The remainder of the practical examinations concluded without incident.
At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.
Team after team entered the dungeon gate suspended above the platform of the Astraeum Coliseum.
Biomes shifted like the turning of pages, frozen tundras laced with jagged ice spires, ruined cities choked by creeping vines, subterranean lava chambers that pulsed with oppressive heat. Each environment tested adaptability. Each wave of monsters was carefully calibrated.
No sudden High Amethyst beasts, and no obvious manipulations or catastrophic incidents.
By the final day of practicals, murmurs had shifted from anxiety to relief as most people had performed well enough to get a passing grade.
Graves had not acted, nd that, more than anything, unsettled Albedo
When the final evaluation results were posted, the outcome surprised no one.
Albedo ranked first overall. Lucian followed closely behind.
