After spending some time with his parents, Kaelen returned to the Academy.
The transition into the final phase of the third year brought a new weight to Kaelen's shoulders—one that didn't come from assimilated metal.
As a Level 50 Thread-user who had mastered "Compactness," Kaelen was officially tasked by Professor Andrew to act as a Junior Instructor.
While his own training intensified, his afternoons were now spent guiding the lower-level juniors.
He stood on the training mats, a solid, immovable presence, teaching them how to anchor their threads so they wouldn't be swept away by their own energy surges.
"Don't just throw your threads out," Kaelen would say, his voice calm but firm.
"If you don't feel the weight of your own power, you're just waving a string in the wind. Compress it. Make it real."
Watching him lead, Leo and Sora realized that Kaelen was no longer the naive boy he once was.
The Grand Assessment: Mars
The end of the third year didn't culminate in a written test or a sparring tournament.
Instead, the entire class was loaded onto a heavy-duty transport headed for the Red Planet.
"Look down," Professor Andrew commanded as the shuttle entered Mars' orbit.
Below them lay the scars of ancient lava flows and the terrifying majesty of Olympus Mons.
Standing roughly 25 km high—nearly three times the height of Mount Everest—the shield volcano was a monster of rock and dust.
"This is your final assessment," Professor Elena announced.
"You will be dropped at the base of the western scarp. Your objective: Reach the caldera at the summit. You have seventy-two hours."
The Rules of the Red Waste
The conditions were designed to break them:
No Mechas: No mechanical assistance or flight suits.
Specialized Oxygen Tanks: Each student was provided a reserve tank. Success would be measured by the amount of oxygen remaining upon reaching the summit.
The Low Atmosphere: The near-vacuum at higher altitudes would attempt to boil their blood if their internal pressure control faltered.
"This isn't just a climb," Andrew added. "It's a test of behavior under extreme duress."
The Ascent Begins
The drop-ship ramp opened, and the students were hit by the biting, frozen wind.
Kaelen didn't wait for a command; he took the lead, his mind racing through the principles of his "Biological Processor" class.
He knew that direct intake from the tank would deplete their reserves too quickly under the exertion of the climb.
Instead, he released his Crimson Threads, weaving them into a fine, microscopic mesh.
He attached these threads to the tank's output, bypassing the mask and channeling the oxygen directly into their bloodstreams via their lungs.
He guided Leo, Sora, and Mina to do the same, drastically reducing their oxygen intake while maintaining blood saturation.
To ensure they moved as a single unit, Kaelen crafted a thin, high-tensile rope from his Ribbon.
He connected it to Mina, who connected to Sora, who connected to Leo, who finally linked back to Kaelen.
By chaining their Ribbons, they created a biological circuit that shared both physical stability and energy efficiency.
"Stay together," Kaelen grunted, his feet sinking into the red dust.
"We aren't individuals today. We are one engine. One step at a time."
As they began the grueling climb up the massive cliffs, the setting sun turned the Martian sky a haunting shade of blue.
Mina looked at Kaelen's broad back, seeing the way his threads shimmered—a steady, red glow of a leader holding his group's survival in the palm of his hand.