Chapter 10: Rest Is a Luxury
The academy gave Aren Valerius Arcanveil exactly one afternoon of silence.
And even that felt borrowed.
He lay on his dorm bed, eyes closed, breath slow and controlled, as mana circulated through his core in deliberate, shallow cycles. His muscles throbbed with a dull ache—internal bruising that had not yet faded, tendons pulled tight from repeated stress.
Forty-one percent mana, Aren calculated internally.
Physical fatigue moderate. Mental fatigue climbing.
If he were any other student, this would have been the point to stop.
To rest.
To recover.
But Aren wasn't afforded that privilege.
Because he had drawn attention.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
Aren opened his eyes instantly.
Too light to be an instructor, he noted. Too deliberate to be a friend.
He sat up, hand resting loosely near his sword.
"Come in."
The door opened just enough for a uniformed academy attendant to slip inside.
"Student Aren Valerius Arcanveil," the man said formally. "You are hereby notified of a mandatory evaluation session tomorrow morning."
Aren's eyes sharpened.
"Evaluation?"
"Yes. Joint assessment. Mixed division." The attendant hesitated for half a breath. "Attendance is non-negotiable."
Of course it was.
They're not letting me rest, Aren realized. They want to see what I look like when I'm depleted.
"I understand," he said evenly.
The attendant bowed and left.
The door closed softly behind him.
Aren exhaled slowly.
So this is phase two.
Inner Thought – Strategic Assessment
The academy's pattern was becoming clear.
First, probe strength.
Then, test endurance.
Now—
Decision-making under exhaustion.
Aren rose from the bed despite his body's protests and began slow, controlled stretches, forcing blood flow back into sore muscle groups.
I can't skip recovery, he reasoned. But I can optimize it.
He adjusted his mana circulation pattern, redirecting flow away from spellcasting pathways and into physical reinforcement. Pain flared sharply, then dulled.
Good.
That meant it was working.
Dual Path Sovereignty adjusted instinctively, harmonizing the process.
For the first time since his reincarnation, Aren felt the faintest resistance deep within his sword path.
A bottleneck, he realized.
Not lack of power.
But readiness.
If I push during the evaluation… I might break through.
Or break himself.
Elsewhere – Academy Strategy Office
Three instructors stood around a floating projection of Aren's combat data.
"He's still standing," one of them noted.
"And improving," another added quietly.
A third instructor—older, sharper-eyed—folded her arms.
"He's adapting faster than projected."
"Do we intervene?"
The older instructor shook her head.
"No. We observe."
Her gaze lingered on Aren's name.
"Pressure reveals truth."
Morning – Evaluation Grounds
The evaluation field was not an arena.
It was worse.
Wide. Open. Featureless.
No walls.
No cover.
Just students spread across the ground in loose formations.
Aren stood among them, shoulders relaxed, expression neutral.
Mixed division, he thought. Magic, sword, hybrids. No fixed rules.
The instructor's voice echoed.
"This evaluation tests adaptability. You will be assigned dynamic objectives. Failure to comply results in immediate disqualification."
Objectives.
Plural.
Aren's lips twitched faintly.
They really want me to crack.
Mana flared across the field.
Targets materialized—moving constructs, shifting barriers, simulated enemies.
"Begin!"
Combat POV – Aren
Chaos erupted.
Students rushed toward objectives instinctively, spells flying, blades flashing.
Aren didn't rush.
He moved.
Not toward the nearest target—but toward the flow.
Where will conflict form? he asked himself.
Two mages clashed over a central objective.
Three sword students sprinted for a moving construct.
Aren adjusted his path slightly, positioning himself where paths intersected.
Let them come to me.
A construct lunged toward him, blade whirring.
Aren sidestepped, slashing cleanly through its core.
Mana surged.
A spell grazed past his shoulder—friendly fire.
Careless.
He raised a thin mana barrier—not to block, but to redirect—letting the spell curve away.
Someone shouted in surprise.
Aren ignored it.
Opponent POV – Random Sword Student
Why isn't he panicking? the student thought desperately.
Everyone else was scrambling.
But Aren—
Aren looked like he had already mapped the field.
That's unsettling.
Mid-Evaluation Shift
Then the pressure changed.
The field shimmered.
Targets multiplied.
Constructs grew faster. Stronger.
Mana density spiked.
Aren felt it instantly.
They increased difficulty.
His breathing deepened.
Mana reserves dipped further.
Thirty percent.
This is the test.
A construct struck his flank, sending pain flaring through his ribs.
Aren gritted his teeth and countered, blade slicing upward.
Another construct followed.
Then another.
He moved continuously now, footwork tight, blade efficient, mana minimal.
Every movement cost.
Every hesitation punished.
This is what they want, Aren realized. Decision-making under scarcity.
Break Point
Aren's vision blurred for half a second.
Mental fatigue surged.
Danger.
He forced mana into his core, stabilizing circulation, but the sword path pushed back.
The bottleneck screamed.
If I retreat now, I fail.
If he pushed—
Aren inhaled deeply.
One step.
Just one.
He synchronized sword intent and mana perfectly, letting them overlap instead of alternate.
Pain exploded through his body.
But—
The resistance cracked.
Not fully.
Enough.
The next strike cleaved through three constructs in one fluid motion.
The field went quiet.
Instructors stiffened.
Did he just—
Aren staggered back, barely steady.
The evaluation ended moments later.
Aftermath
Aren stood alone, chest heaving, sweat soaking his uniform.
He had not dominated.
He had endured.
The system descended with gravity.
[World Convergence System]
Event Resolution: Forced Evaluation Survival
Performance Grade: High Risk / High Return
Breakthrough Status: Partial (Sword Path)
Stat Growth Applied:
- Stamina: +1
- Vitality: +1
- Sword Mastery: +1
The full panel unfolded
[World Convergence System]
Name: Aren Valerius Arcanveil
Title: Canon-Dead Extra | Evaluation Survivor
Affiliation: House Arcanveil
Path:
- Magic Cultivation
- Sword Cultivation
Realm:
- Magic: Apprentice Mage (Late)
- Sword: Sword Trainee (Peak → Cracked Bottleneck)
Attributes:
- Strength: 17
- Speed: 16
- Stamina: 18 (+1)
- Vitality: 18 (+1)
- Mana: 20
- Mental Focus: 20
Combat Stats:
- Physical Power: B-
- Mana Control: B-
- Sword Mastery: B
- Battle Instinct: B+
Skills:
- Dual Path Sovereignty (Authority · Passive)
- Mana Flow Regulation (Passive)
- Foundation Sword Forms (Advanced)
Plot Metrics:
- Plot Engagement: 33% (+4%)
- Rival Nodes: 8 (Active)
- Fate Attention: Watching → Interested
Condition:
- Extreme Fatigue
- Mana Reserve: 19%
- Bottleneck Instability (Sword Path)
System Evaluation:
- Status: Survived
- Growth Quality: Exceptional
- Warning: Mandatory Recovery Required
Aren dismissed the screen slowly.
He swayed.
Then steadied himself.
I'm still here, he thought. That's enough.
As he left the evaluation grounds, he felt it again.
That gaze.
From above.
Not Kael.
Not Lucien.
Something else.
Something older.
Aren didn't look up.
Let them watch, he decided grimly.
I won't disappear.