Asher watched quietly, waiting for his name to be called. He noticed that Drake seemed to have a way of identifying peopleās fighting capabilities without even knowing their Life Rank.
But Asher wasnāt surprised by this revelation; people possessing extreme battle senses existed in almost every novel and anime he had read or watched back on Earth.
Or in Drakeās case, it might be a unique ability. Still, Asher couldnāt help but wonder how many abilities the man possessed. The instructor could also fly, after all. From what Asher had read, no known Life Rank allowed for flight in this world.
Anyone defying gravity either had it as a unique ability or it was an advanced application of their existing powers or bloodline.
Asher shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about what kind of ability the instructor might possess.
āHe also seems to match trainees against monsters that can cover their weaknesses,ā
Asher thought as he continued watching the unfolding events.
Take Daniel, for example, he was an archer. Archers were usually considered vulnerable once enemies closed the distance, and Drake had precisely used a monster that could do just that against him.
Snakes were slippery, fast, and reactive.
They could easily dodge arrows, close in quickly, and also see through most hiding methods with their natural thermal vision.
"Ella. Echo," Drake announced suddenly.
Ella smiled and responded, "I hope youāre ready for a show, Tenth Sun," she said sweetly as she walked forward with that same smile gracing her lips.
"I hope you donāt get tossed around," Asher couldnāt help but reply, a smirk tugging at his lips.
As one of the strongest within the First Training Ground, Ella was paired against an Echo ranked monster. Echo-ranked beasts generally possessed abilities, but not all Echo ranked monsters were on the same level. Some were simply faster, stronger, and had more dangerous or practical abilities than others.
But the people of Crymora didnāt see the need to classify these monsters any further. Just like how people could be on the same major Life Rank but possess different minor ranks, the same principle applied to monsters and beasts, they might share a classification but vary greatly in actual strength.
Ella stood calmly, her posture relaxed but confident as she waited for her opponent. Soon, her adversary arrived, a black and red bear standing over two meters tall, with blood-red eyes that looked as though they had long since sunk into madness.
But Ella didnāt even blink. Her expression shifted. That soft smile disappeared the moment she stepped forward. In the Monster Subjugation Training, there were no restrictions.
Everyone was allowed to battle using everything they had. There were no starting signals, no countdowns, and certainly no time to prepare, just like on any real battlefield.
"RRRROOOOAAARRR!"
The wild bear roared with full force, its voice rumbling through the area like a shockwave, but Ella wasnāt here to enjoy its concert. Without a word, she vanished from her location.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared near the beast. Her fist shot out toward the bearās head like a launched cannon.
The beast was caught off guard. Most humans allowed it to roar to its heartās content before battle truly began, but this female didnāt follow those rules.
Seeing the incoming fist, the bear reacted. Its fur extended outward, morphing into sharp spikes that threatened to tear through Ellaās incoming punch like spears.
Ellaās eyes instantly squinted. She knew she couldnāt stop her attack mid motion, it would create an opening the beast could exploit. With nothing but a thought, the water element bloomed around her.
A swirling circular platform formed just in time, stopping her fist from connecting directly and being shredded.
The bear didnāt waste any time. Its paw lashed out with explosive force, slicing through the air. The wind tore apart in its wake as the bearās claws came down toward Ellaās entire body.
But her expression didnāt even shift. Her body moved fluidly, her fist shooting out again and meeting the paw head-on. A thunderous boom rang out as their attacks collided. The ground beneath their feet cracked and buckled under the pressure.
Ellaās sharp eyes noticed the bearās fur beginning to move again. She reacted instantly, her form blurring as she darted backward, narrowly avoiding another barrage of fur spikes.
The bear entered a frenzy, unleashing a furious storm of spikes. Ella went on the defensive, weaving between each projectile with remarkable footwork.
Behind her, anything the spikes touched was obliterated instantly. Trees were torn through like paper, and debris scattered in all directions.
But Ella didnāt panic. She knew the bear didnāt have infinite fur to shoot. All she had to do was remain calm and keep dodging.
She had the speed and the stamina to outlast the beastās wild assault. And just as she had predicted, the barrage ended within seconds.
Still, she didnāt rush in. She raised a hand slowly, her eyes locked on the beast. Water swirled midair and then surged forward, forming a swirling cocoon that enveloped the bearās head. It was deprived of oxygen almost instantly.
The bear flailed. Its paws reached up, desperately trying to tear the water away from its face, its body shaking violently as it panicked. But Ella wasnāt done. She wouldnāt leave such an opening unpunished.
Astra burst beneath her feet, launching her forward like a bolt of lightning. In a single breath, she stood before the bear again.
Her fist clenched tightly as she channeled Astra into it. Without hesitation, she struck, punching forward like a rocket launched with all its might.
The air itself recoiled under the force of her punch. A loud bam echoed, followed by a sickening sound of flesh ripping apart. The bearās belly exploded outward like a ruptured drum.
The force of the punch shot straight through the beastās body, blowing out its back and tearing open a massive hole as if it had been struck by a missile. Blood, entrails, and gore splashed across Ellaās body, but she didnāt react, not even a blink.
The bearās lifeless body fell with a heavy thud, its blood pooling beneath it, dyeing the ground red. Ella turned calmly and walked back to her position without a word, as though nothing had happened.