The early morning light barely pierced through the small window of my modest dorm room. The training fields below were already alive with movement—students drilling, sparring, and honing their abilities. I sat on the edge of the bed, the events from the previous day still fresh in my mind.
Claude had already left, attending to duties far beyond my comprehension, but his influence lingered in the well-kept room. The quiet hum of the System echoed in the background, persistent and ever-present.
[Good morning, Host. Time to face the day's trials.]
"Good morning to you too," I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
[Today's assessment will be challenging. You should prepare yourself.]
"Thanks for the reminder," I said dryly, pushing off from the bed to stretch. Every muscle in my body protested, aching from the countless attempts at mastering Fireball. My hand was still bandaged from the burns.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. Villain points were nice, but they wouldn't mean much if I couldn't survive the tests.
My gaze wandered over to the System's skill set again, a source of both frustration and hope.
---
Skill Set:
1. Fireball (Complete)
2. Shadow Veil (Locked)
3. Basic Telekinesis (Unstable)
---
There was a sense of accomplishment having managed Fireball—even if it wasn't perfect. Shadow Veil was still inaccessible, likely tied to some deeper, unknown requirement. And the unstable Telekinesis? Well, that was a whole other problem.
[You've unlocked basic control over Basic Telekinesis. Progress will come with practice.]
"Great," I muttered. "Can't wait to accidentally throw something across the room again."
I grabbed my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder. Claude's advice echoed in my mind: "Survive the exam." Easier said than done.
---
The walk to the assessment area was much like the day before—crowded with students of every type and origin. The air buzzed with anticipation, though the tension was thicker than before. Some were confident, others wary. I belonged somewhere in between, still unsure of my footing but determined to forge ahead.
I spotted familiar faces from the registration line—the noble girl with shimmering scales, the boy with glowing eyes—but none paid me much attention. Perhaps my performance yesterday had been dismissed as a fluke. Or maybe, like Claude suggested, it was better to remain unnoticed.
Claude had instructed me to stick close to him after the exam started. He had seen what happened during my impulsive "entrance."
The assessment area was a grand amphitheater carved into the hillside, its tiers lined with stone benches. A central platform sat raised above the gathered students, and at the far end, a group of faculty members—dressed in flowing, elegant robes—watched from a distance, their eyes sharp and calculating.
The first challenge began with a simple combat exercise: sparring with another student. My opponent—a well-muscled noble with a smug smirk—stepped forward confidently. His name was Cedric, and his presence alone felt like a mountain looming over me.
Claude nodded subtly from the crowd, offering a silent gesture of support.
"Remember, the point isn't to win," Claude murmured. "It's to survive."
The duel began with a flash of light and sparks as Cedric unleashed a surge of energy. His aura radiated power—something he clearly relished. I countered with a flicker of Fireball, still unsteady in control, but enough to push him back slightly.
"Pathetic," Cedric sneered, his next attack slicing through the air with more precision.
Adrenaline surged through me. The pressure was suffocating, but beneath the chaos, I sensed something more—an opportunity.
[Shadow Veil unlocked. Use it wisely, Host.]
In the midst of Cedric's onslaught, I focused on my breath, tapping into the newly accessible Shadow Veil. A pulse of dark energy enveloped me, blurring my form and fading into nothingness.
Cedric's attack passed right through the empty air where I had once stood.
"What—?!" His voice cut off, his confusion palpable.
I materialized behind him, my hand brushing lightly against his shoulder, leaving a faint trace of frost that made him shiver.
The crowd murmured, some gasping, others applauding. Cedric turned sharply, his arrogance shattered for a moment.
"That's enough," the examiner's voice rang out, cutting through the tension. "Kaelion Asher advances."
I stepped back, breathing heavily but triumphant. Claude met me at the edge of the platform with a nod, his expression unreadable, though I saw the faintest glint of approval in his eyes.
---
The assessment continued with tasks that ranged from basic spells to more complex maneuvers. With each step, I gained more confidence. Shadow Veil proved invaluable in situations where stealth or misdirection was key. Basic Telekinesis, though still unstable, gave me leverage in situations where physical interaction was necessary.
By the end of the day, I found myself closer to understanding my own strengths, even though the road ahead was far from clear.
Claude walked alongside me as we returned to the dormitory.
"How did it go?" he asked simply, though his gaze never wavered.
"Better than I thought," I admitted, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "Barely."
Claude nodded, his eyes glinting with a hint of approval.
"There's hope for you yet," he said softly.
Hope. It was a dangerous word in a world like this. But at least I was beginning to carve my path, one trial at a time.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, the System's voice echoed again.
[Next task: Ascend beyond expectations.]