Rhen wove himself through the carnage by the seven Crimson Howler Apes.
They smashed the ground with their large fists and occupied every space Rhen would have loved to position himself.
At this point, Rhen's figure could barely even be seen, covered by the towering red beings.
But proof of his presence existed in the battlefield – ice spreading across some apes' bodies, and wide green veins bulging further with each passing moment.
Rhen's plan was simple – he was going to play an endurance game.
Charging head-on was suicide. The only path forward was patience.
Not only because the apes grew weaker with each of his hits, but also because their endurance was poor due to their explosive movements.
But surviving in their midst was impossible alone, even with him likely having the best physical strength in the entire exam at that moment.
He was strong and they were strong too. His mana pool was also not as large to be satisfied so he had to speed up the process of their death.
So Rhen had his partner, Zena, assist him.
As a massive fist fell toward Rhen's face, he considered his choices when he heard:
[Another from behind you.]
He then raised his sword to deflect the punch aimed at the ape behind him.
The ape behind him was struck, giving Rhen the opportunity to stab his dagger into the attacker, carving a wound that stretched to its shoulder.
[In the middle of four, reposition is needed.]
Wearing a calm face, Rhen's eyes darted around, searching for the optimal position to escape their midst.
With his options reduced, he grabbed the arm of the ape he had just cut and with all his strength, hurled it at another ape and escaped the circle he was in.
[Two are attempting a jump on you. One is C-rank.]
Leaving five behind, he could feel his senses tingling as two apes attempted a stomp on him.
Running away from the midst, he kept his gaze forward.
[Give me a rough description of where their head is positioned.]
Zena, sharing all Rhen's senses, replied, [D-rank, one that just got hit by another, directly behind.]
[Then, the right is C-rank.]
It wasn't until the last moment that he turned around and hurled a knife with all his strength.
It pierced through the eye-hole of the D-rank ape that had gotten hit by a stronger ape earlier.
Not giving him time to rejoice, the other ape launched a punch at him.
But he had prepared for this and took the punch head-on, his daggers cushioning the blow.
This was how Rhen stood his ground against them. Using the information he and Zena gathered improved his efficiency in decision-making.
And by refining Einar's rough fighting style, he endured some blows in exchange for more efficient attacks.
The pain resistance from the potion was also helpful.
After being sent back a short distance from the group, Rhen stretched his arms, feeling the ache.
He crouched low, his gaze laser-focused on his incoming adversaries, whose howls grew more grating by the second.
"Too bad. If only I could fully use cold touch. Should I try using some Gravity control? I don't know how much the Union officials can see…"
The two C-ranks surged forward, their howls shaking the ruins. The four D-ranks flanked, circling like wolves.
It seemed they were adapting to Rhen, but it was too late.
The poison was already spreading through their bodies—green veins bulging, twitching under their crimson skin.
Their explosive power came at a cost, and every slash he landed made it worse.
Their steps were heavier, their strikes slightly off. He just had to push them further.
The first C-rank hammered down its fist. Rhen's dagger flashed upward, ice tracing its arm on impact.
Frost spread quickly, and the ape staggered as its poisoned veins seized under the cold.
Rhen twisted under its guard, carving a second line across its ribs. The veins there pulsed green, and the ape's howl broke into a guttural choke.
[Three incoming from the rear.]
Without hesitation, Rhen snatched the frozen C-rank's arm and yanked it backward. The ape crashed into the rushing D-ranks, their bodies colliding with a thunderous crack.
Rhen slammed his palm into the ground. Frost burst out like veins of white lightning, racing across the broken stone and soil.
In an instant, the ground around the tangled apes glazed over with jagged ice.
Their feet slipped, their movements slowed, and the ones already stumbling from the collision struggled like beasts trapped in a snare.
[They're slowed. Front-left is most vulnerable.]
Rhen moved like a blade through the opening. His dagger struck across a D-rank's thigh, frost seizing the muscle before the ape could regain balance.
It fell hard, roaring in frustration.
Another swung wide at him, but the frozen ground betrayed its footing – its weight carried it past him, and Rhen's second dagger stabbed into its side, twisting deep.
Poison and frost spread together, the veins around the wound bulging until they split.
The C-rank at the back tried to recover first, bellowing, but its legs cracked the ice too slow.
Rhen dashed low, using the slick ground to slide beneath its guard. His blade tore upward, leaving a trail of frost that crawled along its chest.
The poison already inside its veins pulsed violently, its roar breaking into a choked cough.
It stumbled back, eyes wild, strength unraveling faster than it realized.
The pack was unraveling.
Rhen rose from his slide with cold eyes, blades dripping frost and blood.
The remaining apes howled, but their strength was no longer fearsome—it was desperate, their veins glowing sickly green as poison and cold strangled their endurance.
[The rest are yours. Strike decisively.]
"Already planned to," Rhen muttered darkly, lowering his stance as he advanced into the broken circle of beasts.
Four beasts left. 44 minutes left for his potion to wear out.
- - -
While Rhen fought in the ruins below, unseen eyes watched from above.
At the top of a tall tree not far from Rhen, a dark blue crow perched silently.
Its blue eye scouted the world with indifference, watching as 10 individuals closed in on the ice-covered, blood grounds.
Crow's Eye Talent – The Crow's Eye.
'They're closing in on him after confirming that he's about to be done?'
Running toward Rhen's location, Oscar directed his two other crows to bring Nina and Lilac to where Rhen was about to be confronted.
Einar, eager to save his 'brother', was ahead, moving at the highest speed he could.
The exam was entering its second phase.