Cassandra was a noble from the kingdom of Merowla, which collapsed into a devastating civil war. Her family, staunch supporters of the kingdom's ruling dynasty, fell with it. In the chaos, her entire family was massacred, leaving only Cassandra and her younger sister to escape—an outcome made possible when Cassandra broke through as a Circle Warrior.
This breakthrough, however, complicated her plans. From childhood, Cassandra had trained to become an offense-focused spear warrior. But the timing of her breakthrough and the dire circumstances surrounding it shaped her domain into one centered on protection. While she didn't resent the protective nature of her domain—it was exactly what she needed at the time—she chose not to abandon her offensive style. Instead, Cassandra adapted, using her domain as a shield while developing advanced offensive spear techniques that capitalized on its protective abilities.
Like everyone else, Cassandra also gained abilities when she became a Circle Warrior. The one she relied on most was Energy Discharge, which allowed her to absorb the energy from opponents' attacks and amplify her own strikes with it. This ability was particularly effective, as she could use it multiple times during a battle.
Her second ability was her exceptionally strong physical defense—so strong that it rivaled the monsters she fought. It might even have surpassed them, but she had no desire to test its limits unless absolutely necessary.
The third ability came from her defense-based domain, which enabled her to block extremely powerful attacks far beyond her current Circle level.
She rarely used this ability, reserving it as a trump card. But now, facing the sixth wave of sharp-tailed monsters, she felt an overwhelming urge to unleash it. Clenching her teeth and wiping the sweat from her brow, she held back, unsure if the challenge would escalate further.
Instead, she channeled her frustration into Energy Discharge, blasting away three monsters lunging toward her. As she dashed backward, she shouted, "CELESTIAL BARRAGE!"
Leaping into the air, she thrust her glowing spear with rapid precision, each movement releasing strikes that rained down like a meteor shower, focusing on the most injured monster and tearing it apart.
The injured monster collapsed to the ground with a series of heavy thuds, its body riddled with gaping holes from her Celestial Barrage. Dark ichor pooled beneath it, signaling its end.
The remaining two monsters, undeterred, launched a barrage of sharp, bony darts in her direction. Cassandra's domain shimmered with silver light, easily deflecting the projectiles before they could reach her. However, the three monsters she had blasted away earlier regrouped, advancing in unison. Their sharp tails lashed out, not only firing darts but also striking at her from awkward, unpredictable angles.
She could have relied on her domain to block the attacks entirely, but she was cautious about draining too much of her willpower this early in the fight. Instead, she focused on dodging, twisting her body to avoid the strikes. Five tails aimed for her stomach in quick succession, forcing her to leap back.
The tails slammed into the arena floor with tremendous force, embedding deep into the ground. The impact reverberated through the arena, cracking the stone and sending a dull echo through the air. Cassandra landed lightly on her feet, her spear poised, her sharp eyes tracking the monsters' every movement.
The situation was growing more challenging, and she could feel her heart pounding as the monsters began to coordinate their attacks more effectively.
As she tried once again to break them apart, Cassandra leaped into the middle of the group. Channeling Energy Discharge, she slammed her spear into one of the monsters, blasting it with immense force and sending it hurtling into the arena wall, meters away.
Grinning at her success in scattering them, she turned her attention to the fallen monster. Without hesitation, she launched herself toward it, shouting, "FALLING STAR STRIKE!" Her spear ignited with blazing energy as she shot through the air at incredible speed, her descent fiery and swift, like a falling star ready to obliterate its target.
Cassandra descended like a glowing falling star, her entire body illuminated by the fiery energy of her technique. Her wide-open eyes gleamed with excitement, a grin stretching across her face as she relished the sensation of her spear technique reaching new heights.
With one hand, she thrust her spear forward, aiming for the monster's side. Time seemed to slow as the spear closed in, and she watched with exhilaration as the sheer power radiating from her weapon caused the monster's body to begin breaking apart even before the strike connected. The energy burned through its side, reducing flesh to ash in an instant.
As her spear fully connected, it split the monster's body into two smoldering halves, the searing heat consuming its remains. The momentum of her attack drove the spear deep into the arena floor, creating a massive crater that shook the ground. Cracks spread outward, snaking up the nearby wall, leaving a resounding impact that silenced the arena for a brief moment.
Breathing heavily, Cassandra straightened herself, pulling her spear free from the crater. The heat from her attack still shimmered in the air around her as she turned her gaze to the remaining monsters, her excitement giving way to steely determination.
Suddenly, her focus was broken by a loud, booming laugh.
"Hahahaha! Awesome, awesome! Give me more of that fight! Hahahaha! Cassandra! Cassandra!"
She turned her head slightly, hearing the old guardian cheering for her with a wide grin, his arms flailing wildly in the air like an overexcited spectator in a crowd.
The sight made her smile, though she couldn't help but feel a little weirded out by his enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Cassian, standing nearby, was even more unsettled. He had a front-row view of the guardian's maddeningly wide smile, his expression almost unhinged as he watched Cassandra battle the monsters with rapturous delight.
What the hell is wrong with him? Cassian wondered, baffled by the old guardian's erratic behavior. The man's mood swung wildly—one moment cursing Cassandra when a monster died, and the next cheering her on like her biggest fan. Cassian couldn't figure out what he actually wanted, but considering the centuries of isolation the guardian had endured, it wasn't surprising if his mind had slipped a little.
"You've got an awesome companion, boy. Are you two in a relationship or something? If you are, don't let her go!" the man rambled, his words spilling out quickly. "Those Impasi Tigers aren't just your average monsters, and she's taking them down left and right…"
Cassian managed a small smile at the guardian's praise for Cassandra, but the moment was short-lived. The man's face twisted into a scowl as he continued, his tone now filled with irritation.
"But why does she have to burn them? Damn it, I can't even use one of these anymore!" the old guardian grumbled, gesturing at the glowing remains of the defeated monsters. As he spoke, the monster's body vanished from the arena, and the crater Cassandra had created repaired itself, the floor returning to its original pristine state.
Ignoring the man's outburst, Cassian kept his eyes on Cassandra's fight and casually said, "Yeah, we're sort of in a relationship..."
"Really?" The guardian's eyes widened in surprise. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "I just said that to make you happy—I didn't think a pipsqueak like you could land someone so strong. And older than you, at that!"
Cassian didn't seem offended by the man's insult. Instead, he smirked and said, "What can I say? I've got a thing for older women. That mature charm just gets me fired up, like a bull."
Turning to the man, his smirk widened as he added, "What about you? Do you like older women? Oh, wait—sorry, I forgot. There's nothing older than you."
The man smirked back at Cassian's words and said, "Do you really think your petty attempt at insulting me would make me angry, boy?"
Cassian simply smiled in response, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
The man's smirk grew wider as he leaned in slightly, his voice lowering with menace. "Well, it does now. So be ready for the most hellish pain you've ever felt. Once she's done with her challenge, you're next. You'll be begging for death when you feel it."
Cassian's smirk widened at the man's words as he casually asked, "Wanna make a bet?"
The man raised an eyebrow, surprised. "About what, you begging?"
Cassian nodded, and the man's smirk returned as he nodded in agreement. "Of course. What do you want to bet?"
"You seem to enjoy watching people take on your challenges," Cassian said, his tone steady. "How about this—if I beg to die, I'll guide more challengers to come here and face your trials."
The man blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the proposal. Seeing he had the upper hand, Cassian pressed on. "And if I don't beg, you'll let me and Cassandra choose any reward from all the ones you've got stored here."
The old man looked at Cassian with a wide grin and asked, "You sure about this? No take-backs?"