Three years later…
The morning sun bathed one of the Academy training halls as Johan, accompanied by his soldiers, stood before the now third-year recruits. He glanced at their faces, now far more confident and hardened than the ones he'd spoken to on that stage years ago.
They all stood firm, dressed in the white-and-blue uniforms of the nation's military candidates.
"From 153 to 40," Sergeant Sandra noted as she stepped beside Johan. "They did better than the previous sets. It's pretty impressive."
Johan snuffed out his cigarette against his palm, eyes narrowing slightly. "It's not over yet," He said, flicking the burnt bud away.
Stepping forward, he addressed the recruits with the same stern gaze they'd grown used to over the years.
"Congratulations to all of you for making it this far. It's been a tough road, and many failed to measure up. But you're all standing here. At this point, you're practically already Knights."
As he looked over their proud faces, a faint smile touched his lips.
"Not bad."
"Hell yeah!" One recruit shouted, earning cheers from several others while the rest simply smiled proudly.
Even some soldiers looked pleased seeing Johan smile--a sight rare enough to feel unnatural.
But then, Johan's sharp eyes silenced the celebration almost instantly.
"Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet," He said, his tone returning to its usual strictness. "Before we let you go, you still have to pass this final exam."
With a snap of his fingers, one of the soldiers stepped forward and raised his hand, projecting a massive purple mana formation into the air.
A circular forest materialized above the recruits, its boundaries sealed by enormous walls.
"The exam will take place in this field. You'll begin from the outer edge," Johan explained as various glowing red markers appeared around the perimeter. "Your goal is simple--reach the center of the field where a gate is prepared to bring you back here."
A large marker glowed at the very heart of the map before the projection vanished with a wave of the soldier's hand.
"Here's the catch. First…" Johan gestured toward several soldiers arriving with carts filled with weapons. "You're allowed to take whatever you want. The forest is filled with dangerous mana beasts captured by different Knight divisions during past missions."
A cruel smirk spread across his face.
"And we made sure to keep them starving. So they're more than eager to rip you apart once they see you."
Uneasy murmurs spread through the recruits; some visibly stiffened while others forced nervous laughs.
"They outnumber you nearly three to one," Johan added. "But most of them are B-class and below. At this point, you should be capable of handling them."
"Um…most of them, sir?" A recruit asked cautiously.
Johan's grin widened instantly--a terrifying sight the recruits had learned to fear.
"Halfway through the exam, we'll release ten A-class beasts into the field."
The atmosphere immediately tightened.
Even among elite recruits, it was common knowledge that A-Class creatures were monsters that veteran soldiers ever wished to encounter.
"But of course, you don't have to fight them," Johan added casually. "Running away is an option, too. After all, it's knowing when to retreat that is just as important as knowing when to fight."
He folded his arms.
"You're also free to cooperate with other teams if necessary. Your only objective is reaching the goal. So working in groups won't affect your result."
A few recruits sighed quietly in relief.
Then Johan's tone darkened again.
"But don't let that lower your guard…" His glowing eyes swept across them. "Even the beasts are the main obstacles, they're other things to worry about."
He raised his fingers, counting them off one by one.
"Poisonous plants, deadly insects, and in some areas, terrains dangerous enough to kill careless idiots without a single beast lifting a claw."
The earlier relief disappeared almost immediately.
"Second to consider…" Johan continued, "…is that you only have six hours to reach the center. The field's radius is roughly four hundred kilometers, so you'll need to move quickly while surviving everything trying to kill you."
Some recruits laughed nervously while others looked visibly stressed.
"We can handle it, right, Roger?" A familiar lackey muttered, glancing at his partner.
Roger, now noticeably more mature than before, still wore the same cocky grin. "Obviously." He admitted, flicking his hair dramatically. "We won't even need to break a sweat."
Despite his casual statement, most recruits couldn't deny it because of his noble heritage and unique magic; Roger was easily among the most powerful mages within this set.
Johan noticed but chose to ignore it as he continued his explanation, "Anyone still inside the field after the time limit fails. The gate will close, and you'll be left behind until the trainers come to retrieve you."
Silence followed once again.
Another pause to let the information sink in.
Then Johan spoke again.
"Finally…" His gaze sharpened. "This exam is centered not just around everything you've been taught so far but also your teamwork."
Several recruits immediately glanced toward their partners.
"The two of you have spent the last three years fighting, training, and surviving together. This is the final test of that partnership."
The air quickly thickened as his expression grew even darker.
"Only teams whose members both reach the goal will pass. If your partner gets left behind… or worse case, dies… It's an automatic failure for both of you."
The words settled heavily across the recruits.
Even Roger's smile faded slightly as he glanced at his lackey.
Johan stared at them for a moment, then glanced toward Sandra.
"We also won't monitor your progress," She explained as she stepped forward and activated a terminal beside two massive pillars behind Johan. "Once you're in the field, you're all on your own. So the only person you can count on is your partner."
With a few taps on the keypad, the pillars hummed to life, and a blue mana pulsed between them until a swirling portal was formed.
"You have fifteen minutes to choose your weapons and gear," Johan announced as he pulled out another cigarette. After a few sparks from his lighter, smoke curled into the air while the gateway to the field slowly stabilized beside him.
The recruits immediately headed toward the carts. Some grabbed multiple weapons and stuffed extra gear into bags, while others picked only a few essentials. A handful didn't take anything at all.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, the armed recruits turned their attention to the gateway, its lazy, hypnotic swirl mesmerizing some of them.
Then Johan addressed the group one final time. "You'll enter according to your team rankings." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Top two, move out."
Roger's confident grin immediately twisted into a jealous sneer as he watched the two strongest recruits step forward.
"Alright," Dom said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.
Now nineteen years old and standing at 6'1", his lean, muscular frame carried an obvious explosive power from his three years of training.
His partner, Dae, walked beside him. Now 6'2" with twin katanas strapped to his back, arms folded, and his usual unreadable expression.
The two stopped before the portal, their eyes fixed on the swirling blue light.
"Once inside, remain at your starting point," Johan warned. "We'll signal when everyone's in position. That'll be your cue to go and trust me…" His eyes sharpened. "…but we'll know if you try to move early. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," They replied in unison.
Johan nodded once. "Good luck."
The two exchanged a glance before stepping into the portal.
The moment Dom crossed the threshold, a cold sensation washed over his body as the world around him instantly went dark… only to reappear just as quickly.
Soft grass suddenly replaced the hard concrete beneath his feet.
He then squinted at the bright sky above and grinned widely at the massive forest stretching endlessly before him. Towering trees formed a dense canopy overhead while sunlight pierced through scattered openings.
"Dope," Dom muttered.
The sounds of the wildlife echoed throughout the forest, and the scent of damp vegetation quickly filled his nostrils.
Then a distortion behind him drew his attention.
He turned just in time to see Dae emerge right before the swirling gateway vanished, leaving only the massive wall behind them.
"This should be the field's boundary," Dae observed quietly while scanning the perimeter.
Dom turned toward the endless forest ahead. "That means we head straight forward." He muttered.
Dae nodded and moved beside Dom. "If we want to finish on time, we'd have to run all the way." He said, his purple eyes noticing the translucent barrier between them and the forest.
Most likely, the mechanism that had been put in place to detect any candidate attempting to proceed without permission.
"Not a problem." Dom declared boldly as he squatted and began stretching his legs.
Time slowly passed as they waited alongside the other recruits positioned along the outer boundary.
And even from the massive distance between, Dom could faintly sense the presence of some of the other pairs…along with countless moving creatures hidden deep within the trees ahead.
Then--
A deep bell rang throughout the field.
The signal indicating that the last pair has taken the field… and the start of the exam.
As the detection barrier quickly vanished, every recruit reacted instantly.
Man flared violently as spells activated across the boundary and teams launched themselves into the forest from every direction at full speed.
One hour later…
Dae sprinted through the forest at blinding speed, his movements sharp and precise as the wind whipped violently around him while sparks of purple electricity crackled on his skin.
Above him, Dom moved through the trees like a wild animal, leaping from branch to branch with unnatural agility while effortlessly keeping pace.
A groan escaped Dae as he glanced upward.
"Is everything a joke to you?" He shouted while shoving through thick bushes.
Dom swung off a branch with a laugh. "Just keeping things interesting!" He snapped back as he flipped through the air before landing lightly on another branch, then jumped for the next. "Can't be all work and no play."
Dae shook his head while scanning the forest ahead carefully. "Just stay focused. If either of us dies, we both fail."
Dom laughed again, his voice carrying mischief. "Relax. We got this." He chuckled as he burst forward with his next leap, and Dae followed suit.
The forest blurred around them as they continued deeper into the field.
As the wind whipped across his ears, Dom scanned the undergrowth excitedly. "I thought they said there'd be mana beasts everywhere! We haven't seen a single one yet!" He shouted as he bounced off the next branch.
Dae raised a brow, leaping across massive roots. "It sounds like you're itching for a fight," He remarked dryly.
Dom smirked. "Wouldn't be fun if we just ran from start to finish. We're supposed to show off our teamwork."
Dae rolled his eyes while increasing his pace, gradually closing the distance between them. "I think you've completely missed the point of th--"
"Relax, bro. I got it very cl—"
Dom froze mid-air, his words caught in his throat as his senses drew his attention to two hostile eyes locked onto him from the shadows above him.
With a single powerful kick, Dom launched himself off the branch just as a massive gorilla-like beast exploded from the trees, its glowing-pink striped arm tearing clean through the branch in a single swipe.
At the same time, Dae pivoted sharply to evade another attack.
His boots skidded across the forest floor as more massive gorilla-beasts emerged from the trees around them…creatures powerful enough to uproot smaller trees and snap thicker ones apart with ease.
Low growls rumbled through the forest.
Drool dripped from their mouths while glowing pink eyes fixed hungrily onto the two Dae.
Dae clicked his tongue just as Dom landed behind him, their backs instinctively covering each other.
"Are you happy now?" Dae scoffed, gripping the hilts of his swords tightly with his expression now a mix of irritation and focus.
Dom's grin only widened. "Hell yeah." He chuckled as he cracked his knuckles audibly, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "I've always wanted to see a Gorback up close."
The beasts advanced slowly, muscles rippling beneath glowing striped fur as their eyes remained locked onto the pair.
The musky odor coming from their bodies grew stronger as they closed the distance.
Dae slowly drew his twin katanas, sunlight glinting across the steel blades. "We can't waste too much time here," He warned while lowering into a battle-ready stance.
"Don't worry." Dom rolled his shoulders before dropping low, navy-blue mana wrapping around his fists like an aura. "Five minutes…tops."
For the first time, hesitation flickered in the Gorbacks' glowing eyes, instinctively questioning the unfazed expressions on these two smaller creatures.
Then two of the largest suddenly charged on both sides, hunger and bloodlust overwhelming their senses.
Violent purple mana exploded around Dae's body as he focused his attention on one of them.
Purple lightning crackled through the forest as he blitzed forward with a deafening thunderclap, electrified blades slicing cleanly through the Gorback's arm.
The severed limb crashed onto the forest floor with a heavy thud while the beast shrieked in agony right before Dae slashed across its neck, spewing blood into the wind like a geyser.
Meanwhile, the second one roared as it swung its massive fist onto Dom.
The second Gorback roared, swinging a massive fist at Dom.
The impact shattered the ground instantaneously, sending debris scattering in a whirlwind at its feet.
--But the beast suddenly froze once it realized that its attack had no effect.
Dom stood firm on the crumbled earth, his arms raised above his head, casually halting the beast's arm, even though the arm was almost three times his weight.
"My turn." He grunted as he suddenly shoved the arm away hard enough to force the beast off balance before suddenly driving his mana-reinforced fist directly into its face.
A shock-wave surged through the Gorback's skull, ripples through water before shattered bone and crushed flesh exploded immediately after.
As the beast's headless body collapsed heavily onto the forest floor, the remaining Gorbacks hesitated.
Fear flickered in their glowing eyes now that two of their biggest brothers had been killed in seconds.
Dae turned toward them, his blades dripping with blood, and his gaze locked onto them while Dom slowly cracked his neck, his grin never fading.