"Nightfall in Arcshade"
Arcshade at Night
As the trial entered its sixth hour, the skies dimmed further until even the violet twilight was swallowed by darkness.
In its place came the Arcshade Night — a magically induced state designed to test candidates beyond physical combat. The ambient mana thickened, like mist, distorting sound, scent, and perception. Trees seemed to shift their positions. Shadows moved even without light.
Kieran sat cross-legged atop a mossy root, his fingers laced together as if meditating. But his mind was active, connected directly to the System.
[Environment Update: Arcshade Night Initiated]Illusion Intensity: 40% ↑Beast Activity: 65% ↑Special Creatures Unlocked: Nocturnal-Class Beasts (C–B Rank)Psychological Strain Test: Active (Passive Mental Resistance Encouraged)
He could hear it already — the faint hum of magic infiltrating the weaker minds.
In the distance, someone screamed.
😱 The Madness Spreads
One of the noble teams, stationed near a crescent rock formation, had come under attack — not by beasts, but by each other.
"Velia, stay back! It's a hallucination—!""No! You tried to steal my crest—"CRACK.
A stone-shaping spell slammed into the boy's chest, hurling him backward.
Nearby, shadow-beasts circled like vultures, drawn by the surge of magic and emotional chaos.
Leonhart Duskveil was the only one standing still, lips curled in contempt.
"Pathetic. Can't even hold their minds together."
He raised his staff, conjured a wide-range cleansing burst, and dismissed the weaker illusions.
Yet the damage was done.
Two of his teammates lay unconscious.
Another wept quietly in a fetal position, clutching a shattered wand.
Kieran's Team
Meanwhile, Kieran and his group had taken shelter inside a hollowed tree.
The interior was spacious, almost unnaturally so — likely warped by residual magic over centuries. Strange glowing vines lined the inner walls, providing dim light and minor healing properties.
"Is it just me," Lyra said, panting as she drank from her waterskin, "or is it getting harder to breathe out there?"
"It's not just you," Riven replied. "The air's turning thick with illusion magic."
Kieran opened one eye, voice calm. "It's meant to bend your sense of reality. You'll see people who aren't there. Hear voices you wish you'd forgotten. Smell fire when there's none."
Lyra frowned. "...You've been through this before?"
"No," he said. "I've read about it."
Technically true — the System had offered him a complete Arcshade Domain Reference Compendium five minutes ago.
[System Perk Unlocked: Arcshade Familiarity I]Gain increased resistance to localized illusion zones and +10% detection range during Arcshade Night.
More importantly, it showed him the hidden events seeded in the trial — secret objectives triggered only if certain conditions were met.
And one of them had just activated nearby.
A Rare Spawn Appears
[System Alert: Proximity Trigger Detected]Event: "Moonfang Alpha Emergence"Creature Class: Moonfang Direwolf – Rank BType: Lunar/Ice HybridBonus Objective: Subdue or Repel for +200 Trial Points
Kieran stood up.
"We're moving."
Riven blinked. "Now? We just settled."
Kieran's gaze was fixed to the east, through the trees.
"There's something coming. Stronger than anything we've faced yet."
The Moonfang Alpha
In a clearing coated in silver mist, the Moonfang Alpha prowled.
It was enormous — twice the size of a regular wolf, with pale fur streaked with shimmering lunar patterns. Frost clung to its breath. Its eyes glowed with intelligence and ancient malice.
Several candidates had already converged on it — nobles and commoners alike — all salivating at the bonus reward.
But they underestimated it.
A wave of lunar frost swept out as it howled, instantly freezing a stone wall conjured by a noble girl. It lunged, tearing through their formation with brutal precision.
[System Scan Complete]Moonfang Alpha – Rank B BeastUnique Trait: Lunar Pulse – Temporarily weakens spells cast during night cycles
Suggested Tactic: Interrupt Pulse Cycle > Exploit Recovery Lag > Target Subdermal Core beneath Left Shoulder
Kieran arrived at the edge of the chaos, eyes glowing faintly from mana resonance.
Riven looked horrified. "Are you mad? That's a full-rank B creature!"
"No," Kieran said calmly. "That's an opportunity."
Tactical Infiltration
While the other teams engaged directly, Kieran activated a System Concealment Field, reducing his magical signature to nearly zero.
[Skill: Shadow Veil – Activated]Duration: 180 secondsDetection Chance: 5% under night conditions
He darted around the edge of the battlefield, weaving between trees, sliding beneath brambles. He could see the Moonfang's flank now.
He reached into his storage and pulled out a condensed Aether Spike — a rare item extracted from a downed beast earlier, infused with his own mana.
'One shot,' he thought.
He timed the rhythm of the creature's movement — step, pause, frost burst, howl. On the next pause, he lunged from cover.
The spike flew like a spear, guided by a thin strand of mana — and buried itself beneath the wolf's left shoulder.
The Moonfang froze mid-howl.
Its eyes widened.
Then it collapsed.
Not dead — just subdued, its core overwhelmed by Kieran's precision.
The Results
[Moonfang Alpha Subjugated – Points Gained: 200]Bonus Award: Lunar Core (Bound)
Lunar Core stored in System Inventory.New Passive Ability Unlocked: [Frost Resistance I]New Recruitable Target Flagged: Leonhart Duskveil – Compatibility: 58% (Unstable)
Kieran walked calmly past the stunned examinees still gaping at the fallen beast.
He left no explanation.
Only silence.