The journey to Highmist took one day on foot—two by carriage.
Kaelion made it in half a day.
He ran most of the way, using Void Pulse Step across open terrain, ignoring the ache in his legs and the heat in his lungs. The System adapted to the terrain, recalculating his balance, recalibrating his footwork with each burst of momentum.
By the time the spires of Highmist rose before him—marble towers crowned with golden glass—his breath was heavy, but his steps were sharp.
He stood at the outer gate, surrounded by hundreds.
Young warriors.
Cultivators.
Scholars with shining scrolls.
Heirs of power, each wearing robes or armor emblazoned with the crests of their noble bloodlines.
And yet… the moment Kaelion arrived, several of them looked away—not out of disrespect, but out of uncertainty.
Because his name had arrived before he did.
The one who killed Dreadmaw.
The one who fought the Flameborne girl and didn't die.
The one from the forgotten branch of the Draythorne line.
---
A voice echoed across the courtyard.
"First-time candidates! Form ranks!"
Kaelion turned.
A figure stood atop the staircase of the Iron Gate—a woman draped in ceremonial white, eyes glowing silver, a sword longer than she was tall strapped to her back.
She looked like a priestess.
She spoke like a warlord.
"I am Instructor Solenne," she said. "You are here because someone believes in you."
She smiled.
"I do not."
Silence.
She took a step forward, every motion precise.
"You will be ranked. You will be tested. And you will not be equal."
She gestured to the gate behind her. Giant iron doors inscribed with ancient runes slowly began to part.
"Enter. F-Rank trial begins now."
---
Inside the gate was a massive open coliseum—not with stone or seating, but with floating platforms and hovering glyphs that shimmered in the air. The entire space buzzed with ancient magic and weight.
The pressure in the air alone was enough to make some candidates tremble.
But Kaelion breathed deeper.
> [Environment Detected: Ancient Combat Simulation Array – Tier 5]
[Welcome to the Iron Arena.]
[System Sync in progress… Sync complete.]
> [Trial Begins Now: Defeat 3 Combat Avatars in under 5 minutes.]
[Reward: Entry to F-Rank Placement. Bonus if done under 3 minutes.]
The first construct dropped.
A hulking warrior with molten eyes and obsidian armor.
Kaelion didn't wait.
He vanished.
Void Pulse Step. Echo Trace. Corebreaker Flow – 30% Limit.
His fist cracked into the avatar's helmet before it even raised its blade.
The second avatar landed—a twin-wielding rogue with blades of pure lightning.
Kaelion flipped sideways, skidded on one heel, and launched into a palm-strike sequence that crumpled the construct mid-lunge.
The third avatar—twice the size of the others, with a greatsword and six arms—landed and roared.
> [Optional Challenge Unlocked: Tier 6 Avatar Subclass Engaged.]
[Warning: Fatal damage possible.]
Kaelion smiled for the first time since entering.
He blurred forward.
He didn't just fight.
He unraveled it.
A dozen strikes. A burst of Rift Step. A flow of body and will.
The avatar exploded into data-light within forty seconds.
> [Trial Complete: 1 min 41 sec.]
[Ranking Assigned: F-Rank Top 3%]
[Bonus Acquired: Combat Skill – "Breaker's Edge"]
[Skill Stored in Corebreaker Vault.]
Silence fell across the arena.
Above, Instructor Solenne raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting," she murmured.
---
The candidates didn't know what to make of him.
No one spoke as Kaelion walked to the outer ring of the arena, calm and composed.
He didn't seek applause. He didn't wait for recognition.
He just waited.
And somewhere in the upper levels of the Academy, beneath a spire where faculty watched unseen, a deep voice muttered:
"Corebreaker. At last."