I Own the Evolution Domain

"Students from multiple groups had already taken down their first monsters, Professor Runia."

While the students are busy getting acclimated to the infested island the academy sent them into, the staff facilitating the exam from the academy’s premises had already received news from the field staff working their best to watch over these young students, the news a welcome and expected, yet nevertheless a quick one.

"That’s a few minutes earlier than last year, looks like the students will encounter quite the handful of targets this year..."

One professor remarked while watching through projected screens of scenes captured by the field staff monitoring the students, that remark made other staff nod in agreement, expressing the fact that they shared the same thoughts.

"Tell the field staff to keep their guards up." Runia reminded, while also having her eyes fixed on the projected screen showing the students’ performance, her eyes particularly glued towards a certain pair that appears on the screens every now and then.

’Mother and Aunt Miruam will give me a scolding if something happens, so you better be safe, cousin,’ she thought to herself as she continued monitoring everything happening, all while paying closer attention to the student she is most familiar with, the eldest daughter of the Heavenblade Great Clan.

Unaware of the fact that the Vice Headmaster of the academy is observing her through the captured projections, Medea’s gaze locked with the staring monster in front of her, the bulky, muscular body of this bear-like creature making her feel like just a couple of normal slashes won’t be enough for her to fell it completely.

"How about giving that guy to me? You’ve been killing higher-tier enemies since we started hunting after all." watching the lady’s focus as she prepares to attack the bear monster, a voice came from near her, prompting her to pause for a while as she turned in the direction of the voice.

Sitting on a low branch among all the luminescent trees around them, she saw a familiar face watching the monster more than he is watching her, his gaze sharp and trained, and despite the easy-going posture he is in right now, she feels like he can respond to any threat at a moment’s notice, as if he already has his guard up.

With this pause snapping her out of her battle trance, she finally had the time to feel the little droplets of sweat forming around her smooth forehead, the sensation from it prompting her to draw yet another clean cloth, wiping her forehead to rid herself of her own sweat.

"Are you sure? This guy is at the peak of D Tier after all..." despite wanting to take Novus’ offer, Medea still reminded as she slowly takes steps away from the monster and towards the tree her teammate is sitting on, her gaze still trained on the monster, her body prepared to act the moment she saw any suspicious motion from her opponent.

"No problem." as soon as he received a go signal from her, he immediately leaped from the tree branch and descended down the ground, his motion impressing Medea a little bit as she noticed something that even she herself finds quite hard to do.

’There’s no disturbance...’ seeing the leaves neither kicked up by his descent nor cracking by his weight, she remarked to herself, intending to ask him how he does that all too naturally when they have the time later.

Meanwhile, seeing the battle intent and bloodlust from its opponent gradually declining at such a fast rate, the bear-like monster immediately thought that said opponent might be thinking that defeat in its hand is imminent, hence boosting its confidence to attack.

’It sure is quick for its size.’

But its new opponent is quicker on the uptake, mana exploding from beneath as he dashed in a straight line by enforcing his legs, forcing him to fend off the sudden attack with his arms, the opponent’s claw stabbing him in the process.

Blood flows, and pain runs all the way towards his brain, the injury, coupled with the intense amplification of the sensation brought about by his own talent, making him experience a level of pain no normal person can bear without screaming and throwing themselves around at least.

However, he merely smiles as he is already used to this level of bodily damage, to the point that even he himself thinks that it is nothing but a mere scratch to him, some sort of a wake-up call that improves his clarity even more, rather than drowning his senses in pain.

And that clarity allows him to bring about his power and combat prowess even more; that same maniacal smile whenever he fights now beginning to form on his lips as he swings his stabbed arms to the side, effectively dislodging the bear monster’s claws, all while also disorienting it a little bit.

Using what he had learned during his third time in the Evolution Domain, he wills the effects of his talent to focus on the deep wound, debilitating one of his arms, and without utilizing even a single drop of Immortal Energy, he managed to regenerate his damaged arm in no time at all.

This all happened while his free arm was wrapped around with a great amount of mana, his muscles, bones, and skin reinforced by that energy and allowing him to bring even more power than his normal punches.

It was sent in, the vast difference in size between the bear monster and the young man allowing him to target his opponent’s guts without any trouble on his part, the punch cleanly connecting and bringing about an effect that the monster would never expect.

It felt like its own insides were being rearranged by that attack, organs crashing on each other, forcing it to gag before eventually vomiting out something from its wide-open mouth.

Mixture of saliva, half-digested food, and blood began flowing out of its system, the shock from that mana-enhanced punch rendering it immobile from both the damage and pain, forcing it to remain kneeling on the ground for a prolonged amount of time.

An amount of time that is more than enough for its opponent to completely finish it.

Another punch landed, this time, directly hitting the monster in the head without it even knowing what happened, its eyes turning full white as its pupil rolled upwards from the violent brunt of the attack.

Eventually, blood flows from all its orifices, the corners of its eyes, both its ears, its nose, and even its mouth, before finally falling back flat on the ground.

"See, I told you, you’re a monster, Junior Novus~~" looking at the bear’s skull caved in from a single punch from her teammate, Medea, remarked before staring at him, Novus, who is still bearing that bloodlust from the battle, making her flinch a little as she stares at his sharp gaze.

Still, she managed to quickly hide the surprise as she revealed that familiar mischievous smile, provoking a reply from him that would’ve started another little banter between the two of them had it not been for a sudden interruption.

"HEELP!!"

A loud, guttural, and panicked shout interrupted their little moment together, prompting the two of them to turn their heads towards the source of the sound.

During any normal competitions such as every single exam in the academy, the two of them would’ve just ignored any call for help as it is nothing more than helping a possible future competitor during the event to survive long enough to compete with them, however, in this island, the two of them knows that it is not only fellow students, but also monsters and beasts that they are competing against.

Not to mention that panicked screaming alarms them of danger all the more.

"Should we check—?" Medea asked, and Novus answered without even letting the lady finish her question.

"Let’s go." he replied as his figure rushed towards the source of the scream.