A Reader's Grimoire In A Novel World

Julius glanced down at Cider, and a light shone from above as an entire tree was lit in flames.

Rowan fell from above, and Julius leapt backward as Rowan landed right where he had been standing, making the ground cave in.

Cider regained himself in that instance, and Julius got into a sword stance, holding his hilt close to his mouth and keeping the sword horizontal.

His eyes were fixed on the two boys in front of him.

A sword appeared in Rowan's hand out of a stream of flames, and the same happened for Cider, who walked closely behind him.

"You've been getting on our nerves lately. I think it's time for you to just quit."

Cider moved from behind Rowan, heading toward Julius with his blade, and then Julius noticed the strange weapon.

A magic-grade artifact. My sword will definitely shatter if I deflect force with force.

Despite his thoughts swirling, his gaze remained calm and his heart steady.

He dodged the sword and leapt toward a tree in the distance, running deeper into the forest.

If he tried to face them head-on right now, he would be defeated due to their advantage in weapons.

There's a clear difference between normal and magic-grade weapons: their material.

In this world of fictional things, there are undoubtedly countless magical materials used to forge.

These enchanted weapons often have a few runes that boost their durability and, at rare times, give them a special attribute.

Julius jumped over a space, and the brothers were confused until they got stuck in a web of ropes.

"ARGHHHHH!!!" Cider shouted loudly, letting a stream of flames shoot out of his mouth.

They continued the chase and were soon led to a cave. Julius stood in front of the cave and waved his sword, creating an arc of light that flew toward them.

The two boys moved forward as they noticed the large arc of light coming toward them, jumping high into the air to dodge it.

They approached Julius, who fled into the cave, and then they moved in. Soon, they stopped hearing the sound of running footsteps.

The two boys lit up the place with flames to see a large furry creature ahead of them with massive tusks.

"A black boar!" Rowan shouted, and Cider gritted his teeth as he gazed up at this five-meter-tall beast.

BOOM!

They immediately turned around as they heard an explosion from behind them and saw Julius walking away from the cave as the debris from the roof gradually covered the entrance.

Julius looked back at the sealed entrance and scanned it with his special eye.

"It's too thick. Just fire alone won't be able to get them out," he mumbled, analyzing the thickness of the wall he had set before them.

In this challenge, only seven would be selected. With the three princes—Rowan, Cider, and River—along with the royal princess already holding four spots by default, there were only three slots left.

He walked away from the cave, hearing various thuds and bangs. He sensed a very familiar presence nearby but decided to ignore it and go deeper into the dome.

The dome seemed to be closing at a much faster rate now than before, and Julius managed to take out three more people.

He wasn't sure how many people in total would remain, but he was sure of one thing: River was not yet eliminated.

Over 20 minutes passed, and Julius sensed five people close by. He went for the one with the weakest Essence among them.

He arrived in front of a bulky boy who held a large battle axe.

The boy turned to him and raised his hand, making the earth in front of him bring forth a tall wall.

Julius stopped as he saw this, and the wall crumbled into little pieces, floating around him.

"Prince Julius! It's you. We never had the opportunity to spar. Do you remember me?" The boy spoke with excitement in his tone, and Julius remembered him.

The punk I never agreed to duel with? He observed the boy.

Short brown hair, brown eyes to match, a tall and muscular stature with a ripped shirt.

The boy seemed excited to meet Julius, and the white-haired prince couldn't be more confused about this behavior.

"My name is Brooke, Your Highness," the boy said, and then all the rocks flew toward him like projectiles.

Julius noticed that they were all covered in a strange yellow aura, and he unsheathed his blade, beginning to parry every single one.

He ran in a single direction and scaled a tree with ease before leaping backward.

He pointed his sword toward the ground, shooting out a straight beam that Brooke jumped to the side to deflect.

The prince was already on the ground in the next second, and his blade began to dance around the boy with the huge axe.

Julius was shocked that Brooke could move his entire body so fluidly while wielding that massive axe.

The attacks were grounded and heavy, leaving Julius no choice but to back up.

His entire blade glowed a bright light in that moment, and his speed increased.

He began to attack Brooke and bounce back, changing direction each time. Brooke smiled and stomped on the ground, making it shake.

Julius leapt up from the ground a moment before, and Brooke saw him clearly.

"I got you!" Brooke leapt toward the prince, who was still in the air, and Julius shot a beam of light toward him.

The bulky boy countered, only to be blinded by a bright light and deafened by a sound that disabled his hearing.

Julius managed to spin and cleave Brooke's head in that instant. He landed on the ground, turning around to see the body vanish in a bright yellow light.

"You're finally done."

A voice came from behind, and Julius quietly nodded, wiping his blade with a small cloth.

"Yeah, I am." He turned around to see River sitting on a tree branch close to him.

"I've analyzed your battle. Turns out you haven't awakened any useful runes, and you rely on your intellect in battles. That's quite cowardly and dishonorable," River said, summoning the same sword he had used to fight Julius last time. He got into a fighting stance.

"Now come."

Julius stayed neutral, calculating his odds in this fight. He smiled as he noticed a change in the environment.

"Too bad our time is over," he smirked, making River confused.

"What do you mean?"

"There are only three people left in the barrier. This trial is over," Julius said before vanishing in a bright yellow light.

River was stunned by what had just happened, but then he smiled as he was taken away too.