The oppressive dryness of the air clawed at their throats as they pushed forward.
Each step that they took was heavy with exhaustion. Their bodies were slowing down due to toxins in their system.
Still, they ran.
As fast as they could in their condition, at least.
The distant screeches of the monstrous spider and the frantic cries of the unfortunate Cadets it had been diverted to still echoed faintly in the forest.
The looming mountain at the center of the dome grew closer, its jagged peak slicing through the artificial sky like a serrated blade.
Squad 10 exited the dense forest of black trees and entered a thin clearing around the tall mountain.
But winning this test wasn’t going to be so easy.
Michael turned to look back and, sure enough, faint movement stirred in the distance behind them.
The teams that had been pursuing them averted their course to avoid confronting the spider beast and seemed to regroup.
Now they were heading straight for the mountain as well.
But the worst part was that Michael could see a few more Squads emerging from the woods on his left and right.
Another chaotic battle would soon ensue. It was inevitable.
But Michael wasn’t too worried.
Because much like his own teammates, the other Cadets were also suffering from the oversaturation of Aethylorine in the air.
They were just as exhausted, their chest aching and muscles burning with every moment. None of them were in their peak physical condition.
However, Michael’s situation was better than theirs.
He still hadn’t used his Origin Card, so his reserves of Essence hadn’t dwindled at all. He could move faster and fight better.
He was confident that he could take them all.
At least for a few minutes.
After all, as unreasonably strong as he was, he was still just one man.
If too many of them surrounded him, he’d have a hard time defeating them.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to fight them all alone.
Aside from having the support of his own Squad, every other team was going to fend for themselves, so they’d be fighting each other just as much as they’d be fighting him.
Michael was sure. With him as the main attacking force, his Squad would definitely be victorious in the upcoming battle.
The only problem was time.
There was not too much of it left on the clock.
At best, there were eight more minutes before the test ended.
It was going to be a bit of a challenge.
Just then, Kang’s loud voice snapped Michael from his thoughts. “Incoming! Nine o’clock!”
Everyone turned their attention slightly to their left and saw a team of five Cadets advancing from that direction.
They were the closest to Michael’s Squad and had decided to be the first one to attack them.
Their leader, a tall boy wielding a halberd, barked orders as his team fanned out to encircle Squad 10.
Michael brandished his sword and charged forward, breaking through their line before they could finish their formation.
They didn’t even know what hit them until it was already too late.
•••
Chaos erupted.
The fight raged on and more Squads poured into the clearing.
The air filled with the sound of clashing weapons, shouted commands, and the occasional explosion of abilities.
Michael was out there fighting against three Squads on his own, hurling Cadets around in the air like they were weightless dolls.
Lily was locked in a duel with a guy carrying a giant mace. She had summoned a long bō staff and was moving with the grace of someone who knew exactly what was going to happen next.
In the end, her opponent began swinging his mace around wildly, his frustration evident as he failed to land a single hit on her nimble form.
Alexia darted between combatants like a phantom, her armored gauntlets glinting as she targeted exposed weak points of her enemies.
She wasn’t fighting to kill — this was a test, after all — but her attacks were debilitating enough to take her opponents out of the fight in a few blows.
Kang was the only one in Squad 10 who looked like he was losing ground, though it was hard to blame him — he was holding off three opponents at once.
But he wasn’t going to lose.
Because every single time one of his teammates was in any real danger, Michael would appear out of nowhere — shielding them from the blows, deflecting the incoming attacks, pushing them away, or doing whatever it took to keep them safe.
It was impossible to hurt them with Michael around.
Then there was Samael.
He…
Where was he?
It was hard to keep track of him in the chaos.
He’d trade a few blows with anyone who got too close, only to vanish moments later, slipping away unnoticed.
Somehow, he always reappeared somewhere unexpected, using the battlefield’s pandemonium to stay just out of reach.
He was like a shrewd snake.
But he was bound to be caught eventually.
And eventually, he was.
Two Cadets from Squad 14 had him cornered.
When his back was drawn to one of them, he was attacked from behind and was locked in a vice-like chokehold.
The other Cadet saw his opening and rushed in with his sword raised high for a downward strike.
But Samael wasn’t going to be so easily defeated.
In a single fluid motion, he threw his weight backward, crashing the Cadet behind him to the ground with a harsh slam.
Before the Cadet could react, Samael rolled over him and escaped the chokehold, before staggering back just far enough to avoid the downward slash.
The sword dug into the dirt where he’d been standing a moment before.
Then… nothing happened.
The two Cadets had expected some sort of retaliation from Samael. But he did no such thing.
He didn’t attack back.
In fact, by the time the two Cadets regained their balance and straightened themselves up, Samael was… nowhere to be seen.
He had disappeared somewhere in the chaos of the battlefield, just like that.
One of them couldn’t help but scratch the back of his neck. “I-I… I feel insulted.”
•••
Run! Run! Run! — I told myself as I darted through the battlefield.
An arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing my thigh, and I pushed off a Cadet who charged at me while screaming like a lunatic.
Then I ducked under a spear thrust, feeling the wind rush above me, and slammed my knee into the face of someone who was stupid enough to stand in my way.
And all the while, I never stopped running.
I knew I should stay with my teammates, fight alongside them, and help however I could.
But I wasn’t going to waste my precious Essence — or what little energy I had left — on a pointless battle like this.
So, I danced around the incoming attacks, strategically retreated from the fights, and kept slowly moving forward toward the mountain.
I hoped my teammates were doing the same.
So, when I glanced back to check on them, I was immediately disappointed.
Those knuckleheads!
What the hell were they doing?
Why were they still fighting?
They should be cowardly running with tails between their legs!
“Idiots! I’m surrounded by idiots!” I spat a curse under my breath and turned back around without slowing down my pace.
Thud—!!
Then I bumped into someone.
For a split second, I thought it was just another Cadet who was too stupid to get in my way.
But then a voice — one that sounded familiar but I hadn’t heard in years — called down to me.
“Hello, Samael.”
I blinked, my heart skipping a beat as I craned my neck to look up.
Standing before me was a young man, just a few inches taller than me. His fiery red hair, short and unruly, practically glowing under the sunlight as if his head was set ablaze.
His skin was pale, and his eyes were as red as his hair, giving him an almost ethereal presence, like a vivid splash of color in this dull monochrome world.
And floating just above his shoulder was his Origin Card, engraved with a glowing crimson sigil.
That guy was Willem Vic. Draken.
One of the children of the Central Monarch, Seraphina the Flame Queen.
A true royal.
A real-life prince.
And someone I’d hoped I’d never run into.
Because if he was here, that could only mean one thing — she was here too.
I shuddered involuntarily.
No! Focus! — I tried telling myself as I shook my head and forced the thoughts aside.
Then I very casually patted Willem on the chest.
“Hey, good to see you, my man!” I said with the most insincere smile I could muster as I tried to sidestep him. “Talk to you later!”
But, to my surprise, Willem didn’t move to stop me.
He just kept smiling, that damned unbothered grin plastered on his face.
And I immediately knew why.
Because as soon as I tried to walk past him, I saw her.
An elegant young woman standing behind him.
She was a bit shorter than me, but her resemblance to Willem was unmistakable — the same red eyes and the same, albeit longer, crimson hair that seemed to glow like a flame.
She was beautiful beyond words. But instead of admiration, all I felt was exasperation when I saw her.
Her lips twisted into a knowing smirk, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she spoke.
“Come on, Sammy. You weren’t thinking of leaving without greeting me first, were you?”