Kamish had defeated the Naga King.
Everyone in the dungeon stood frozen in disbelief — one blow from Kamish had taken down an A-rank beast.
But victory came with a price.
Kamish had used up every drop of mana and collapsed. His seniors rushed him to the dorms. When he finally opened his eyes, his veins pulsed painfully — mana overflow.
"Kamish! What was that move?" one of his seniors asked. "That blast… it was unreal!"
Kamish shook his head weakly. "It's… a secret," he said. "And please… don't tell anyone about this. If the academy finds out, it'll be a mess."
His seniors exchanged glances, then nodded.
"Don't worry. You might just be our trump card in the international tournaments. We won't say a word."
Before leaving, they handed him the Fire Element Core from the Naga King as a gift. Kamish smiled faintly — a fitting prize for the one who'd landed the finishing blow.
After they left, Kamish sat in silence. He began to meditate, trying to stabilize the mana raging through his body.
The Academy Competition was only two days away, and he needed to be ready.
The Day of the Competition
The massive academy arena buzzed with excitement. Teachers, students, the principal — even S-rank hunters from famous guilds — had gathered to watch. Many of them were scouting for potential recruits, though the Hunter Association rules prevented them from recruiting students directly.
The Dean stepped forward and addressed the crowd.
"There will be two stages in this competition," he announced.
"First, the Dungeon Run. The top contender will automatically qualify for the Academy Championship."
"The next eight participants will advance to the Knockout Matches — one-on-one battles until only two finalists remain."
Each student would attempt ten dungeons over three days.
C-rank dungeon: 3 points
D-rank dungeon: 2 points
E-rank dungeon: 1 point
As soon as the Dean finished his speech, the entire arena roared to life. Students sprinted toward their assigned dungeons.
Most started safely with E-rank dungeons — but not Kamish and Lily, the Student Council President's daughter. Both went straight for D-rank.
Kamish excelled in swordsmanship and one-on-one fights, but lacked powerful spells. Lily was the opposite — her multi-casting magic allowed her to sweep through monster hordes with ease.
By the end of the first day, Kamish had cleared five dungeons, while Lily cleared six.
He wasn't disappointed — every fight pushed him further. He could feel himself growing.
That night, Kamish sat in the academy library.
"I can't win like this," he muttered. "I need something that covers range."
He studied through the night, searching for a wind-element skill and practiced it until dawn.
Day 2 – The Rivalry
By the second day, Kamish's efforts were paying off.
He was moving faster, striking sharper — going toe to toe with Lily.
The score was close: Lily 10 – Kamish 9.
Kamish decided to take a risk and entered a C-rank dungeon. Inside, an ogre roared and swung its massive club. Kamish's blade glimmered — Butterfly Sword, First Form! — and in a blink, the ogre fell, its neck pierced cleanly.
When he exited, Lily was already out of another dungeon.
At day's end, the scoreboard read: Lily 13 – Kamish 12.
But Kamish's momentum was growing stronger. He had cleared a higher-rank dungeon and gained more attention than anyone else.
Day 3 – The Dean's Manipulation
The Dean frowned as he watched Kamish's name climb the ranks.
He couldn't allow a commoner to overshadow the President's daughter — it would create waves in the academy's hierarchy.
So, without telling anyone, he secretly adjusted Kamish's next dungeon — from D-rank to C-rank difficulty.
Kamish stepped inside and immediately sensed something off.
The monsters were far stronger — Hologoblins swarmed around him. He cut through them one by one, and when he reached the final chamber, the boss appeared: Thunderbolt, a lightning beast.
Sparks filled the room. Kamish gritted his teeth.
Three forms of Butterfly Sword… that's all I have left.
He unleashed all three in succession — blinding flashes of steel and mana. The beast fell with a thunderous crash. Kamish dropped to one knee, his breath heavy.
When he returned, Lily had already finished her run.
The scoreboard stood at Lily 20 – Kamish 19.
One dungeon left.
Kamish had to win.
But once again, the Dean interfered — this time assigning Kamish a dungeon slightly stronger than a normal C-rank.
He entered without hesitation.
Final Battle
The dungeon was filled with fierce monsters. Kamish's Butterfly Fang technique sliced through them, but he could feel his mana draining fast.
Then the boss appeared — a Fang Fox, a beast closer to B-rank than C. Its thick fur and muscle absorbed every attack he threw. Kamish's arms trembled.
"If I use another form," he thought, "I won't have enough mana left to stand."
Still, he refused to back down.
He tightened his grip on his sword. "If I win, the dungeon closes. Even if I faint, I'll wake up in the arena."
He recalled his strongest technique — the Moon Sword's First Form, a devastating wind slash.
All his remaining mana poured into the blade. The air trembled.
"Moon Sword — First Form!"
A crescent of light tore through the dungeon. The Fang Fox vanished into ash.
Kamish fell, completely drained.
When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in the arena. Lily was standing beside him — victorious.
He had lost.
Aftermath
The Dean approached him in the infirmary, guilt written on his face.
"I'm sorry, Kamish," he said softly. "If Lily had lost, it would've hurt her confidence… and the academy's reputation."
Kamish smiled faintly. "I understand. You did what you thought was best — for the academy."
Then his gaze hardened. "But please, don't repeat it in the next competition."
The Dean nodded with a sigh. "I won't."
Now kamish was furious wheather he will get to qualify in championship or not
But he was very happy too see his growth now that he can feel his strength to 28 percent.
But he was so happy that he got to use his past life technique moon swordand although his mana vein were tighten.
But he can feel that his mana capacity has also grown up.
The second competition was after 3 days so he has to overcome come his mana drainage as well as the vein that got tighten.
He used meditation as a method and dean personally send him a book to increase his mana.
Whereas outside his dorm everyone was shocked that he was equal footing with Presidents daughter.
And he cleared 2 crank gates where lily hasn't done it once.
Lily was also frustrated and started working on he single spar so that she can fight with high rank bosses one on one.
Next Time
A mysterious transfer student arrives at the academy.
Who is he — and how powerful can he be?