Nathan sat on the sidelines of the training arena, catching his breath as the echoes of clashing weapons filled the air. He had been granted a little reprieve after defeating Marcus, but the battle struggles were far from over. The instructors were relentless, calling out names and sending students into the ring one after another.
He gripped his sword more tightly, its weathered wood slippery with perspiration. Aurora sat next to him, her keen blue eyes glancing over the matches as the hum of the crowd reverberated in the background.
"You're doing better than I expected," she remarked, a small smile teasing her.
Nathan mumbled, his voice tinged with fatigue, "Happy I could surpass your low expectations."
Aurora laughed. "I'm not kidding. Caelum, you've changed. You would have been completely exhausted following a contest like that a month ago.
Although her words stayed with him, Nathan shrugged. She was not mistaken. Yes, the system had given him an advantage, but he had come this far because of his unwavering will to succeed.
"Caelum! "Lys!" Amidst the commotion, one of the teachers yelled. "Next game."
Adjusting the hem of her robe, Aurora stood up with a practiced ease. "Try to keep up, alright?"
Standing with a grunt, Nathan's muscles strained. "Fantastic. Simply fantastic."
This time, the arena felt different. The audience was more attentive and more subdued. With their weapons ready, Nathan and Aurora stood opposite one another. In one hand she carried a thin wand, its tip shining dimly with vitality.
Aurora's grin widened as she lifted an eyebrow. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Nathan replied, tightening his grip on his sword.
The arena echoed with the instructor's loud voice. "Start!"
First to move, Aurora made a broad arc with her wand. From its point, a blaze erupted, rushing with lightning speed in Nathan's direction. The flames seared the air where he had been standing, and he jumped to the side before he could react.
"You're faster than I thought," she called in a playful tone.
Nathan remained silent. He sprang forward, taking a few short steps to bridge the distance between them. Aurora took a step back and cast another spell on him, her wand gleaming. He lost his balance due to a sudden gust of wind this time.
His eyes narrowed as he observed her motions, and he staggered but got back up fast. Aurora's spells flowed naturally from one to the other, and her attacks were accurate. He couldn't fight her or use force to get through this.
The system chimed faintly in his mind: "Tip: Exploit your opponent's reliance on range. Close the distance to neutralize their advantage."
A smile flickered across Nathan's lips. "All right, let's give that a shot."
He drew another spell from Aurora, a spray of ice shards that just missed him, and feinted left. Then he turned and sprang at her with a sudden force that surprised her. As he drew closer, his sword flying in a broad arc, her eyes grew wide.
With a quick barrier spell, she was able to deflect the blow, the impact being absorbed by the glistening shield. Nathan, however, persisted. He launched the assault, causing her to back off gradually. She attempted to reply with a flashing wand, but she had limited space to move due to his unrelenting attack.
Finally, with a well-timed strike, he knocked the wand from her hand. The arena became quiet as it clattered to the floor.
"Match over!" the instructor declared. "Winner: Nathan Caelum."
With his chest heaving, Nathan lowered his blade and looked directly into Aurora's eyes. After giving him a long look, she burst out laughing, a bright, sincere sound.
She took out her wand and exclaimed, "Well, I'll be damned." "You actually beat me."
Nathan remarked, "Lucky break," although his smile belied that.
Aurora's grin reappeared as she shook her head. "Don't let it go to your head, Caelum. You have a long way to go yet."
The last trials went relatively quickly. Nathan continued to fight, each round taking him one step closer to his breaking point. His heart felt lighter than it had in weeks, but at the end of the day, his body was wailing for sleep.
The students assembled again in the central plaza as the sun began to set. The results were announced by the professors, who stood at the front with harsh expressions.
One of them yelled out, looking around the crowd, "Nathan Caelum."
With a knotted gut, Nathan took a step forward. As he walked to the front, he felt the weight of every whisper and every look.
The instructor gave him a small metal pin and remarked, "Well done." Its surface gleamed amid the last of the light, bearing the academy's crest. "You've passed the trials. Keep pushing yourself—you might surprise us yet."
For a minute, Nathan gazed at the pin, his chest constricted with a mixture of pride and comfort. He had succeeded. He earned his place here.
Nathan sat on his bed in his dorm that night, the system interface lighting dimly in front of him. During the trials, he hadn't needed to check it. Now that the day was over, though, he went to the status page.
[Heavenly Ascent System Interface]
Name: Nathan Caelum
Level: 3 (Beginner Tier)
Core Attributes:
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Endurance: 7
Intelligence: 6
Mana: 6
EXP to Next Level: 200/300
With his fingers grazing the academy pin fastened to his uniform, Nathan grinned. His trip was only getting started, but the difficulties were ended. His eyes shifted to the window where the stars were just starting to emerge, and he waved his hand to close the interface.
"I'm not going to stop here," he whispered. "Not even close."