Chương 35: The Knight Without a Rider

The training ground was already crowded before the sun had fully risen. No one had been required to arrive this early. They came anyway. Twenty-eight students stood around the arena, watching the metallic knight at its center. It had not moved since yesterday. Yet its presence had changed the atmosphere of the entire academy. There was no face beneath its helmet. No breathing. No heartbeat. Only the faint hum of magic beneath its armor. Leo stood among the students with his arms folded.

He wasn't looking at the construct. He was looking at the ground beneath it. Thin lines had been carved into the stone. A formation. Not one designed to strengthen the construct. Something else.

"You're staring at the floor." Alice's voice came from beside him. Leo glanced at her.

"You noticed."

"I've been around you long enough." Amon approached from behind.

"What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing." Amon looked at the construct.

"Good. Because I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to fight that." Masha joined them.

"You could surrender." Amon looked offended.

"Before the fight even starts?"

"Strategic surrender."

"That's just losing."

"Then don't do it." Amon sighed.

"I regret asking." A bell rang. The conversations stopped. Professor Gareth entered the arena. Commander Roland followed him. This time, however, there was another person with them. An elderly man wearing a long white coat. He carried a metal case in one hand. Gareth gestured toward him.

"Professor Alden is here on behalf of the Royal Capital." The old man looked at the students. His expression was difficult to read.

"Today isn't about defeating the construct." Several students looked relieved.

"It is about surviving against something stronger than you." The relief disappeared. Alden placed the metal case on the ground. The locks opened. Inside were twenty-eight small silver bracelets.

"These will monitor your condition." He pointed toward the arena.

"If your bracelet turns red, your match is over." A student raised his hand.

"Does that mean we're allowed to lose?" Alden smiled.

"You're allowed to learn." He closed the case.

"Whether you survive the lesson is up to you." The first students entered. The metallic knight remained motionless. A young man named Marcus Vale stepped forward. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried a heavy wooden sword. The moment he entered the arena, the knight moved. Its foot struck the stone. BOOM. Marcus raised his sword. The metallic blade collided with it. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The impact sent him sliding backward.

His boots carved two lines into the ground.

"What strength…" He gritted his teeth. The construct attacked again. Marcus stepped aside. Iron Fang! His wooden sword slammed against the construct's shoulder. Nothing happened. The knight turned. Marcus barely raised his guard before being struck in the chest. He flew several meters. His bracelet flashed red.

"Match over." Marcus remained on the ground for several seconds. Then he laughed.

"I didn't even touch it properly." Roland looked at him.

"You learned something."

"What?"

"Don't block it." Marcus stared. Roland walked away. The next student tried magic. Then another. Some relied on speed. Others on defense. One attempted to immobilize the construct with binding magic. It tore through the spell. Another created three illusions. The knight ignored two. The third was destroyed immediately. The arena slowly became a lesson in humility. The construct wasn't overwhelmingly fast. It wasn't impossibly powerful. It simply didn't make unnecessary movements. Every attack had a purpose.

Every step reduced distance. Every defensive movement created an opening. Leo watched. There was something familiar about its fighting style. Not the technique. The principle. Waste nothing. He remembered it. Then dismissed the thought. The next name was called.

"Amon." Amon cracked his knuckles.

"Finally." Masha grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't get carried away."

"Don't worry." He stepped into the arena. The construct raised its sword. Amon smiled.

"Let's see what you've got." The knight disappeared. Amon's expression changed. He threw himself sideways. The blade passed through the space where his head had been. He landed on one knee.

"That was close." The construct attacked again. Amon raised both hands. Tempest Drive. A burst of compressed wind exploded between them. The knight was pushed backward. The students shouted. Amon grinned.

"Now we're talking." He rushed forward. Gale Breaker! His fist struck the construct's chest. The impact produced a deep metallic sound. The knight staggered. Amon followed with another strike. Then another. For the first time, the construct was forced backward.

"He's actually pushing it!" Masha's eyes widened. Alice watched carefully. Leo remained silent. Amon's breathing became heavier. His attacks were powerful. But he was spending too much. The construct suddenly stopped retreating. Amon's eyes widened. It had been waiting. The knight twisted. Its elbow struck Amon's ribs. Amon's body bent. Before he could recover, the construct swept his legs. He hit the ground. The blade stopped a few centimeters from his throat. Silence. The bracelet turned yellow. Not red.

Amon stared at the blade. The construct withdrew. Gareth raised his hand.

"Enough." Amon slowly stood. He was breathing hard.

"Did I lose?"

"No." Gareth looked at him.

"You lasted longer than anyone expected." Amon smiled.

"That's almost a compliment."

"It isn't." Amon's smile disappeared. Masha laughed. Alice's match came next. She entered the arena without saying anything. The construct moved. Alice lifted one hand. Silver Thread. Several thin strands of magic appeared around her. The knight stepped forward. The threads wrapped around its arm. Alice pulled. The construct stopped. For a moment, neither moved. Then Alice changed the angle of the threads. The knight's balance shifted. It fell to one knee. The spectators erupted. Alice didn't attack.

Instead, she created another formation beneath it. Moonlit Bind. Silver light spread across the ground. The construct became trapped. Alden's expression changed.

"Interesting." The knight's armor began glowing. Alice's eyes widened. She immediately released the spell and moved backward. The construct exploded out of the binding field. The shockwave tore through the arena. Alice raised a barrier. Aegis Veil. The impact shattered it. She was pushed backward. Her shoes stopped at the arena's edge. The construct raised its blade. Alice stared at it. Then smiled.

"I understand." She lowered her hand. The match ended. Gareth nodded.

"Pass." Alice stepped outside. Amon immediately approached.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because I couldn't win."

"You were close."

"Close isn't the same thing." Leo looked at her.

"You found its limit." She turned toward him.

"No." Alice's expression became thoughtful.

"I found mine." Leo didn't answer. But he understood what she meant. Then Gareth called his name.

"Leo." The arena became quieter. Leo stepped forward. The metallic knight raised its sword. Alden watched him carefully. Roland's gaze remained fixed on Leo. Leo stopped several meters away. He didn't draw a weapon. The knight attacked. A horizontal slash. Leo stepped back. The blade passed in front of him. He didn't counter. The construct attacked again. Leo moved. Again. Again. The students began whispering.

"Why isn't he attacking?"

"Is he scared?" Amon frowned.

"That's not like him." Alice didn't answer. She was watching Leo's feet. He wasn't retreating randomly. He was measuring. One step. Half-step. Turn. Pause. The construct changed its rhythm. Leo adjusted. The knight accelerated. Leo's coat fluttered as the blade passed within inches of his shoulder. He finally moved forward. His fist struck the construct's chest. Crack. The impact wasn't explosive. It was precise. The knight moved backward one step. Leo followed. Second Form: Stonebreaker.

His palm struck beneath the construct's rib armor. The force traveled inward. The knight's torso shook. Several students stared. Leo stepped away. A faint mark had appeared beneath the construct's armor. Alden's eyes narrowed.

"Internal impact…" Roland said nothing. The knight raised its sword. Leo's gaze sharpened. He moved. Shadow Step. His body slipped past the descending blade. He appeared at the construct's side. His elbow struck its shoulder joint. The arm dropped. For the first time, the knight hesitated. Leo didn't. He turned. Iron Current. A short strike. The construct's knee buckled. It fell. The arena became silent. Leo stood over it. He could finish. Everyone knew it. The knight's remaining arm began glowing.

A surge of mana gathered inside its body. Leo noticed immediately. He stepped backward. The construct released the accumulated energy. BOOM. The arena shook. Dust covered the stone. When it cleared, Leo was standing several meters away. The construct slowly rose. Its movements had become unstable. Leo looked at the bracelet on his wrist. Still green. He looked at Gareth.

"Is that enough?" Gareth smiled.

"Yes." The construct stopped. Its blade dissolved. Leo left the arena. Amon immediately grabbed his shoulder.

"Why didn't you finish it?"

"It wasn't necessary."

"You had it."

"I know." Amon stared at him.

"You're getting stranger." Masha nodded.

"I agree." Alice looked at Leo.

"You noticed the energy gathering before everyone else." Leo shrugged.

"It was obvious." Alice narrowed her eyes.

"It wasn't." Leo smiled faintly.

"Then maybe I was lucky." She didn't believe him. But she didn't press. The assessment ended near sunset. Only sixteen students remained qualified. Gareth announced the results. The names included Leo. Alice. Amon. Masha. Masha had passed despite losing her direct confrontation earlier by demonstrating exceptional defensive control and tactical awareness. She looked relieved. Amon looked exhausted. Alice looked thoughtful. Leo looked toward the empty arena. The metallic knight had already been removed.

But something bothered him. Not the construct itself. The formation beneath it. He had seen it clearly before the battle. It wasn't merely powering the machine. It had been recording something. Movement. Mana circulation. Combat patterns. Perhaps the assessment had never truly been about selecting students. Perhaps someone had wanted to study them. Leo turned toward the academy gates. A carriage bearing the Royal Capital's crest was leaving. Its windows were closed. Leo watched until it disappeared beyond the road.

Then he smiled faintly.

"Interesting." Alice heard him.

"What?"

"Nothing." He started walking. For the first time, the upcoming trip to the Royal Capital seemed worth looking forward to. Not because of the competition. But because someone there had already begun paying attention to them. And Leo had no intention of letting them be the only ones watching. End of Chapter 35.