Zayle woke up stiff, sore, and with a faint sting along his cheek where the Duskfang Wolf had clawed him.But the moment he sat up, he grinned.
Pain meant progress.
He washed up quickly, changed into his academy uniform, and headed out. The hallway outside the dorms buzzed with students rushing to morning class. Conversations murmured around him—complaints about homework, gossip about the dueling club, rumors about an upcoming inter-class evaluation.
Zayle stretched his shoulders as he walked.
His body felt heavier from last night's training, but also sharper. Stronger.
His updated stats flashed across his mind.
Strength: 36Agility: 28Stamina: 23Spirit: 27Perception: 22
That last boost in stamina made his steps feel steadier.
If anyone saw his real numbers, they'd accuse him of cheating.
He smirked.
Good thing the ring still kept people blind.
The Magic Combat Hall was already half-filled when Zayle arrived. Instead of seats, the room was built like a collection of miniature training arenas. Platforms. Dummies. Obstacles. Cracked floors from past lessons.
Instructor Lyselle stood in the center, her expression unreadable as always.
Lyla spotted him first and waved him over.Lin Fei, beside her, blinked at the fresh cut on Zayle's cheek.
"You… fought something last night, didn't you?"
Zayle shrugged casually. "A wolf. Small one."
Lin Fei's jaw dropped. "Small—?! That species can tear off limbs if provoked!"
"Not if you hit first," Zayle replied.
Lyla sighed. "I really should stop expecting you to behave like a normal person."
But a small smile tugged at her lips anyway.
Before Zayle could retort, Lyselle's voice rang out.
"Class C. Today is not theory. Today is combat evaluation."
The hall immediately went quiet.
Lyselle continued."We will assess your growth from the first week until now. Individual ability. Reaction speed. Mana control. Real combat sense."
A few students gulped.Some straightened with confidence.
Zayle felt something spark alive inside his chest.
Finally—something fun.
Lyselle gestured to the training platforms.
"You will each fight an opponent assigned by me."
Murmurs spread.
Zayle tilted his head. "Opponent? As in… another student?"
"No," Lyselle said. "Someone slightly more disciplined."
A door opened at the far end of the hall.
Uniformed figures stepped inside—academy guards, low-tier but trained magisters.
The class stiffened.
Lyselle pointed at one of them."Cadren. You're first."
The guard stepped forward with a respectful nod.
Zayle blinked.
Cadren?The same man who helped him train yesterday?
Cadren noticed Zayle and gave a barely-there smirk.
Great.So today wasn't going to be easy.
The evaluation began with other students first—each taking turns fighting a guard on a restrained setting. Most were pushed around. A few surprised the class. One girl got knocked out in three seconds.
Zayle leaned against a railing, arms crossed, watching the patterns.
Lin Fei whispered nervously beside him."I am not ready. I should have trained more. Zayle, how do you stay calm?"
Zayle shrugged."By getting used to pain."
Lin Fei stared at him like that was the most horrifying answer possible.
Lyla elbowed him."Don't listen to him. He's broken."
"Hey," Zayle said. "Rude, but fair."
One student after another fell.Then—
"Zayle Cross."
Lyselle's voice cut through the hall like a blade.
Zayle pushed off the railing and stepped onto the platform.Cadren walked onto the opposite side.
The guard pressed a hand to his chest in acknowledgment."Don't die."
Zayle grinned."No promises."
The duel began instantly.
Cadren moved first—swift, controlled, testing.
Zayle dodged the first strike, feeling the air split beside his cheek.Pain echoed from the old cut, but he used it.
Cadren didn't stop.
A low kickA palm strikeA sweeping push of mana
Each attack flowed into the next.
Zayle blocked what he could, evaded what he couldn't, and countered whenever the opening appeared.
But Cadren wasn't a monster in a quarry.He wasn't a thug on the road.
He was trained.
Every time Zayle advanced, Cadren redirected him.Every time Zayle attacked, Cadren tilted the angle.Every time Zayle built mana, Cadren suppressed it with precise movements.
The guard wasn't going all out—Zayle could tell.
But he was still being pushed back.
Good.
This was exactly what he needed.
Zayle tightened his fist, feeling the system subtly responding.
[Combat Stress Level: Optimal][Growth Progress: Accelerating]
Cadren's fist came at him again.
Zayle didn't step away.
He stepped in.
Using the momentum, he slammed his forehead into Cadren's chin.
A loud crack echoed.
Students gasped.
Cadren's eyes widened for a second.Then he chuckled.
"Reckless."
"Adaptable," Zayle corrected.
Cadren swept his leg.
Zayle jumped—too slow.
The sweep caught his ankle, flipping him sideways. He hit the ground hard, rolling across the platform.
Pain flared through his ribs.
Lyla bit her lip from the sidelines.Lin Fei looked ready to faint.Several students whispered:
"He's done.""Cadren's too strong.""He should just give up."
Zayle pushed himself up slowly.
Blood dripped from his eyebrow.
He wiped it with the back of his hand.
"Is that all you got?" he asked.
Cadren raised a brow."Stubborn."
Zayle lifted his fists again."I like learning the hard way."
This time he attacked first.
He changed his rhythm—faster, sharper, unpredictable.
He used feints Lyla taught him.Footwork Cadren corrected yesterday.Positioning he learned from the wolf fight.
Cadren's eyes sharpened.
For the first time, the guard had to take Zayle seriously.
A clash of fists.A slide of feet.A burst of mana.
Zayle landed a hit against Cadren's ribs.
Not strong enough to injure—but enough to prove a point.
Whispers spread across the hall.
"He landed it!""He's improving mid-fight?!""What kind of monster learns that quickly?"
Cadren stepped back, rubbing his side with a small laugh.
"Not bad."
Then he blurred forward.
A palm strike hit Zayle's sternum.
The world tilted.
Zayle hit the ground and this time did not get up.
Lyselle stepped forward."Enough. Winner: Cadren."
Cadren offered Zayle a hand.
Zayle groaned and took it."Next time, I win."
Cadren smirked."Next time, I hit harder."
As the class ended, the system whispered softly:
[Combat Evaluation Complete]Reward: Stat Increase]Strength +1Agility +1Perception +1
Stats Updated:Strength: 37Agility: 29Stamina: 23Spirit: 27Perception: 23
Zayle smiled despite the bruises.
He was getting stronger.
Slowly.Painfully.Unstoppably.
And if today was any indication—
His rise had only just begun.