A heavy hush has fallen over the nobles, high on the cliffs above the arena's wild border. Even the old money snobs and jaded guildmasters are frozen, jaws slack, eyes fixed on the aftermath of the showdown.

The corpse of the Winged Drake sprawls across a half-flattened boulder, its wings drooping, its hide still steaming from ice and lightning. The monster's last breaths hang in the air.

All the while, Jacob and Felisia stand on a patch of grass not far away, their clothes unruffled, hair neat, skin clear, their bodies giving off the glow of a morning after a spa day.

The nobles murmur. It is not the malicious peanut gallery of earlier rounds—now their words drift more in confusion and reluctant awe.

"How did that peasant get out of this without a scratch?" a pale old merchant says, gripping the rail.

"He must have some rare good luck. The Elf and Lady Adrienne look half-dead, but the other two…" Another noble shakes his head, lips curling, not in anger but in the shock of witnessing something that upends what he thought he knew about dungeons.

"Perhaps he hid the whole fight? Let the others do the work?"

"No, look at Felisia—she's the same. They both must have done something right. You don't get that lucky twice in a row."

A few shake their heads in wonder, peering at the mirrors.

"That one's got nerves of steel, that's all I'll say."

* * *

Adrienne collapses near the edge of the clearing, wings dissolving into mist as she tries to catch her breath. Her chest heaves, sweat running in streaks down her face. She glances at Veyl, who is bent double, hands on his knees, his breathing so ragged it sounds like he swallowed broken glass.

Adrienne whispers, barely audible, "What just happened? Why do those two look like they spent the morning at a hot spring and not fighting for their lives?"

Veyl spits on the ground, eyes narrowed at Jacob.

"There's no way this is real. He must be cheating, using some artifact or trick to hide his wounds. I'm not buying it." He sparks lightning along his fingers, voice rising as he points at Jacob. "Come on, you bastard. You want to show off? Try fighting fair."

Jacob raises a hand in mock surrender.

"I'm all for a rematch, but unless you want another monster breathing fire up your ass, maybe we should keep moving."

Adrienne straightens, forcing herself to look steady.

"Jacob's right. If there's a monster like that guarding this passage, the next leg of the trial's probably crawling with more of them, maybe stronger ones. If we waste energy fighting among ourselves, we'll lose before we even see the throne."

Veyl scowls.

"We don't need help. I, an Elf ordained by the High Court, refuse to share any more time fighting alongside that peasant."

I can't keep the grin off my face.

"What's so funny?" Veyl snaps.

I point at Felisia, then at Adrienne, then at Veyl and myself.

"Because this isn't really a trial for you, Veyl. It's a trial for them." I jab my thumb at Adrienne and Felisia. "That monster wasn't supposed to be 'easy to handle,' even for you guys. I'd bet Lord Clearwater is testing the both of you."

Felisia echoes my words, a little uncertain but catching on.

"Testing us?"

"Exactly," I say, letting the smugness leak into my voice.

* * *

On the viewing cliff, every noble has turned to look at Lord Clearwater. He leans back, folds his arms, and sighs. "That scoundrel saw right through it."

A few nobles blink in confusion. Others start to nod, understanding dawning on their faces.

* * *

"When I worked the mines with my father, before I got out and started my own path," I say, "he taught me a few hard lessons. Sometimes, you get sent to a place you're not meant to survive alone. If you go past that point, you get a beating."

Adrienne scrunches her nose, confusion obvious.

"'Beating?' Like a monster attacks you?"

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Felisia shakes her head.

"He means a literal beating, Adrienne."

Veyl's frown deepens, but he stays silent.

I continue, "It means you're not supposed to pass through certain tunnels by yourself. If you do, and things go bad, you need a team. You need someone at the safe point to raise the alarm or pull you out. Some jobs, you can't do alone. That's the lesson. That's the point of this trial."

A long silence stretches as the meaning sinks in.

Adrienne breaks it, thinking aloud. "With Calantha, this would have been much easier. Why did you force her to leave?"

I shrug. "I don't have precognition. I couldn't have known this was the test. But now I see why your father arranged things this way." For the first time, I catch a look of respect in Adrienne's eyes.

She glances at Felisia, at Veyl, and then back at the drake's corpse.

"He wanted us to fight together. There's not a single one of us who could have soloed that beast and come out clean. Not even you, Veyl."

Veyl sneers.

"Only a coward or a weakling needs help. I'll prove it on the next monster. I won't depend on a peasant for anything." Adrienne doesn't bother to hide her disgust, but she keeps her thoughts to herself.

Felisia sighs, finally grasping the real trial.

"So this is supposed to be an opportunity for us to work together."

I nod, my voice serious now.

"This isn't about individual glory. It's about survival. Maybe that's what Lord Clearwater wants you to see before you're handed power."

Veyl snorts, eyes full of scorn. "Maybe that's what you want to believe, but I'm not wasting any more time with your drivel. Let's rest up. I won't have an excuse for losing to you."

I grin at him, all teeth. "Do you need extra time to meditate, Veyl? Don't tell me you burn mana faster than I do."

Veyl glowers.

"In this joke of a contest, two hours is more than enough."

Adrienne cuts in, voice tight with fatigue.

"We should rest at least four hours. You're running on fumes."

Veyl brushes her aside with a wave.

"If you want to laze around with these bottom-feeders, be my guest. Two hours, not a minute more." He sits, arms crossed, every inch the stubborn Elf.

Adrienne frowns but doesn't argue further.

Felisia sits with me, and I settle in, closing my eyes.

* * *

During the rest, I make every minute count. While Adrienne and Veyl glare daggers at each other and try to meditate, I quietly summon the Grimoire and start working on Dark Blade. I fix more flaws, reroute mana channels, patch every inefficiency I can spot. I use the down time to push the Skill higher, draining my reserves almost to zero before the break ends.

When I finish, I switch straight into Meditation, pouring my focus into rapid recovery. My mana and stamina fill back up, if not completely, then enough for another fight.

Adrienne eyes me as I gasp for breath after a Grimoire session.

"You're going to burn yourself out. What's the point?"

I smile.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

Veyl snorts.

"You'll die on the next monster, and it won't bother me one bit."

Felisia nudges me, whispering, "Don't push yourself too hard."

* * *

Among the nobles, the debate has reignited. "What is Jacob doing? He wastes mana, exhausts himself—does he think this is the end?"

Sir Renquell observes, rubbing his chin.

"He's optimizing for something. Maybe he sees a flaw in the monsters, or maybe he wants to level up before the next fight."

"He's mad, then," mutters another noble. "He'll just get himself killed."

Lord Clearwater only smiles, watching the field.

* * *

We break camp, everyone topped off or close to it. The path climbs higher, the air growing thin and cold. Before long, a new monster blocks the route: a massive, hunched shape with ragged brown fur and a wicked ironwood staff. Its yellow eyes gleam with intelligence and hate. The System overlay flashes:

[Casting Monkey — Level 190]

Veyl steps forward, voice cold.

"You two," he points at me and Felisia, "will handle the ranged attacks. I expect you to keep it distracted."

Felisia opens her mouth to protest, but I cut her off.

"That's fine. We'll take care of the hardest part. Just try not to get yourselves killed up close."

Veyl blinks, thrown off by my easy agreement. He was expecting a fight, not compliance.

We fan out. Felisia and I unleash volleys of magic—she uses Grand Water Slash, I alternate between Fire Slash and flickers of Infernal energy. The monkey absorbs the first wave with a flick of its staff, then retaliates by hurling boulders of mana and fireballs that force us to dodge and weave.

Veyl and Adrienne close in, but the monster proves it's not just a caster. It fights like a berserker, staff spinning in deadly arcs, tail whipping stones and dirt. Veyl launches lightning, but the monster seems oddly resistant, shaking off the shocks and landing brutal blows. Adrienne surrounds herself with ice shields, but every hit cracks them.

Felisia and I rain down magic.

The monkey starts to slow, cracks appearing on its staff, blood matting its fur. Still, our damage only goes so far. The monster pivots, tail lashing out, sending Felisia tumbling backward. I catch her, help her up, then flick my wrist.

Shadows gather behind the monkey.

Dark Lattice winds around its body, sucking at its vitality and mana.

Adrienne and Veyl press the attack, draining the last of their reserves as they force the monster to its knees. I hurl one last Fire Slash, Felisia follows with Water Slash, and the monkey collapses in a heap, staff splitting with a final crack.

The aftermath looks much like before.

Veyl and Adrienne can barely stand, sweat pouring from every pore, faces drawn and hollow. Felisia and I look…well, not fresh, but definitely less battered.

I make a show of dusting off my hands.

Veyl glares daggers at me. His jaw works in silence, and his hand twitches as if considering murder. He glares at Adrienne, but she just looks away, disgust in her eyes. The four of us collapse to the ground.

Veyl grinds out, "We rest until everyone's topped off this time. No more of your games, Cloud."

I raise a middle finger at him, not bothering to hide it.

Felisia bursts out laughing.

"Come on, let's get to the top before they do. They're too tired to follow."

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