Practical Exam: Predator vs. Prey

A wave of palpable relief washed over Kael when the Headmaster of Zenith Academy—a surprisingly wizened old man with a beard that reached his navel—intervened. After a tense examination of the cracked crystal and a long, unnerving stare at Kael, he had declared the result.

"A mana reading of 'Unmeasurable' is historically interpreted as 'Zero.' However, given the… unusual circumstances, we will grant applicant Kael Valerius provisional admission." The Headmaster's eyes, ancient and sharp, seemed to see far more than they let on. "His performance in the practical exam will determine his final standing."

The nobles erupted in protest, but the Headmaster's decision was final. Kael was a pariah, the academy's official charity case. The sneers and insults followed him like a physical miasma. He couldn't have been more conspicuous if he'd been on fire. His dream of a quiet life was already a smoldering ruin.

Which led him here, to the entrance of the 'Whispering Woods,' the designated zone for the practical combat exam. It was an artificial forest on the academy grounds, populated with low-level magical beasts conjured and controlled by the faculty.

"The objective is simple," the stern instructor from before announced, glaring directly at Kael as if the entire speech was for his benefit alone. "You will be assigned a partner. You are to proceed through the woods, retrieve a flag from the central clearing, and return. You will be graded on teamwork, combat proficiency, and strategic thinking. Partners will now be assigned."

Kael felt a premonitory twinge of annoyance. He knew, with the certainty of a god predicting a sunrise, who his partner would be. The universe, it seemed, had a cruel and deeply ironic sense of humor.

"Elara von Valerius," the instructor called out. Her name still commanded a reverent hush. "Your partner will be…" He paused for dramatic effect, a malicious glint in his eye. "...Kael Valerius."

A collective gasp went through the crowd, followed by a wave of outright pity for Elara and derisive laughter aimed at Kael. The A-Rank prodigy, the pride of the nobility, shackled to the crystal-breaking zero.

Elara's face went through several shades of white and red before settling on a mask of icy fury. She didn't shout or complain. That would be beneath her. Instead, she strode over to Kael, her posture as rigid as a sword's blade.

She stopped a foot from him, forcing him to meet her blazing emerald gaze. Her voice was a low, dangerous whisper that was somehow more intimidating than any yell.

"Listen to me, commoner," she hissed, her tone dripping with venom. "I do not know what trickery or pity got you this far, but it ends now. You will do exactly as I say. You will stay ten paces behind me at all times. You will not speak. You will not touch anything. And if a magical beast so much as looks in our direction, you will run. Your only purpose is to not get in my way while I single-handedly pass this exam for the both of us. Do you understand?"

Kael looked at the furious princess before him, her chest heaving with indignation. He gave her a lazy, one-shouldered shrug. "Sure. Sounds like less work for me."

Elara's eyes widened, her fury momentarily replaced by stunned disbelief. She had expected fear, or at least meek compliance. His casual, almost bored acceptance of her terms was a greater insult than any argument. She ground her teeth, a sharp clicking sound in the tense silence.

"Just… stay out of my way," she finally spat, before turning on her heel and stalking into the forest without a second glance.

Kael sighed and ambled after her, dutifully maintaining his ten-pace distance.

The forest was a pathetic imitation of the truly wild, primordial jungles he once roamed. The trees were too orderly, the magic in the air too thin and tame. He could feel the weak signatures of the conjured beasts—mana-infused boars, oversized wolves, and other C and D-rank fodder. For the other students, this was a challenge. For him, it was a stroll through a petting zoo.

True to her word, Elara was a force of nature. She moved with a fencer's grace, her own ornate sword already in hand.

A rustle in the bushes. A Shadow-Wolf, a D-Rank beast, lunged out.

"Ignis!" Elara commanded. A small, precise fireball erupted from her free hand, striking the wolf square in the chest and sending it back with a pained yelp. It wasn't a killing blow, but a disabling one. She was efficient, powerful, and didn't waste an ounce of mana. She was, Kael had to admit, a genuine prodigy by this world's standards.

She dispatched three more beasts with similar, contemptuous ease, all while Kael watched from his designated distance, his hands in his pockets. He was thoroughly unimpressed, but he had to admit, her performance was a good cover for his desired inactivity.

They reached the central clearing. In the middle, a single red flag fluttered on a pole.

Elara shot a triumphant, disdainful glare back at him. "See? This is how it's done. Now, stay put while I retrieve the flag."

She strode into the clearing, her back straight with pride. Her victory was assured.

It was then that Kael felt it.

A shift in the air. A sudden, chilling drop in temperature. The ambient mana in the forest, once tame and controlled, was curdling, turning sour and predatory. The cheerful chirping of artificial birds ceased.

This was not a conjured beast. This was something else. Something real. Something that had been slumbering beneath the forest floor.

"Ah, a saboteur," Kael mused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Someone doesn't like the little princess. How predictable."

The ground in front of Elara began to tremble. Dirt and rock split apart as something massive clawed its way to the surface. It was a Grave-Maw Crawler, a B-Rank subterranean monster known for its armored carapace and vicious mandibles. It was far beyond the scope of the exam, a beast that would require a full team of senior knights to subdue.

Elara froze, her sword half-raised. Her face, moments ago flushed with victory, was now ashen. The sheer pressure and killing intent radiating from the monster was on a completely different level from the tame beasts she had been fighting. This was a real predator.

"This… this shouldn't be here!" she stammered, taking a step back. Her composure was cracking.

The Grave-Maw let out a deafening screech, a sound that vibrated in the bones, and charged.

Elara reacted on pure instinct. "Scutum Gladius!" (Shield of Swords!)

A barrier of shimmering blue light erupted in front of her, reinforced with ethereal blades. It was a high-level defensive spell, a testament to her genius.

CRUNCH!

The Grave-Maw's armored head slammed into the barrier. The shield held for a split second, then shattered like glass. The force of the impact sent Elara flying backward, her sword clattering from her grasp. She landed hard, a cry of pain escaping her lips.

The monster loomed over her, its drooling mandibles snapping, ready to deliver the final, crushing blow. In that moment, all of her pride, her noble upbringing, her prodigious talent—it was all stripped away. She was just a terrified girl facing a death she was powerless to stop.

Her wide, horrified emerald eyes flicked past the monster. She saw Kael, still standing at the edge of the clearing, his hands still in his pockets, an unreadable expression on his face.

He hadn't run. He hadn't even moved. He was just… watching.

"Is this it?" she thought, a wave of despair washing over her. "To be eaten by a monster while the useless commoner just stands there?"

The Grave-Maw's shadow fell over her. She closed her eyes.

This was it.