"You cowards! Ganging up on just two of us with six of you!" Larick snarled, deflecting the sword of a blue-haired man while sidestepping a spear thrust from a blue-haired woman. From their simr facial features, it was clear they were siblings, their attacks synchronized and precise.


    In contrast, the third attacker—a burly, brown-haired man with bare fistscked their coordination. Larick dodged his rapid punches with ease and countered, shing his arm and drawing blood. The injury forced a brief pause in the fight as the trio red at him, the siblings smirking while the burly man grimaced in pain and frustration.


    Just a short distance from Larick, Cassian stood calm andposed, his body encased in a translucent, red-hued field. The shimmeringyer of water-like energy moved fluidly around him, distorting the air as it rippled. Despite facing three attackers, his expression remained unreadable, almost bored, as he sidestepped a swift sh from a ck-haired girl''s sword with minimal effort. His own de remained sheathed at his side, untouched.


    Cassian''s expression remained unreadable as he effortlessly dodged another coordinated strike, but inwardly, he was surprised. He had assumed his strength wasparable to that of a first-circle warrior—formidable, but not overwhelmingly so. Yet here he was, moving with a speed and precision that left his opponents struggling to keep up.


    "Why are you attacking us?" he asked, his voice calm butced with quiet authority. He ducked under another strike, his red field pulsing faintly as it absorbed the force of a dagger aimed at his side.


    The ck-haired girl scowled, her movements sharp and unrelenting as she pressed her assault. "You know why," she hissed, her de cutting through the air again, only for Cassian to twist away gracefully, her attack slicing nothing but the red aura trailing behind him.


    "Do I?" Cassian countered, tilting his head slightly. His gaze flickered briefly to the other two—a wiry, silver-haired man wielding twin daggers and a tall, bald fighter with a spiked mace. Both were closing in on him with practiced coordination, but their efforts seemed futile. Cassian''s movements were fluid, almost like a dance, as he evaded each strike without breaking his rhythm.


    ''Why am I this much stronger?'' he wondered, sidestepping the silver-haired man''s twin daggers and twisting away from the ck-haired woman''s de with ease. Even the bald fighter''s domain-enhanced strikes felt sluggish, as if he were moving underwaterpared to Cassian''s fluid movements.


    The answer came to him as he dodged yet another flurry of attacks without breaking a sweat. His mana-gathering technique, already solid, had been subtly but significantly altered after being integrated into the system. The changes had made his technique more efficient, allowing him to draw and refine mana far beyond what should have been possible for his current level.


    He tested this theory by shifting his stance slightly, allowing a surge of mana to flow through his body. The translucent red field around him pulsed brighter, reacting to his will. His movements felt even lighter, his reflexes sharper.


    The realization sent a flicker of excitement through him, though his face betrayed none of it. If this was the difference his system-enhanced technique could make at the first circle, he could only imagine the potential he would unlock as he advanced further.


    "Is this all you''ve got?" Cassian asked coolly, his tone almost mocking as he dodged another strike. His opponents'' frustration was palpable, their movements growing more desperate


    The ck-haired girl snarled in frustration. "Stop ying games!" she snapped, lunging again. But Cassian sidestepped once more, the edge of her sword grazing the surface of his shimmering barrier and sending ripples through it.


    "I don''t recall agreeing to y," Cassian said, his tone cool and detached, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. He didn''t draw it, but the subtle shift in his stance made the trio hesitate for just a fraction of a second.


    And in that pause, Larick''s voice cut through the tension, dripping with mockery. "Careful now. If you keep missing, he might actually get bored enough to draw his de."


    The attackers exchanged nces, their smirks faltering slightly as they reassessed their opponents.


    They had every reason to be cautious. The three attacking Cassian weren''t ordinary fighters; their bodies radiated with distinct, vibrant auras. The ck-haired woman, who appeared to be their leader, was enveloped in a shimmering purple glow. The wiry silver-haired man exuded a sharp blue aura, while the burly, bald man had a metallic silver domain swirling around him, giving his presence an almost unyielding weight.


    Despite theirbined efforts and their evident power, Cassian evaded their attacks effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise. Not a single bead of sweat marred his calm demeanor, and from the ease with which he dodged, it was clear he could handle far more than what they were throwing at him.


    The ck-haired woman raised her hand abruptly, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Halt!" shemanded, her tone firm and authoritative. Her twopanions immediately stopped mid-attack, their auras dimming as they stepped back.


    Across the battlefield, the three attacking Larick exchanged uncertain nces before ceasing their strikes as well. Larick kept his de raised, eyes narrowing suspiciously, but he didn''t advance. The woman calmly sheathed her sword and, with a slight bow of respect, addressed them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I apologize," she began, her voice steady but tinged with an edge of urgency. "We didn''t intend for this to escte, but this isn''t a ce where battles should be fought. And… our circumstances are more dire than yours." Her gaze flickered between Cassian and Larick, assessing them carefully. "If I''m correct, you both hail from the Andharta Kingdom, do you not?"


    Cassian''s eyes remained cold and unreadable as he finally stood still, the shimmering red aura around him fading slightly. "And if we do?" he replied, his tone neutral but carrying a hint of warning.


    "Then you''re still better off than us," the woman said bitterly, her voice tinged with frustration. "Unlike you, we nobles from smaller kingdoms are hunted here like animals..."


    Her words left Cassian and Larick both puzzled and intrigued. As they studied her more closely, they realized she was hardly older than they were—barely more than a girl, despite the weight of her demeanor.


    "We''re all from the Kingdom of Kriyan," she exined, her tone softening slightly. "A small kingdom by the sea. The six of us came together to join the Academy of Valtross." She hesitated, ncing at herpanions before continuing, her voice quieter and tinged with unease.


    "At first, there were more of us," she admitted, her gaze dropping momentarily. "But for reasons we don''t understand, the envoys from enemy kingdoms have been targeting and killing us. The examiners—despite being close to where the attacks happen—do nothing. They just watch." Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "So we''ve had no choice but to protect ourselves, fighting off anyone who gets too close. We''re just trying to survive until this cursed test is over so we can go home…"


    Cassian and Larick exchanged stunned nces, the weight of the revtion settling heavily between them. Cassian''s calm demeanor cracked slightly as he processed her words, his brow furrowing. "So there really is something going on in this academy," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Then, focusing his sharp gaze back on the woman, he asked, "Is it only your kingdom being targeted, or have you noticed this happening to others as well?"


    The woman shook her head slowly, her expression uncertain. "I don''t know," she admitted. "We''ve been too busy running, hiding..."


    Cassian fell into deep thought. Everything about this situation was far tooplicated. He couldn''t piece together what was truly happening. First, there had been no clear exnation of how to pass this test. Then, mages and warriors—despite being entirely different in training and focus—had been sent through the same gates. He had assumed that choosing numbers from separate boxes meant they''d be tested in different areas, but that clearly wasn''t the case. And now, this revtion about targeted attacks added yet anotheryer of confusion.


    Your journey continues at empire


    After a moment of silence, Cassian looked up, his expression sharp and thoughtful. "Have you encountered any mages?" he asked, his tone measured but curious.


    The woman hesitated at Cassian''s question, ncing briefly at herpanions before shaking her head. "No," she admitted. "We haven''t seen any mages since entering the gates. We thought they were sent to different grounds, just like you probably did."


    Cassian''s brow furrowed, the answer only adding to his growing unease. "That''s strange," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Mages are part of this test too. It doesn''t make sense for them to just vanish."


    Larick, who had been listening silently, crossed his arms. "Or maybe they''re being tested in a way that doesn''t involve us," he suggested, though his tonecked conviction. "Still, it doesn''t exin why we haven''t even seen one in passing."


    "Unless…" Cassian began, his eyes narrowing as a thought struck him. "Unless they''re being hunted too. Like you." He turned his gaze back to the woman. "Did you hear anything about mages before you entered the gates? Were they grouped separately or warned about anything?"


    The woman frowned, her expression uncertain. "Not that I know of," she said. "Everyone was just focused on getting through the gates. If something was said, we didn''t hear it."