A little less than three weeks.
That was the total amount of ti I had with Stacia.
Ti I used to train her properly under our ntor–ntee agreent.
During those short weeks, I pushed her closer and closer to the highest version of herself — or at least what she could handle for now.
She wasn’t at her absolute peak yet, but even then, she was already the strongest among the current first-year heroines... if we’re not counting the Saintess and her cheat-like divine blessings, of course.
Everything I did was ant to nourish her growth: feeding her with the right items, fine-tuning her mana control and release, and putting her through so pretty brutal physical routines that most people wouldn’t survive without passing out at least once.
It wasn’t easy for her — but she never really backed down either.
Even though our training got cut short, I had no doubt she’d reach her true peak on her own.
She just needed ti.
Before we split ways, we made a small promise.
Nothing dramatic — just an understanding. To not let each other down.
I ant that seriously.
And I assud she did too.
Still... I didn’t expect to see the results of that promise this soon.
Fate sure has a way of shoving things in your face when you’re least in the mood for it.
As the light above shone down on the field inside this cave, the two figures who had just entered stood where the mist parted.
Stacia — my forr ntee.
And beside her was Vanessa — soone I’ve been curious about for a while now.
Her future’s tied to an evil goddess that I’ve been planning to keep a close eye on.
Definitely not soone I can afford to ignore.
That said, it wasn’t too strange that she was with Stacia.
Given their relationship, I figured she’d tag along.
Also... I could sense a few more students lurking in the distance, maybe a few hundred ters back, just outside the cave’s core.
They were trying to stay hidden, but their presence was weak.
’Not really worth worrying about.’
Right now, only two people mattered.
’Stacia Alger Del Luna and Vanessa.’
I’ve already morized most of their key kits and specs by now.
I had to — it was only natural since I trained one of them personally, and the other was tied to a potential future problem.
Handling both of them at once wasn’t sothing I’d call difficult. Not really.
I already had counters in mind.
Stacia had a more aggressive, explosive way of fighting.
Ever since I drilled it into her to stop relying too much on delicate mana control, she’s fully leaned into raw output instead — using her flas like a living storm.
And it worked for her.
Her fire wasn’t just hot — it had weight.
It carried mana in such a dense and violent way that casting any spells near her was like asking to get your circuits burned.
Even I, with all my layered mana and reinforced quality, wasn’t completely immune.
Standing too close while casting would just backfire — literally.
That ant if I wanted to handle her without wasting my divine power — which would honestly be overkill anyway — I had to fight her head-on.
Speed, mobility, and tid strikes.
A hit-and-run tactic.
Get in, land a blow, get out before the flas swallow the space around her.
Then there’s Vanessa.
To be honest, she wasn’t too dangerous unless she went all out and revealed her sacred elven techniques.
Without that, her raw magic power didn’t match up to soone like Rose, or even Snow.
She wasn’t bad by any ans — just not the best.
At least not when it ca to straight-up casting.
But what made Vanessa tricky was her illusion magic.
Her affinity with it was dangerously high.
Unlike most mages who need prep ti or a stable field to create illusions, she could mix them into the middle of a fight, making reality feel like a coin toss.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d find myself swinging at a shadow, only to get stabbed by the real one from behind.
So yeah — not a direct threat in terms of raw power.
But annoying to deal with?
Very.
Luckily, I had my [Skill: True Sight] to deal with that.
It cut straight through Vanessa’s illusions like fog under sunlight — not perfect, but enough to give a fighting edge.
Honestly, I was proud.
Genuinely proud and a bit happy, seeing how far both Stacia and Vanessa had co.
Their current specs were no joke — strong enough to put pressure even on , at least when I wasn’t going all-out.
But none of that changed my main objective.
Hold my ground.
Don’t let a single student reach the center.
That was still my role in this exam — as the final gatekeeper, the S-rank "monster" protecting the hidden treasure.
And... for other reasons.
I needed to see sothing — a few things, actually.
I wanted to witness Stacia at her peak, see how she fought now with her current strength.
And I needed to confirm sothing about Vanessa — whether or not she’d react to the lingering effect of my blessing.
Right as I was gathering my thoughts—
[Note: A Demonic presence is currently looming near user’s vicinity. Automatic activation of— "]
’Cancel the precaution.’
[Understood.]
Looks like the system’s still on edge because of Seo’s sword, huh?
I glanced around.
It made sense.
I ignored it the first ti we t, but now that she’s here again — bringing that cursed blade with her — I could feel the faint unease crawling at the edges of my mana field.
Still, I didn’t need distractions.
Seo being here would just scatter my focus, and I couldn’t afford that — not with Asmodeus possibly lurking.
’System... can you redirect detection focus? Prioritize any signs of demonic presence with unknown origin. Far range. Sowhere between west and north from my current position, if possible.’
[Note: Request applicable. Warning: Doing so will automatically apply skill resonance to maintain wide-range scanning.]
’It’s fine. Proceed.’
[Request acknowledged. System will now scan kiloters outside current mana field for any demonic anomalies.]
With that settled, I stood up.
Now, even if sothing unexpected happens — especially on Rose’s side — I’ll know right away.
The system’s scan would alert long before anything managed to sneak up.
It was a comforting thought... one of the few I had in the middle of all this chaos.
I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword, still embedded in the ground like a solemn marker, and shifted my gaze to the two juniors standing before .
Both of them stared with a wariness that was justified.
After all, they knew sothing was off.
Stacia had probably sensed it by now.
Unlike the last ti we trained, I wasn’t bothering to suppress my mana.
No, this ti it was spilling out freely, raw and crackling, weaving into the very air around us like a brewing storm.
The fog that clung to the field buzzed with a faint static hum, laced with glimrs of light and low rumbles of restrained thunder.
"Seo, you can go now."
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"...Do you not want to help?"
I shook my head, still keeping my eyes on the two girls in front of .
"No.... and also, you need to protect your designated area now."
"...Okay then." A small pause. "I’ll clear out the pests hiding in the back before I leave."
"Thank you."
She gave a quiet nod of acknowledgnt — not that I saw it, but I felt it.
BZZZT—!!!!
Then, in the blink of an eye, Seo vanished in a brilliant streak of violet lightning, her movent so fast it flashed past Stacia and Vanessa like a bolt from a god’s wrath.
Both of their eyes widened in shock, bodies slightly tensing as if bracing for an attack that never ca.
Of course, they couldn’t follow her.
If they wanted to challenge , they’d have to react faster than that.
Electricity began to gather around , static currents crawling across the fog like veins of blue fire.
The very atmosphere shifted — heavier, denser, charged with sothing primal and suffocating.
My mana circulated steadily, thundering beneath the surface.
Now then...
Let’s test our juniors’ resolve, shall we?
[Blessing within User has awakened.]
[—"Blessing of Death" — Partially Activated!]
[User is within the vicinity of living beings...]
[Aura of Death will now automatically radiate from user’s body.]
[Note: User is advised to take caution... Full activation of blessing may result in irreversible consequences.]
As always, activating this particular blessing gave pause. Even partially awakened, its effects were no joke.
The weight it carried... the suffocating pressure of death that seeped into the air like a plague.
It was terrifying.
And I was the source.
Still, I didn’t flinch.
I planted my foot firmly, the wind howling gently past , and held my ground as the currents of death quietly leaked from my body — invisible, yet unmistakably there.
So then, let’s begin.
........
Riley’s presence dominated the field the mont Seo blitzed past the two of them.
It was sudden—too fast to follow with the naked eye.
One mont she was there, the next, gone in a blur of violet light streaking through the fog.
Stacia and Vanessa barely registered her movent, and yet the weight she left behind was unmistakable.
The pressure around them changed.
He hadn’t moved, hadn’t even drawn his sword—but they could feel it.
The fight hadn’t started.
And yet... it felt like it was already over.
Vanessa’s words from earlier echoed faintly in both their minds. "An inevitable end."
That’s what Riley’s presence felt like now—quiet, unmoving, and absolute.
But for Stacia...
It wasn’t enough to make her back down.
Her lips curled into a defiant smile.
The kind that scread she wasn’t planning to run.
FOOOOSHHH!!
Flas roared out like a crimson tide. She swung her sword in a wide arc, igniting the entire space around her.
"Vanessa!"
She didn’t need to say more.
Vanessa snapped out of her hesitation the mont she heard her na, as if Stacia’s voice tugged her consciousness back from the pressure clouding her thoughts.
Without delay, Vanessa pointed her wand toward Riley’s figure.
[Sacred Elven Art]
[World Vines]
PRICKKLEE!
PLUCKKK!
Massive thorned vines erupted from the ground, slamming toward Riley and wrapping around his limbs, locking him in place with brutal force.
Stacia didn’t waste a second.
The flas she conjured earlier followed up, chasing right after the vines—
—heading straight toward the motionless figure.
BOOOOOOM!!
The explosion echoed through the training grounds, a wave of heat washing over everything. Smoke and fire danced in the air, swallowing up the center in violent orange.
The impact was enough to make Vanessa cover her eyes, heat licking at her skin.
She could barely speak through the dryness in her throat.
"D-Did we get him...?"
But of course, the answer ca too fast.
The smoke parted.
He was gone.
"Where—Phuaack!!"
Vanessa’s eyes widened.
She didn’t even see him move.
A sharp, punishing pain blood in her gut.
In front of her—
Riley.
Standing casually.
He had kicked her.
POOOOSHHH!!!
The sound of impact exploded as she shot backwards like a bullet, crashing through the mist in a blur of limbs and sparks.
"No reaction... from her, huh...."
WHOOOSHHH!
Riley’s words were cut short as another surge of flas ca rushing toward him.
He tilted his body slightly, dodging it without much effort.
But Stacia wasn’t done.
She didn’t wait, didn’t hesitate—she charged forward.
Mana flared beneath her feet, kicking up dust and embers as the ground behind her cracked and burned.
The intense heat around her flared like a second sun, the air itself warping in her wake.
"Haaah!!"
She closed the distance in a blink and spun mid-air, swinging her crimson sword down with all her weight.
CLAAANNNG!
Riley caught it with his sword.
With just one hand.
VOOOOSHIHH!!
A sharp shockwave exploded from their clash.
The entire field shook.
The ground beneath Riley’s feet cracked like a spider web, forming deep lines that splintered out in every direction.
He didn’t budge much, but the force clearly registered.
Neither of them said a word.
Their eyes locked.
Stacia’s brows furrowed a bit.
That heat should’ve at least burned him a little... but Riley looked completely unaffected.
She didn’t know if his body was made of steel or sothing else, but she wasn’t about to waste ti thinking about it.
He was still holding back.
She could feel it.
"Tch..."
Stacia’s aura flared again.
More heat.
More pressure.
The air turned suffocating, the fog around them almost evaporating from the rising temperature.
"Vanessa, support!"
"Got it!"
Mana gathered.
"Fufu~ even if that was just an illusion, kicking earlier, it’s definitely gonna give trauma, you know, Senior!"
Vanessa’s voice echoed from behind Riley.
She was already in position; wand pointed straight at him.
Her stance was stable, eyes focused.
A pulse of mana ford at the tip.
[Sacred Elven Art]
[Ygg’s Arrow]
Dark green energy swirled and condensed like a needle-sharp arrow, glowing with natural force.
The spell humd, the ground beneath Vanessa glowing faintly from the spell’s power.
With a sharp exhale, she let it loose.
The arrow flew forward like a green cot, tearing through the fog and air—
—straight for Riley’s blind spot.
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