The moment the barriers closed—
the battlefield exploded into motion.
Students surged forward across the massive evaluation grounds as bursts of mana illuminated the air almost instantly. Wind pressure cracked through the forest sectors. Flames erupted near the western ruins. Reinforced footsteps shattered stone pathways as upper-class students accelerated across the terrain with frightening speed.
Kael moved immediately.
Not toward the center.
Away from it.
His feet carried him through the outer ruins while students rushed past in every direction around him. Shouts echoed through the battlefield alongside distant impacts and bursts of compressed mana.
Too chaotic.
Too fast.
Exactly as he expected.
The central sectors would become warzones within minutes.
Which meant the outer terrain would become survival zones for weaker students trying to avoid getting crushed.
Kael vaulted over broken stone near the edge of a ruined structure before slowing slightly.
Think.
The battlefield had patterns already.
Stronger students moved aggressively toward objectives.
Weaker students drifted outward unconsciously.
Meaning eventually the outer sectors would become crowded too.
He needed movement.
Not hiding.
Hiding only worked until someone stronger found you.
A violent shockwave suddenly erupted somewhere behind him.
Kael turned instinctively.
A student coated in crackling lightning mana crossed nearly twenty meters in a single burst before slamming another student directly into a stone wall.
The impact cracked the surface instantly.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Mana reinforcement.
Not just elemental projection.
The lightning user wasn't simply generating electricity—
he was stimulating muscle response through mana flow itself.
Efficient.
Fast.
Dangerous.
Another explosion ripped through the air overhead.
A compressed sphere of wind burst through nearby trees like a cannon shot, slicing branches apart before detonating against a ruined tower in the distance.
Students screamed.
Others laughed.
The battlefield felt less like an exam and more like controlled warfare.
Kael kept moving.
---
Less than ten minutes into the evaluation, F-Class had already fallen apart completely.
He passed two F-Class students arguing beside a collapsed pathway.
"You abandoned us!"
"There were three C-Class students!"
"So what?!"
"You wanted me to die with you?!"
Kael didn't stop walking.
Panic spread faster than strategy.
That much was obvious now.
---
He entered a narrow stone corridor between ruined structures and slowed slightly.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Kael's eyes shifted upward instantly.
Movement.
A student dropped from above without warning, fire mana erupting around his fist.
Kael reacted immediately.
Not by fighting.
By moving.
He stepped sideways sharply as the attack slammed into the stone beside him, flames bursting outward violently.
Heat brushed against his arm.
Too close.
The student clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. Thought you'd freeze."
Kael didn't respond.
The boy's flames were unstable.
Wide output.
Poor control.
Aggressive stance.
Probably relied on overpowering weaker students quickly.
Kael's gaze flicked briefly toward the cracked stone beneath the student's feet.
Then he moved first.
Not toward him.
Toward the side wall.
The student frowned for half a second before charging again.
That hesitation was enough.
Kael kicked against the damaged section of stone near the corridor edge.
The already weakened surface collapsed instantly beneath the fire user's footing.
His balance shifted violently.
Kael grabbed a loose fragment from the broken wall and threw it directly toward the student's face.
Instinctively, the boy raised an arm.
Vision blocked.
Movement interrupted.
Kael sprinted past him immediately.
"GET BACK HERE!"
Flames burst behind him.
Too slow.
Kael disappeared through the ruins without looking back.
His breathing remained controlled despite the adrenaline pounding through his chest.
He was still weak.
Still helpless in direct combat.
But predictable people were easier to survive against.
---
The battlefield only became more dangerous as time passed.
Groups formed.
Alliances collapsed.
Students started actively hunting weaker opponents for points.
Kael avoided large mana signatures whenever possible, weaving through forests and ruined structures while observing fights from a distance.
Every battle taught him something.
Mana output.
Movement timing.
Casting patterns.
The difference between trained and untrained fighters.
The academy wasn't just evaluating strength.
It was forcing students to adapt under pressure.
Or break beneath it.
---
Then Kael stopped moving.
Voices.
Familiar ones.
"…Found him."
His body tightened instantly.
Brann stepped into view first from between the trees, flames flickering lazily around his hand.
Kellis appeared beside him moments later, grinning.
And behind them—
Rhett Kaine walked forward slowly with his hands in his pockets.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Like this was entertainment.
"Well," Kellis laughed lightly, "looks like the rat survived longer than expected."
Brann smirked.
"You've been annoying lately."
Kael's eyes shifted briefly.
Three angles.
Too open on the left.
Dense trees behind them.
Ruined elevation nearby.
No direct escape path.
Bad.
Rhett watched him silently.
Then spoke for the first time.
"You noticed the terrain first."
Kael said nothing.
"You always do," Rhett continued quietly.
Brann scoffed. "Who cares? He's still weak."
Flames burst around his fist as he stepped forward.
Kael moved instantly.
Not away.
Sideways.
The fire blast missed him narrowly before detonating against a tree trunk behind him.
Kael sprinted toward the ruined elevation immediately.
"Oi—!" Kellis shouted before chasing after him.
Branches snapped beneath rapid footsteps as the pursuit began.
Kael's mind raced.
Distances.
Angles.
Terrain.
Every second mattered now.
Because for the first time since entering the academy—
Kael truly felt like prey.