The forest grew still.
Five figures stepped out from the shadows of the trees, spreading out naturally as they entered the clearing.
They weren't careless.
Each one positioned themselves at different angles, forming a loose encirclement without saying a word.
Experienced.
Their uniforms carried the crest of Helios Dominion Academy — one of the top combat universities.
At the front stood the silver-haired man.
Tall.
Lean.
Calm.
His gaze moved slowly across the clearing.
First to the shattered trees.
Then the cracked ground.
Finally—
To the dust where the Venomscale Ravager had been.
His brows knit slightly.
"…Interesting."
Behind him, one of the other students frowned.
"Where's the corpse?"
Another added,
"We heard the fight from nearly two kilometers away."
Then their eyes fell on the three figures standing in the clearing.
Zael.
Zane.
Lily.
The silver-haired man's gaze settled on Zael.
For a brief moment—
The air felt heavier.
Then he glanced at the watch on his wrist.
Points:255
Zane noticed immediately.
His grin widened.
"Well look at that."
He tilted his head slightly.
"A ranked hunter."
The silver-haired man ignored the comment.
Instead he spoke calmly.
"You killed the Ravager."
It wasn't a question.
Zael didn't respond.
But the cracked battlefield was answer enough.
One of the Helios students scoffed.
"Impossible."
"That was a level twenty-seven beast."
Another student added,
"And there's only three of them."
Zane raised a finger.
"Actually two and a half."
Lily sighed quietly.
The silver-haired man lifted a hand, silencing his teammates.
His eyes returned to Zael.
"You're from AEGIS PRIME."
It was obvious from the uniform.
His expression remained neutral.
"Impressive."
Then he stepped forward.
Leaves crunched under his boots.
"Unfortunately… that beast was part of our hunting route."
Zane laughed immediately.
"Oh we're doing this now?"
The silver-haired man continued calmly.
"In the interest of efficiency."
He pointed slightly at their wrists.
"Leave the watches."
"Then you can walk away."
The forest became silent again.
Lily's spatial sense expanded outward automatically.
Five opponents.
All strong.
Levels roughly between 20 and 23.
Well-trained.
But not monsters.
Zane and Zael were barely level 20 and Lily was still at level 19 as she hadn't completed her awakening task yet.
Zane stretched his neck slightly.
Crack.
Crack.
"Man… everyone keeps saying the same line today."
He glanced sideways.
"What do you think, boss?"
Zael's gaze was calm.
But something had changed since the Ravager fight.
His senses felt… sharper.
The Child of Dao class was subtly circulating energy through his body.
Like an unseen current.
He could feel the spiritual residue of the forest itself.
The air.
The soil.
The faint life force of the trees.
Everything felt… clearer.
Then he spoke.
"Or fight."
The exact same words as before.
For a brief moment—
The Helios students stared.
Then one of them laughed.
"You three think you can fight five of us?"
Zane raised his hand casually.
"Correction."
He pointed at Zael.
"You're fighting him."
Then pointed at himself.
"And I'm just here for entertainment."
The silver-haired man studied them silently.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
Something about the three of them felt… wrong.
The battlefield.
The missing Ravager corpse.
And the strange calmness in Zael's eyes.
Still—
Five against three.
The numbers were obvious.
He raised his hand.
"Take them."
The moment his hand dropped--
The forest exploded into motion.
Two Helios students rushed Zane instantly.
Another charged Lily.
The remaining two moved toward Zael.
Zane grinned wildly.
"Finally!"
Steel clashed instantly as he blocked the first strike.
Lily stepped sideways—
Void Stride.
Her body flickered and vanished from her attacker's strike path.
Meanwhile—
Zael didn't move.
The first Helios student lunged with a spear.
Fast.
Precise.
Zael's body shifted slightly.
The spear grazed past his shoulder.
Then his hand moved.
Blade Domain.
For a brief moment—
The space around him changed.
His sword moved like a streak of darkness.
CLANG.
The spear shattered in half.
The Helios student froze in shock.
Zael's blade stopped an inch from his throat.
"…You lose."
Behind him—
The second attacker arrived with a heavy sword.
Too late.
Zael stepped forward.
Void Step.
He appeared beside the second attacker instantly.
Resonance Strike.
The blow landed cleanly on the student's chest armor.
BOOM.
The impact launched the attacker backward across the clearing.
The Helios formation collapsed instantly.
Zane whistled mid-fight.
"Damn."
Lily finished redirecting another strike with Void Rift.
Even the silver-haired leader's eyes narrowed slightly.
Two of his teammates had been neutralized in seconds.
That shouldn't have been possible.
He stepped forward.
Slowly.
His aura expanded outward.
Unlike the others—
His presence was heavy.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
He looked directly at Zael.
"…Now I see."
"You're the real problem."
Zael lifted his blade slightly.
Calm.
Silent.
The silver-haired man drew his weapon.
A long curved blade gleamed in the dim forest light.
"Good."
His voice was steady.
"I've been looking for a real fight."
Behind Zael—
Zane cracked his knuckles.
Lily's eyes glowed faintly with spatial energy.
Three versus three now.
The real battle was about to begin.
And somewhere high above—
The observing officials leaned closer to their screens.
Because the boy whose class they couldn't identify…
Was about to face one of the trial's top ranked fighters.
-----
The forest held its breath.
Three Helios students were already down.
One unconscious.
One disarmed.
One struggling to stand after Zael's Resonance Strike.
Now only three remained.
The silver-haired leader.
And two others locked in combat with Zane and Lily.
But the leader wasn't looking at them.
His eyes stayed on Zael.
Sharp.
Focused.
Measuring.
"You neutralized two of my teammates in under five seconds," he said calmly.
"That wasn't luck."
Zael said nothing.
The silver-haired man slowly raised his curved blade.
"Name."
"Zael."
A small smile appeared.
"Good."
The man shifted his stance.
"I'm Kael Virex."
"Mythical awakener"
The moment he moved—
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
His aura surged outward like a wave.
Level 24.
Not just higher than Zael.
Higher than almost every student currently in the entrance trial.
Zane noticed instantly while blocking another strike.
"Oh."
"Now that's interesting."
Lily's voice remained calm as she slipped through folded space to avoid a blade.
"Focus on your opponent."
Zane grinned.
"Already doing that."
Meanwhile—
Kael vanished.
Not teleportation.
Pure speed.
His blade flashed toward Zael's neck.
CLANG.
Zael's sword met it instantly.
Shockwaves rippled through the clearing.
The ground split beneath their feet.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"Good reaction."
His blade twisted and struck again.
Faster.
More precise.
Zael blocked.
Then sidestepped.
Then countered.
Night Sever.
The dark arc sliced toward Kael's ribs.
Kael leaned back just enough for the blade to graze his armor.
His smile widened slightly.
"…That technique."
"Interesting."
He attacked again.
Three strikes.
Four.
Five.
Each faster than the last.
Zael retreated two steps.
Then one.
Then—
He disappeared.
Void Step.
Kael's blade sliced through empty air.
Zael reappeared behind him instantly.
Resonance Strike.
BOOM.
Kael twisted mid-impact.
His blade deflected most of the force.
But the shockwave still launched him several meters back.
He slid across the ground before stopping.
Silence followed.
Kael straightened slowly.
Then he laughed.
Not mockingly.
Genuinely.
"…Finally."
His aura surged again.
"I was starting to think this trial would be boring."
Across the clearing—
Zane had already knocked his opponent into a tree.
The student slid unconscious to the ground.
Zane brushed dust off his jacket.
"Lily?"
"I'm done."
Her opponent was kneeling on the ground, weapon gone.
Space distortion still wrapped around his arm like invisible restraints.
Zane looked back toward Zael and Kael.
"Oh perfect."
He crossed his arms.
"Main event."
The clearing became quiet.
Kael rolled his shoulders.
"You're four levels below me," he said calmly.
"Yet you're keeping up."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And earlier…"
"I saw something strange."
Zael didn't answer.
But Kael continued.
"That beast corpse."
"It didn't exist anymore."
He lifted his blade.
"…What exactly are you?"
Zael stepped forward.
His voice was calm.
"A student."
Kael smirked.
"Right."
Then he moved again.
This time—
His aura condensed around his blade.
Wind exploded outward as he swung.
A crescent of compressed force tore through the forest.
Zael stepped forward instead of retreating.
His blade moved.
Blade Domain expanded.
The air inside the domain shifted.
The trajectory of the attack altered slightly.
Enough.
Zael cut through it.
Shockwaves exploded through the trees.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
Then—
For the first time—
Zael attacked seriously.
Void Step.
Reappear.
Night Sever.
Kael blocked.
But Zael's second strike came instantly.
Phantom Split.
Two blades appeared at once.
Kael barely deflected the illusion strike—
The real blade slammed into his guard.
CRACK.
His stance broke.
Zael stepped inside his range.
Resonance Strike.
BOOM.
The impact sent Kael crashing through two trees.
Wood shattered.
Leaves rained down across the clearing.
Silence followed.
Zane blinked.
"…Okay."
"That one hurt."
Lily watched the dust cloud carefully.
"Not finished."
Inside the broken trees—
Kael slowly stood up.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
But he was still smiling.
"…Now I understand."
His aura flared violently.
"Good."
He wiped the blood away.
Then lifted his blade again.
"This is the fight I wanted."
Behind him—
His watch flickered.
But across the clearing—
Zael's watch also changed.
New notification.
---
Trial Ranking Update
Zael
Points: 112
---
High above the forest—
Inside the observation vessel—
The officials stared at the screen in disbelief.
One analyst whispered,
"He just jumped into the top ten…"
Another official leaned forward.
"…And he's still level Twenty."
The lead examiner stared at the footage of Zael.
Then quietly said,
"…Forget the devouring ability."
"What I want to know is…"
"How strong will he be when he actually reaches ranker level?"
Back in the forest—
Two top-ten students faced each other.
And the entrance trial…
Had just turned into a battle between monsters.
---