A faint shift moved through the hall after Gerald's final words, not confusion, but anticipation, as if everyone present understood that whatever came next would not be simple. The Vice Dean raised a single hand, and the air itself seemed to tighten in response, the faint hum of mana rising until it became almost audible, vibrating through the stone beneath their feet. Several formation circles lit up across the floor, intricate layers of runes unfolding in perfect symmetry, spreading outward until they covered the entire hall in a glowing web of power.There was approximately 1000 students in the hall.
"You will not be tested here," Gerald said calmly, his voice cutting through the rising tension. "You will be transported into a simulated battlefield. An artificial environment designed to measure not just your strength, but your judgment, your adaptability, and your will to take what is necessary."
The candidates stilled.
"In this simulation," he continued, "flags will be distributed randomly across the field. Your objective is simple. Collect as many as you can within three hours. Each of you will be given an artifact that will guide you to the nearest flag. However…" his gaze sharpened slightly, "…you are not alone."
A ripple passed through the crowd.
"You may take flags from others. Defeat them, and take artifacts only then will their progress become yours."
The meaning was clear.
This wasn't a test.
It was a hunt.
"Death will not occur within the simulation," Gerald added, almost as an afterthought. "But pain… defeat… those are very real."
A few candidates swallowed hard.
Kyle didn't react.
"Prepare yourselves.You are required to have a minimum of 5 flags to pass. Get ready."
The runes beneath their feet flared.
For a split second, everything went white.
Then there vision changed.
Darkness.
Kyle's vision snapped back into place, his body already shifting instinctively as he landed lightly on uneven ground, his senses stretching outward in the same instant. The air was different here, more thicker, colder, carrying the damp scent of earth and something ancient. Towering trees surrounded him, their trunks massive, easily the size of buildings, stretching endlessly upward into a canopy so dense it blocked out nearly all light.
It was almost completely dark.
Almost.
Kyle stood still for a moment, letting his breathing settle, his senses adjusting. His void affinity stirred quietly beneath his skin, reacting to the darkness around him, blending with it, sharpening his awareness just enough to make out vague outlines—the rough texture of bark, the faint movement of leaves, the subtle shifts in the air.
Not clear.
But enough.
His perception filled in the gaps, instinct layering over instinct, forming a rough map of his surroundings. He reached to his side, confirming the katana was still there, its presence grounding him instantly, and with a thought, the artifact appeared in his hand.
A small, watch like dimly glowing device.
It pulsed once then projected a direction.
Kyle's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Got it."
He shifted his weight forward, ready to move in that direction something snapped.
A sudden spike of instinct tore through him, sharp and violent, every nerve in his body screaming at once.
Swish..
His body reacted before his mind could catch up tilting his head fast.
A blur shot past his face grazing his cheek slightly. Then....
BAM.
An arrow slammed into the tree behind him with enough force to sink deep into the bark, the vibration echoing through the trunk.
Kyle's gaze snapped upward instantly.
There.
A figure crouched high on one of the massive branches, barely visible in the darkness, but not hidden- not from him. His blue oceanic eyes locked locked onto his, cold, focused, already preparing the next shot.
"He dodged that??" He heard a voice saying disbelief in it. The archer was sure that would have eliminated him. With hesitation Kyle moved.The archer seeing this reloaded hys bow and aimed at Kyle.
Kyle's hand dropped to the hilt of his katana, his body leaning forward as the world seemed to narrow into a single line of intent.
"Huhuva."
the word came out like a death sentense. The world paused for a second, everything froze then it happened.
His muscles surged with sudden force, his body accelerating forward in a burst that shattered the stillness of the forest floor, his steps silent but devastatingly fast, each movement flowing into the next with unnatural precision. The distance between them vanished in an instant, the tree trunk nothing more than an obstacle he used rather than avoided, his foot planting against it as he launched upward.
The archer's eyes widened.
Too late.
Kyle was already behind him. His katana raised with a face calmer than the ocean. Then his hand dropped.
A single clean arc.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
The katana slid through the air with a quiet, almost gentle sound, and the world paused.
For just a fraction of a second.
Then the head separated cleanly from the body, rolling off the branch as the rest followed, dissolving into faint particles of light before it could even hit the ground.
Silence returned.
Kyle landed lightly, his grip steady as he flicked the blade once before sheathing it in one smooth motion.
"…That was impressive," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anything else, his eyes lingering on where the opponent had been.
No struggle.
No resistance.
Just execution.
His training was paying off. All those days of restless work was showing results.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
'You better move the others are already on it.' nexus said to him.
The artifact dropped.
Kyle stepped forward, picking it up without hesitation, feeling the faint pulse of mana as it synced briefly with his own before settling. He glanced at his original artifact—the signal had already shifted.
Two directions now.
Two flags.
Kyle exhaled slowly, his gaze lifting toward the endless darkness of the forest, the faint outlines of towering trees stretching into the void above.
No fear.
No doubt.
Just clarity.
Then he moved.
His figure disappeared into the shadows, swallowed by the forest as if he had always belonged there, his presence fading with every step, his senses stretching outward, searching, hunting.
Because this wasn't just a test.
It was a battlefield.
And Kyle had no intention of being prey.