The crowd outside the trial grounds buzzed with anxious chatter. Floating screens above the courtyard projected countdown timers and glowing holograms of a maze—a labyrinth of shifting stone walls laced with traps and monsters. A mix of old-world arcana and hypertech pulsed through the architecture. Drones hummed overhead, their spherical lenses rotating, watching everything.
Kai stood at the back of the line. Quiet, expression unreadable, just another face in a sea of hopefuls. The words Trial Assessment glowed across the screen above them in bold silver text.
One by one, students were called forward to select weapons. Some picked flashy gear: energy glaives, spell-infused bows, magi-rods that shimmered with raw power. Kai stepped up, looked around briefly, and picked the plainest one—a short, unenchanted sword. The grip was stiff in his hand. He had never swung a weapon in his life, but he didn't plan on using it much anyway.
The moment he passed through the archway into the maze, the sounds of the courtyard faded. The stone corridor swallowed him whole, the only light coming from faintly glowing runes lining the walls. The temperature dropped slightly. Somewhere distant, something growled.
He walked calmly, his boots echoing softly on the stone. No rush. No panic. It wasn't bravery; it was calculation. Others were already ahead, drawing attention, clearing paths. All he needed to do was move like a ghost through the aftermath.
A screech tore through the corridor as a goblin lunged from a crack in the wall, rusted blade raised.
Kai didn't flinch.
Time froze.
The goblin hung in the air, eyes wild and mouth stretched mid-scream. Kai stepped aside, circled behind it, and awkwardly swung the sword down. His cut wasn't clean, but it did the job. He kept walking.
Time resumed. Behind him, the goblin's head dropped with a dull thud, followed by its twitching body.
He didn't turn back.
Minutes passed. The maze twisted and reshaped subtly. Traps lined the walls and floors—arcane glyphs, spring-loaded spears, poisonous fog. Kai moved through them like he'd rehearsed it a hundred times, stopping time in short bursts when necessary. He didn't need to fight unless forced. He crept past monsters where he could, only striking when one blocked the path or caught him in tight corners.
He counted his kills on the academy-issued watch. Three. Then five. Then eight. Each one fast, efficient, and quiet. He aimed for ten—the minimum requirement.
The sword grew heavier with each fight. His arm ached from holding it wrong. His form was untrained, sloppy. But it didn't matter. Time didn't care about technique.
He turned a corner and paused.
Five goblins waited ahead, larger than the others. One wore scavenged armor. Another wielded a jagged spear. They snarled as they charged.
Up above, in the hidden surveillance tower, a senior student monitoring feeds leaned closer to his screen. He saw Kai cornered and cursed under his breath. He reached for the emergency intervention trigger.
And stopped.
The screen blinked. The five goblins were suddenly collapsing, their heads toppling off their shoulders in eerie synchronization. There was no recorded movement, no spell alert, no sound.
Kai was already walking away.
The senior stared, confused. He muttered, "Who the hell is that?"
Kai didn't notice him. Didn't even know anyone was watching. He just kept moving, slipping into another turn, footsteps steady.
At the maze's exit, groups of exhausted students gathered. Some were bruised and bloodied. Others joked loudly about how many monsters they'd taken down. A few were being treated by staff medics.
Kai slipped in near the middle of the crowd and quietly submitted his watch. The staff confirmed his results.
Ten kills. Completion time: average. Rank: 74 out of 162.
Perfect. Nothing impressive. Nothing forgettable. Just enough to blend in.
He leaned against the stone wall and waited for dismissal, his sword sheathed at his side, his expression calm. Around him, students either bragged or worried. No one paid him any attention.
Up above, in the teacher's observation lounge, screens displayed student feeds from all angles. Instructors took notes and reviewed combat patterns.
Ms. Liora, the sharp-eyed Class A instructor, flipped through student footage with mild disinterest—until something caught her attention.
One screen, tucked in a corner, showed a short clip. A boy walking away from a pile of five goblin corpses. No wounds. No aura disturbance. No casting signature. Just… walking.
She narrowed her eyes and tapped the monitor.
"Pause that."
The assistant beside her complied. He checked his notes.
"Kai Drenhaven. Class D applicant. Low physical stats. No spellcasting affinity logged. Ten kills. Middle-tier placement."
She didn't reply.
She just kept staring at the screen, watching the calm figure disappear around the corner, sword already sheathed.
Strange.
She wrote his name down quietly.
Kai Drenhaven.