"Haah… haah…"
Jimmy's breath ca out in ragged gasps as he darted through the narrow path carved between towering ice pillars.
He didn't know what kind of challenge he might have to face, that's why the best tactic was to not let his position beco obvious, which would allow the enemy to easily strike him down.
This was the third—and final—test.
It was designed to push every candidate to their limits, to see how well they could react in the face of a sudden ambush or disaster. The Disciplinary Chief had personally created this frozen maze, with massive ice spikes rising all over the training ground, cutting off vision and narrowing movent.
Each participant had to carry a training doll, ant to represent an injured student. The goal: protect the 'victim' and reach the safe zone without getting tagged by any of the traps or patrols hidden within.
Jimmy's arms tightened around the doll. He had to move carefully now. He was at the final stage—and one mistake would ruin everything.
Averis had already made her choice. She stopped after the second round, satisfied with a position as a regular officer.
The others also decided not to push themselves any further since in this challenge, they wouldn't know when they would be hit.
But not Jimmy.
He wasn't here to settle.
He wanted the top.
And this was his chance to prove he deserved it.
Thump.
SCREEECH.
A loud crash echoed behind Jimmy, followed by the sharp, skin-crawling sound of tal scraping against ice.
Sothing-or soone—had landed close.
Too close.
Jimmy didn't stop to look. He couldn't afford to. His legs pumped harder, feet slamming against the frozen ground as he weaved through the icy maze. The sharp turns, the narrow gaps—it all blurred. He had one goal:
Reach the safe zone.
He clutched the training dummy tighter, pretending it was a real person. Soone injured. Soone depends on him.
He was not desperate to reach the top, but to show that he didn't ace the practical exams by luck. And for that, he must remain focused.
But then—he glanced back.
A shadow.
It moved between the pillars, silent, smooth, and getting closer.
Jimmy cursed under his breath and turned sharply—
"Stop running already."
"Ugh!"
He slamd straight into soone.
His body bounced off and hit the ground with a hard thud. The training doll nearly slipped from his grasp as he landed on his butt, groaning.
He looked up.
And froze.
Him.
The new Hero.
The one people whispered about. The one who took down a Demon General like it was nothing.
Jimmy's hands trembled as he pushed himself up. His back burned, and his breath ca in quick bursts. But his scythe was already in his hand, glowing faintly, and he shifted into a stance.
He wasn't going to back down.
Not even now.
The dummy was still cradled in his arms. He'd fight if he had to. Or run. Whichever got him through.
Austin stood there, relaxed. Too relaxed. One hand in his pocket, the other loose by his side. His gaze was calm, almost bored.
"You wish to fight , huh?"
His voice was cold, smooth, like he wasn't talking to an opponent, but a fly buzzing in his ear.
Jimmy's grip tightened. His legs were tense, ready to spring at the first opening.
"You must be pretty confident in yourself," Jimmy said, trying to sound brave. But the words ca out shaky, like a bitter laugh aid at himself.
Of course, he was confident.
He ended a war.
And Jimmy?
He was just trying to survive a test.
"Look, there's an easy way to end this. The painless way," Austin said calmly, his voice echoing across the frozen spikes.
As he spoke, two silver hamrs shimred into existence in his hands.
Jimmy blinked.
Hamrs?
Wasn't his Shard a dagger? Or maybe a sword?
What was this guy?
Austin didn't stop. He stepped forward, slow and certain.
"Give the hostage, and I'll let you go. If you don't..."
THUMP.
He slamd one hamr into the ground. The ice cracked under its weight, and a shockwave rippled out—Jimmy stumbled, barely keeping his grip on the dummy.
That wasn't just for show.
"...then you know what happens next."
Jimmy's breath hitched.
He looked past Austin—there.
A gap in the wall of ice. An opening.
Just a few ters.
That was all he needed. A few ters, and he'd be out.
But those few ters might as well have been a hundred.
Because standing between him and escape was a monster in human skin.
Jimmy's heart pounded. Sweat clung to his forehead.
He wasn't stupid—he knew he couldn't win. Not against him.
He might have been weak in the past, but this war has changed many things. And just out of curiosity, Jimmy wasn't going to check if Austin really lives up to those rumors.
For him, this wasn't about winning.
It was about survival.
And keeping the "injured" hostage safe.
He had to think. Outsmart him. Trick him.
Because of brute strength? That wouldn't save him here.
Not today.
Jimmy's mouth moved.
Austin narrowed his eyes. Sothing about it felt off.
That wasn't a nervous twitch.
He's planning sothing.
"This ends here," Austin stepped forward, but that one inch was all Jimmy needed.
Ptuh!
Jimmy spat out whatever he had been chewing.
A pair of slimy, pulsing orbs flew through the air, and the mont they hit the ground—
BOOM!
They burst.
And then—
Darkness.
Pitch black, thick and choking. Like a blanket thrown over the world. Austin's vision vanished instantly, and the cold from the ice walls felt even sharper now that sight had abandoned him.
The battlefield was swallowed whole.
Jimmy's trap had sprung.
He bolted forward, pouring every last drop of strength into his sprint.
His plan was simple—don't fight, just run.
Get past him. Get out.
His heart pounded, chest tight, his breath short. The exit was there, so close he could taste it.
'Just a little more—Agh!'
Suddenly, his body jerked backward.
His collar was caught.
He didn't think—he reacted.
With a desperate growl, Jimmy hurled the hostage toward the glowing light ahead, toward freedom.
But—
TUNG!
The doll slamd against an invisible wall, and a shimring barrier sparked to life, humming with magic.
Jimmy froze.
That was it.
He lost.
Valerie snapped her fingers, and the towering ice spikes around them crumbled into mist.
The results were expected, but a quiet wave of disappointnt swept through the audience. Many had hoped to witness a miracle—a first-year pulling off the impossible.
Austin let go of Jimmy's collar and asked gently, "You good?"
The boy looked like he was on the verge of breaking. His breaths were shaky, his pride bruised.
Jimmy closed his eyes for a mont, then exhaled deeply. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just... not used to losing."
Austin gave a small nod. "With how many plans you usually cook up, I'm not surprised. You don't strike as soone who loses often."
Jimmy didn't answer, but the complint was clear.
He understood the situation right away. Close combat in a tight space, while guarding a hostage, was a trap. That's why he hadn't hesitated to look for a way out from the very beginning.
Smart. But not enough—not this ti.
"You did well, Jimmy. I didn't expect anyone to push Austin to use his barrier," Sheldon said with genuine appreciation, making Austin grumble under his breath.
Even Austin hadn't expected to bring out the Absolute Barrier during a simple assessnt.
Valerie gave a gentle smile. "You did well, my Lord," she said, her voice soft but proud.
Austin smiled....and so did Jimmy.
"Hey, she didn't praise you," Austin complained, ready to summon God's Wrath again.
Jimmy gave an apologetic smile.
"I'll assign your role tomorrow," Sheldon continued. "et before class."
With that, the group began to disperse. It was already dinner ti, and everyone was ready to return to their rooms.
But just as Austin turned to leave, a voice rang out.
"Senior Austin… can I ask why you didn't use your Shard?"
Everyone stopped.
Even those already a few steps away turned around, curiosity clear in their eyes. Other than Valerie and Rhea, no one had seen Austin's Shard in action.
Naturally, they were interested.
Austin glanced back over his shoulder, locking eyes with the boy. His answer ca without hesitation.
"Because I didn't want you to surrender right away."
"…"
Silence spread through the ground like a slow wave.
Averis gave a soft scoff while the others just remained standing in silence.
It didn't even feel arrogant—just factual. And that made it even more chilling.
His reputation had already painted him as soone dangerous.
But now?
Now, everyone was asking the sa question:
'Just what kind of power does he hold?'
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- You better not find out or you might drop out. Ah, I was thinking of dividing the chapters in two rather than making on 1.5k worded chap. Your thoughts?
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