Floating Island - Triple S Talent

The test on Rainforest Island had begun. More than 200 teams that had been formed would navigate through the dense jungle of the rainforest island and reach the finish line at the end of the forest. The distance was approximately 100 km.

"Come on, everyone... bring out your spirit!" A young man in luxurious attire shouted to his friends behind him.

"Hooooo!"

"Yeah...!"

As if feeling the positive energy of the young man in luxurious clothing, his friends responded with equally spirited shouts. The students' shouts could even be heard by other teams, drawing everyone's attention toward them.

"Hahaha... Reza, how about we make a bet, who will get the highest points?"

At this moment, another young man dressed in a suit, equally luxurious as Reza, shouted from a distance. The young man was riding a lion monster with a red mane. The lion walked majestically, intimidating several other students.

"Huh... with your little lion, are you sure you can beat me?" Not to be outdone, Reza's arrogant words were loud, and all the students heard them.

From Reza's words and the attitude of the young man riding the red-maned lion, it seemed the two were often in conflict. Like cats and mice, they would fight every time they met.

The other students who saw them were intrigued but not worried. They had seen this almost every day at the academy.

"This will be interesting. Reza, the son of a Life City official, is betting against Izul, the son of the leader of the Blind God Hunter Guild!" A chubby young man with missing teeth said, eyeing his friends with an odd look.

"Yeah, I think Reza will win," another student replied.

"What did you say? The leader of the Blind God Hunter Guild is richer and stronger. He even often meets with World Market Alliance officials for cooperation," a laid-back girl responded from the side.

The discussion about Reza and Izul's bet heated up among the students. How could it not, both were the children of people with high rank and status. The regular students were not in the same league.

"Who's backing Reza? Who's backing Izul?" The previous chubby, toothless student casually asked. He pulled out a large black pouch and offered it to the surrounding students.

"Reza, 2 energy crystals," a student said, reaching into the pouch and dropping in 2 crystals.

Not wanting to be left behind, other students did the same. One student casually said, "Izul, 1 energy crystal."

"Izul, 5 energy crystals."

"Reza, 3 energy crystals."

Students who were initially uninterested now started to gather. They didn't want to miss out on the benefits of the battle between Reza and Izul. Dozens of students placed their bets with the toothless chubby guy, most contributing 3 energy crystals—a small fortune for regular students.

Hearing Reza's direct taunt, Izul remained unfazed, still gazing calmly at Reza and said, "Enough... if you're scared, you'd better go home and return to the main island."

After saying that, Izul shifted his gaze forward, no longer paying attention to Reza.

Swoosh...

The young man on the lion sensed incoming danger. Reza had already leaped toward him, with his sharp sword aimed ahead. With a flick of his hand, a golden spear appeared in his right hand.

Clang...

The golden spear in Izul's hand parried Reza's direct strike, creating a loud echoing sound. Sparks flew clearly as the two weapons clashed.

Reza turned and landed calmly behind, repositioning himself quickly, immediately entering a fighting stance. His sharp eyes focused on Izul, who remained relaxed, sitting atop the red-maned lion.

"You've improved since last time," Reza remarked casually.

"Hahaha... How do you like my spear?" Izul said, flaunting his new weapon.

"The last time you won was just luck. If you dare, do you want to bet on who gets the highest points?" Izul reiterated his intent.

He had lost the last duel with Reza. In his view, his defeat was purely due to Reza's luck using some explosive talismans. But this time, he had made full preparations and wouldn't allow Reza to use unfair external tools.

"Alright... what will you wager?" Reza asked Izul, returning to a casual stance.

Izul, still atop his mighty lion, pondered for a moment. Not long after, as if an idea had struck him, he said, "How about the loser gives the winner a golden chest?"

Silence!!!

All the students, even Reza, fell silent at that moment. Perhaps ordinary people unfamiliar with the system would not feel the same. But these were academy students, well aware of how valuable a golden chest was. Even in their families, it was a rare item.

"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Izul mocked with a sneering gaze. He felt elated seeing Reza's deeply contemplative expression.

"Is your family going bankrupt?" Izul continued ruthlessly. He deliberately provoked Reza's anger. But contrary to his expectations, Reza was entirely different this time.

Reza's aura, initially unremarkable, intensified sharply. In less than a minute, Reza's aura had grown wildly, even more terrifying than the aura of Gold-ranked captains.

"Crazy!!! What kind of strange power is Reza using now?" A panicked student shouted. He slowly backed away.

"Get back... this guy is going berserk."

"Run, inform the captain."

Soon, the other students ran away from Reza. Reza's skin was now turning red, like a vessel unable to contain the massive energy exploding within him.

However, among all the students who stepped back, one remained calmly observing Reza without the slightest intent to retreat. Yes, who else but Izul. He had also activated his equipment, all glowing blue, showcasing the value of his items.

"Great!! Let's fight again to decide the winner!" Izul shouted excitedly.

"Arghhhhh."

The lion Izul rode was not just an accessory. Its aura also surged, its body enveloped in blazing flames. Its roar generated a powerful shockwave.

…

Not far from where Reza and Izul were, several captains noticed something was amiss. A captain with swift and light movements dashed toward the scene.

It didn't take long to reach where Reza and Izul were. He observed the two, ready to fight at any moment.

"You two... St—"

His words were cut short by a light pat on his shoulder.

"Let them."

A young man with black hair and a friendly face spoke from behind the Gold-ranked captain, stopping him. "Continue without them; appoint another leader as the temporary team leader for their teams," the young man continued.

Yes, the young man who had just arrived was Agis Mahendra, a Platinum-ranked captain.