The transport gate activated without ceremony.
One moment we were standing in the academy's underground hall—
the next, the world twisted, folded, and snapped back into place.
Heat hit me first.
Dry air. Cracked earth. A wide canyon surrounded by towering stone walls etched with containment runes. Above us, a translucent barrier shimmered faintly, sealing the zone completely.
A battlefield.
"This is a controlled combat zone," the blue-eyed instructor's voice echoed from nowhere. "You will work as a unit."
Ren snorted. "That's optimistic."
Doran adjusted his stance nervously. "So… what are we fighting?"
As if answering him—
The ground rumbled.
From the far end of the canyon, shapes began to emerge. Four-legged creatures with rocky hides and glowing amber cores embedded in their chests. Their movements were heavy but coordinated.
Stonebound Beasts.
Mid-tier monsters.
Too strong for first-year students.
Perfect for us.
The silver-haired girl finally spoke. "Five of them."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "No. Six."
The sixth stepped out of the shadows—larger, its core cracked and unstable.
A variant.
Ren grinned. "Now that's better."
The instructor's voice returned. "Objective: survive ten minutes. Elimination of all targets is optional."
Optional.
Meaning survival wasn't guaranteed.
I exhaled slowly.
"Doran," I said, not taking my eyes off the monsters, "defense. Anchor the center."
He stiffened. "…You're just assigning roles?"
"Yes."
Ren glanced at me sideways. "And what about me?"
"Disrupt and strike," I replied. "But don't overextend."
He laughed. "No promises."
The silver-haired girl closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, the air around her chilled.
"I'll control the field."
Good.
The monsters charged.
The first Stonebound slammed into Doran's raised arms, sending a shockwave through the ground—but he held. Muscles tensed, teeth clenched, mana reinforcing his stance.
"Still standing!" he yelled, surprised himself.
Ren moved like a flash of light, striking at a beast's flank, shattering chunks of stone before retreating instantly.
"Too slow!" he called out.
The silver-haired girl raised a hand.
The ground beneath two monsters froze instantly, jagged ice spears erupting upward and pinning them in place.
I moved.
Not drawing the blade—yet.
I slipped between attacks, striking at joints, redirecting momentum, forcing the beasts into each other's paths. Every movement was efficient.
Calculated.
The variant roared.
Its cracked core flared violently.
"Careful!" the girl warned. "That one's unstable!"
Too late.
The variant leapt, bypassing Doran entirely and landing directly in front of me.
The impact shattered the ground.
My feet slid back.
This body still wasn't fully recovered.
The beast raised its limb for a crushing blow—
Ren intercepted, slamming into it midair and sending both crashing aside.
He skidded across the ground, breathing hard—but smiling.
"Told you," he said. "I've got your back."
The blade stirred faintly.
Interesting.
Together, we pressed the advantage.
Ice, stone, force—each of us playing our part. The monsters fell one by one, cores dimming as they collapsed into inert rubble.
The last beast crumbled.
Silence returned.
We stood there, breathing heavily.
Doran laughed shakily. "We… we actually did it."
The barrier above shimmered.
"Combat trial complete," the instructor announced. "Result: successful."
But I wasn't relaxed.
Because I could still feel it.
A presence.
From beyond the canyon wall.
Something watching.
Something that shouldn't have been observing a controlled zone.
I looked up slowly.
And far beyond the barrier—
Something looked back.