In the other gates, each S-ranker was facing their own brutal ordeal, fighting with everything they possessed.
Grant faced a colossal Stone Golem, his shield absorbing devastating hammer blows that would have crushed other awakeners into meat paste. Each impact sent shockwaves through his powerful body, but his Vanguard class kept him alive.
Caleb battled a Berserker Ape, his own rage matching the beast's fury. The strikes the Ape landed were like a truck, each strike taking his own breath away. His body was bloodied, but so was the smile on his face.
The more he was hit, the more powerful he became, slowly stacking his strength against the Ape in an attempt to match it. The healing rune he placed continued to slowly heal him, whilst also draining his mana. But that wouldn't last long, his berserker stacks were almost completed. The forest shook with their collision, both combatants trading powerful strikes, each trying to outlast the other through sheer violent determination.
