"Let's go," Max said at last, stepping forward.
Victor and Seraphina followed closely behind, their steps heavy but resolute.
As they crossed the blood-soaked earth and approached the shimmering barrier, the battlefield behind them began to fade away—devoured by light until only the three of them remained standing before the gate to the core region.
The test was over.
The elimination was complete.
"I wonder if the geniuses we brought from our respective forces managed to get past that monster horde," Victor said quietly, his gaze fixed on the shimmering barrier ahead of them. His usual calm expression was replaced by something far heavier—a mixture of exhaustion and unease. "Even we had a hard time fighting through those monsters. I can't imagine how the others could have survived it. I wonder if they're all dead."
