Everett caught up to Gloria Cheng in the hallway, curiosity buzzing like static in his chest.
"Hey, Gloria," he asked, "what was your first test like?"
She raised an eyebrow, brushing stray strands of silver-black hair behind her ear. "The usual. Time-locked simulation. Fought a bunch of past Tier-One freaks from last year."
Everett blinked. "You say that like it's normal."
She shrugged. "Isn't it?"
Before he could respond, she was already walking away,
Night covered Nalanda in a shroud of whispering wind.
Everett leaned against the balcony rail of their dorm tower, the stars simulated above like stitched sparks on dark velvet. Beside him, Guruji Gopalan sat cross-legged on nothing—levitating, as usual—cradling a cup of lemon tea and philosophy.
"You seem restless," Guruji said.
Everett shrugged. "Tomorrow we fight ghosts for rankings. I'm not entirely sure if it's a game or a prophecy."
Guruji blew gently into his tea. "All prophecy is a game until you roll a one."
Everett snorted. "And here I thought you'd say something helpful."
"I did. One means failure. Don't roll it."
They sat in silence. Guruji grinned.
"Try not to explode."
"I'll do my best."
---
10:00 AM, Next Day – Orientation Spire
⚠️ SYSTEM ALERT:
Tier-One Combat Simulation
Begin Time: 12:00 PM
Arena: Time-locked Historical Simulacrum
Objective: Battle previous-year Tier-One Cadets
Rank Adjustment + Admission Credits on Victory
Each of the fourteen cadets walked into their personal cubicle. Everett's was a spherical dome lined with translucent screens and crackling historical auras.
In the center floated a deep-blue interface.
> [SPIN TO DRAW OPPONENT]
Everett pressed it.
The roulette spun. With a click, his opponent's profile locked into place.
> ▓▓▓ MATCH FOUND ▓▓▓
Name: Kael Varn
Codename: Kyle_vince
Tier-One Rank: 178/ 294
Class: Ember Veil Arcanist
Record: 37W – 24L – 7D
The chamber shimmered and expanded.
Kael appeared at the far end of the arena, a man in his late thirties, robe cinched by a sash of molten runes. His expression was flat, almost bored.
Kael eyed Everett.
"Rank 9, Grade 1? Hmph. Either you're absurdly talented... or absurdly lucky."
Everett smirked. "Bit of both."
Kael raised his hand. A phoenix of fire erupted from his palm, screeching into the air. Halfway across the battlefield, the phoenix condensed, collapsing into a roaring two-meter-wide fireball that rushed toward Everett with heat enough to bend light.
Everett responded instantly.
A pulse of wind rippled from his left hand as he summoned the Wind Elephant.
A towering beast, armored with jagged frostbone plating, appeared. Its body was etched with flowing wind-script. Sixteen glowing eyes circled its frame, and one seventeenth eye—larger, brighter—rested inside its cavernous mouth.
As the fireball approached, the elephant simply opened its mouth.
The flame was sucked in, reduced to embers as it spiraled toward the seventeenth eye—and with a soft whoosh, vanished entirely.
In the observation rings, even simulation spirits whispered in astonishment.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Well then."
He raised both arms—and from the sky descended hundreds of flaming spheres, raining toward Everett in a burning barrage.
Everett leapt, dashed, spun—dodging where he could, and using the Wind Elephant's massive body to block when he couldn't.
Then—
A shriek from above.
The sky tore open.
Descending with spectral fury came the Shard Vulture, its feathers glinting like frozen razors. It dove straight through Kael's flame shield, and as it passed through him, Kyle's body convulsed—flames bursting from his chest as if something inside tried to escape.
He stumbled. Not wounded, but winded. A line of sweat trailed down his brow.
Then came the others.
From his own shadow, a gleaming pulse surged—
And a Plated Serpent burst upward, jaws wide.
Kael dodged, but from the left came the Thornbear, snarling with aura-boosting spikes.
To his right, the Glimmerwolf blurred in and out of visibility, swiping with mirage-claws.
Behind them, the Ice Salamander cast shimmering frostfire, slowing the air, freezing the heat.
And lumbering forward with eerie silence was the Phantom Bear, launching spheres of freezing mist that exploded on contact like icy mines.
In the middle of it all, Everett sprinted forward—daggers in hand, carving arcs through the chaos.
Kael was surrounded. Overwhelmed.
Flames spiraled wildly. Every attack Everett unleashed tightened the net. Every summon struck with perfect rhythm.
Kael clenched his fists. "Enough!"
He activated his trump card.
Suddenly, the arena cracked.
A flame domain unfolded—Magnitude 10—searing the floor beneath it to liquid metal.
A mini fire realm expanded around Kael like a collapsing star.
Everett braced.
Then, without command, the Frostite Creature stepped forward.
It moved with serene inevitability, standing between Everett and the fire.
The moment the wave of flames touched the Frostite's glowing blue hide, it disintegrated—evaporating into harmless vapor.
Seconds passed.
The fire realm died.
Kael collapsed to one knee, panting, pale, trembling.
Everett walked toward him slowly.
Kael looked up, eyes wide, still half in disbelief.
"You really are… strong. For Rank 9… that was… ridiculous."
Everett held out a hand. "Pleasure's mine."
Kael smiled weakly.
"Likewise."
Then, his form flickered—and he vanished, pixel by pixel.
> ✅ SYSTEM UPDATE:
Victory Confirmed – Everett Miracle (Tier 1, Rank 9)
New Rank: 178 / 234
⚙️ OPTION:
[Fight Next Opponent]
[Rest – One Hour Cooldown]
Everett selected [Rest].
The dome faded away, returning to the hallway's crystalline corridor.
Waiting there—floating inches off the ground—was Guruji Gopalan, holding a thermos.
"Told you not to explode," he said cheerfully.
Everett exhaled.
"I got close."
Guruji handed him the thermos. "Next time, don't wait until you're surrounded. A great summon listens, but a greater summoner listens first."
Everett smiled and took a sip.
"Thanks."
Guruji clapped his shoulder.
"Rank 178, eh? Not bad. But you've got 177 ghosts left."