By the time Tagatha and Sara's turn finally came, the air in the testing grounds felt charged, half with the leftover energy from the previous groups, half with the weight of everyone's stares. The scoreboard told its own story: every name etched there was a small victory or humiliation in front of sixty pairs of watching eyes.
To their satisfaction, both of their earlier guesses had been spot-on. The mountain of muscle Tagatha had picked crushed the physical strength test and claimed the top slot in that category. The spiky-haired, well-dressed caster Sara had chosen dominated the magic output chart. The two of them exchanged smug little glances before stepping forward.
Tagatha went first for the physical output test.
The training dummy flickered to life before her, its rune-lit core pulsing faintly in anticipation. She set her stance. Then she drove her fist forward.
The impact rang out like a muffled thunderclap, the dummy's surface rippling as the energy gauges lit up. The scoreboard updated instantly; 4th place, High C. The murmurs from the crowd told her the result had not gone unnoticed.
Sara, in contrast, rolled her shoulders lazily before delivering a casual punch that barely made the rune flicker. She landed at Low C without so much as a shrug, clearly not aiming to impress here, still, to Tagatha, it was impressive she managed to score a grade C in any range when she wasn't trying.
The second test, reaction and reflexes, was where Tagatha truly came alive.
The moment the earth-crystal turrets flared to life around her, she was already moving, her body flowing through instinctive patterns honed from years of sword drills. Shots came from every angle, but her footwork kept her two steps ahead, her weight shifting at just the right moments to slip past each blast. As the speed ramped up, her movements stayed sharp, clean, and almost graceful. When the last crystal dimmed, the board lit her name up in 3rd place with a Mid B rating.
That drew attention—real attention. She could feel the shift in the air. A few candidates eyed her with interest, calculating how she might fit into their team compositions. Others looked away sharply, muttering under their breath, more irritated than impressed.
Sara held her own, ducking and weaving with an ease that spoke more of agility than discipline. She landed a High C, placing just outside the top three for the reflex category.
Finally, it came to the last step.
The black glass sphere floated before them, its surface almost absorbing the light around it. Tagatha stepped up first. When she pressed her palm to it, warmth surged up her arm, and the hex inside the sphere flared to life, scanning her with a hum that seemed to vibrate in her bones. A slip of enchanted paper slid free from the base and into her hand.
They didn't open in public. The slip looked blank to everyone else, a safeguard against prying eyes but when she channeled a thread of her spiritual energy into it, her pupils glowed faintly and words bloomed into view:
Attack Power: High C
Reflexes: High B
Magical Abilities: Mid D
Battle Intelligence: Low A
Weaponry Ability: High B
Overall Rank: High C – Spell Brawler
Interesting, she thought. They rank your role one grade higher than your raw average… probably to account for potential in a team setting.
She glanced sideways just as Sara did the same, their slips glowing faintly in sync. Sara's eyes flicked up with a small, almost mischievous smirk.
"Would you look at that," she said, "Spell Brawler"
Tagatha arched a brow. "Same as me?.."
"It would seem so." Sara said with a wink, tucking her slip away,
Sara and Tagatha stepped further into the tent, the muted glow from the lanterns inside giving everything a slightly amber hue. Their attention was immediately drawn to a second table tucked against the far wall, where another line of students waited in a strangely stiff silence.
At the center of it sat a black orb nearly identical to the evaluation sphere from earlier; only this one sprouted two eerie extensions of pure light. The first was an articulated arm covered in shifting hexagonal runes, ending in a long needle filled with a faintly pulsing green liquid. The second was a clamp-like apparatus, its prongs shimmering faintly as though woven from pure spiritual energy.
One by one, each student stepped forward. The clamp locked around their wrist with a soundless snap, and the needle slid into their forearm with clinical precision. The green fluid drained slowly into them, and then the devices withdrew, leaving no mark except for a faint shimmer under the skin.
Tagatha found herself staring, a faint prickle running down her spine. "What is that?" she asked, jerking her chin toward the strange device.
Sara's gaze narrowed, studying the movements of the magical construct. "Body boosters," she said after a moment. "It forces your white blood cells into overdrive, makes them move faster and repairs damage quicker. It's not for making you stronger, it's for keeping you alive when you should be dead."
Tagatha blinked. "And you've seen this before?"
Sara's expression darkened slightly as she nodded. "Yeah. My father had the same injection before a mission once. They only use it when there's a real chance you won't come back."
So… even here, before the teams are formed, they're already preparing us for something this dangerous, huh.
The line inched forward, and the faint hiss of the needle sliding home seemed louder than it should have been. Once Tagatha and Sara received their injections and the wristbands, they stepped aside to allow the next pair through. Tagatha glanced down at the strip of enchanted metal clasped around her wrist, Contestant No. 58. Sara's read 59.
The numbers were simple, but her mind couldn't help turning them over. What exactly are these for? Identification is obvious… but that's not the only purpose. Trackers? Most likely. With the kind of magic they're using, they could probably monitor our location, team position… maybe even pulse rate. If they wanted to, they could probably shut these things down like a leash.
As they left the tent, the bright sunlight spilling over them felt almost unreal after the dim glow inside. The two made their way into the great dome erected over the bridge, a massive magical barrier humming faintly with energy. Inside, the air felt heavier, and the crowd was even denser than she'd expected. Contestants stood shoulder to shoulder, grouped loosely in clusters of conversation, sharpening weapons or simply waiting in tense silence. The sheer number of bodies made it almost impossible to distinguish individuals, even if Tagatha had known anyone else here.
"Huh… looks like we're some of the last to show up," Sara murmured beside her, arms crossing as her eyes swept the sea of people. "Which probably means they're about to start."
And almost as if the words themselves carried weight, a deep, resonating gong sounded through the dome. At the far end, a massive phase leap bloomed into existence, its swirling light bending space in a way that made the stomach lurch to look at for too long. From its depths emerged two figures, both wearing the same formal black tuxedo the hunters in the training grounds had worn.
The first was a young woman, tall and striking, with hair the color of crimson flame; the tips shifting to a molten orange that caught the light with every subtle movement, making it look as though each turn of her head sent ripples of fire dancing through the air. Her irises glowed a sharp red, pupils a vivid orange to match, and she wore sleek black shades despite the enclosed dome. She seemed almost disinterested, paying more attention to the meticulous state of her manicured red nails than the mass of gathered contestants. Tagatha estimated she was no older than nineteen or twenty. Her name tag read simply: Yulan. No surname.
They're letting people that young be hunters? Tagatha thought while looking at the lady.
The man beside her was an entirely different presence. Arms crossed, towering over her by a good five inches, he carried himself with a quiet confidence. His build wasn't bulky, but every line of his posture hinted at contained strength. His eyes were closed, two deep scars like the rake of some beast's claws slashed diagonally across them. With the magic available to heal such wounds, it was clear he had chosen to keep them, a permanent reminder. His hair was short and slightly spiked, jet black save for a single streak of goldish yellow. Several rings glinted on his fingers, matching Yulan's taste for ornament. His tag read: Ignia.
When he spoke, his voice was calm and almost soft, yet it resonated effortlessly throughout the dome. "Welcome, royals, commoners, and all in between." He took a step forward… on air and walked casually above the crowd, much like the hunter Tagatha had seen before. The entire dome fell silent under his presence.
"I hope you've all eaten well," Ignia continued, "because that might be the last good meal you enjoy for some time unless, of course, if you don't lose instantly. Today marks the beginning of the demon beast raid. You will be split into groups of six, determined by the classifications each of you demonstrated during testing. Each group will consist of two attackers, two defenders, one support, and one healer. Your singular objective is this—" He paused, letting the weight settle over the crowd. "Survive for as long as possible."
A low murmur rippled through the contestants, but Ignia's steady voice cut cleanly through it. "This trial will last five days. If your team is eliminated early, you will be provided food and given access to the dorms and cafeteria until the evaluation concludes. At that time, your final results will determine your military placement… and whether you pass at all."
He turned, gesturing toward the massive forest looming behind him, its treeline dark and thick, like a wall of green shadow. "This is your battlefield. It is a controlled environment. Hunters will be stationed throughout to intervene if necessary. That does not mean you are invincible. If you can survive, do so. Do not throw yourselves into danger thinking you will be rescued."
He spread his hands slightly. "Any questions will be handled by Yulan."
The red-haired woman stepped forward with a faint smirk, eyes scanning the raised hands. Her gaze caught on Tagatha almost instantly. She pointed lazily with one finger. "You… cutie with the blue tips. Go ahead."
Tagatha straightened slightly. "What if one of our teammates can't continue? Does the whole group fail?"
Yulan's smirk deepened. "Smart gal. I like it. No, you don't fail unless your entire team can't continue. But here's the thing, if a hunter has to step in to save you, that counts as you dying. So try not to make us do our job."
She flicked her gaze to another raised hand, an orange-haired girl.
"What about weapons?" the girl asked. "Will only those who brought their own have an advantage?"
Yulan gave an exaggerated sigh. "No, moron. But since that's my next point—" She snapped her fingers, and smaller phase leaps popped into existence above the crowd, dropping weapons neatly into the hands of those without them. Tagatha caught a second blade, shorter than her rapier, perfectly balanced for her off-hand, though she had no reason to use it, and decided to put it away into her back pack.
"Two weapons each, chosen for your class. Spears, rapiers, longswords, bows, you get the idea. This keeps you from hauling around something too heavy just because it looks cool. Or wanting to use three swords like some kind of fictional character, Anything else?" She pointed at a black-haired boy.
"What if we run into another team? If they try to sabotage us, is this a competition?"
"Not exactly," Yulan replied, tilting her head. "It's not about outlasting others. You all just need to pass. That said, you will earn points for your performance, kill count, tactics, efficiency. Points that can influence your starting military rank, let you bend a few rules, or even skip the lower tiers entirely. But the forest's big enough you shouldn't meet another group unless you're actively looking for trouble. And sabotage, whether against another team or your own, earns an instant disqualification. Got it?"
A glowing number flickered on the black-haired boy's wristband, and Yulan tapped it with her lollipop stick. "See that? That's your score. All of you start at zero."
She took another question—a blonde girl.
"If the teams are mixed ranks, won't weaker members drag others down?"
"Nope," Yulan said simply. "Each group is balanced. Your weaknesses are covered by someone else's strengths and vice versa. No unfair advantages." She twirled her lollipop, popping it into her mouth. "Last thing, no official leaders. I know some of you royals love throwing that title around. You can pick someone to take charge if you want, but if the team fails, the leader takes the biggest hit in the evaluation. So… choose wisely."
Her smirk sharpened. "Now go show us hunters which of you actually has what it takes. Bye-bye~"
Before anyone could move, Ignia clasped his hands together and the world dissolved.
Tagatha was dropped off into a random part of the forest instantly, though her stomach felt tingly from the experience, similar to someone going down a super fast roller coaster with their hands up.
She placed a hand on her stomach and slowly rubbed the dull ache away, letting her gaze wander as she surveyed the surrounding environment. It was nothing like the terrain she had seen before, which only confirmed her suspicion that she was no longer anywhere near the first layer. Judging by the thickness of the trees, the faint distortion in the air, and the way the ground seemed to pulse faintly beneath her boots, she guessed she was either inside or near the border of the second layer—if she was lucky.
Her train of thought fractured when several voices rose from somewhere nearby, sharp enough to pierce the low hum of the forest. The sound pulled her entirely out of her stupor, reminding her, albeit unpleasantly, that she had almost forgotten the reason she was here in the first place, and that she was still, unfortunately, alone.
A deep, guttural groan echoed through the trees, the sheer volume rattling the branches and sending a shiver up her spine. Her head snapped toward the source, and her eyes widened slightly when she saw who it was. Iris, one of the royals in the academy, a name whispered with more weight than Tagatha's own, belonging to a magical bloodline far older and more prestigious, was standing there, her expression twisted with distaste as she groaned loud enough to shake the air.
"What do you mean I have to be stuck here with this trashy commoner?" Iris' voice carried the sharpness of someone accustomed to being obeyed. "She can barely even use magic, let alone be a competent or compatible teammate." Her words dripped with venom.
Her pointed glare was directed toward a second girl standing a few steps away. This other student was clearly new to the academy, though her inexperience did nothing to diminish the sheer brazenness in her posture. Her black hair fell in jagged strands around her face, catching faint glimmers of light, while her irises glowed an unnatural shade of orange, the pitch-black pupils cutting through them like an omen. She bared her fangs as she scoffed. "Oh, here we go. You don't listen to a damn thing, do you? Just my luck they stick me with a royal who's got a stick shoved so far up her ass she can't see daylight."
From her position on the edge of the clearing, Tagatha exhaled through her nose and pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Do these idiots not realize what they just said? There are no leaders here… ugh.
Before she could intervene, a third voice cut through, a voice laced with haughty confidence. "Yeah, right. I'm clearly the leader here. Out of everyone in this sorry little group, I have the most battlefield experience, and unlike the rest of you, I actually know how to win."
The speaker was another girl, flicking a lock of dark grayish-silver hair over her shoulder with practiced ease. Her hairstyle was sharp and deliberate, two high pigtails on either side of her head, the strands catching the light like polished steel, framing a face that radiated equal parts arrogance and certainty.
This was going to be one long evaluation.