Light burst around him like a shattering mirror.
Caelum blinked as his vision cleared and found himself standing on a vast marble platform suspended above the clouds. Mist rolled beneath their feet like restless spirits, and hundreds of participants stood scattered across it, all freshly returned from the forest trial. The air crackled faintly with lingering mana—thick, electric, and heavy with exhaustion.
Above them, a massive translucent board flickered to life, spanning the entire sky. Gold letters began to form, cascading down like celestial script, displaying names and ranks in shining order.
1st — Ren Voren
2nd — Kalen Syth
3rd — Todd Alvareen
4th — Ivo Kain
5th — Daren Luth
6th — Rydel
7th — Korr Vayne
8th — Merek
9th — Leira
10th — Elias
11th — Seren
…
389th — Caelum.
The golden glow reflected faintly in his eyes as the corners of his lips curved slightly.
"Last, huh," he murmured, voice barely audible under the crowd's swelling noise. "How poetic."
Whispers rose immediately:
"Isn't that the guy who came with the vampire lord?"
"Yeah! I thought he'd rank higher!"
"Guess he's not that impressive after all."
"All that mystery for nothing."
The attention that had once surrounded him like a storm cloud began to scatter. Curious eyes turned away. Some sneered. Others looked relieved.
Caelum just yawned softly, stretching his neck. "Ah well. A nap was worth it."
---
Up on the floating balcony, V leaned on the railing, eyes lazily tracking the golden board.
"That brat," he muttered, smirking faintly. "Didn't even bother pretending."
But then his gaze landed on the two glowing names — Arias and Seren.
"Oh," he said, his grin sharpening. "So the twins of the Eclipse finally decided to crawl out of their holes." He chuckled under his breath. "This might be more entertaining than I thought."
An instructor beside him tilted his head. "Do you know them?"
V's golden eyes gleamed. "Oh not me..but that little beast do."
---
Moments later, the golden board flickered again as several adjudicators stepped forward.
One of them—a strict-looking elf with pale silver hair—spoke loudly, "As per tradition, only the top 100 participants shall advance to the next stage of evaluation. The rest may remain as observers or depart the premises."
The crowd stirred. Many groaned, some swore, others sighed. But before the numbers could finalize, another adjudicator—a shorter man with square glasses—raised a hand awkwardly.
"Ah, yes—sorry for the, um, disruption, but we'll be excluding one participant from the final ranking list due to… technical reasons." He glanced nervously toward V. "The boy named Caelum."
Confusion spread immediately.
"What?"
"Excluded?"
"What kind of reason is that?"
The man adjusted his glasses and tried to smile. "Yes, it appears he didn't engage in any official combat or interaction with the test parameters, so his results can't exactly be ranked properly. It's not, uh, favoritism, mind you! Just—administrative integrity."
The murmurs turned sharper.
"Administrative integrity, my ass."
"So he gets a free pass?"
"He didn't even fight!"
"Who the hell is he?"
On the balcony, V's jaw tightened slightly. He could feel their eyes on him—thousands of them.
He gave Caelum a long, piercing stare.
The boy met his gaze unflinchingly, head tilted, lips curving into that same careless smile.
For a few moments, the tension between them felt almost tangible. Then Caelum mouthed something silently—just two words.
"Thank you."
V's brow twitched. "Tch. Annoying brat," he muttered under his breath, earning a curious glance from the instructor beside him.
---
Below, the whispers grew louder, mixed with suspicion and envy.
"So he's only still here because of that vampire?"
"Must be nice to have connections."
"Nepotism at its finest."
"Watch—he's probably weak."
But among the top-ranked students, it wasn't laughter they exchanged. It was wariness.
Elias' eyes narrowed. "He's still standing here," he muttered, folding his arms. "If that vampire kept him, it's not because he's useless. And he's here for us."
Seren glanced at him sharply. "You think—"
"Yes," Arias interrupted. "I think he's more dangerous asleep than most of us awake."
---
V's voice boomed again, echoing across the platform and cutting through the gossip like a blade.
"Congratulations to those who've advanced," he announced, his tone carrying both pride and authority. "For those who fell short, your potential remains yours to nurture. Failure today is not the end—it's the ground on which you will rise again."
The crowd quieted. His words, though formal, carried weight.
"But—" V's lips curved faintly, "—for those who made it through… your true trial begins now."
The golden board shifted once again, its surface rippling like water before a single word blazed across it in fiery crimson:
COMBAT.
V's golden eyes gleamed. "The Battle Combat stage begins. Each of you will be tested in direct confrontation. One participant will be chosen at random to step forward, and they will select their opponent. Win, and you may reject future challenges. Lose, and your road here ends."
A murmur ran through the crowd—half excitement, half fear.
"If you win, you may also nominate another in your stead," V continued, his voice lowering, "to face the next challenger. This will continue until the board runs out of names… or the audience runs out of patience."
A quiet laugh followed from the audience stands.
Amidst the energy and noise, Caelum finally raised his head again. His eyes shimmered faintly, the faintest glint of hunger curling at their depths.
He smiled—slow, dangerous, almost fond.
"Finally," he whispered. "Something worth staying awake for."
From the balcony, V's eyes met his once more. The faintest smirk crossed the vampire's lips.
"Let's see," he murmured to himself, "if the sleeper can fight."
But Caelum eyes is not on V anymore, he's starting and those two names at Rank 10&11