Chương 13: The First Practical Assessment

The academy gates opened before sunrise. By the time Leo reached the eastern courtyard, more than a hundred first-year students had already gathered there. The rain from several days ago had disappeared. The stone beneath their feet was dry, the morning air cool, and a pale mist rested between the towers of the academy. At the center of the courtyard stood four large carriages. They were not ordinary carriages.

Blue crystals were embedded along their frames, and thin lines of Mana traveled through the metal like veins. Leo stopped beside Alice.

"So these are transporting us to the training grounds?" Alice nodded.

"That's what Professor Gareth said." Amon arrived a moment later, carrying a large bag over one shoulder. Masha looked at it.

"What did you bring?"

"Food."

"We're going to be gone for one day."

"I know."

"You packed enough for three."

"I prefer being prepared." Masha stared at him for a moment.

"That's the first intelligent thing you've said this morning." Amon ignored her. Leo looked toward the instructors. Professor Gareth stood at the front of the courtyard with several other teachers. His arms were crossed. His expression was serious.

"Listen carefully." The conversations stopped.

"Today's assessment is not a tournament." Gareth's voice carried across the courtyard.

"You will not receive points for defeating another student." He raised one hand.

"Your teams will enter the Royal Training Forest. Each team will receive a different objective." A few students exchanged excited looks.

"The forest contains magical creatures suitable for first-year training. None of them should be beyond your capabilities." He paused.

"That does not mean they are harmless." The courtyard became quieter.

"Magic is not a game simply because you are studying it." Gareth's gaze moved across the students.

"If your team encounters something you cannot handle, retreat." No one laughed.

"If one member is injured, protect them." He lowered his hand.

"And if you panic…" His eyes hardened.

"… your teammates will pay the price." Leo listened without moving. That was the part of practical combat most young warriors never understood. A battle did not become dangerous because the enemy was strong. It became dangerous when people stopped thinking. The four of them entered the carriage together. Leo sat beside the window. Alice sat opposite him. Amon and Masha occupied the other side. The carriage began moving. The academy slowly disappeared behind them. Buildings gave way to farms. Farms became hills.

Eventually, the road entered a forest. Leo watched the trees pass. The Royal Training Forest was enormous. Even from the carriage, he could sense the Mana density changing. It wasn't natural. The academy had probably placed several formations throughout the area. Controlled danger. That was what this place was. Danger with boundaries. He understood why the instructors had chosen it. A student could make a mistake here without necessarily losing their life. But the mistake would still hurt. That was enough.

They arrived shortly after sunrise. The students gathered in groups. Professor Gareth stood on a raised platform.

"Team assignments have already been given." A crystal tablet appeared in his hand.

"Your mission is written on the tablets provided to each group." He began calling teams. When he reached Leo's group, he looked at them.

"Leo. Alice. Amon. Masha." He handed Leo a small black tablet.

"Your objective." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Leo activated it. A map appeared. A section of the forest was marked in blue. At the center was a small red symbol. Retrieve the crystal from the abandoned watchtower. Estimated distance: six kilometers. Time limit: three hours. Leo memorized the map. Amon looked over his shoulder.

"That's it?"

"Apparently."

"No monster?"

"The forest has monsters."

"Right." Masha looked at the map.

"There's a river."

"And a slope." Alice pointed at another area.

"These marks?"

"Probably magical barriers." Leo nodded.

"The instructors want us to approach from the western side." Amon looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because the eastern path is too obvious." Masha examined the map again.

"You're right." Amon shrugged.

"Then western side." They began walking. The first hour passed without incident. The forest was beautiful. Tall trees formed a canopy above them, allowing thin rays of sunlight through the leaves. Birds called from the branches. Small magical creatures occasionally moved through the undergrowth. Nothing attacked. Nothing needed to. Leo appreciated that. Not every journey required blood. They crossed the river using a fallen tree. Masha hardened the bark with Earth Mana to prevent it from breaking.

Amon wanted to simply jump across. Masha stopped him.

"You'll fall."

"I won't."

"You will."

"I won't." Leo looked at him.

"You'll fall." Amon sighed.

"Fine." He crossed the tree like everyone else. Alice smiled.

"You actually listen to Leo."

"Only when three people tell me the same thing." They continued. Another kilometer. Then Leo stopped. His companions immediately noticed. Amon lowered his voice.

"What?" Leo looked toward the trees.

"Something is moving." Masha's expression changed.

"How many?"

"I don't know." The forest became quiet. Too quiet. Leaves rustled. Then a creature emerged. It resembled a large wolf, but its body was covered in dark blue scales. Two horns curved backward from its forehead. A second one stepped from behind a tree. Then a third. Amon raised his hand.

"Three?" Leo looked around.

"Five." A fourth creature appeared. Then a fifth. They formed a loose semicircle around the group. Alice stepped backward.

"What are they?"

"Fang Wolves," Masha said.

"Are they dangerous?"

"At our level?" Masha tightened her grip.

"Yes." The first wolf lowered its body. Leo noticed its right hind leg. It was slightly injured. That changed the situation. A wounded animal was unpredictable.

"Don't attack first." Amon looked at him.

"Why?"

"They're testing our reaction." The wolf moved. Fast. Amon reacted immediately. Fire exploded from his palm. The wolf twisted in midair. The flames passed beneath it. It landed. Another wolf attacked from the left. Masha slammed her hand into the ground. BOOM. A wall of earth rose between them. The wolf collided with it. Stone cracked. Alice raised both hands.

"Light Barrier!" A transparent shield formed around the group. The remaining wolves attacked simultaneously. Claws struck the barrier. CRACK. Alice's expression tightened.

"They're stronger than I expected." Leo watched them. Five creatures. Three attacking. Two circling. The wounded one remained behind. The leader.

"Focus on the three in front." Amon nodded. Fire gathered around his arm.

"Got it." He thrust his palm forward. A concentrated flame shot across the clearing. One wolf jumped. Masha moved. The earth beneath it rose. The wolf was forced upward. Amon's fire struck it directly. The creature crashed into the ground. The other two immediately attacked. Leo stepped forward. Darkness gathered around his hand. Not Internal Energy. Mana. He shaped it into a thin blade. The first wolf lunged. Leo moved sideways. Its claws passed within centimeters of his shoulder.

He rotated his body and struck with the dark blade. The spell cut through the creature's scales. Blood appeared. The wolf stumbled. Leo followed with another strike. The creature collapsed. No unnecessary movement. No wasted Mana. Alice looked at him for half a second. Then another wolf reached her. She raised her barrier. The claws struck. The shield cracked again.

"Alice!"

"I'm fine!" Masha slammed both hands together. The ground beneath the wolf shifted. Its front legs sank into the earth. Amon's fire followed. The explosion sent dirt across the clearing. The creature rolled away. It tried to stand. Amon prepared another spell.

"Don't." Leo's voice stopped him. Amon looked over.

"The leader." The wounded wolf had disappeared. Leo turned. Nothing. Then he heard it. Behind them. A low growl. He moved instantly. The creature came through the trees. It was larger than the others. Its horns were longer. Its scales darker. Its injured leg had been a distraction. The wolf had been waiting for an opening. It lunged toward Alice. Leo stepped between them. The wolf's jaws opened. For one instant, Leo saw the teeth. Then his body moved. His left foot planted. His shoulder turned.

His hand caught the creature's lower jaw. The impact drove him backward several meters. His boots carved two lines into the soil. His arm shook. The creature was stronger than he expected. Alice stared at him.

"Leo!"

"I'm fine." The wolf pushed harder. Leo's eyes narrowed. He could use Internal Energy. A fraction would be enough. But there were instructors watching. Students were nearby. He couldn't. Not here. Not yet. He changed his stance instead. He stopped resisting the wolf's strength. Then he stepped aside. The creature lost balance. Leo grabbed its neck. He redirected its momentum. The wolf crashed into the ground. BOOM. The earth shook. Before it could recover, Masha trapped its legs with Earth Mana.

Amon raised his hand.

"Move!" Leo stepped away. A column of fire descended. The wolf roared. The flames consumed the clearing. When the fire disappeared, the creature lay unconscious. Silence returned. Amon breathed heavily. Masha wiped dirt from her cheek. Alice lowered her hands. Leo looked at the defeated wolves. No one had been seriously injured. That was enough. Amon smiled.

"That was actually fun." Masha stared at him.

"You almost got eaten."

"Almost."

"That's not a good thing." Amon looked at Leo.

"You moved pretty fast." Leo said nothing. Alice watched him carefully.

"You didn't use your Darkness spell." Leo glanced at her.

"I didn't need it." That was true. He had simply used his body. Years of martial training were difficult to erase. They continued toward the watchtower. The fight had changed the group's pace. They became more cautious. Amon stopped rushing forward. Masha began watching the terrain more carefully. Alice maintained a small detection spell around them. Leo walked ahead. Not because he wanted to lead. Because his eyes were better suited for it. They reached the watchtower just before noon.

It stood on a rocky hill overlooking the forest. The structure was old but intact. A blue crystal sat on a stone pedestal inside. Amon smiled.

"That's our objective." He walked toward it. Leo raised his hand.

"Wait." Amon stopped.

"What?" Leo looked at the floor. There were marks in the dust. Footprints. Human. Not theirs. Amon frowned.

"Another team?"

"Probably." Masha looked around.

"Then why aren't they here?" Leo didn't answer immediately. He studied the footprints. Four people had entered. Two had left. The other two… He followed the marks. They stopped near the stairs. Blood stained the stone. Alice's expression tightened.

"Are they injured?" Leo crouched. He touched the blood. Still fresh. Amon's hand ignited.

"Then someone else is here." A sound came from above. A heavy footstep. Then another. Something was descending the stairs. The four of them prepared themselves. A large creature appeared. It was humanoid, but covered in thick gray fur. Its arms were massive. A broken iron collar hung around its neck. Amon whispered.

"Ogre." The creature looked down at them. Its eyes were yellow. It roared. The entire tower shook. Leo tightened his grip. This was not part of the assessment. At least… it wasn't supposed to be. The ogre charged. The stairs exploded beneath its feet.

"Spread!" Leo moved left. Alice moved right. Masha raised a wall. The ogre smashed through it. Amon released his strongest fire spell. The blast struck the creature in the chest. The ogre staggered. But it did not fall. It looked at Amon. Then charged again. Amon's expression changed.

"That didn't work." Leo stepped forward.

"Then stop trying to overpower it." The ogre swung its arm. Leo ducked. The fist destroyed the wall behind him. Stone fragments flew across the room. Leo rolled beneath the creature's arm. He struck its knee with a concentrated Darkness spell. The ogre dropped slightly. Masha immediately attacked. Earth surged upward. The ground trapped one of its legs. Alice created a barrier around its torso. Amon understood. He changed his spell. Instead of a wide explosion, he compressed the fire into a narrow point.

"Leo!" Leo moved. Amon fired. The compressed flame struck the ogre's exposed chest. The barrier around it redirected the explosion inward. The ogre screamed. Smoke filled the tower. For several seconds, nobody moved. Then the smoke cleared. The ogre was on one knee. Still alive. Leo looked at his companions. They were exhausted. But standing. The ogre tried to rise. Leo walked forward. His hand closed into a fist. He remembered something from his first life. Strength was not about proving that you were stronger.

It was knowing exactly how much strength was necessary. He raised his hand. Darkness condensed around his palm. One strike. He drove it into the ogre's jaw. The creature collapsed. This time, it did not rise. Silence filled the tower. Amon stared. Masha lowered her hands. Alice breathed slowly. Leo looked at the unconscious creature. Then at his friends.

"Everyone alive?"

"I'm alive," Amon said. Masha nodded. Alice smiled faintly.

"Alive." Leo exhaled.

"Good." He looked toward the crystal. The assessment was still waiting. So was the academy. And beyond it, an entire world. For now, that was enough. He walked toward the pedestal. And picked up the crystal. End of Chapter 13.