Daily Rewards! Transmigrating into a novel as a side-character!

After a moment of serious contemplation, weighing the risks against the potential rewards, I made my decision and took the left path. The difference between a Transcendent-rank secret art and a Royal-rank technique wasn't even comparable - the power gap was enormous. If I could obtain such a valuable technique by taking a small risk, it would absolutely be worth the gamble.

Besides, if I couldn't manage to defeat a single Transcendent-rank being now, under controlled circumstances, how could I possibly hope to face the enemies that would eventually attack the city? In those future battles, Transcendent-rank beings would be nothing more than cannon fodder waiting to be slaughtered by truly powerful opponents. I needed to test my limits and push beyond them if I wanted to survive what was coming.

I approached the left door and grasped the handle firmly. The moment the door swung open, I felt tremors running through the stone structure around me, followed by the distinctive sound of mechanisms activating. A heavy grinding noise came from behind me, and I turned to see that the right path had been permanently sealed. There was no going back now, I was committed to facing whatever challenge lay ahead.

The door led to another corridor, this one shorter than the previous passage but somehow more ominous in its construction. The walls here were carved with different patterns, depicting scenes of battles and what appeared to be ritual combat. The craftsmanship was more elaborate, suggesting I was approaching something of greater significance.

At the end of this new pathway stood a massive door, far larger and more imposing than any I had encountered in the shrine so far. The door itself was made from what appeared to be a single piece of dark stone, polished to an almost mirror-like finish. Most striking was the handle, which had been carved into the unmistakable face of a golden mane lion, its features rendered with incredible detail and artistic skill.

'Could this represent the monster waiting inside?' I wondered, studying the carved features more carefully.

I knew these species well from my studies and my father's warnings about dangerous creatures during my first two weeks inside the estate. Lions at the Transcendent rank were among the most lethal predators in existence. Their natural hunting instincts, combined with their powerful magical abilities and long years of evolution, made them incredibly dangerous opponents. They possessed supernatural speed, devastating physical strength, and an intelligence that allowed them to adapt their tactics mid-combat.

Taking a deep breath, I began my final preparations for what would likely be the most challenging fight of my life.

Glancing at the communication crystal in my hand, I remembered my guards and Kojiro. They should have been hunting for several hours by now, and I had left Kojiro with them specifically hoping he would achieve his breakthrough to Transcendent rank after defeating a suitable opponent. I realized I hadn't received any updates from them since yesterday night.

I raised the crystal and attempted to establish a connection with my guards outside the academy grounds, hoping to get a status report on their progress.

The connection failed immediately. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion before I remembered a crucial detail about academy examinations. During official testing periods, the academy implemented powerful magical barriers that prevented all forms of external communication. This policy served multiple purposes, ensuring fairness by preventing outside assistance, eliminating any possibility of cheating, and providing an additional safety measure by forcing students to rely on their own capabilities.

I had completely overlooked this restriction in my eagerness to check on Kojiro's progress. The isolation was absolute during examinations.

Placing the communication crystal back in my storage ring, I retrieved Kojiro's summoning card instead. Perhaps I could call him to assist with this Transcendent-rank challenge, combining our strengths to improve our chances of success.

I attempted to activate the card, channelling my will into the magical construct, but nothing happened. The familiar flash of light that normally brought Kojiro into existence simply didn't occur.

It seemed that for Kojiro to be summoned again, he would first need to return to the card. Since he was currently in the physical world with my guards, the card couldn't recall him from that distance or override his current location.

I was truly on my own for this final challenge.

***

Inside the royal castle of the kingdom of Eldrathia, within the opulent throne room where the strongest human in the kingdom resided, I sat upon the magnificent seat of power.

A smile formed on my face as I sensed the magical disturbance from the academy grounds. It seemed like someone had finally been able to bypass the first layer of the challenge I had personally placed within the examination area years ago. The shrine had remained untouched for so long that I had begun to wonder if the current generation of students possessed any real talent.

While I didn't know who had managed to bypass the initial trial, only successfully passing the second layer would truly impress me. I had deliberately chosen not to place any surveillance magic inside that particular challenge. The reason was simple – people capable of completing that trial weren't exactly easy to hide. Such exceptional power and skill couldn't be concealed deeply, no matter how hard the talented individual might try to remain inconspicuous.

Knock, Knock!

"Enter," I called out in an impassive voice.

My son entered the throne room and immediately knelt before the massive chair, maintaining his usual stoic expression.

"Your Highness, the monster attacks on our kingdom's towns have escalated significantly. They have already taken complete control of one town," the prince reported with professional detachment.

I nodded gravely, my expression shifting from amusement about the academy trial to serious concern about this developing threat. "Any intelligence on the ranks of these creatures?"

"There appears to be a Commander-level beast leading tens of Transcendent-rank monsters, and hundreds of elite-rank beasts according to survivor testimony from the fallen town. We confirmed the presence of multiple Transcendent-rank beasts by sending a scouting team, though they didn't get close enough to verify the Commander-level creature directly."