"…Oh."
It slipped from her without thought—quiet, startled. It wasn't like her to be surprised.
But this? This wasn't an exam anymore.
It was a trial by fire.
The candidates onscreen were scattering, some of them barely holding formation. A few were already on the ground—wounded, conscious, but clearly out of the fight. One young woman tried to cast a barrier, only for it to flicker and shatter under the claws of a spellhound. Another group, huddled at the far side of the ridge, was trying to channel a group teleport—but the array was flickering, unstable.
Valeria leaned in slightly.
'That's at least a 4-star threat level. That's—'
The projection flared again, this time shifting to another sector: a shattered courtyard bordered by what looked like a crumbling fortress wall. Quite a lot of candidates were holding position here—barely—and leading them was a face Valeria recognized.
Reynald Vale.
