The scenario timer would still be running, and we'd spent perhaps twenty minutes total between initial path selection and the construct fight. That left roughly twenty-five minutes to reach the core chamber and complete the primary objective.
"We should move," I said, not directing the comment at anyone specifically. "Time is limited and the objective remains incomplete."
No one argued. Even Gorath seemed to recognize that further delays would jeopardize everyone's scores regardless of personal grievances or wounded pride.
The group reformed into loose marching order, this time with more cohesion than the initial fragmentation. We'd fought together, however accidentally, and that shared experience created a foundation for cooperation even among those who didn't particularly like each other.
The final corridor led deeper into the dungeon, descending through carved stone passages that grew progressively colder and more oppressive. The corruption thickened until it was visible as dark fog rather than just mist, making breathing uncomfortable and visibility poor beyond a few feet.
After perhaps five minutes of careful progress, the Brevian merchant spoke up.
"I can't continue." Her voice was pained but steady. "My arm is broken and getting worse. I'm slowing everyone down and risking the entire group's score if we have to stop repeatedly for my sake."
The Aldorian noble who'd been injured in the ceiling trap nodded reluctantly.
"Same. I can make it back to the junction chamber but not deeper into hostile territory. Someone should stay with her."
Gorath turned to face them, his expression making clear what he thought of that suggestion.
"Then stay. The objective matters more than individual casualties. We'll complete the scenario and you'll take whatever score you earn for making it this far."
"Secondary objectives specify minimizing casualties," the Elenor diplomat said, her diplomatic training apparent in how she presented counterargument without directly challenging Gorath's authority. "Leaving injured members affects everyone's individual score, not just theirs."
"So does failing the primary objective because we're moving too slow," Gorath countered.
I considered the situation with the same cold calculation I'd applied to everything else. Two injured members, both functional enough to return to the junction chamber but not capable of contributing to what would presumably be a final combat encounter. Keeping them with us would slow our progress and reduce combat effectiveness. Leaving them completely alone would mean abandoning injured teammates, which the grading system would likely penalize.
The solution was obvious.
"Two of us escort them back to the junction chamber and secure that position. The rest proceed to the core chamber. Once the objective is complete, we all extract through the established route."
The Elenor diplomat nodded immediately, recognizing sound tactics when presented.
"That addresses both concerns. Injured members receive assistance, and combat-capable members can move at full speed."
"Who escorts them?" Gorath asked, the question carrying implication that he certainly wouldn't be volunteering for such duty.
I looked at the hostile Aldorian noble who'd been injured by Gorath's reckless ceiling trap.
"You. You're injured yourself, less useful in final combat than at full capability. And you," I turned toward one of the Castern mages who'd been least effective during the construct fight, "can provide basic defensive magic if anything attacks while they're retreating."
Neither looked happy about the assignment, but neither could argue the logic. The injured Aldorian especially seemed to grasp that being removed from final combat due to his wounds was less shameful than failing in that combat and dragging everyone else's scores down.
"Fine," he said curtly. "But if you fail the primary objective, don't expect me to be sympathetic about your scores."
"If we fail the primary objective, none of our scores matter," I replied flatly.
The group split, two injured members plus one Castern mage heading back toward the junction chamber while the remaining seven of us continued deeper toward the core chamber.
The corruption grew worse as we descended, the dark fog so thick now that visibility dropped to perhaps five feet. My enhanced perception cut through it better than normal sight, but even that was hampered by the fundamental wrongness the corruption represented.
Finally, the corridor opened into a massive chamber.
The core chamber was perhaps a hundred feet across, its ceiling lost in darkness above. At the center, elevated on a stone platform, sat the corruption source.
It was a crystal, easily ten feet tall, pulsing with dark light that seemed to pull at my eyes and make them water. The corruption fog emanated from this crystal, flowing outward in visible streams that dispersed into the dungeon's passages.
And flanking the crystal were two guardians.
They stood motionless, humanoid shapes composed entirely of the same metal as the previous construct but larger and more refined in construction. Each was perhaps eight feet tall, carrying weapons that looked organic to their bodies rather than held separately.
The System identified them without being asked.
[Corrupted Guardian x2]
[Rank: Apprentice (Low)]
[Attributes: Strength 35, Agility 28, Endurance 40, Intelligence 12]
[Status: Corrupted, Linked to Core (25% damage reduction while core intact, enhanced regeneration)]
[Special: Coordinated Combat Protocols, Guardian's Resilience]
Apprentice rank. Both of them. And linked to the corruption source in ways that made them significantly more durable than they'd be independently.
"Two Apprentice-tier guardians," Aldric said quietly, his voice carrying the kind of forced calm that suggested he was trying not to panic. "This is beyond what the scenario should include for Novice rank applicants."
"Complaint noted and irrelevant," Gorath replied, already assessing the guardians with the focus of someone who genuinely understood combat. "We either complete the objective or we fail. Those are the only options that matter."
He was right, even if his attitude remained insufferable. The scenario wouldn't adjust its difficulty based on our protests, and the timer continued counting down regardless of whether we thought the challenge was fair.
I analyzed the situation with enhanced perception, processing information as quickly as my mind could organize it.
'Two guardians, both Apprentice-tier, coordinated protocols suggesting they'll work together rather than as independent threats. Linked to the core crystal, which provides damage reduction and regeneration. Means destroying them is war of attrition we can't win through sustained combat. Need to either reach the core and destroy it, collapsing their support structure, or disable them long enough to access the core without fighting through them.'
The guardians hadn't moved yet, standing motionless in what appeared to be standby state. Probably triggered by proximity to the core or direct aggression toward it.
"The core is the objective," I said, keeping my voice quiet enough that it wouldn't carry to the guardians and potentially trigger their activation. "Destroying it completes the scenario and presumably eliminates or weakens the guardians. Direct approach fighting through both of them wastes time we don't have."
"You suggesting we just run past Apprentice-tier constructs?" the second Draven girl asked, skepticism clear in her tone. "They'll cut us down before we reach the platform."
"Not suggesting we ignore them," I replied. "Suggesting we create conditions where reaching the core becomes possible. Distraction, misdirection, overwhelming one position while leaving the other temporarily undefended."
Gorath grunted, the sound suggesting he was considering the strategy despite not wanting to acknowledge it came from me.
"I can handle one guardian in direct combat. Not defeat it, but occupy its attention and prevent it from reaching anyone else. But only for limited time before it overwhelms me through superior endurance."
That was probably honest assessment rather than false humility. Gorath was Apprentice-tier himself, his attributes likely comparable to the guardians in pure numbers. But fighting something with coordinated protocols and regeneration meant he'd lose any extended engagement even if initial exchanges went his way.
"I'll take the second guardian," the second Draven girl said immediately, loyalty to her companion overriding any concern about capability. "Same limitations, but I can keep it busy."
"The Castern mages can provide support," Aldric added, his earlier near-death experience apparently teaching him the value of coordinated tactics. "Harassing attacks, barriers, anything that makes the guardians' job harder without requiring we fight them directly."
That left three people unassigned: me, the Elenor diplomat, and one Castern mage who'd remained quiet throughout most of the scenario.
"We reach the core," I said simply. "While the guardians are occupied, we cross the chamber and destroy the corruption source. Once it falls, the scenario completes."
"And if the guardians break free before we destroy the core?" the quiet Castern mage asked.
"Then we adapt," I replied, refusing to pretend we had perfect information or guaranteed success. "But standing here debating possibilities wastes time. We execute the plan or we fail the scenario. Choose."
The Elenor diplomat moved to stand beside me, her decision apparently made.
"I'll go with Kaine. My magic focuses on barriers and protection rather than direct damage, so I'm more useful keeping us alive during the crossing than supporting combat directly."
The quiet Castern mage hesitated, then nodded and joined us.
"I can contribute direct damage to the core if we reach it. Earth affinity works well against crystalline structures."
Gorath hefted his warhammer, rolling his shoulders in preparation for combat.
"On my signal. I engage left guardian, drive it away from the platform. Everyone else executes their assignments immediately after. No hesitation, no second-guessing. We do this fast or we don't do it at all."
He didn't wait for acknowledgment, simply charged.
The moment his boots hit stone with intentional force, both guardians activated. Their eyes flared with the same corrupted glow as the crystal they protected, their bodies shifting from stationary to combat-ready in less than a second.
Gorath's warhammer struck the left guardian's chest plate with impact that echoed through the entire chamber. The force drove the guardian backward several steps, creating the separation he'd intended.
The second Draven girl engaged the right guardian immediately, her own weapon smaller than Gorath's hammer but wielded with technique that suggested years of training. She couldn't match the guardian's strength directly, but she understood leverage and angles well enough to redirect attacks rather than absorbing them.
Aldric and the other Castern mage launched supporting spells, streams of fire and compressed air that struck the guardians from multiple angles. The damage was minimal against Apprentice-tier durability, but the constant harassment forced the guardians to divide attention between immediate melee threats and ranged magical attacks.
"Now!" the Elenor diplomat said, already moving.
The three of us sprinted across the chamber, angling toward the platform and the massive corruption crystal rising from its center. The distance was perhaps sixty feet, normally traversable in seconds, but the corruption fog was thick enough that running required active concentration to avoid tripping over unseen obstacles.
The left guardian noticed our movement, its intelligence sufficient to recognize the real threat. It attempted to disengage from Gorath, trying to intercept us before we could reach the core.
Gorath's hammer caught it in the side, the impact redirecting its momentum and keeping it engaged. But the effort cost him, the guardian's bladed weapon scoring a deep cut across his shoulder in exchange for preventing its pursuit.
Blood sprayed across stone, but Gorath didn't fall or cry out. He simply reset his stance and struck again, his Apprentice-tier endurance letting him fight through injuries that would have dropped lesser warriors.
We reached the platform and scrambled up its carved stone steps. The corruption crystal loomed above us, ten feet of pulsing darkness that seemed to pull at sanity itself just from proximity.
"How do we destroy it?" the quiet Castern mage asked, staring up at the massive structure.
"Direct force should work," I said, already channeling mana for another Heaven Splitter. "Crystals are durable but brittle. Sufficient concentrated impact will shatter the structure."
The Elenor diplomat raised her hands, barriers forming around our group. Translucent walls of force that would deflect attacks or projectiles, buying us time to work without worrying about guardian interference.
The right guardian broke free from the second Draven girl's engagement, her injuries apparently accumulating fast enough that she couldn't maintain the distraction. The construct charged toward the platform with speed that made its massive frame blur.
"Barrier won't hold against Apprentice-tier strength for long!" the diplomat warned, her voice strained from the effort of maintaining the protective magic.
The quiet Castern mage pressed his hands against the corruption crystal, earth magic flowing through his connection. Cracks appeared in the crystal's surface, spreading slowly as his magic worked to destabilize the structure from within.
But slowly wasn't fast enough.
The right guardian reached the platform and struck the barrier with its bladed weapon. The impact sent visible ripples through the translucent wall, the Elenor diplomat gasping from feedback as her magic absorbed damage meant for us.
I thrust my saber into the corruption crystal with all the force my enhanced attributes could generate, channeling Heaven Splitter directly into the structure rather than releasing it as a projectile.
The compressed energy detonated inside the crystal itself.
The explosion was massive, far larger than when I'd destroyed the previous construct. Dark light erupted outward, corruption energy releasing in a wave that knocked all three of us backward off the platform.
I hit stone hard enough to feel ribs crack despite my enhanced physique, pain flaring through my torso as breathing became difficult. Beside me, the Castern mage lay motionless, unconscious from the impact. The Elenor diplomat struggled to stand, blood running from her nose and ears from magical backlash.
But the crystal was destroyed. Shattered fragments littered the platform, the pulsing dark light extinguished completely.
The guardians froze mid-combat.
Their eyes dimmed, their bodies going rigid as the link to their power source severed. Gorath's next hammer strike encountered no resistance, his weapon passing through the left guardian's position as it simply dissolved into the same dark mist that every other defeated enemy had become.
The chamber's corruption began dissipating, the thick fog thinning rapidly as its source no longer sustained it.
Text appeared in my vision, the scenario enchantment providing final confirmation.
[Primary Objective Complete: Corruption source destroyed]
[Secondary Objectives: 2 of 3 achieved (Minimized casualties: Partial, Gathered resources: Yes, Mapped route: No)]
[Scenario Complete. Individual evaluations processing]
The dungeon environment dissolved around us, stone walls and platform and darkness fading into nothing until we stood once again in the blank circular chamber where everything had started.
The staff member who'd activated the scenario stood at the pedestal, her tablet glowing as it recorded whatever metrics the academy used for evaluation.
"Scenario complete," she announced, her professional tone suggesting she'd seen hundreds of these assessments and found nothing about our performance particularly remarkable. "Individual evaluations will be provided shortly. Proceed to the holding area for Stage Three preparation."
The door opened, revealing the corridor beyond.
I stood slowly, testing my cracked ribs and confirming they were painful but not debilitating. My enhanced physique was already working to repair the damage, accelerated healing making injuries that would take weeks for normal people resolve in days or hours for me.
Around me, the other group members were in varying states of exhaustion and injury. Gorath's shoulder wound was serious, blood still flowing despite his attempts to pressure it closed. The second Draven girl had taken multiple cuts across her arms and torso, her clothes shredded and stained red. Aldric and the other Castern mage looked drained but intact, their magical exhaustion more concerning than physical damage.
The Elenor diplomat approached me as we walked toward the exit, her movements careful but steady.
"You led without announcing leadership," she said quietly, repeating her earlier observation. "Made tactical decisions that others followed naturally because the logic was sound. That's rare, especially among nobles who usually need authority acknowledged before they'll accept direction."
"Authority isn't useful if it requires announcement," I replied, keeping my tone flat and dismissive despite recognizing she'd offered what was probably meant as a compliment. "Capability demonstrates itself through results, not through demanding recognition."
She smiled slightly, the expression suggesting genuine amusement rather than mockery.
"I'm Sera, by the way. House Whitmore of Elenor. We should speak again after the examination concludes, assuming we both pass."
"Kaine Einsworth. Aldoria."
"I know who you are," she said. "Everyone knows who you are. The disappointing eldest son who suddenly demonstrated competence. People will be watching you specifically now, after what you showed in Stages One and Two."
She moved ahead before I could respond, joining the flow of applicants exiting the scenario facility.
'She's right,' I thought, following at distance. 'I revealed more capability than intended. First Light executions in Stage One, tactical leadership and Heaven Splitter in Stage Two. People who were uncertain about my transformation will now have concrete evidence that something fundamental changed. The anonymity I wanted to maintain is gone, replaced by attention from everyone who witnessed my performance.'
We emerged into late afternoon sunlight, the scenario having consumed more time than I'd realized while inside. The holding area for Stage Two successful applicants was organized chaos, staff members directing people toward different sections based on completion order and injury severity.
I checked the large enchanted board displaying results and found my name: 'PASSED'.
Approximately sixty percent of visible groups showed successful completion, which matched the staff's earlier estimate about Stage Two difficulty. The other forty percent had failed through various means: time expiration, excessive casualties, wrong decisions about priorities.
Gorath appeared on the board as passed despite his serious injuries, his performance apparently sufficient to meet academy standards even if his leadership had been questionable. The two injured members we'd sent back and their escort all showed passed as well, confirming that strategic withdrawal had been the correct decision for group scoring.
I found a quiet corner in the holding area and settled into meditation, ignoring the ambient noise and focused entirely on mana regeneration. My reserves were perhaps fifty percent depleted from the combination of Heaven Splitter techniques and sustained Phantom Step usage. Stage Three would test mana capacity and control, meaning I needed to restore as much as possible before that evaluation began.
Two hours. The announcement had said two hours rest before final stage.
I used every minute, circulating mana through established pathways and pulling energy from ambient sources to refill my depleted reserves. The Primordial Chaos Physique worked steadily, my enhanced regeneration converting raw mana into usable form more efficiently than normal Novice rank practitioners could manage.
By the time staff members began directing successful applicants toward the Mana Assessment Facility, I'd restored approximately eighty percent of my capacity. Not full, but substantially better than the fifty percent I'd had immediately after the scenario.
The crowd moved as a mass toward the designated building, approximately nine hundred applicants remaining from the original fifteen hundred. Six hundred eliminated across two stages, leaving one hundred more to be cut in the final evaluation.
I joined the flow, maintaining my cold expression and isolated position despite being surrounded by hundreds of others.
Stage Three awaited, and with it the final determination of whether I'd earned the right to call the Continental Academy home for the next three years.