The crowd buzzed with whispers as Ragnar walked onto the stone arena floor. His heart pounded, but his eyes stayed steady. Across from him stood Lilia Meldric, her silver hair tied into a braid, her expression calm yet sharp like a seasoned predator.
"Hello there, Ragnar. As you already know, my name is Lilia Meldric. I will be your examiner," she said with a graceful bow, her voice dripping with authority.
Ragnar smirked, trying to keep his nerves hidden.
"Yeah… I hope we have a good match."
Lilia's smile was faint, almost pitying. "Ragnar, I'll be honest with you. You barely have any magic to speak of, and your physical strength isn't anything to write home about."
Ragnar's eyes widened.
What is she saying? Can't she sense my mana?
"Hey, miss—what are you talking about? I have more mana than you!"
A short laugh escaped her lips. "I see… so you are delusional. Very well, let's end this quickly."
From the stands, Edward Godfrey, a broad-shouldered man with long golden hair, burst into laughter.
"HAHA! This is hilarious."
Beside him, Ordric, a younger knight with a sharp jawline, frowned in confusion.
"Why did you recommend a kid who has little to no mana?"
Edward smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ordric, my dear boy, if you can't sense the mana within Ragnar, then you are weaker than I thought."
Ordric's breath caught in his throat. "S-sir… you can't mean—"
"Yes. That's exactly what I mean." Edward leaned forward, voice lowering into a growl. "Ragnar's mana is so pure that you can't even feel it."
Gasps rippled through a few of the stronger mages in the crowd.
In this world, mana was more than energy—it was life essence refined through bloodlines and cultivation. The purity of mana determined its strength. Levels 6 to 5 were muddied, unstable, and weak. Levels 4 to 3 were considered normal, the backbone of most knights and mages. But 2 to 1 purity? That was a realm few dared dream of. Their spells carried divine weight, and even raw mana could warp reality.
And Ragnar—Ragnar possessed Level 1 purity.
The announcer raised his hand. "Begin!"
---
Ragnar dashed forward, fist cocked back. But in the blink of an eye, Lilia vanished.
"Too slow, Ragnar dear," she whispered behind his ear.
"What do you mean, miss—"
Before he could finish, a shimmering portal appeared beneath Lilia's feet, swallowing her whole. She reappeared in front of Ragnar, her eyes widening as his fist smashed into her stomach, launching her across the arena.
"UGH!" She skid across the ground, coughing, clutching her stomach. "Wait… I sensed no mana from this kid—but that punch… it was imbued with mana."
Ragnar vanished again. Her head snapped around.
"Where did he—"
A kick slammed into the back of her head, making her stumble forward.
"Tch… that portal magic of his is annoying. But… his control is sloppy. His kick carried less mana than his punch."
Ragnar gritted his teeth. I still can't control my mana output… but I have to keep pushing!
Lilia's eyes narrowed. "I've had enough. Aqua chains—[8th grade magic]!"
Blue ethereal chains erupted from the ground, binding Ragnar's arms and legs, pulling tighter the more he struggled. His portals fizzled.
"It's over, Ragnar. You had a nice run."
"No… I can't lose, not after all that training!" His voice cracked, eyes welling up.
Lilia softened slightly. "Don't worry, kid. My chains don't just bind—they flood you with my mana. That's why you can't cast. Your circuits are clogged with my energy."
Ragnar froze. Wait… my magic is still there. I can feel it. Her mana isn't stopping me—it's just flowing inside me. If I just…
He shut his eyes, drawing deep from within. His veins glowed faintly as his own mana roared like a tidal wave, clashing violently against Lilia's.
The air cracked. For one second, the entire arena felt his true mana—vast, heavy, divine. Even hardened knights trembled.
"W-what is this pressure?" Ordric whispered, sweat dripping down his temple.
Edward stopped laughing. His grin turned sharp. "Finally, the boy shows his teeth."
Ragnar opened a portal beneath himself and slipped through, reappearing behind Lilia. His fist came down like a hammer. She barely dodged, but the follow-up portal opened in front of her face—his fist connecting hard, sending her crashing into the arena wall.
"Damn it," she coughed, wiping blood from her lip. "How… how can he have mana equivalent to a Divine-grade Knight?"
The crowd fell silent. Even Lilia hesitated, her hands trembling
Ragnar stood tall, panting. If I keep this up… I can win.
But suddenly, his nose began to bleed. His knees buckled. His vision blurred.
"Wh-what's happening to me?" he muttered weakly.
The Vice Principal leaned toward Edward. "What's happening to the boy?"
Edward's usual confidence faltered. "…Portal magic is an advanced form of dimensional magic. For someone his age, his body can't sustain the strain. His mana core is fine… but his vessel—his body—is breaking down."
The Vice Principal smirked. "So the boy can't last long. How unfortunate. Just when it was getting good."
Lilia slowly approached, her expression conflicted. "What's wrong, Ragnar? You don't look so hot. You've impressed me, but your body… it's falling apart."
Ragnar staggered, fists trembling. "Damn it… am I really going to lose now? After all that? After everything I worked for?"
Suddenly, the world darkened around him. A deep, menacing voice echoed in his head.
"Ragnar…"
His eyes widened. "Wh-who are you?"
"Ragnar, can you hear me?"
"Yes… but… what do you want?"
"I can't tell you—not now. You are too weak. But if you keep fighting here… they'll see too much. They'll kill you."
"Kill me? After all this training, all this pain—why should I listen to you?"
"Because your life is not just your own. Think, boy!" The voice thundered in his skull.
"Shut up! I've come this far—I won't stop now!"
The voice grew sharper, commanding. "Then forgive me. If you will not listen, I will put you down by force."
Ragnar's body jerked violently. His eyes rolled back. And in the next instant—he collapsed to the arena floor, unconscious.
Gasps erupted across the stands.
"R-Ragnar lost?" someone muttered.
"No… for a moment there—it felt like his body was possessed by something… someone else." Lilia whispered, shaken.
She bent down, lifting Ragnar's limp body, her expression unreadable. "You reckless idiot…" she murmured.
Edward clenched his fists, his playful grin gone. His eyes burned with curiosity. Who are you, boy?
Far above, hidden in plain sight, a man cloaked in white robes sat among the spectators. Yet no one noticed him. His eyes glimmered with disdain as he whispered to himself.
"That kid showed promise… but in the end, he was just another weakling. They all are. But… at least we gained information about Alys."
His presence faded like mist.
The exam was over. But Ragnar's story… had only just begun.