Alicar launched himself forward, his staff crackling with elemental energy, and unleashed a barrage of attacks at the remaining Hounds, each spell aimed with deadly precision.

’I’m risking Mana Exhaustion for this,’ Alicar thought, his mind already warning him of the consequences.

Mana Exhaustion was a dangerous state that mages could fall into when they pushed beyond their limits, forcing their bodies to continue channeling magic even after their reserves had been completely drained.

The penalty for such recklessness was severe, sometimes leaving a mage unable to cast even the simplest spell for days on end, their magical pathways damaged and in need of recovery.

But Alicar didn’t care about the consequences, not when his life was on the line and every second counted.

Fireballs roared through the air, lightning bolts arced across the chamber, and ice spikes shot from the ground, forcing the Hounds to dodge and weave frantically.

One of them lunged at him, its jaws aiming for his throat, but Alicar sidestepped at the last moment and drove an ice spike through its skull, killing it instantly, its body collapsing to the ground.

The last Hound tried to flee, its instincts telling it to run, but Alicar was faster, launching a lightning bolt that struck it square in the back, sending it crashing to the ground, lifeless.

Alicar turned his attention to the Wraith, his body aching, but he refused to give up, his determination burning brighter than ever.

He charged forward, his fist blazing with crimson aura as he activated Demon Fist, swinging at the Wraith with all his might, the image of Vorgath appearing behind him.

But the creature was faster, its form dissolving into shadow and reforming behind him with supernatural speed, its clawed hand raking across his back, drawing blood.

Alicar stumbled, pain shooting through his body, but he forced himself to turn and launch another attack, his movements growing slower but no less determined.

The battle raged on, Alicar dodging and weaving, landing blows where he could, but the Wraith was relentless, its attacks coming from every angle.

Finally, he saw his chance, a brief opening in the Wraith’s defenses.

He summoned another electrical water ball, this time smaller but more focused, and added a burst of wind to propel it forward with devastating speed.

The attack struck the Shadow Wraith square in the chest, the electricity and water disrupting its form, stunning it for a precious moment, its body flickering uncontrollably.

Alicar didn’t hesitate.

He rushed forward, his fist blazing with crimson aura, and unleashed two Demon Fists in rapid succession, each one striking the Wraith’s core with devastating force.

The first punch cracked its form, the second shattered it completely.

The Shadow Wraith let out a final, piercing scream before its form dissolved into nothingness, defeated.

Ding!

[You have killed x4 Dark Hound Lv.20.]

[You have killed Shadow Wraith Lv.20.]

Ding!

[You have leveled up to Level 16 + Level 17!]

[You have gained two points in every attribute, and four free attribute points.]

"Nice," Alicar grinned as he sat on the ground, the fight having taken everything from him.

His body was aching and his mana reserves were completely empty, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Luckily this ’challenge’ was only for level 20 awakeners, if it was any level above, I have no idea what would have happened."

Regardless, Alicar had managed to level up twice due to the sheer power of the monsters, becoming much stronger in the process as he had learned how to use three elements too, a skill that would serve him well in the future.

’Well, four elements is the next milestone, but I have no idea how to do that,’ he thought, his mind already exploring the possibilities of combining even more elements.

Alicar spent the next few minutes attempting, but no matter how hard he tried, it didn’t work, the elements refusing to cooperate and slipping from his control.

’My mana is completely spent anyway,’ he sighed, realizing he would need to rest before attempting anything else.

He would have to think about buying [Mana Potions] if they existed in the Trading Centre, a valuable resource for any mage that could restore their energy in battle.

Then Alicar focused back on the panels around him, his heart pounding with anticipation at what awaited him.

Ding!

[You have completed the "Challenge" in Hell difficulty!]

[Please acquire your reward.]

Fwoosh!

In the middle of the chamber where Alicar had fought the monsters, there was an aura of shadows, and from it, a treasure chest appeared, materializing from the darkness with a soft glow.

"...Oh!" Alicar’s eyes widened with excitement, a smile spreading across his face.

Treasure Chests were things Alicar actually knew about from his studies, legendary containers that appeared after defeating difficult bosses, exploring deep zones, or sometimes completing secret realms that few had ever seen.

They were said to contain incredible rewards, items that could change the course of an awakener’s journey, but they were also incredibly rare, appearing only under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Alicar had never expected to encounter one, let alone from one of these challenges, making this moment even more special and unforgettable.

Alicar approached the treasure chest, though not before storing every single monster corpse in his Small Spatial Ring, the bodies disappearing into the dimensional pocket with a soft shimmer.

It felt great being able to actually store things without worrying about it being full already, a luxury he had never experienced before with his previous limited ring.

Then he turned his gaze toward the treasure chest, its surface gleaming with an ornate design of gold and silver, intricate patterns swirling across its surface, and it pulsed with a faint, rhythmic energy that seemed almost alive.

With a deep breath, he poured his energy into the chest, making it light up with a brilliant glow, then he swung it open, the hinges creaking softly.

And inside, were two items, both of which were glowing with a powerful light that made Alicar’s eyes widen.

...

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