The bitter steam of freshly brewed coffee curled into the air, mixing with the faint hum of glowing screens. Golden light flickered against the polished glass walls of the observation room, glowing across Vice Principal Seris’s sharp features. She raised her cup slowly, the reflection of the main display reflecting in her golden eyes. Her focus didn’t shift. Not once. The largest screen, bigger than the rest, zoomed in for clarity, showed a canyon battlefield consumed by dust and chaos. Beside her, Principal Lucian leaned back lazily in his chair, his legs crossed, his eyes narrowed in interest rather than concern. Professors filled the background, each hunched over their own screens, monitoring the survival of other students scattered across the Veil. But here, every pair of eyes was inevitably pulled toward the same image. The nightmarish monster writhed on the feed, its massive form entangled in roots as thick as ancient tree trunks. Lyra’s nature spell had broken the monster’s rhythm, ripping through the ground and binding its legs, torso, tusks, and finally... its trunk. And when that trunk was caught, everything changed. The wind that had raged above the canyon, a cyclone of death shielding the beast from the falling barrage of rock and flame, suddenly stuttered... flickered... and died out completely. Lucian’s lips parted. For a moment, his sharp golden eyes betrayed honest surprise. Then his chest rumbled, and he burst into laughter. Heads turned at his outburst, but he didn’t care. He leaned forward, eyes glinting with a predator’s delight. "So he really figured it out," Lucian said, amusement dripping from every word. "That Anemosidon requires its trunk to control the wind. Did he know of the creature beforehand?" He considered it, tapping a finger against the armrest. Then shook his head. "No... unlikely. He didn’t anticipate its regeneration. If he had, his initial plan would’ve been different." The professors exchanged uneasy murmurs. It was supposed to be impossible. Anemosidon wasn’t just another beast thrown into this fabricated trial. Its classification was deceptive: Grade 3 Gold. On paper, its strength wasn’t overwhelming compared to higher-ranked entities. But in practice, its wind manipulation, regeneration, and sheer bulk placed it closer to Grade 1 Gold. Against students, against first years, it was an execution order, not an exam. And yet, these students had not only survived... they were pressing it into a corner. Lucian’s grin widened, but he noticed Seris hadn’t flinched. She hadn’t even raised a brow. Her golden eyes, cool and unwavering, stayed locked on the struggling creature as rocks hammered its back. "You don’t look surprised," Lucian mused. "Did you expect them to uncover the secret?" Seris finally set her cup down with a soft click. Steam curled upward, ghosting against her face. "I would be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised," She admitted, her tone calm, almost casual. "But I believed... no, I trusted... that they would find a way. At least Kyle would." Her words carried quiet weight. Lucian tilted his head, studying her. Seris’s gaze never left the screen. "After reviewing every student report from the Black Gate incident, one thing became clear. Kyle isn’t just powerful, he’s calculating. His instinct for strategy is unlike anything I’ve seen from someone his age." She lifted her cup again, sipping without rush. "So yes, I trusted he would uncover a weakness. Whether by analysis or sheer stubbornness." He glanced back at the screen, lips curling. "But finding a weakness isn’t enough. They still need to pierce its defenses. Let’s see how far their little rebellion goes." The fight raged on. The monster, stripped of its protective cyclone, struggled as boulders crashed against its back. For the first time, its titanic frame buckled. Blood sprayed into the canyon floor. But Lucian only smirked. "They’ve bought themselves a chance. Nothing more." Seris’s lips curved faintly, not quite a smile, more like the ghost of one. "I’ll make you a bet then, Principal," She said suddenly, her voice cutting through the observation room. Lucian turned his head slowly, curious. Read complete version only at novel~fire~net She set her cup down with deliberate care. Her golden eyes glowed. "I believe they’ll kill Anemosidon." The room fell silent. Even the professors monitoring other screens stilled at her words. Lucian barked out a laugh. "Kill it? Hah! You’re overestimating them, Seris. My bet? They either flee... or they die." Her gaze didn’t waver. "Ten million crystas." Lucian blinked, then leaned forward, eyes narrowing in disbelief. Around them, the background professors shifted uncomfortably. Even for those born to nobility, ten million crystas wasn’t a sum tossed around lightly. It was a fortune. A year’s worth of war funding. Enough to rebuild a small villiage. Seris only nodded. "Completely." Lucian’s grin returned, wider this time, filled with razor-sharp interest. "Very well, Seris. Ten million crystas. If they win, you claim it. If they fail, I do." Their hands didn’t shake on it. The weight of their words alone settled it as law. Behind them, Aurelia and Seraphina, both instructors, both of them watched with quiet pride as Kyle’s group continued their desperate assault. The feed shifted. The camera got closer. Eleanora now stood on the canyon ridge, pale blonde hair whipping in the violent wind. The bow in her hands wasn’t her primary weapon, yet she held it with grace only a princess groomed in all arts of combat could display. A pure darkness arrow shimmered into existence as she drew. Lucian’s eyes sharpened. When she loosed it, the arrow expanded, mana writhing into a colossal dragon maw that roared into being and crashed into the beast’s nape. The impact shook the entire canyon. Lucian whistled softly. "Her mana flow is refined. Almost unnaturally so. Has she already reached high Expert Mastery in the darkness element?" He muttered the thought aloud, almost impressed. Then he sighed, leaning back in his chair. The professors collectively exhaled in disappointment, assuming the strike had failed. But Seris’s cup slammed against the table with a sharp crack. Coffee sloshed over the rim. Lucian snapped his gaze toward her. Her eyes, wide and glowing, were locked on the screen. He followed her line of sight. Cedric Valteria had vanished. The next frame showed him in midair, directly above Anemosidon’s nape. His longsword ignited with golden flames as he swung with every ounce of strength. The observation room erupted. — "That was space affinity—!" — "The third element? Impossible!" Murmurs spiraled, panic threading the voices of professors. For centuries, the laws of mana had been unchallenged: no one in recorded history had wielded more than two affinities. Seris’s pupils shrank. Aurelia’s breath caught in her throat. ’He also has more than two affinities. Like Kyle.’ Onscreen, Cedric’s flames carved into the wound, but the beast still resisted. Then— Kyle appeared at his side, his entire body wreathed in crackling white lightning. His tachi sang through the air, arcs of light merging with Cedric’s flames. Sparks of ice laced with lightning. The professors leaned in, breathless. And then it happened. The blue-white lightning flickered, shifted... darkened. Black and white merged, swallowing Cedric’s golden fire, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. The energy cut through Anemosidon’s neck cleanly, effortlessly, severing the beast’s skull in a stroke that tore space itself. But it didn’t stop there. The slash carved through the canyon, scarring stone and earth with a wound that would never heal. Silence devoured the observation room. Lucian’s grin had frozen. For once, even he had no words. Seris’s hand trembled faintly against her cup. Her thoughts raced, struggling to define what she had just witnessed. ’That wasn’t darkness. No... it cut through space itself. And the white energy was pure mana? No, not just that. What was that black energy...?’ Behind them, assistants whispered nervously. — "Was that darkness element?" — "No... no, it wasn’t darkness. Not at all." Lucian finally exhaled, breaking the silence. "I think we should end this exam here, Seris." Her eyes lingered on the screen a moment longer. Then she nodded. Professors moved swiftly, preparing the recall protocols to eject the students before the next wave could descend. But Seris leaned back, rubbing her temple, a weary sigh escaping her lips. She regretted it. Deeply. She regretted ever proposing this insane "exam." She’d hinted to Kyle, only indirectly, that this trial might be artificial. Because she trusted his intelligence. Because she knew he carried not two, but four affinities. She had assumed he would take the bait and prepare. But she hadn’t anticipated Cedric sharing the same impossible gift. Now the secret was out. Professors would whisper. Nobles would stir. And the world would not stay silent. Duke Valteria would shield his son, no doubt. But still, they needed to shut the professors’ mouths. Seris closed her eyes briefly. Her voice was barely a whisper. "So much more work to do."