genesis Core, it was as natural to him as walking.
Practice was a good idea, but during battle, one had to act.
"You're big, but how durable are you?" Garet exclaimed, raising his sword high, using the Dark Cleave.
At the same moment, his eyes flashed as darkness ran across the broad blade. As soon as Garet brought his sword down to the ground, the dark slash burst forth, moving forward like a wild wave, leaving jagged wounds on the ground instead of a straight line from a precise cut.
The Stone Groug was too slow to dodge the attack, so he used the same tactic he played against Korona — crossing his arms in front of him for protection.
Korona gulped as she watched the dark cleave collide with the Stone Groug's arms, since her blades couldn't even scratch the stone layer.
BURST!
Shards flew to the side as clots of dark blood spurted onto the ground from deep cuts on the Stone Groug's forearms.
'Agh?'
Garet didn't have time to rejoice at the successful attack as he was puzzled, staring at the monster's blood.
"So, he's not made entirely of stone? Underneath this layer, under his armor, there is flesh... vulnerable!"
The Stone Groug understood this as well, which is why, despite the pain from his wound, he got up and lunged at Garet, shaking the ground with every step like a giant.
"FUCK! Garet!" Korona exclaimed, realizing that she had no way to stop the Stone Groug. "Dodge! Try to confuse him!"
He didn't need to be told twice, he lunged to the side, but just as he was about to run out of the Stone Groug's range, stone pillars appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
Garet turned around, and the next thing he saw was the Stone Groug's fist.
"GHR!"
With a painful groan, Garet flew to the side, and his sword was knocked out of his hands.
The Stone Groug towered over Garet, preparing to finish him off with his next blow. Without hesitation, Garet used his Zenith, the Sun Seal appeared on his hands, and a crimson flame was ready to strike.
But could Garet's punch compete with the Stone Groug's?
'No, it's impossible,' he thought as the massive fist moved straight towards him. 'He'll just break my arm like a matchstick!'
Drip.
In the heat of battle, a few drops of blood from a previous wound fell from the Stone Groug's hand, landing directly on Garet's face and mouth.
He gulped in fear, receiving energy that, along with the critical situation, forced his Genesis Core to take desperate measures.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
Suddenly, the Sun Seal changed, the crimson sun sign disappeared from his hands, replaced by two purple halos as the mystical, violet energy took the flame's place.
[The Void Seal is open!]
The Genesis Core trembled as an electric discharge ran through the Zenith Grid.
[The First Anchor is preparing to be created! Absorb the energy to make it happen!]
Now, Garet had a chance to become stronger, but there was one small detail left — to survive.