The sky above Valkyros Academy bled red as storm clouds churned in unnatural patterns. Crimson lightning forked across the heavens, not from nature, but from the enormous formations engraved around the academy's floating combat ground.
Kai stood at the edge of the stone platform alongside nearly two hundred other candidates. The air buzzed with tension, and the weight of killing intent from some students made the lesser ones sweat.
A rune-sealed gate groaned open before them, and a voice, deep and thunderous, echoed from the central tower.
> "BEGIN."
Without warning, the land ahead trembled. From the massive gate burst forth a wave of monstrous beasts—mutated wolves with stone armor, flame-laced serpents, and armored boars with glowing eyes.
Kai's expression didn't shift. He unsheathed his blade.
> [SYSTEM ALERT]
Trial Initiated: Survive and eliminate threats.
Reward: EXP and Stat Points per kill.
A beast charged him—a flame-coated sabertooth. Kai sidestepped and drove his blade into its neck. Fire licked at his cloak but didn't reach his skin.
> [You have slain: Ashclaw Sabertooth Lv11]
+14 EXP
+2 Stat Points
All around him, chaos unfolded. Screams. Steel clashing. Explosions from elemental spells. Some students worked in tandem, others turned on each other.
Kai stayed silent and deadly, his movements precise. He carved through beast after beast, each swing of his blade more efficient than the last.
Ren, the flame user, appeared beside him mid-fight, blasting a cluster of beasts into burning cinders. "Heh. I was wondering when I'd find you."
"Stay out of the way," Kai muttered, spinning and bisecting a charging rhino-beast with a glowing slash.
> [Skill: Laceration Strike – Lv2] Activated
Behind them, Elira moved like a shadow, dancing through blood and wind, her twin daggers severing life without resistance.
The battlefield shifted.
Massive chains erupted from the ground, separating survivors into confined sections of land—platforms that hovered, rotated, and forced combat into tight quarters. The objective was clear now: cull the weak.
Across from Kai, a tall youth with crimson war paint cracked his knuckles.
"You're the so-called prince? Let's see how noble you look on your knees."
The man lunged. Kai met him head-on.
Fist against blade. Flame against fury. Every move Kai made was calculated—he countered, parried, and punished. His blade flashed once—straight through the man's shoulder.
The challenger crumpled.
> [You have defeated: Candidate - Varn Krez]
+EXP
+Skill Proficiency Increased
He didn't look back.
More candidates fell—some to monsters, others to each other. Explosions shook the platforms, spells lit the sky, and corpses began to outnumber the living.
Suddenly, a siren wailed from above.
A black obelisk descended slowly into the center of the battlefield. A pulse of energy shot outward, turning everything into a silent void.
The survivors—barely two dozen—stood on cracked, floating landmasses.
Then came the second wave.
Monsters emerged anew—taller, faster, glowing with unearthly sigils. They were stronger, smarter, and hunting like coordinated packs.
Kai clenched his jaw.
But he didn't hesitate.
He met them head-on, every movement brutal and fluid.
> [Skill Chain Activated: Step > Slash > Parry > Riposte]
+35% Combo Damage
+Instant Kill Chance: 20%
A blade pierced the core of a screeching winged creature. Kai turned, caught another beast's claws with his bare hand, and shoved his sword through its throat.
It was no longer a trial. It was slaughter.
And Kai thrived in it.
He caught sight of Elira across the carnage, her cold eyes watching him as she finished off three monsters with a synchronized spin of her blades.
Then silence.
The final beast fell, twitching.
The central tower's runes dimmed. The chains retracted. The broken platforms reformed into one.
The survivors stood—bloodied, tired, victorious.
A projection shimmered above them.
The stern face of Commander Draegon Malvane appeared once more.
> "You have endured what 90% could not. Welcome, Slayers-in-training. You are the elite of your generation."
He raised a hand.
> "Your names will be etched into the Academy Registry. Your ranks will be posted. Your next phase begins tomorrow."
> "But remember—this was only the beginning."
> "You've survived the trial. But here at Valkyros, survival is never guaranteed."
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
> Candidate: Kai Drakonis
Status: Trial Passed
Kills: 76
Rank: 2nd
Skills Enhanced: [Laceration Strike], [Bloodveil Reflex], [Serrated Momentum]
New Title Earned: Survivor of the Blood Trial
Kai looked at his blood-soaked hand, then to the academy looming ahead.
This was just the first step.