It was their first time entering the university gates, and they were surprised by the crowd. After handing over the stones received during registration, they were directed to a place serving as a sort of arena.
The place's architecture was unique, in perfect symbiosis with nature. Other structures resembled medieval houses and inns made of wood and chipped stone.
After walking for a few minutes, they followed the crowd through a decorative corridor lined with portraits of people unknown to Colin.
The three attracted many stares, especially Brighid, whose beauty stood out.
She captivated boys, adults, and the elderly alike; it was almost as if she were a celebrity. The aura she projected was sweet and gentle, making anyone lower their guard as soon as she approached.
Colin kept a stern expression and, for the most part, received glares of anger or fear. Little Safira felt a bit lost with so much attention focused on her.
Her eyes were fixed exclusively on the polished floor, which clearly reflected her image.
One by one, the students split up. Colin and his group walked together down a forked corridor that led straight to the arena.
"Hey! Brighid!" Colin called out. "Don't you suffer from that curse that keeps you from hurting humans?"
She nodded and smiled. "There aren't that many humans here. And rest assured, there are plenty of ways to defeat someone without hurting them."
Colin looked away, facing Safira. "And you, you okay?" She nodded.
"No need to worry about us; you should worry about yourself. You don't have that much mana, Sir, and you can feel there are a lot of strong people nearby."
He shrugged and ruffled Safira's hair. "Relax, little one, I'll manage."
They arrived at the Combat Arena, which looked more like a coliseum.
In the stands, almost every veteran was present, along with some locals. The recruitment of new students was treated as a spectacle. Unlike the elite students, among the scholarship holders, only the best stood out.
To watch the show, there were street vendors, high-ranking merchants, talent scouts, and even members of guilds serving the empire directly. In the audience, several veterans watched, including the university's most powerful.
Arms crossed and one foot on the bench, Stedd focused his attention on Colin down below. To his left were a Dark Elf with slightly pinkish skin and the Elf Elhad.
"That Dark Elf is the one from the other day, isn't he?" asked Elhad. "That guy with the two girls?"
Stedd cracked a smile. "It's him, alright! Anton is there too."
"That shouldn't be fair!" said Sashri, the Dark Elf. "Anton is stronger than almost all these freshmen. And you said he's going to hunt that boy... Colin, right?"
Stedd nodded. "It seems Wiben paid a high price for Anton to take care of Colin."
She raised her eyebrows, suspicious. "And how do you know that?"
Stedd shrugged. "I have my contacts."
"And where is Loafe?" asked Elhad.
"This kind of spectacle is boring for him. It's just a bunch of scholarship holders fighting for crumbs. I heard that besides Anton and Colin, there are other very strong ones. This year will be interesting."
Hearing the sound of heavy boots, Stedd took his feet off the bench as a huge Orc walked past him, sitting down next to Elhad. The Orc took up two and a half seats. He extended a hand to Stedd, handing him a bag of popcorn.
"Here you go, Stedd," said the Orc in a very deep voice.
"Thanks, Kodogog! Now let's just enjoy the show."
On an upper platform, along with other teachers, stood Director Hodrixey and his secretary Millie, a Wood Elf with pale skin and brown hair tied in a bun.
Hodrixey wore a simple suit and appeared younger than Colin had imagined. He had black hair, light eyes, and a stubbly beard.
The director waited for all the students to reach the arena and recited an incantation, projecting his voice to every corner like a loudspeaker.
"Welcome! I hope you are eager for the great recruitment combats. Last year we held a written test, but this year we decided to focus on direct combat to familiarize you with real battles. The teachers and I have reached a consensus: there will be a great battle here, a group battle."
A murmur started among the candidates. Some knew each other, but most were participating without any partners. Colin and the girls were an exception.
"A Battle Royale?"
"Form teams of four. You have five minutes before the test begins."
Quickly, nearby candidates grouped up. Some called out to Brighid and Safira, but they politely refused.
No one wanted to join a group that included Colin, mainly because of his grim demeanor. Other participants close to Loafe's guild knew he would be hunted by Anton and his men.
A boy, a little taller than Safira, poked Colin on the shoulder. Colin turned to find a red-headed brat wearing a gentle smile.
"Can I join your group?" the kid asked.
Colin looked both ways, hoping someone else was willing to join, but received only looks of disdain and hatred. With only a few seconds left, Colin gave in to the request.
"Just don't get in our way." The boy nodded and interlaced his fingers behind his head. "I won't get in the way, sir!" "You can call me Colin. These are Safira and Brighid."
Both nodded, and the boy bowed. "My name is Kurth, nice to meet you!"
Hodrixey announced that time was up; 270 groups had formed.
Magic circles appeared beneath all the groups, and the students glowed intensely.
Woosh!
They were teleported to the middle of a post-apocalyptic city.
The Gothic structures and buildings seemed abandoned for ages. The cobblestone roads were covered in grass, and the prevailing atmosphere was that of twilight. Behind them, a dense forest sent shivers down the spine just by looking at it.
An immense screen made purely of mana appeared above the arena where the students had once stood, focusing on several promising groups, similar to soccer screens on Earth.
The students remained focused, their gazes fixed on the remaining members of the teams. Among them, Brighid stood out for her remarkable beauty, drawing curious glances from everyone around. However, it wasn't just her appearance that sparked interest, but also her magical power.
Those most sensitive to the arcane arts were frightened by the intensity of her aura, while others, like Anton, felt deep admiration. A drop of sweat rolled down Anton's temple, but far from intimidating him, this only increased his excitement.
Colin, the main target of his interest, appeared not to possess a large reserve of mana, but his enigmatic gaze conveyed a sense of imminent danger. This threat only fueled Anton's enthusiasm further, as the challenge and unpredictability of the job made everything even more interesting. It would be a unique opportunity to test his own skills and prove himself worthy of his place in that intense contest.
A number appeared at the top of the arena: 135.
"Only half the groups will pass this stage." The director's voice came from all corners. "When this number reaches zero, it means those remaining will have passed and be welcome at the university. One of the main virtues of a mage is knowing how to work as a team, merging battle and strategy. Do not worry about fighting to the death; the moment you receive a fatal blow, you will be teleported to safety, but will be eliminated. Good luck to all!"
Hundreds of magic circles appeared beneath the students, and all the groups were separated.
Colin's group ended up in the middle of the woods, far from everything and everyone. The match had barely begun when they heard an explosion in the distance.
Looking at the screen at the top of the arena, they saw the number: 134.
"So it begins," murmured Colin. "What's the plan?" Kurth asked Colin.
He scratched his cheek and crouched down. He picked up a stick and started drawing in the dirt.
He drew the caricatured faces of his team.
"Hodrixey didn't say that if one group member got incapacitated, the whole group would be disqualified, so I'm disregarding that option. I believe if one of us remains, we're still in the competition. The best way would be to split up and eliminate as many teams as we can."
He circled his character and Kurth's.
"Kurth and I will be a duo, Brighid and Safira will be another, but let's not split up just yet; let's get to know the terrain first. Hodrixey didn't say we were forced to fight, but this test makes no sense without combat. I conclude that this test is to gauge skill level both in combat and in avoiding it. The test has no time limit, and that gives us an advantage."
Colin looked at the numbers in the sky. [131]. "We don't need to rush." He turned his eyes back to his companions. "The wisest thing would be to stay here and wait, but I feel like fighting. I need to get this tension off my shoulders and see the level of people in this test."
Colin stared at Kurth. "Before we proceed, I need to know what your tree is. We are a team and need to be honest with each other here, so don't hide anything."
Kurth swallowed hard and nodded. "I belong to the Void tree, classified as a level two mage. My specialty focuses on large attacks of concentrated destruction; usually, I'm pretty useless in melee, but my magic is quite efficient against large groups."
Colin nodded and looked at Brighid, who did the same. "Right, so our formation remains perfect. Safira belongs to the Flame tree, level 3. I'm from the Heaving tree, level 2, and Brighid..."
Colin hesitated, pondering whether to reveal the truth, but opted to keep some information hidden, at least for now. "Brighid belongs to the Conjuration tree, level 5."
Kurth's eyes went wide, taken by surprise. It was the first time he had the opportunity to stand before a level five user, and to his astonishment, it was a woman of extraordinary beauty. The boy swallowed hard, feeling a palpable nervousness, but managed to nod timidly.
"You guys... are all incredible... I don't know if I can keep up with you..." he murmured.
Colin touched the boy's shoulder. "No need to worry about us; we're a team now. I'll protect you during the test, and I guarantee they will do the same."
Safira smiled and nodded. Brighid made the victory sign with her fingers while displaying a gentle smile. "Mr. Colin... I'll give it my all!"
"That's what I wanted to hear, let's do this!"
Before leaving, Brighid called Colin to a corner, and they stepped away from the kids. Brighid's concern was about the level of the people in that test. She could handle herself, but she couldn't say the same for Colin, who seemed a bit reckless in his way of acting. Her eyes exuded concern as she stared at him.
"There are a lot of strong people here..." she said, crossing her arms and stepping closer to him, speaking more quietly, almost whispering. "Are you sure it's better for us to split up? I know we trained, but even so..."
"No need to worry. It won't be like that time in the alley. This time, we're together, and I won't let anything go wrong."
Brighid looked away, as if trying to hide the worry that still lingered in her thoughts. Colin noticed and, with a gentle gesture, tapped his index finger on her forehead, drawing her attention back.
"Hey!" he said, a faint smile on his lips. "Don't you trust me?" She hesitated but replied in a lower tone, almost a whisper. "I do..." "Then don't make that face. You look prettier when you're smiling."
Brighid pursed her lips, trying to contain a reaction, but couldn't prevent a half-smile from forming on her face. Her cheeks blushed slightly, and she looked away again, this time to hide the embarrassment.
"Let's go, fairy," said Colin, extending his hand. "We don't have time to waste."
She looked at his hand for a moment, then accepted the gesture, allowing him to lead her back.
Meanwhile, Kurth and Safira watched the scene from afar. Kurth, with his fingers interlaced behind his head, leaned toward Safira and asked in a low voice. "Are they dating?"
Safira almost choked on the question, her eyes going wide before answering, a little louder than she intended.
"What? N-No! They're just good friends." Kurth arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but decided not to press. "I get it..." he murmured, looking back at Colin and Brighid, who were already approaching.
Colin, however, seemed to have heard the exchange. He stopped, turning to look at Kurth and Safira.
"Hey, you two," he called out, his voice serious now. "We aren't splitting up. This time, we stay together. No matter what happens, the group does not divide. Understood?"
Kurth and Safira exchanged glances at the sudden change of heart, but both nodded in agreement.
Kurth let out a slight sigh, while Safira nodded, relieved not to have to argue the point. "Right, then let's go," said Colin, moving again with determination. "Let's survive this test and get into this university."