Professor Vincent leaned forward, his mechanical augmentations whirring softly as he adjusted the scrying crystal's focus. "So what's the situation with Whisper Jr.'s battle? That point differential seems... unusual."
"Well, it seems they're in a stalemate of sorts," Professor Gareth muttered, squinting at the display showing Zone 4: Ironhold Fortress. "Though it looks pretty awful for one side, honestly."
The camera zoomed in, revealing the chaotic battlefield.
Zone 4: Ironhold Fortress
Cassius moved through the undead horde like a divine instrument of destruction, his white spear—Ivory Piercer—gleaming with each precise strike. The revived monsters fell before him with mechanical efficiency. Battlekeep Slayers, Throne Wreckers, Stoneguard Abominations—they crumbled one after another.
His point total was climbing at an absolutely insane rate.
1,000 points...
2,000 points...
3,000 points...
3,783 points!!
And it was still rising.
The professors stared in stunned silence as Cassius systematically slaughtered every single revived monster in the fortress, his movements fluid and tireless, his Sovereign's Acceleration Field making each kill look effortless.
Then the camera panned down to the throne room's lower level.
Aria stood alone against Whisper Jr., her left eye permanently closed—the injury from earlier had sealed it shut with dried blood. Her entire body was covered in cuts, bruises, and what looked like claw marks. Her usually pristine appearance was completely destroyed. She looked like she would collapse and die at any moment, barely maintaining her defensive stance.
Meanwhile, Whisper Jr. looked completely fresh, not even breathing hard.
"How long do you intend to stall me?" the vampire necromancer asked, genuine curiosity in his voice rather than anger.
His eyes narrowed behind the red mask. So... you're one of those people, aren't you? Vassal Reconditioning. I thought that practice was discouraged even among the nobility after the LifeLaw Reforms. I suppose it still continues in secret..."
He gestured at Cassius above them, systematically farming points. "Is it really necessary to farm points from dead corpses like this? You can't kill me permanently, and I can't kill you without triggering the safety wards. So what's the point?"
Aria grinned despite her injuries, blood staining her teeth. She smiled softly—genuinely. "So continue being a convenient point farm for my master. That's all you need to do.."
Whisper Jr. nodded slowly, understanding dawning. "Is that so, Cassius?"
His voice carried upward through the fortress halls. "So you intend to do it this way, huh? Honestly, this is so... efficient. Almost insulting in its simplicity."
Professor Whisper felt her mind slowly going blank as she watched her son being used as a glorified experience farm. The other professors very carefully avoided looking directly at her, sensing the dangerous emotional undercurrent.
On screen, Cassius tore the head clean off a Stoneguard Abomination, adding another 37.5 points to his already astronomical total.
"Just hold on a little longer for me, Aria," Cassius called down calmly, not even breathing hard despite the extended combat. "I'll be down there shortly to finish that mosquito off properly."
The control room went deathly silent.
All the professors simultaneously glanced at Professor Whisper's expressionless face at the "mosquito" remark, then immediately looked away, suddenly finding other displays fascinating.
"Well?" Professor Marcus cleared his throat diplomatically. "This is the highest point total recorded in quite a long while.If it continues at this rate, he might actually beat Aurora's freshman record."
He pulled up his enchanted tablet, checking the updated leaderboard:
CURRENT RANKINGS:
Student Cassius - 3,783 points Student Ignatia Vermillion - 1,344 points Student Elarin Windwhisper - 1,238 points
Professor Sylvia sighed, her elf ears drooping slightly. "Elarin is doing well, but... shouldn't she join forces with Draekon and Lyralei? That young woman needs to start seeing allies beyond just elves."
Professor Lydia—the long-eared elf instructor—shook her head sadly. "It doesn't suit her position as a princess from one of the two royal bloodlines in the Elf Realm. The academy has... expectations of royalty. Alliances must be carefully chosen."
"But after Aurora is done with Draekon and Lyralei," Sylvia pressed, "won't Elarin be next on the elimination list?"
Professor Marcus agreed grimly. "Definitely. In terms of political positions and combat ability, she's a prime target."
He shifted the topic. "Student Ignatia is a perfect example of noble excellence. Her performance is extremely promising. Sadly, we won't get to see much of her tested here—Raul, Whisper Jr., and Aurora are all in other zones, and no other senior seems interested in challenging her."
Professor Marcus looked directly at Loren, the purple-haired senior monitoring student, with a questioning expression.
Loren sweated nervously under the scrutiny. "Come on, Professors! It didn't sit well with the others after getting completely outclassed by the Big Three. And those three took their assignments for personal reasons, not club-related recruitment purposes."
He gestured defensively. "Everyone else wanted to recruit promising freshmen from this exceptional batch, obviously. Not break their bones for personal entertainment. Isn't the whole point of Phase Two that seniors get early scouting opportunities to invite freshmen to their clubs?"
The professors froze, then slowly nodded in unison.
"Indeed," Professor Marcus admitted. "That is the primary purpose."
gnatia walked through the desert wasteland with perfect stoic composure, each step turning the sand beneath her feet into smooth, glittering glass from pure residual heat. Monsters emerged from the dunes—not to attack her, but writhing in pure agony from the overwhelming temperature surrounding her like an invisible furnace.
Blazeking Serpents, Sandsoul Annihilators, Sunfang Riders—A-Grade, B-Grade, it didn't matter. Their natural resistance to fire meant absolutely nothing. They simply turned to ash before getting within twenty feet of her, their bodies spontaneously combusting from proximity to her aura alone.
Those few monsters that somehow survived the initial exposure appeared to have been left alive deliberately. A single noble student followed behind Ignatia at a distance, easily killing the severely weakened creatures with minimal effort.
He was harvesting points without any real danger, essentially using her as a mobile monster-weakening machine.
Michael Aurelian looked pleased with himself, his golden eyes scanning the horizon as the Argent Sovereign Armor on his arm hummed with stored mana.
Further back, partially obscured by a heat shimmer, stood Rave—a student with black hair and dark eyes, watching the slaughter committed by Ignatia with an unreadable expression.
"Is this really acceptable for evaluation purposes?" Professor Kazuki asked uncomfortably.
The senior professors sighed collectively, a shared expression of resignation crossing their faces.
"We all agreed that the examination format needs to be changed significantly," Professor Helena stated firmly, her arms crossed. "Royalty and noble houses have gone far too far in bending the rules for convenience and political maneuvering."
Her eyes burned with passionate determination. "These convenient shortcuts will not help them grow stronger in the crucial upcoming years. I will ensure reforms are implemented."
The camera zoomed in on Draekon, who stood at the edge of the clearing where Aurora and Lyralei were locked in combat.
His mind raced through tactical calculations.
Aurora instead of Whisper Jr. Bad luck from the start.
Monsters like her aren't meant to be defeated this early in the game progression.
His internal System Interface opened, displaying Aurora's status:
═══════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW
═══════════════════════════════
Name: Aurora Drakonis
Race: Pure-Blooded Dragon
Rank: [SSR]
Level: 79/100
Mana Circuits: Level 7/9 (Peak)
───────────────────────────────
SKILLS & ABILITIES
───────────────────────────────
⚔ Absolute Compression [SSR] [Lv 8/9]
⚔ Dragon's Regeneration [SSR] [Lv 9/9]
⚔ Elemental Sovereignty [SR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Draconic Transformation [SSR] [Lv 8/9] (RESTRICTED)
⚔ Pressure Dominance [SSR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Glacial Breath [SSR] [Lv 8/9]
═══════════════════════════════
"Bad, bad, bad," Draekon muttered. "What are we even working with here?"
He pulled up his own stats and Lyralei's for comparison:
═══════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW
═══════════════════════════════
Name: Lyralei Valen
Race: Human
Rank: [SSR]
Level: 39/100
Mana Circuits: Level 5/9
───────────────────────────────
SKILLS
───────────────────────────────
⚔ Black Lightning Core [SSR] [Lv 6/9]
⚔ The Valen Lightning Style [SSR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Lightning Absorption [SSR] [Lv 9/9]
═══════════════════════════════
═══════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW
═══════════════════════════════
Name: Draekon Ardent
Race: Human (Dragon Valley Lineage)
Rank: [SSR]
Level: 33/100
Mana Circuits: Level 5/9
───────────────────────────────
SKILLS
───────────────────────────────
⚔ Stormflame Breath [S] [Lv 5/9]
⚔ Infinite Arsenal [SSR] [Lv 6/9]
⚔ Dragon's Bracelet [SSR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Hero's Charisma [SSR] [Lv 8/9]
═══════════════════════════════
The academy has a few restrictions regarding the Big Three, Draekon thought rapidly. Limited named spells. Can't use their dominant arm. Can't actively hunt targets—have to let them come within 100-meter radius. Most importantly: can't lie when answering direct questions.
So probably Aurora sneaked up on Lyralei? No, that's impossible. Lyralei is the most sensitive character in the game—she picks up any lethal or non-lethal intent with ease. No matter how much Aurora tries to hide it, sneaking up should be impossible.
His mind continued analyzing.
Aurora is strange. The stronger the opponent, the more excited she gets—even though she pretends to hide it. She's completely nuts when it comes to combat. Yet here we are...
Most importantly: can't lie to direct questions.
The grass in Verdant Meadows rolled gently in the breeze.
For once—just for once—the zone was peaceful.
Then, in the next heartbeat—
"Alright! Let's go!"
Draekon fired multiple arrows from his manifested bow.
"Bow Arts - Hawk Eye Archery: Phantom Arrow!"
The invisible projectiles struck unseen, exploding mid-air and releasing sticky webs that covered Aurora's white dress and mask.
"Disgusting," Aurora muttered, reaching to remove the binding threads—
Lyralei appeared directly in front of her.
"Fifth Form: Phantom Edge Dance!"
Multiple rapid blows struck Aurora's body in a seven-hit combo—face, ribs, shoulders, abdomen. Wherever Lyralei's fists connected, black lightning tore through Aurora's skin like living razors, the electrical current branching and spreading through flesh.
Aurora's face remained unchanged, but she fired multiple compressed air lances in retaliation.
Before they could close the distance—
Draekon already appeared above her, his weapon shifting from bow to massive battle axe mid-leap.
"Axe Arts - Mountain Cleaver Style: Splitting Mountain!"
The vertical cleave cut clean through Aurora's right arm at the shoulder, severing it completely. Blood sprayed, but no scream came.
Lyralei planted her feet firmly, black lightning coiling up her extended arm.
"Seventh Form: Dragon's Fang Ascension!"
An upward palm strike launched a serpentine construct of black lightning that coiled upward from below, aiming to strike Aurora's core—
But before the attack could connect, Aurora's severed arm regenerated instantly, flesh and bone reforming in less than a second.
She used her first Named Spell.
"Compression Art: Severance Cascade!"
Draekon's eyes widened. He reacted far faster than Lyralei, manifesting a shield at the last possible moment.
Multiple wind cuts tore through the air—invisible blades of hyper-compressed atmosphere that could slice through steel. Most were absorbed by Draekon's hastily formed barrier, but several got through, cutting shallow lines across his arms and chest.
Yep, that's one Named Spell down. Two more to go, he calculated grimly.
But it had been a major loss for Lyralei. He looked back to see her panting heavily, her right hand missing three fingers—severed cleanly at the knuckles, blood dripping steadily.
She missed the timing, Draekon realized.
Lyralei thought frantically...
Damn it... if he hadn't blocked most of that, I would have lost the entire arm. My healing speed is dropping drastically.
Her mind raced with conflicting emotions.
I can't believe it. I'm being helped by the guy who challenged me to a Heart Duel. Since when did I fall this low?
Her eyes widened slightly with the realization of her own dependence.
Aurora hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head. "Is Draekon the one troubling your heart, darling?"
She sounded genuinely curious. "As far as I know, he isn't one of those types. He's quite popular back in the Valley. Every young dragon adores him."
"Not him!" Lyralei barked defensively, her face flushing despite the pain. "Not this one!"
"Then why team up?" Aurora asked. "I thought this you were here for a free-for-all examination?"
Draekon chuckled, his weapon shifting to dual swords. "When did I say that?"
Then he muttered something under his breath—
".siht ekil pot eht hcaer t'nac uoy .llud nworg evah uoy ,emoC"
Lyralei's eyes widened in shock.
She remained completely silent. She had so many thoughts racing through her mind—questions, protests, confusion—but no words came out. The whole situation was a complete mess, and now she was feeling it. Her mind was sluggish, thoughts moving like honey in winter.
Aurora chuckled warmly. "See? I told you so."
She couldn't hear the actual conversation between them, but her fine-tuned draconic senses had picked up the unmistakable presence of True Speech—the ancient binding language.
Multiple fireballs exploded into existence around Aurora, then launched toward both Draekon and Lyralei simultaneously.
Draekon rushed forward, splitting the projectiles with rapid slashes.
"Scythe Arts - Reaper's Harvest: Phantom Reaper!"
A shadow clone materialized beside him, perfectly mirroring his movements. The duplicate attacked from a different angle, creating confusion about which target was real.
Aurora's eyes sharpened dangerously. She fired multiple compressed mana bullets with pinpoint accuracy, piercing the heads of every fake Draekon instantly—her combat experience allowing her to identify the real one through subtle differences in mana signature.
The real Draekon changed weapons at the last possible second, his scythe transforming into a massive war hammer.
"Hammer Arts - Thunder God's Anvil: Shatter Blow!"
The attack struck Aurora's right arm with devastating force, designed specifically to break through defensive barriers. She caught the hammer with her hand, grinning.
"Alright, got you!"
The ground beneath Draekon's feet froze instantly, ice spreading up his boots and locking him in place. An air lance materialized, aimed directly at his exposed chest—
Draekon flipped backward, his foot tearing free from the frozen ground at the cost of leaving his boot behind.
"Sword Arts - Blade Sovereign Style: Crimson Arc!"
A vertical slash left a glowing red mana trail that exploded on contact, cutting clean through Aurora's wrist.
Her severed hand fell to the grass, still twitching.
Aurora smiled widely. "At least you're making good use of my family's relic," she said, glancing at the Dragon's Bracelet on his arm.
Lyralei saw her opening.
"Third Form: Storm Thrust!"
Her extended fingers concentrated black lightning into a needle-point thrust, aimed like a rapier directly at Aurora's exposed throat—
Aurora dodged by a hair's breadth, the attack missing by millimeters. "Nope, can't afford to let you land that."
Multiple water lances materialized from thin air, aimed at Lyralei's blind spot—
Draekon deflected them with another manifested shield, giving Lyralei the split-second opening she needed.
Her follow-up strike took out Aurora's left eye, black lightning searing through the socket. Barely a clean hit, but a hit nonetheless.
All three combatants made distance, creating space.
Aurora hummed thoughtfully, touching her ruined eye. "Is that so? Ah... it's spreading."
The black lightning was seeping deeper into her flesh like poison, and she had to actively destroy the infected tissue to prevent it from spreading further. Chunks of her face crumbled away, revealing muscle and bone beneath before regenerating slowly.
Lyralei is an issue, Aurora thought analytically. Her hits are like being struck by an enraged elephant. The effects linger and spread. She doesn't even need complex techniques—her raw output is terrifying.
But more than that, it's Draekon who's truly annoying me. Somehow, he knows both my and Lyralei's movement patterns. It's like he's seen them thousands of times. He reacts accordingly, protecting Lyralei while constantly disrupting my attack timing.
Aurora spoke aloud, her voice carrying genuine amusement:
"You've got yourself a fine knight in shining armor, darling."
She grinned behind her crumbling mask. "I can't get close because of her, and I can't keep distance because of my restrictions. Such a thrill! Haha!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Draekon laughed, his confidence seemingly unshaken. "But we'll be the ones taking the last laugh here."
His Dragon's Bracelet pulsed with golden light, ready for the next exchange.