The soles of Nicole's shoes had long since been completely worn down.
Assessing the situation in front of her, Nicole thrust forward just as the enormous bison charged at her with all four of its horns. Her ears—and the palms of her hands—had been bleeding for quite some time. Nicole turned her head from side to side, searching for her companions. At some point during the fight, she had been left completely alone.
When Nicole's sword strike collided with the bison, her blessed body trembled as it endured the tremendous impact.
"Annoying…"
Nicole twisted her body with efficiency, searching for the bison's vital points. The massive animal began to jump and move erratically in fear. In one of its many frantic movements, it managed to kick the blue-haired girl in the abdomen.
Nicole was sent flying violently toward the edge of the enormous cliff.
She and her group had climbed the tallest mountain in the area, clearly seeking the strategic advantage it offered. Unfortunately, things had not gone as planned.
This bison had been one of the most feared creatures in Eagle Tower when it was being cleared. It was not usually aggressive toward humans—but when its territory was invaded… it became a terrifying threat.
Nicole breathed heavily, forcing herself to recover as quickly as possible. Enraged, the bison turned toward her once more. Nicole was hidden among the grass, making her difficult to spot. When it finally found her, it charged again.
Several options presented themselves. She could attack head-on, or flee. Jumping off the cliff seemed like a decent option, but she wasn't confident she could survive another creature—much less a fight against another group of aspirants.
So she chose the most efficient decision she could think of at that moment.
Just as the bison was about to ram into her, Nicole smiled and leapt over it. While airborne, she used the trajectory of her fall to strike the beast. With the edge of her sword and the momentum of the charging animal, Nicole managed to cut along the bison's back—from head to tail.
"Tsk…"
The cut was shallow.
But it didn't matter.
Because that hadn't been the real plan.
When the bison reached the edge of the cliff, it had no time to stop. Moments later, it let out a sharp cry before plunging into the abyss.
"Die, idiot."
Nicole smiled proudly.
She was exhausted and thirsty, but she paid little attention to her condition. After assessing her situation, she decided to head back into the jungle—it was her best chance of survival. The professor had never mentioned how many people could pass the exam, but what did that matter? Nicole was confident she could defeat any aspirant who stood in her way.
After a long walk, Nicole found herself deep within the dark jungle. Vague sounds echoed around her, keeping her more alert than ever. She had no idea what she might encounter here. It was highly unlikely that a group of aspirants was nearby—she would have sensed them almost immediately. Her instincts were calm.
That worried her.
Then, Nicole felt a faint sense of unease. Instantly, she drew her sword and pointed it behind her.
It was Ethan—the boy who had managed to form an anchor word just like she had a few days earlier.
"Can I ask why you're stalking me?" Nicole asked, keeping the tip of her sword pressed against Ethan's throat.
"Oh, sorry. I was just passing through," Ethan replied innocently.
"Passing through? And that's why your entire group is surrounding me, right?"
At once, the rest of Ethan's group moved among the jungle trees, emerging from their hiding spots.
"I'm sorry, Nicole. It's nothing personal. You know better than anyone that we have to take you down if we want to pass," Ethan said as he gripped his spear.
"Dogs bark in packs because none of them dare bite alone."
When Nicole said that, the other aspirants frowned angrily and charged at her. Nicole remained calm, forming the most suitable strategy.
After all, this was her family's primary blessing: Stellar Thought.
Her internal gears spun at an absurd speed—then came to a sudden halt.
Nicole smiled.
Ethan would obviously be the first to attack, so she hurried to take him out as quickly as possible. Analyzing footsteps and combat stances, she noticed a slight lack of coordination in one attacker's footwork.
"He's injured…"
Nicole lunged at the boy without hesitation. When he tried to slash at her with his dagger, she swiftly deflected it with her claymore. Using the pommel of the great sword, she struck his head, knocking him unconscious. Nicole grabbed him instantly and spun around with agility.
At once, all the aspirants halted their attack.
"Nicole, let Robin go. He's already out of combat…" Ethan said, trying to de-escalate the situation.
"Why? Am I not the one being attacked by six aspirants?" Nicole replied firmly.
"You know if you hurt him while he's out, you'll be expelled from the exam," one of the attackers interjected. The dark-skinned girl was furious.
"Get lost, all of you, and—"
Nicole was forced to release the boy immediately as she was attacked from behind. She spun her claymore around to block. The small boy wielded a rapier. Nicole deflected two rapid thrusts aimed at her vital organs. He looked frightened, but his expression held unshakable resolve.
It seemed Nicole had captured the team's favored child.
Just when she thought she might finally catch her breath, she heard fast footsteps behind her. She turned instantly, ready to receive Ethan's attack.
But what she saw was nothing like what she expected.
"What? The girl? Where is Ethan? His physical ability is the best in the group—he should be the one attacking me. Where did he go? And what about that boy, Robin? The rapier kid is behind me—he'll attack for sure. Ethan worries me. I need to find him and take him out. This girl is just a nuisance. Dual daggers—an assassin. She won't be good in direct combat… I'll use heavy attacks to put her down."
This entire chain of thoughts occurred in less than a second. Nicole's mind was in a state of absolute frenzy—Stellar Thought running at full capacity.
Nicole lunged forward, pushing the rapier boy out of range. When she collided with the girl wielding daggers, she twisted her claymore in a way that seemed impossible, slicing both daggers clean in half. She released her right hand from the sword and delivered a powerful punch to the girl's chin, knocking her out cold.
Nicole turned swiftly.
Her amber eyes glowed, enhanced by aura. Anyone witnessing this scene would be horrified. Her eyes darted in every direction, gathering information so rapidly it seemed they might burst from their sockets. Her pupils were fully dilated—she was under extreme stress.
"One… two… three… four… five. Where is Ethan? I'm worried. I need to find him. Where could he have gone? Given his determined personality, he couldn't have gone far. I didn't injure him badly, so he's not resting. If he were flanking me, I would've sensed it already. He's hiding. Waiting for an opening. I need to hurry—I heard the distress signal seconds ago. My group is in danger. Who could give them that much trouble? Ethan is the only one—and he's with me. A large group of aspirants? Maybe. Doesn't matter. I'll win here and then go."
If Nicole's brain were normal, it would have burned out long ago. Her thought processes surpassed anything considered mundane. This wasn't just fast logic—Nicole could think within fragments of time itself.
As she thought, the people around her remained frozen, as if time itself had paused.
Then Nicole gripped her claymore, determined to end this.
"Azheven…"
When Nicole spoke her anchor word, all the aura stored within it surged into her bones. She pulled her claymore back as arcs of condensed aura surrounded her, the massive sword glowing with power. Just as she was about to launch herself forward, she finally found Ethan.
He was perched in a tree directly ahead—right in her line of attack.
"Perfect…"
Then Ethan thrust his spear forward, launching a goblin's head. Immediately after, Nicole heard dozens of footsteps rushing toward them.
"A trap. I see. I've lost this fight. I need to retreat—now."
In an instant, all the aura charged into Nicole's claymore returned to her anchor word, and she took off running.
Ethan stared down from the tree, stunned.
"Don't let her escape!" he shouted.
Everyone followed his command, chasing after Nicole.
The boys were breathing heavily, utterly exhausted from the fight. With each passing second, Nicole slowed—but the gap between them was so vast they could barely see her in the distance.
"We're not going to catch her… God, I'm so tired…" said the rapier boy.
Then a figure flashed past them—a man running at tremendous speed.
The boys lit up with hope.
"You've got this, Ethan! Catch her!"
Ethan ran at full speed, determined to catch Nicole. The blue-haired girl accelerated instantly, feeling Ethan right on her heels.
"Got her…" Ethan thought as he reached out to grab her shoulder.
Then thunder roared in the sky, announcing the arrival of an attack. Ethan looked up and quickly raised his spear to block.
"Hey! Were you having fun with Instructor Nicole without me? That's not nice!" said the boy who attacked Ethan. His halberd was the same size as Ethan's spear.
The boy's strength was brutal. Ethan clenched his teeth, suppressing the urge to cough up blood.
"My name's Cedric! And yours?" Cedric said cheerfully as he spun efficiently and launched another strike at Ethan's head. Ethan deflected it and retreated.
"I'm Ethan."
Cedric ignored the introduction entirely and turned toward Nicole. She was barely able to breathe—it had been years since she'd been in such terrible condition. When Cedric saw her state, his expression changed completely. His childish tone vanished, replaced by a deep, rough voice.
"Are you okay, Nicole?"
"Yes. What happened to Arthur and Anna?"
"Anna's out of combat. Arthur is fighting someone."
When Cedric said that, Nicole—and Ethan from afar—were left speechless. Anna was considered the third strongest of the four clan descendants. Nicole was first, followed by Cedric, then Anna, and finally Arthur. That was common knowledge throughout the university.
Knowing Anna had been defeated and Arthur was fighting alone was alarming.
"Who defeated Anna?" Nicole asked anxiously.
"The guy Arthur is fighting," Cedric answered angrily.
"Who is he?"
While the two spoke, Ethan assessed his injuries and escape routes. He didn't want to fight a badly wounded Nicole backed by Cedric of Scorpio.
"I don't remember his name well. It's crazy—his swordsmanship is similar to ours, his body too. But what makes him monstrous is his ingenuity. I'll tell you more later. We should regroup and recover."
Nicole was tense. She hated not knowing who—or what—she was facing.
"What did he look like? Tall? Short? Honestly, Cedric, how do you forget his name?"
Then, from the forest bordering the jungle, nearly five trees fell simultaneously, and a man was sent flying by the impact.
The boy tried to stand, but his body gave out.
It was none other than Arthur of Scorpio.
Reducing him to that state was insanity.
Cedric, Nicole, and Ethan stared in disbelief.
"That can't be…"
"Impossible."
Then another figure emerged from the forest.
The boy wore the academy uniform—or what was left of it. His blond hair was stained with dried blood. The skin on his right hand seemed to be gone entirely, yet he still maintained a firm grip on his sword.
His gaze was firm and resolute. When he looked at Nicole and the others, the blond boy smiled.
"What a surprise! My good friends, Ethan and Nicole. It's nice to see you in one piece—though I'm sorry to see you in such a state."
Ethan and Nicole clicked their tongues at the same time.
"This guy…" Nicole muttered.
The same boy everyone had spoken to at least once.
The class idiot.
"Oh, you must be Cedric. My name's Rodrick. Pleasure to meet you."