The chill of the Theory Hall still lingered in the air as students were herded out through golden gates, their steps unsteady and minds frayed. The sky above the academy had shifted—what was once a peaceful blue had turned to a heavy, overcast gray, thick with enchanted storm clouds summoned specifically for the second phase.
Combat Trials.
No instructions had been given yet, but the mood was unmistakable. Battle was coming.
Aaron stood on the edge of the elevated observation balcony, nervously sipping a cup of herbal tea. He had been handed it without warning by a ghostly servant, and he didn't dare ask what was inside.
Far below, the Arena of Binding unfolded like a circular wound on the academy grounds. It wasn't simply dirt and stone—sections of it were rapidly transforming. One quadrant was becoming a burning wasteland of cracked lava plates. Another split into frigid glacier shelves. A third morphed into a lush jungle, steaming with magical humidity. The final quadrant remained bare, awaiting manual adjustment.
Aaron watched in awe as the ground itself obeyed the mages' commands.
"Wow," he murmured. "That's a bit much, isn't it?"
Lily Virelith stood beside him, arms crossed, crimson hair whipping in the rising wind. "This is the minimum requirement. If they can't survive this, they're not even worth failing."
Aaron blinked. "Right."
From his other side, Nova leaned against the railing with casual poise. "They're terrified, you know."
"I mean, that's fair. These terrains are kind of… scary."
Nova grinned. "Not the terrain. You."
Aaron almost choked on his tea.
"Me? I haven't done anything!"
"Exactly. Which is even more terrifying," Lily muttered.
Aaron didn't understand, but he decided not to argue. Again.
Below, the candidates lined up. Over two hundred of them remained after the first trial. They were grouped into ten-person formations, separated by magical boundaries. A golden horn blew across the sky.
Kaelen Raventhorn's voice echoed like thunder from atop the grand tower.
"Stage Two of the Entrance Examination: Combat Evaluation. Each candidate will face a trial tailored to their mana profile, attunement, and temperament. No external aid. No mercy."
A second voice, sharp and commanding, followed:
"Step forward when your name is called. Trial mages, prepare the summoning circles."
Lily's tone was unmistakable.
Nova nudged Aaron playfully. "Your name's on the examiner roster, by the way."
Aaron froze. "What?"
"You're listed as an Honored Combat Observer, and all students within your gaze will have their trials upgraded accordingly."
Aaron went pale. "What does that mean?"
"It means the students in your sector think they're going to die," Lily replied flatly.
Aaron leaned over the railing and saw a line of students below looking directly up at him. One of them fainted on the spot.
They're scared of me again… Did I make a scary face this morning?
---
Combat Sector 3 – First Trial Begins
"Rye Grell," Kaelen announced.
A scrawny boy stepped into the center of the arena. His robes were too long, and his sleeves drooped over his hands. He had mousy brown hair and thick glasses that were perpetually sliding down his nose.
A weak laugh escaped him. "T-this is probably a mistake."
Rye Grell was an anomaly. He had passed the theory test by scribbling spells in chicken-scratch and somehow stumbling into a right answer. But now, with his mana signature being analyzed, the circle beneath him glowed a strange, flickering orange.
"Mana class: Unstable. Elemental core: Unknown. Willpower rating: Moderate."
Lily frowned. "Unstable cores usually explode."
Aaron nearly dropped his cup. "Should we… stop it?"
"No," Nova said brightly. "This is part of the learning curve."
A blinding glyph formed below Rye. The earth cracked. A summon burst forth—a Sandhowler, a canine-like elemental made of glass-coated sand and gnashing stone teeth.
The crowd gasped.
Rye screamed.
The beast roared.
And then, something bizarre happened.
Rye slipped on his own robe and fell forward. As he fell, his mana flared unintentionally—and the shockwave created by his stumble blasted outward in a ring of accidental force magic. The Sandhowler was caught off guard, tripped on the shifting sands, and face-planted directly into a runestone wall.
The crowd went silent.
Rye blinked.
The Sandhowler did not get up.
A loud buzz echoed from the arena edge. "Trial Complete."
Aaron clapped. "Hey, he won! That was great!"
His voice rang down across the entire arena.
Rye turned to look at him, shaking.
Then burst into tears.
"He's angry I won by accident! I'm doomed!"
Nova giggled. Lily facepalmed.
"Maybe stop complimenting them," Lily muttered. "They're fragile."
---
Combat Sector 2 – Trial Two Begins
"Farien Dros," Kaelen called.
This time, a muscular boy with silver tattoos stepped into the magma zone. He cracked his knuckles, breathing steadily.
Aaron leaned in. "He looks confident."
"Fire lineage," Lily noted. "Let's see how he handles the heat."
A summon erupted from the lava: a twin-headed drake.
Farien dashed forward without hesitation, weaving flame with steel. His fight lasted longer, more dramatic. He carved deep wounds into the drake's side, summoned flame chains, and scorched one head blind. He took several hits—his left arm hung limp—but he never stepped back.
When it was over, the drake dissolved.
Farien knelt in exhaustion.
"Trial Complete," the barrier declared.
No cheers. Only wary stares.
Farien stood—and made the mistake of glancing toward the professors' balcony.
His eyes locked with Aaron's.
Farien's face drained of all color.
Aaron, thinking he was being polite, nodded slightly.
Farien bowed deeply, sweating.
"Oh gods, he watched me. He knows I stumbled in the middle. I'm going to be eliminated."
He limped away, still bowing.
Aaron turned to Nova. "Why does everyone look like they're about to cry?"
Nova smiled. "It's your natural charisma."
"I don't think charisma works like that…"
---
Meanwhile, in the Student Waiting Zone
Axel Myrravelle sat with arms crossed, shaking inside.
He had seen everything. The Sandhowler defeat. The drake battle. The looks. The stares. The expressions of students near Aaron.
"He's testing everyone. Personally. This wasn't in the novel. Why is the strongest person here pretending to be a professor? What if… what if he knows who I am?"
A name floated above the arena in crimson light.
"Next: Axel Myrravelle."
Axel stood on trembling legs.
Aaron smiled politely.
Axel nearly tripped on his way to the arena.
---