The clearing was quiet now.
The massive corpse of the Alpha Predator lay collapsed in the dirt, steam rising slowly from the deep wounds carved across its armored body.
Zael stood calmly beside it.
Across from him, Cassian remained frozen for a moment, staring at the monstrous but now lifeless beast.
Cassian clicked his tongue.
"…You got the kill."
Zane spun his spear lazily on his shoulder behind Zael.
"Damn right he did."
Lily stepped beside them, her eyes still scanning the trees in case Cassian's teammates tried something reckless.
Cassian slowly looked back at Zael.
Then something clicked in his expression.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Wait."
His voice carried genuine confusion now.
"How do you know about the point system?"
The question hung in the air.
Zane frowned slightly.
Lily stiffened.
Cassian crossed his arms.
"The camp rules never mention points. Not to first-years, not to second-years, not to anyone outside the organizers."
He tapped his own watch.
"The only reason I know is because my family has connections with the training council."
His gaze sharpened.
"So I'll ask again."
He pointed directly at Zael.
"…Which family are you from?"
Zael didn't answer.
He didn't even look at him.
Instead, his gaze drifted slightly to the side.
To the fading sunlight filtering through the trees.
And his thoughts moved back…
To the night before the journey.
---
The Night Before Departure
The dormitory halls of AEGIS PRIME were quiet.
Most students had already packed their equipment and gone to sleep, preparing for the unknown journey the academy had planned.
Zael was sitting in his room when his communicator buzzed.
A message from Lily.
"Come to the training yard. Now."
He arrived to find both Lily and Zane already waiting.
Zane yawned as Zael approached.
"You dragged us out here at midnight," he complained. "This better be important."
Lily glanced around the empty training grounds before speaking.
"My family sent me something."
Her voice was low.
Serious.
That alone made Zane straighten slightly.
The Ashbourne family was powerful.
If they were sending private messages, it meant something big.
"What kind of something?" Zane asked.
"Information."
She crossed her arms.
"About the training camp."
Zael said nothing, but his attention sharpened.
Lily continued.
"The academy isn't telling us everything."
Zane snorted.
"Shocking."
But Lily ignored him.
"This camp operates on a point economy."
Zael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Points?" Zane repeated.
"Yes."
Lily tapped her communicator and projected a small holographic note.
"Every beast kill gives points."
"Taking another student's smart watch gives points."
"Special objectives give points."
"And those points determine everything once the real camp begins."
Zane frowned.
"What do you mean everything?"
Lily's expression hardened.
"Food."
"Equipment."
"Training facilities."
"Recovery pods."
"Skill libraries."
She paused.
"You can't use any of them without spending points."
Zane blinked.
"You're joking."
"I'm not."
She looked directly at them.
"If you run out of points, you can't even eat in the camp."
The night wind moved through the empty training yard.
Zane let out a slow whistle.
"So the entrance test…"
Lily nodded.
"…Is a point harvest."
Zael finally spoke.
"They want us to fight."
"Exactly."
Lily's gaze sharpened.
"They want beasts killed."
"They want students fighting each other."
"They want chaos."
Zane grinned slowly.
"Now that sounds like fun."
But Lily shook her head.
"It's worse than that."
Her voice dropped slightly.
"The initial points you enter the camp with determine your starting rank access."
Zael understood immediately.
More points meant better resources.
Better training.
Better advantages.
And the weak?
They would start with nothing.
Lily looked at both of them seriously.
"So tomorrow, when they drop us in the wilderness…"
"Don't just run to the checkpoint."
"Take points."
Zane cracked his knuckles.
"I like the way your family thinks."
Zael remained silent for a moment.
Then he nodded once.
"Understood."
---
The forest clearing returned to focus.
Cassian was still staring at Zael, waiting for an answer.
"…Well?" he asked.
"Which family?"
Zael finally looked at him.
His expression was calm.
Unreadable.
Then he spoke.
"…None."
Cassian blinked.
Zane snorted loudly behind him.
"Told you."
Cassian frowned.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Zael didn't respond.
Instead, his eyes dropped to Cassian's wrist.
The smart watch.
Then he stepped forward.
"One last time," Zael said quietly.
"Give me the watch."
Cassian's expression slowly hardened.
"…You're serious."
Zael's voice remained calm.
"Yes."
The wind moved through the clearing again.
Behind Zael, Zane rolled his shoulders.
Lily raised her blade slightly.
Cassian looked at all three of them.
Then slowly smiled again.
"…You know what?"
He lifted his sword.
"I think I'll take your watches instead."
The tension in the clearing snapped tight once more.
And somewhere high above the forest—
The officials watching the trial leaned forward slightly.
Because the fight that was about to begin…
Would decide who entered the camp rich with points.
And who entered it with nothing.
----
The wind shifted through the clearing.
The massive corpse of the Alpha Predator still steamed behind Zael, its blood darkening the soil. The kill notification had already faded from the watches, but the tension left behind was thicker than before.
Cassian slowly rolled his shoulder.
"You know," he said casually, "most people would've taken the points and run."
His gaze sharpened.
"But you stayed."
Zael lifted his blade slightly.
Cassian smiled.
"Good."
Crimson mana ignited around him like burning embers.
"Because I wanted a real fight anyway."
Behind him, his two teammates stepped forward as well.
Both legendary talents.
Both clearly seasoned fighters.
Zane cracked his neck.
"Perfect."
Lightning flickered along the shaft of his spear.
"I was getting bored."
Lily stepped lightly to the side, wind mana gathering around her like a swirling current.
The clearing split into three fronts instantly.
Zael and Cassian stood facing each other in the center.
Zane and one legendary moved toward the left.
Lily and the other shifted toward the right.
For a moment—
No one moved.
Then Cassian vanished.
His speed exploded forward like a crimson comet.
His blade crashed down toward Zael's head.
CLANG
Zael met the strike perfectly.
Steel shrieked against steel as the impact blasted dust outward.
Cassian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Fast."
Zael didn't answer.
Instead—
He disappeared.
Void Step.
Reappearing beside Cassian's flank.
Night Sever.
A black arc carved through the air.
Cassian twisted just in time, the slash grazing his armor and slicing across his shoulder instead of his ribs.
He skidded backward.
Then laughed.
"…Good."
His crimson aura surged violently.
"You're actually worth killing."
---
A thunderous crack echoed across the clearing.
Zane's spear slammed against the legendary awakener's sword, lightning bursting outward from the collision.
The opponent slid back slightly.
Then grinned.
"Not bad."
His aura flared golden as his legendary talent activated.
His sword began glowing with heavy energy.
"Let's see how long you last."
Zane spun his spear once.
Lightning spiraled along its length.
"Oh," he said with a grin.
"I was planning to ask you the same thing."
He lunged.
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
---
Wind howled through the trees.
Lily's opponent moved with smooth precision, twin daggers flashing through the air.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
The legendary awakener blurred forward in a flurry of slashes.
Lily stepped back lightly.
Wind currents twisted around her body.
Every dagger strike narrowly missed as the air itself seemed to push her away from danger.
"You're slippery," the opponent muttered.
Lily's eyes remained calm.
"You're predictable."
Her hand lifted.
The wind condensed instantly.
Wind Pierce.
A compressed spear of air shot forward like a bullet.
The legendary barely dodged, the attack slicing a deep line across his side.
He grinned.
"…Now it's getting interesting."
---
Cassian and Zael clashed again.
Their blades collided repeatedly in rapid succession.
Each strike echoed like gunfire through the clearing.
Cassian swung again.
Crimson energy erupted from his sword.
Crimson Rupture.
A wave of destructive force tore toward Zael.
Zael moved instantly.
Phantom Split.
Two illusions burst outward.
Cassian's attack shredded one of them.
The real Zael appeared behind him.
His blade flashed.
Resonance Strike.
The impact detonated against Cassian's back.
Cassian was thrown forward several meters before digging his sword into the ground to stop himself.
He coughed once.
Then slowly stood up.
"…You're stronger than I expected."
His crimson aura began growing darker now.
More violent.
"You know what that means?"
Zael said nothing.
Cassian's smile widened.
"I don't get to hold back anymore."
His mythical talent surged fully.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Crimson lightning spiraled around his blade.
Zael watched quietly.
Then—
A faint ripple spread through the clearing.
Thin silver lines began forming again.
Invisible at first.
Then slowly visible as faint streaks across the air.
Cassian noticed immediately.
His smile faded.
"…Again?"
Zael's voice was calm.
"Blade Domain."
The air sharpened instantly.
Invisible blades filled the space around them.
Cassian felt the pressure immediately.
The domain was smaller than before.
But far more concentrated.
Cassian exhaled slowly.
"…So that's how you fight."
He raised his sword.
"Good."
His aura flared again.
"Then let's see whose power breaks first."
The two mythical awakeners charged simultaneously.
Their clash detonated like thunder across the battlefield.
---
Above the Forest
The observers watched in silence.
One of them leaned forward.
"…Two mythical talents fighting in the entrance test."
Another nodded slowly.
"And the level nineteen is winning."
The woman who had spoken earlier folded her arms.
"No."
She pointed at the screen.
"Look closer."
Zael's blade moved with frightening efficiency.
But Cassian's aura…
Was still growing.
"He's about to escalate."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"And if he does…"
"This clearing might not survive the fight."
Below them—
The battlefield was already tearing itself apart.
And the real clash…
Had only just begun.