The students walked through what seemed to be a mile-long tunnel before finally arriving at the school's training grounds. The passage had only one entrance and exit—the hallway from which they had arrived.
The training ground opened into a vast field filled with various training props—wooden training dummies, an archery range, and more. Spectator stands surrounded the entire field, giving it the appearance of a grand colosseum. The stands were fairly full, occupied by many knights who had come to observe the new students' trials.
On the far end of the field, opposite the entrance, a long table was set where the six elders sat, accompanied by their Black Knights. The field itself was divided into five sections, each overseen by a different Master Knight. Among them were Wilfred, Barbadoes, and Delbert, while the other two remained unfamiliar.
The students gathered near the entrance, all three hundred of them waiting nervously. A worker approached with a strange machine containing a glowing crystal. Pressing a few buttons, the servant activated a hologram displaying an overhead view of the training field. A similar machine was placed in front of the elders.
"All right," a voice announced. "The first test is the Gem of Strength. You will be called up to the stage one by one."
Lancy stepped onto the stage, positioned near a massive black boulder nearly the same size as himself.
"Students must push the boulder from one side to the other. If you cannot push it, you may use these gauntlets." He gestured to a pair of gauntlets beside him. "You will get two attempts—one without the gauntlets and one with. The gauntlets have been embedded with magic to enhance your strength."
Lancy then demonstrated, pushing the boulder with all his might. Sweat dripped down his face, but after great effort, he managed to roll the boulder to the other side. The students clapped at his demonstration.
"Now, let's see… Who shall go first? Ah, you there. What's your name?" Lancy's finger pointed directly at Ray.
"Ray," he answered simply, meeting Lancy's gaze without hesitation.
"What a rude knight," Lancy sneered. "You should address those of a higher rank with respect."
"I only respect those who deserve it."
Lancy's face darkened with anger, but he quickly composed himself. "Using my authority as an administrator for this test, I refuse Squire Ray the right to participate. I hope this serves as a lesson for all of you—respect your superiors."
Ray clenched his fists but remained still. Now wasn't the time to act. He hadn't cared much about the test in the first place. In fact, avoiding it played into his plan. If he ended up with a red sash, he'd have more freedom—more time to study, train on his own, and even hunt for beast crystals. If he were placed in the white sash ranking, he'd be forced to take extra classes, leaving him little time to do what he wanted.
This outcome meant he wouldn't have to fake his test results. If he had gone first, it would have been difficult to gauge how well others had done. Not knowing the limits of his own strength after absorbing the beast crystals, there was a chance he would have overperformed, attracting too much attention. This way, he remained under the radar.
After their exchange, the students exaggerated their responses to Lancy, giving overly respectful replies. Meanwhile, Ray observed how the other knights performed. Most students struggled to move the boulder at all without the gauntlets. Even with them, they barely managed to shift it.
Gary was able to push the boulder to the other side but collapsed in exhaustion afterward. Dan performed slightly better, which was expected given the weight of the staff he carried daily.
The standout of the test was Ian. He didn't just push the boulder—he lifted it and carried it across the field, impressing everyone. Slyvia managed to push the boulder slightly before needing the gauntlets to finish the task. Monk, on the other hand, barely managed to budge the boulder even with assistance.
With the first test concluded, they moved on to the next stage, where Wilfred stood beside a robed figure with his face concealed by a hood.
Wilfred stepped forward. "This test is called the Hell of Fire. It will assess your mental willpower and resilience. The mage beside me hails from Roland Academy. Some magical beasts are capable of casting powerful illusions. The mage will use an illusion spell to simulate the experience of being burned alive. Every minute you endure in the real world equals an hour in the illusion. Your results will be determined by how long you last."
This time, students were called up in order based on their scores. Since Ray had been denied participation in the previous test, his score was the lowest, making him the last to take the trial.
His roommates all performed well, with Slyvia achieving the best time—she lasted a full five minutes. Most students barely managed a few seconds, while the top performers lasted around a minute.
Finally, it was Ray's turn. He stepped onto the stage, planning to last around twenty seconds. He didn't want to stand out, but he also didn't want to place last. A middle-ranking score would give him the best of both worlds.
The mage raised his hands over Ray's head, chanting an incantation. Immediately, an image filled Ray's mind.
But it wasn't flames.
It was a massive red dragon.
Ray's heart pounded. He recognized the dragon instantly—it was him. His former self. The vision vanished as quickly as it had appeared. When Ray opened his eyes, the mage had collapsed to the ground, trembling violently.
"He's cursed! He's cursed by the Red Dragon Sen!" the mage shrieked, shaking uncontrollably.
Wilfred quickly gestured for nearby knights to escort the man away.
The students erupted into hushed murmurs.
"I knew only bad luck would come of him."
"But it only happened to him, not the other red-haired students."
"Does this mean he failed the test?"
Ray walked off the stage, confused. He turned to Gary. "What just happened?"
"I don't know, man," Gary said, shaking his head. "The mage placed his hands over you, cast the spell, and after a second, he was on the floor, sweating and freaking out."
The only explanation Ray could think of was that the vision he had seen—the image of his past self—had also been seen by the mage.