> "Phase Two begins."
"Enemy Type: Adaptive Constructs."
"Quantity: Six. Rank: Simulated Tier-4."
"Caution: These enemies learn."
Kaelion narrowed his eyes.
The air shimmered around the center of the platform. Then, with a sound like glass fracturing, six humanoid figures emerged from the runes etched into the stone floor. Each was sleek, polished, inhumanly fast—and equipped with a different weapon.
Sword. Spear. Fists. Whips. Shadow-chain. And bow.
These weren't simple golems.
They studied.
They evolved with every second of combat.
And they were already watching him.
---
Kael didn't move right away. He watched the constructs form their arc around the arena, spreading wide, testing distance.
His team, stunned by his display in Phase One, now hesitated—unsure whether to jump in or stay out of the way.
One of them, a sharp-featured boy with a staff, finally spoke. "Orders?"
Kaelion's voice was quiet.
"Don't die."
Then he moved.
Fast. Clean. Direct.
He vanished with Void Pulse Step, but this time, the constructs tracked him. Three of them adjusted the angle of their weapons mid-step, intercepting his shadow-trace mid-air.
He reappeared—barely in time to twist mid-flip, landing on one knee just behind the whip-user.
A narrow escape.
They really were learning.
> [Warning: Adaptive Constructs increasing speed by 8% per exchange.]
[Tactic: Create instability in rhythm. Randomize steps.]
[New Corebreaker Ability Available: "Disrupt Flow."]
Kael tapped into the System's suggestion.
He let go of pattern.
He let his strikes spiral—switching limbs, angles, timing, steps.
He flowed like someone possessed, using a rhythmless martial art that had no name.
Even the constructs stuttered.
He struck the whip-user's knee joint, dodged a sweeping arrow, spun under the chain lash, and slammed his palm into the chest of the spear-wielder—twisting his body to push with the entire torque of his spine.
Crack.
The construct folded.
> [Kill Confirmed: 1/6]
---
But the others had already recalibrated.
Two moved at once.
The archer vanished into a ripple of light—illusion weaving—while the shadow-chain construct snaked in from the blind spot.
Kael turned too late.
A thin black chain wrapped his right ankle.
In the crowd, murmurs rose. A trap.
But Kael didn't panic.
> [New Action: Corebreaker Manual Override]
[Triggering Coreburst Surge.]
His chest lit up.
A low, humming boom echoed from within.
The next second, a golden pulse erupted from his core, shattering the chain with raw force. The shadow construct flew backward—blasted across the arena.
Kael's eyes glowed silver for a heartbeat.
Not with rage.
With clarity.
---
Two more fell before the others could regroup.
His teammates joined the last moments of the fight—striking from behind, throwing cover spells, and helping corner the final archer who kept vanishing in and out of mirage space.
Kael didn't claim the final blow.
He didn't need to.
They had seen enough.
---
> [Phase Two Complete: Efficiency 87%.]
[Public Ranking Adjustment: F-Class → D-Rank Provisional Candidate.]
[Unlock Granted: Invitation to Elite Track Trial.]
[Unlocked Passive Skill: Core Pressure Field (Minor).]
---
In the stands, nobles muttered to each other, hiding their surprise behind fans and closed expressions. A few leaned into quiet conversations. One or two had already begun writing letters.
At the high box, Council Chair Soral Valen steepled his fingers.
"He's not raw anymore," the man said. "He's refining himself."
Beside him, Velra said nothing—but her smirk deepened.
And across the arena, the heir of House Rivenhart, silver blade resting across his lap, never blinked once during the entire fight.
---
Kaelion walked off the stage with steady steps.
No salute.
No smile.
Just the kind of silence that claimed space.