The battlefield had changed.
At the beginning of the assessment, the Evaluation Grounds had felt endless.
A world where two hundred and five students could disappear into forests, ruins, and mountains without ever crossing paths.
That illusion was gone.
The barrier continued to shrink.
The safe areas became smaller.
The battles became louder.
And the students who remained were no longer the ones who had simply gotten lucky.
They were the ones who had adapted.
Remaining participants: 120.
The announcement echoed throughout the arena.
For some, it was a warning.
For others, it was a challenge.
---
Kael moved silently through the remains of an ancient stone pathway.
The stones beneath his feet were cracked from previous battles, and faint traces of mana still lingered in the air.
He had noticed something.
The atmosphere had changed.
At first, students avoided conflict.
They hid.
They waited.
They conserved their strength.
Now?
They were searching.
Names were spreading.
The strongest fighters had become known.
The dangerous fighters had become avoided.
And Kael...
Kael had become something else.
A question.
"The No-Path from F-Class."
"The student who scored first in theory."
"The one who defeated a C-Class student."
He could feel it.
The way people looked at him had changed.
Before, they saw someone who didn't belong.
Now...
They weren't sure what to think.
Kael stopped beside a broken pillar.
Being underestimated had always been his advantage.
If people thought he was weak, they made mistakes.
But now?
That advantage was slowly disappearing.
He looked down at his wrapped fists.
"Then I'll have to adapt."
---
Elsewhere in the Evaluation Grounds...
Three students walked through a field covered in broken weapons.
Rhett.
Brann.
Kellis.
They had changed since the beginning of the year.
At first, they were simply known as troublesome D-Class students.
Strong enough to look down on weaker classes.
But not strong enough to stand among the true elites.
The assessment had changed that.
Rhett walked at the front.
His eyes constantly moved across the battlefield.
Every sound.
Every movement.
Every trace of mana.
He noticed everything.
Brann followed behind him, carrying himself with confidence.
His fighting style had changed.
He was still powerful.
But no longer reckless.
He didn't waste movements.
He didn't waste energy.
And then there was Kellis.
His improvement was obvious.
His attacks were sharper.
His decisions were faster.
But his eyes held something different.
A frustration that refused to disappear.
Kael Virex.
No matter how far Kellis climbed...
That name remained in his mind.
---
The three eventually reached an open area.
A large group of students had gathered there.
Around twenty people.
Their uniforms represented the lower classes.
F-Class.
E-Class.
Lower D-Class.
They had formed an alliance.
Numbers were their strength.
When they saw Rhett's group approaching, several students laughed.
"Only three?"
"Do they really think they can survive alone?"
One student stepped forward.
"You D-Class students always think you're better than everyone else."
Rhett stopped.
He looked at the group.
Then calmly said:
"We aren't here to prove anything."
The student laughed.
"Then leave."
Rhett's expression didn't change.
"No."
The next few moments changed everything.
---
The group attacked first.
They expected a struggle.
They expected three students desperately trying to survive.
Instead...
They found a wall.
Rhett moved first.
Not because he was the fastest.
Because he understood the battlefield.
He immediately identified the strongest opponent.
Removed them.
Then the second biggest threat.
Then the third.
His movements were efficient.
Controlled.
A leader.
Brann followed.
Where Rhett created openings, Brann exploited them.
His strikes carried overwhelming force, but every attack had purpose.
No wasted movements.
No unnecessary aggression.
Kellis was different.
He fought like someone trying to prove a point.
Every opponent he faced was someone standing between him and his goal.
He didn't just want to survive.
He wanted to show that he was no longer weak.
The alliance collapsed.
One by one, badges activated.
"Participant eliminated."
"Participant eliminated."
"Participant eliminated."
---
The remaining students stared.
They had expected three D-Class students.
What they witnessed was something else.
One of them looked at Rhett.
"That guy..."
"He has to be B-Class level."
Another looked between the three.
"Then who is the leader?"
Their eyes moved toward Kellis.
His expression.
His confidence.
The way he pushed forward without hesitation.
They misunderstood.
They thought he was the strongest.
One student asked carefully:
"Are you the leader?"
Kellis paused.
For years...
People had looked at him with annoyance.
Disappointment.
Disrespect.
But now...
They were looking at him with fear.
With recognition.
He didn't correct them.
"No."
A small smile appeared.
"I'm just the one who won't fall behind."
---
Later...
The three stood away from the battlefield.
Another announcement echoed.
"Participant eliminated."
Then another.
Kellis looked up.
A familiar name appeared among the announcements.
Kael Virex.
Again.
His expression darkened.
Even here.
Even in the middle of an assessment where hundreds were fighting...
Kael continued moving forward.
Rhett noticed.
"You still haven't forgotten about him."
Kellis remained silent.
Brann looked away.
Everyone knew.
Kellis' obsession with Kael had never disappeared.
But something had changed.
Before...
He wanted Kael to fail.
Now...
He wanted Kael removed.
The battlefield was too large.
Finding one person among hundreds was difficult.
But there were hundreds of students looking for an advantage.
Kellis slowly looked around.
Then smiled.
---
"Everyone wants something from this assessment."
Rhett looked at him.
"What are you thinking?"
Kellis looked toward the distant forests.
"An opportunity."
---
Within minutes, whispers began spreading.
At first, quietly.
Then faster.
"Did you hear?"
"Someone is offering a reward."
"For what?"
A name.
"Kael Virex."
The information spread through the battlefield.
Anyone who located Kael and reported his position would receive a large amount of evaluation credit.
Enough to greatly improve their final placement.
Students who had been hiding began moving.
Students searching for opponents changed direction.
A new target had appeared.
---
Far away...
Kael continued walking.
Unaware.
He had spent the entire assessment avoiding attention.
Avoiding unnecessary battles.
Avoiding becoming a target.
But the battlefield had changed.
The rules had changed.
And now...
The battlefield itself was searching for him.