Professor Vincent leaned forward, his mechanical augmentations whirring softly as he adjusted the scrying crystal's focus. "So what's the situation with Whisper Jr.'s battle? That point differential seems... unusual."
"Well, it seems they're in a stalemate of sorts," Professor Gareth muttered, squinting at the display showing Zone 4: The Ironhold Ruins. "Though it looks pretty awful for one side, honestly."
The camera zoomed in, revealing the chaotic battlefield.
Zone 4: Ironhold Fortress
Cassius moved through the undead horde like a divine instrument of destruction, his white spear—Ivory Piercer—gleaming with each precise strike. The revived monsters fell before him with mechanical efficiency. Battlekeep Slayers, Throne Wreckers, Stoneguard Abominations—they crumbled one after another.
His point total was climbing at an absolutely insane rate.
1,000 points...
2,000 points...
3,000 points...
3,783 points!!
And it was still rising.
The professors stared in stunned silence as Cassius systematically slaughtered every single revived monster in the fortress, his movements fluid and tireless, his Sovereign's Acceleration Field making each kill look effortless.
Then the camera panned down to the throne room's lower level.
Aria stood alone against Whisper Jr., her left eye permanently closed—the injury from earlier had sealed it shut with dried blood. Her entire body was covered in cuts, bruises, and what looked like claw marks. Her usually pristine appearance was completely destroyed. She looked like she would collapse and die at any moment, barely maintaining her defensive stance.
Meanwhile, Whisper Jr. looked completely fresh, not even breathing hard.
"How long do you intend to stall me?" the vampire necromancer asked, genuine curiosity in his voice rather than anger.
His eyes narrowed behind the red mask. So... you're one of those people, aren't you? Vassal Reconditioning. I thought that practice was discouraged even among the nobility after the LifeLaw Reforms. I suppose it still continues in secret..."
He gestured at Cassius above them, systematically farming points. "Is it really necessary to farm points from dead corpses like this? You can't kill me permanently, and I can't kill you without triggering the safety wards. So what's the point?"
Aria grinned despite her injuries, blood staining her teeth. She smiled softly—genuinely. "So continue being a convenient point farm for my master. That's all you need to do.."
Whisper Jr. nodded slowly, understanding dawning. "Is that so, Cassius?"
His voice carried upward through the fortress halls. "So you intend to do it this way, huh? Honestly, this is so... efficient. Almost insulting in its simplicity."
Professor Whisper felt her mind slowly going blank as she watched her son being used as a glorified experience farm. The other professors very carefully avoided looking directly at her, sensing the dangerous emotional undercurrent.
On screen, Cassius tore the head clean off a Stoneguard Abomination, adding another 37.5 points to his already astronomical total.
"Just hold on a little longer for me, Aria," Cassius called down calmly, not even breathing hard despite the extended combat. "I'll be down there shortly to finish that mosquito off properly."
The control room went deathly silent.
All the professors simultaneously glanced at Professor Whisper's expressionless face at the "mosquito" remark, then immediately looked away, suddenly finding other displays fascinating.
"Well?" Professor Marcus cleared his throat diplomatically. "This is the highest point total recorded in quite a long while.If it continues at this rate, he might actually beat Aurora's freshman record."
He pulled up his enchanted tablet, checking the updated leaderboard:
CURRENT RANKINGS:
Student Cassius - 3,783 points Student Ignatia Vermillion - 1,344 points Student Elarin Windwhisper - 1,238 points
Professor Sylvia sighed, her elf ears twitching with concern. "Elarin is doing quite well for herself. But shouldn't she join forces with Draekon and Lyralei? That young woman is still actively avoiding direct conflict whenever possible."
Professor Lydia sighed heavily, her expression troubled. "Well, it doesn't suit her position as a princess from one of the three founding royal bloodlines. Nor does it meet the academy's expectations of royalty—to lead from the front, to inspire through action."
"But after Aurora is finished with Draekon and Lyralei, won't Elarin be her next target?" Professor Sylvia asked with genuine worry.
The words were spoken as if the other outcome was impossible to come.
Professor Marcus agreed grimly. "Almost certainly, in terms of political positioning and examination fairness."
He paused, then added more positively, "Student Ignatia, on the other hand, is a perfect example of what we expect from noble heirs. Her performance is extremely promising—textbook dominance through superior power and tactical awareness."
His expression turned regretful. "Sadly, we won't get to observe much more of her capabilities here. Raul, Whisper Jr., and Aurora are all deployed in other zones, and no other senior seems particularly interested in challenging her specifically."
Professor Marcus looked directly at Loren, the purple-haired senior monitoring student, with a questioning expression.
Loren sweated nervously under the scrutiny. "Come on, Professors! It didn't sit well with the others after getting completely outclassed by the Big Three. And those three took their assignments for personal reasons, not club-related recruitment purposes."
He gestured defensively. "Everyone else wanted to recruit promising freshmen from this exceptional batch, obviously. Not break their bones for personal entertainment. Isn't the whole point of Phase Two that seniors get early scouting opportunities to invite freshmen to their clubs?"
The professors froze, then slowly nodded in unison.
"Indeed," Professor Marcus admitted. "That is the primary purpose."
Ignatia walked through the desert wasteland with perfect stoic composure, each step turning the sand beneath her feet into smooth, glittering glass from pure residual heat. Monsters emerged from the dunes—not to attack her, but writhing in pure agony from the overwhelming temperature surrounding her like an invisible furnace.
Blazeking Serpents, Sandsoul Annihilators, Sunfang Riders—A-Grade, B-Grade, it didn't matter. Their natural resistance to fire meant absolutely nothing. They simply turned to ash before getting within twenty feet of her, their bodies spontaneously combusting from proximity to her aura alone.
Those few monsters that somehow survived the initial exposure appeared to have been left alive deliberately. A single noble student followed behind Ignatia at a distance, easily killing the severely weakened creatures with minimal effort.
He was harvesting points without any real danger, essentially using her as a mobile monster-weakening machine.
Michael , his Argent Sovereign Armor gleaming in the harsh sunlight. His expression was exceptionally pleased—more than pleased, actually. His smile was too wide, his golden eyes staring at Ignatia's back with an intensity that bordered on obsessive. He was grinning far too much.
"Is this really acceptable for evaluation purposes?" Professor Kazuki asked uncomfortably.
The senior professors sighed collectively, a shared expression of resignation crossing their faces.
"We all agreed that the examination format needs to be changed significantly," Professor Helena stated firmly, her arms crossed. "Royalty and noble houses have gone far too far in bending the rules for convenience and political maneuvering."
Her eyes burned with passionate determination. "These convenient shortcuts will not help them grow stronger in the crucial upcoming years. I will ensure reforms are implemented."
The camera shifted to Zone 1: The Verdant Meadows, zooming in on Draekon's face.
His expression was grim, jaw clenched tight.
Aurora Drakonis instead of Whisper Jr. A catastrophically bad matchup from the very start.
His mind raced through game mechanics and probability calculations. Monsters like her aren't meant to be defeated this early in the progression timeline. She's an endgame boss appearing in the tutorial zone.
A translucent blue status window materialized before his eyes—invisible to everyone else, a remnant of the game system that had followed him into this world.
═══════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW
═══════════════════════════════
Name: Aurora Drakonis
Race: Pure-Blooded Dragon
Rank: SSR
Level: 79/100
Mana Circuits: Level 7/9
───────────────────────────────
CORE ATTRIBUTES
───────────────────────────────
Physical Power: 89/100
Agility: 92/100
Intelligence: 95/100
Endurance: 94/100
Mana Capacity: 9/9
Healing Factor: 7/9
───────────────────────────────
SKILLS & ABILITIES
───────────────────────────────
⚔ Absolute Compression [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9]
⚔ Dragon's Regeneration [Rank: SSR] [Lv 9/9]
⚔ Elemental Sovereignty [Rank: SR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Draconic Transformation [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9] (RESTRICTED)
⚔ Pressure Dominance [Rank: SSR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Glacial Breath [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9]
Draekon's hands clenched into fists. Level 79. Peak Level 7 Mana Circuits. Every single one of her skills is SR-Rank or higher. This is insane.
He pulled up comparison data:
═══════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW
═══════════════════════════════
Name: Lyralei Valen
Race: Human
Rank: SSR
Level: 39/100
Mana Circuits: Level 5/9
───────────────────────────────
CORE ATTRIBUTES
───────────────────────────────
Physical Power: 87/100
Agility: 91/100
Intelligence: 78/100
Endurance: 85/100
Mana Capacity: 5/9
Healing Factor: 4/9
───────────────────────────────
SKILLS & ABILITIES
───────────────────────────────
⚔ Black Lightning Core [Rank: SSR] [Lv 6/9]
⚔ The Valen Lightning Style [Rank: SSR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Lightning Absorption [Rank: SSR] [Lv 6/9]
═══════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW
═══════════════════════════════
Name: Draekon Ardent
Race: Human
Rank: SSR
Level: 33/100
Mana Circuits: Level 5/9
───────────────────────────────
CORE ATTRIBUTES
───────────────────────────────
Physical Power: 72/100
Agility: 78/100
Intelligence: 94/100
Endurance: 75/100
Mana Capacity: 6/9
Healing Factor: 5/9
───────────────────────────────
SKILLS & ABILITIES
───────────────────────────────
⚔ Stormflame Breath [Rank: S] [Lv 5/9]
⚔ Infinite Arsenal [Rank: SSR] [Lv 6/9]
⚔ Dragon's Bracelet [Rank: SSR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Hero's Charisma [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9]
⚔ Tactical Analysis [Rank: SR] [Lv 7/9]
⚔ Dragon Valley Fieldcraft [Rank: A] [Lv 5/9]
Level difference: 46 levels. That's... that's not a gap you can bridge with tactics alone, Draekon thought grimly.
But then his tactical mind kicked in, analyzing the situation from a different angle.
The academy has strict rules regarding the Big Three senior eliminators. I remember from the game lore...
First: Limited use of named spells— three maximum per engagement.
Second: Cannot use their dominant hand for attacks—severe handicap for combat specialists.
Third: Cannot actively hunt targets; must let students come within 100-meter radius voluntarily.
Fourth—and most important: Cannot lie when directly questioned.
He frowned, running through the encounter timeline. But Lyralei met Aurora first, not the other way around. Did Aurora sneak up on her? No, that's impossible. Lyralei is the most sensitive character in the entire game. She picks up lethal intent and non-lethal hostility with ridiculous ease. No matter how much Aurora tries to suppress her presence, sneaking up should be physically impossible.
Unless...
His eyes widened slightly, Lyralei messed up.
The stronger the opponent, the more Aurora gets genuinely excited, even as she pretends to stay calm and controlled. She's absolutely insane when it comes to combat—a battle junkie hiding behind a sophisticated mask.
Yet here we are in this situation. And the most important restriction: she cannot lie to direct questions.
Draekon's mind raced. That's the weakness. That's the exploit.
The grass of The Verdant Meadows rolled gently in a peaceful breeze.
For once—just for once—the ancient forest felt tranquil and safe.
Then in the next heartbeat, everything exploded into violence.
"Alright! Let's go!" Draekon shouted.
His Dragon's Bracelet flared, and his weapon transformed into an elegant longbow made of crystalline dragon bone. He drew back the string, multiple arrows of pure mana materializing simultaneously.
"Bow Arts: Hawk Eye Archery—Phantom Arrow!"
The arrows fired with absolutely no sound, becoming completely invisible mid-flight. They struck toward Aurora from three different angles.
Aurora dodged with minimal movement, her body shifting just enough—but the arrows exploded mid-air into sticky webbing that sprayed across her white dress and sun-kissed skin like adhesive nets.
"Disgusting," she muttered, raising her hand to burn it off.
Before she could finish the motion, Lyralei appeared directly in front of her, moving so fast she seemed to teleport.
"Fifth Form: Phantom Edge Dance!"
Lyralei's fists became a blur—seven strikes, then thirteen, then twenty-one in rapid succession. Each blow connected with Aurora's body at vital points: liver, kidneys, solar plexus, throat, temples. Her face remained eerily unchanged despite the assault, but where each strike landed, Lyralei's black lightning began tearing through Aurora's skin like acid, spreading in branching patterns.
Aurora fired multiple compressed air lances in retaliation—
But before they could close the distance, Draekon already appeared directly above her.
His weapon transformed mid-air from bow to massive battleaxe.
"Axe Arts: Mountain Cleaver Style—Splitting Mountain!"
The vertical cleave came down with earth-shattering force, cutting clean through Aurora's right arm. The severed limb fell, still twitching.
Lyralei planted her feet firmly, black lightning coiling around her entire body like serpents.
"Seventh Form: Dragon's Fang Ascension!"
She executed an upward palm strike that launched a massive serpentine construct of pure black lightning. The dragon-shaped attack coiled upward from below, striking toward Aurora's vulnerable torso—
But before the technique could connect, Aurora's severed arm regenerated completely in less than a second. Flesh, bone, and skin reconstructed perfectly.
And she used her first named spell.
"Compression Zone: Vortex Blade Storm."
Draekon's eyes widened in alarm. He reacted far faster than Lyralei, his combat instincts screaming danger.
Multiple wind cutters—hundreds of them, compressed to monomolecular sharpness—erupted in all directions like an exploding sphere of death.
But most were absorbed by the shield Draekon formed at the last possible instant, his Dragon's Bracelet transforming his weapon into the Aegis of the Valley. The attacks slammed into the barrier with sounds like machine-gun fire.
Yep, that's one named spell down. Two more to go, he calculated grimly.
But that brief defensive moment was a major opening for Lyralei. He looked back to see her panting heavily, her right hand missing three fingers. Blood dripped steadily onto the grass.
"She missed the full dodge, huh?" Draekon hummed.
Lyralei thought frantically... "Damn it... if he hadn't blocked most of that, I would have lost the entire arm. My healing speed is dropping drastically."
Aurora hummed with genuine curiosity behind her mask. "So, Draekon—are you the one troubling young Lyralei's heart? The source of her romantic distress?"
She tilted her head. "As far as I know from your reputation, you're quite popular back in Dragon Valley. Women speak fondly of you. You're not typically one of those types who cause emotional damage."
Lyralei's face flushed red despite her pain. "Not him! Not this one!" she barked defensively.
"Then why team up?" Aurora asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "I thought this was a
free-for-all."
Draekon chuckled, positioning himself protectively in front of Lyralei. "When did I ever say it was every student for themselves?"
Then he muttered something under his breath—
".siht ekil pot eht hcaer t'nac uoy .llud nworg evah uoy ,emoC"
Lyralei's eyes went wide with genuine shock. She recognized it immediately—True Speech, the ancient language. She knew it existed, had learned basic phrases, understood conceptually how monumentally difficult it was to speak without decades of training... yet such perfect fluency from a human had struck her speechless.
Aurora started chuckling, the sound warm and delighted. "See? I told you so, darling. He is special."
Multiple massive fireballs materialized around her, compressed to incredible density. They burst outward simultaneously, targeting both students with explosive force.
Draekon rushed forward, splitting them apart mid-flight with rapid weapon transformations.
"Scythe Arts: Reaper's Harvest—Phantom Reaper!"
Shadow clones burst from his body—perfect duplicates that mirrored his movements. Three Draekons attacked from different angles simultaneously.
Aurora's eyes sharpened with predatory focus. She fired multiple compressed mana bullets with pinpoint accuracy, piercing the heads of the fake Draekons. They dissolved into shadows.
The real one changed weapons at the last possible microsecond.
"Hammer Arts: Thunder God's Anvil—Shatter Blow!"
The massive warhammer crashed into Aurora's right arm with devastating force. She actually winced, grabbing the injured limb.
But the ground beneath Draekon's feet suddenly froze solid, encasing his legs in compressed ice.
"Gotcha," Aurora said.
An air lance materialized, aimed directly at his exposed throat—
Draekon flipped backward impossibly, tearing his own foot free from the frozen earth rather than letting the ice trap him. Blood sprayed from the self-inflicted injury.
Mid-flip, his weapon transformed again.
"Sword Arts: Blade Sovereign Style—Crimson Arc!"
The vertical slash left a brilliant red mana trail that cut through Aurora's wrist, severing her hand completely. The detached appendage fell, still clutching empty air.
Aurora's eyes gleamed with genuine excitement behind the mask. "At least you're making excellent use of my family's relic. The Dragon's Bracelet suits you."
Lyralei seized the opening.
"Third Form: Storm Thrust!"
Her extended fingers concentrated black lightning into a needle-point thrust forward like a rapier, aimed directly at Aurora's face.
Aurora dodged by a hair's breadth—literally, the attack singed strands of her white hair. "Nope, can't afford to let you hit that spot."
She fired water lances toward Lyralei in retaliation—
Draekon deflected them with another shield transformation, but the split-second distraction allowed Lyralei to graze Aurora's left eye with a lightning-charged finger strike.
They all created distance simultaneously, landing twenty feet apart in a triangle formation.
Aurora hummed thoughtfully, her left eye bleeding but already regenerating. "Is that so? Ah, I see now."
The black lightning from Lyralei's earlier attacks was still seeping into her skin, spreading like a virus despite her regeneration. She deliberately destroyed the affected tissue with compressed fire, burning away entire patches of her own flesh to stop the spread.
Lyralei is a serious problem, Aurora analyzed coldly. Her strikes hit like an enraged elephant—raw, overwhelming physical force combined with that lingering lightning effect. And the damage accumulates even after the initial impact. She doesn't even need complex techniques; her basic attacks are devastating enough.
But more than that... it's Draekon who's truly annoying me.
Her eyes tracked his movements with growing frustration. Somehow he predicts both my attacks and Lyralei's positioning with frightening accuracy, as if he's seen these exact movement patterns thousands of times before. He reacts accordingly, protecting Lyralei while constantly disrupting my rhythm.
"You've got yourself a fine knight in shining armor, darling," Aurora said to Lyralei, genuine appreciation in her voice.
I can't get close due to her overwhelming offense, and I can't attack from range effectively due to the Big Three restrictions limiting my power output.
She started laughing—genuinely, joyfully.
"Such a delicious thrill! This is exactly what I wanted!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Draekon laughed, breathing hard but grinning confidently. "But we'll be the ones laughing last here. That's a promise."