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"Hey Elio," Kriz elbowed him with a forced smile. "If you don\'t come back from this one, can I have your comfy bed?"

Elio shook his head but couldn\'t help laughing at his friend\'s attempt to lighten the mood. "Not a chance, I already have plans for who to give it to."

Before they could continue their banter, the guard called Elio to begin the trial.

"Well, I\'ll see you jealous monsters in a bit," Elio said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

He opened his book to the third page, where the familiar question appeared:

Do you wish to challenge the third trial?

Drawing a fortifying breath, Elio gave his now-habitual firm nod.

♢♢♢♢

Immediately, the world around him dissolved into a swirling vortex, transporting him to the Ice Monster\'s lair.

Elio held his breath as a furry mass the size of two big frogs looked at him with hollow eyes.

At first, he almost laughed at the creature\'s harmless appearance. But then, something terrifying happened. The furry mass began covering itself with shining metal plates, hardening and taking an increasingly menacing form.

His father\'s warning words echoed in Elio\'s mind:

"That monster, like the previous ones, manipulates the gasses and heat around it. It uses something the elders call nickel, a metal I like to call a catalyst, to cool the oxygen and holy water, abruptly changing the pressure and turning the environment into a lethal weapon. Again, you must run; the longer you wait, the worse it will be for you."

Clinging to his father\'s words like a lifeline, Elio charged forward with a defiant shout.

The battle for his life was about to begin.

As the creature hardened with its metallic shell, Elio began feeling the first effects. The air grew denser, harder to breathe. A growing pressure took hold of his eardrums, as if the air itself was being drained.

He raised his fire sword, the only \'cheap\' weapon that could pierce the creature\'s metallic defenses and wouldn\'t stick from the intense cold or the monster\'s magnetism. Its heat briefly warmed the air around him, but the effect was fleeting as the monster channeled its power.

Waves of chilled steam swept the chamber, robbing the air of heat and turning it into an icy embrace. Elio shivered, feeling his strength beginning to leave him under the low temperatures.

"Keep the fire sword close to your body. It\'s the only thing that will protect you from the paralyzing cold."

He gripped the hilt tightly, letting the blade\'s heat momentarily comfort him against the frigid air.

"Try to reach it before it fully transforms. Once it starts spinning, it will be impossible to stop. To keep the momentum from pushing you back, you must stand to the side, don\'t stand in front or you\'ll never reach it."

As if answering his words, the creature finished its transformation with a thunderous roar.

Elio didn\'t reach in time.

No trace of the furry mass remained; instead, a misshapen beast covered in thick, overlapping plates of shining nickel stood tall.

The monster began spinning at extreme speeds.

The air seemed to freeze in Elio\'s lungs. A supernatural cold, a hundred times worse than the bitterest winter, appeared to emanate from the spinning ball.

"Here\'s where the main issue arises, the reason so many fail. It\'s simple, don\'t try to stab it head-on or your sword will go flying!"

His father\'s words cut through the sound of the gale generated by the monster\'s spin.

"Use its own spinning momentum and cut from side to side."

Elio kept the edge of the blade pointed into the blast of wind to prevent the sword from being pushed back, and kept a firm grip as it impacted the plates.

The monster roared in fury, unleashing volleys of freezing wind in an attempt to push him back and halt that slow but deadly erosion. Elio held firm, using the very spin to cut faster, slicing deeper with each pass.

One by one, the outer plates began melting away, revealing the beast\'s core beneath. Elio smiled in satisfaction, recalling his father\'s final key advice:

"Once you\'ve exposed its core, it all comes down to enduring its last freezing breath and keeping the blade out front."

But just as victory seemed within reach, the monster changed tactics. The blast of freezing wind that had been pushing him turned into a violent whirlwind, slamming directly into his chest.

Elio was flung backward, his sword flying from his hand as he tumbled uncontrolled across the icy floor. He barely had time to catch his breath before the beast was upon him, its claws ready to deliver the final blow.

Acting on pure instinct, Elio spun onto his shoulder just as the monster lunged. His hand found the sword hilt and, with a roar of effort, he swept it in an upward arc towards the creature\'s exposed core.

The incandescent blade sliced cleanly through the orb, melting it like butter.

The monster howled in agony.

Elio continued the motion, cleaving it in half as he rolled out of reach.

The beast, split into two uneven half-moons, faded away.

Elio scarcely had time to breathe before the fire sword in his hand disintegrated into ashes.

Then, the weight of his achievement finally hit him and he collapsed to his knees, his body shaking violently from the cold.

He had done it. He had passed the trial by defeating the Ice Monster, following his father\'s advice. He had not failed his progen… His father\'s legacy.

His body, previously battered and drained, now brimmed with energy and vitality.

He felt a tingling course through his extremities as his body rapidly healed, closing the minor cuts and bruises he had sustained. It was a strange sensation, but exhilarating.

Elio looked at his hands, fascinated by the strength he now possessed. "Incredible!" he exclaimed, jumping into the air. To his surprise, he soared three meters, landing gracefully on the ground.

Uncontrolled laughter burst from his chest, as he felt relief and elation.

His perception improved slightly, as did his speed and defense. The book materialized before him, displaying his new stats:

Elio Elian\'s Statistics

Abilities:

Sacred Flame

Holy Water

Ice Sacrifice (New)

Familiars:

Salamander (0/100)

Frog (0/1,000)

Rabbit (0/10,000)

Level 3

Mana: 30/30 (+10)

Resistance 30/30 (+10)

Stamina 7/7 (+1)

Attack 3 (+1)

Magic Damage: 3 (+1)

Strength 3 (+1)

Defense 3 (3.1) (+1)

Speed 3 (+1)

Perception/Agility 1.3 (+0.1)

Resistant uniform / Defense 0.1

Apprentice magic glove / Fire spark

Balance: 215 Mana points

Strength 3 was basically the strength of three people combined.

Elation overcame him, and Elio began jumping around again, reveling in his newly acquired agility. Suddenly, his foot caught on a puddle and he kissed the floor, but to his surprise, it didn\'t hurt at all thanks to his increased defense (Yeah, it still stung a bit).

He let out a peal of laughter, electrified by his new strength and abilities.

Elio was ecstatic, the 30 mana points he now possessed would let him save up 15 daily.

After exhausting his celebratory frenzy, he dropped to the ground, panting lightly but feeling no fatigue. A satisfied smile lit his face as he used his new ability, looking at his hand encased in a metallic sheen.

"Thank you, dad," he murmured, gazing upward.

Suddenly, he recalled Von Lucien\'s words about the fourth level and felt a pang of anticipation. What other secrets would the summoner reveal to him? He was eager to find out.

"I need to find Von Lucien," he said aloud, springing to his feet. "I\'m ready for whatever comes next."