The bells chimed—deep, resonant, almost heavenly—just as a burst of shimmering confetti and swirling magic washed through the colosseum. It glittered like stardust in the sunlight, drifting down in slow spirals. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Everything around me felt unreal, dreamlike, breathtaking.
The air itself hummed with magic.
My heart hammered.
Director Raymond's voice thundered over us through projection magic:
"Welcome, trainees, to the 187th Knight's Apprentice Exam!"
The crowd exploded. A wall of cheers slammed into me from every direction. My chest tightened—not from fear, but from awe. This was it. Everything I trained for… everything I suffered for… was about to be tested.
The director continued, "Today, we are honored by the presence of our esteemed guests."
My gaze was drawn upward to the massive glass viewing box high above the colosseum arena.
My breath caught.
There they were:
The Ten Knight Captains of Lionhearth, lined in formation like carved statues of power.
But it didn't end there.
Seven other figures sat with them—figures whose mere presence shifted the atmosphere.
I recognized the first two from descriptions:
The Grand General of the kingdom's armies.
The Knight Commander, the highest authority beneath the royal family.
Then… the impossible.
Five more figures stepped into view.
The Royal Family.
King Leon IX, with his lion-like golden eyes.
Queen Lucina, serene and radiant.
The princes—Leo and Landon, both young men with strong, noble bearing.
And finally, the one the crowd reacted to the most—
Princess Lilith, the jewel of Lionhearth.
All the key powers of the kingdom… all watching us.
I swallowed hard.
Reality slammed into me like a hammer.
This was no simple exam.
This was the stage where lives could change.
The director raised his hand.
"This year's exam consists of three trials. The first is the Maze Trial."
A huge magic circle ignited beneath us, radiating brilliant white light.
"You will be teleported into the exam forest. Your goal is simple: collect as many point sticks as you can. These point sticks are white, glowing rods scattered throughout the forest."
Whispers rippled through the arena.
"To pass, you must collect at least twenty."
My stomach twisted.
Twenty…
Then the director shouted:
"BEGIN!"
Light swallowed everything.
The Maze Forest
I hit the ground on my knees.
Teleportation magic felt like someone grabbed my soul and yanked it sideways. My vision blurred, my head swayed, and my stomach flipped. By the time I scrambled to my feet—
Everyone else was already running.
Even the five prodigies had vanished into the trees.
"Crap… already a bad start."
I sprinted forward.
The forest was thick, humid, and filled with a faint mist. Strange bird calls echoed in the distance. Monsters roamed—but they were weak ones. Goblins. Hobgoblins. Dire wolves. Nothing I couldn't handle.
But I wasn't here to fight.
Not unless I had to.
I stayed in the treetops, weaving through branches, moving fast and quietly. From above, I saw groups forming alliances, splitting point sticks evenly so everyone passed.
Smart… but not my style.
Thirty minutes passed.
I had seven point sticks tucked safely away.
"Thirteen more…"
I kept moving, using the trees as cover. Every so often, I'd hear shouting or see sparks fly below as contestants clashed.
I followed the noise—and found them.
The Five Prodigies.
Battling an entire group of older trainees.
Their aura flickered around them—gold, blue, green, red, and silver—each color representing their affinity. The forest shook with each clash. Blitz-fast sword slashes, spear thrusts, and arrows flying.
Their opponents?
Destroyed in less than five minutes.
But something strange happened.
As I watched…
I could follow it.
Every movement.
Every feint.
Every shift in stance.
Every opening left in their defense.
I replayed it in my mind instantly—how I would counter, where I would strike, how I would break their rhythm.
I could see it all.
My breath hitched.
Was this… me getting stronger?
Was this the result of everything I'd endured—the blood, the injuries, the endless training?
The doubt that always lived inside me flickered for a moment… then dimmed.
My labor…
my suffering…
my determination—
Was finally bearing fruit.