The jungle had grown unusually quiet.
The thick canopy above filtered the afternoon light into long, pale streaks that stretched across the forest floor, while the distant sounds of creatures and clashing battles seemed to have faded for the moment. The tension in the air felt heavier now that every student's location had been revealed.
In a small clearing between twisted trees, six students stood gathered together.
Their expressions were grim and focused.
At their feet lay the unconscious bodies of two beastmen, both already eliminated from the exam. Their forms were beginning to dissolve slowly into faint green particles, evidence of the short and brutal fight that had taken place only moments earlier.
No one paid them any attention anymore.
As the last echoes of Valerian's manic laughter faded through the jungle, a young woman with long chestnut hair stepped slightly forward.
Alina, the informal representative of the commoner students, glanced down at her Manacron before lifting her head with a small, satisfied smile.
"Good," she said calmly.
"Our comrades have already done their part and stopped that damn noble from clearing any breaches."
Her gaze moved across the five students standing with her.
"And now that his location has been exposed to everyone…"
Her smile sharpened slightly.
"We all know what to do, right?"
For a moment, no one responded.
Then one of the male students shifted uneasily.
He hesitated before finally speaking.
"B–but isn't this already enough?" he asked quietly. "We've already made our point by preventing him from participating in the breaches as much as possible…"
His eyes moved toward the deeper jungle.
"And shouldn't we focus on clearing the core breach instead?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the others turned toward him.
Alina's expression hardened.
"No," she said firmly.
"It's not enough."
Her voice carried cold conviction now.
"We need to make our message absolutely clear."
Her fingers tightened slightly around her Manacron.
"We cannot allow that bastard to simply walk away from this."
She took a slow breath before continuing.
"We're already this close to achieving our goal."
Then she lowered her gaze to the glowing map on her Manacron.
Two large black dots appeared side by side on the jungle terrain display.
The symbols of the core breaches.
And moving steadily toward them—
A single red dot.
***
Not far from one of the breach sites, the air itself fractured like shattered glass.
A jagged tear in space flickered violently for a moment before collapsing inward, leaving behind faint ripples of mana that slowly faded into the jungle atmosphere.
From that distortion stepped a tall beastwoman with two curved horns rising from her head.
Khaira rolled her shoulders once as the fractured space sealed completely behind her.
The breach had been cleared.
She glanced down at her Manacron, checking the map display where the two large black markers representing the core breaches pulsed faintly on the terrain.
Her lips curved into a wide grin.
"Naaow… le's see wha' dese core breeches gots fer me," she muttered in her heavy, rolled accent.
Her eyes drifted briefly toward the ranking board that floated across the device.
She studied it for a second.
Then clicked her tongue.
" still nawt in da top ten.."
Her grin thinned slightly.
"did I ovah-estimayte 'im?"
***
Elsewhere in the jungle, a blade slid cleanly through flesh.
Lucian pulled his sword free from the chest of an elven student, who looked down in silent shock before dissolving into green particles that scattered into the air.
His Manacron chimed softly as the points were transferred.
Just as he lowered the sword—
A gentle voice spoke from behind him.
"That's a good sword."
Lucian immediately turned, raising the blade into a guarded stance.
A young woman was approaching through the trees.
"Young Duchess Serena," Lucian said calmly, though his guard did not drop. "You can have it if you like it. I obtained it after killing a miniboss inside a breach."
The ivory-haired girl brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her pale eyes studying him with quiet interest.
"I mean no harm," she said simply. "I only wish to cooperate with you."
Lucian lowered his sword slightly.
"Cooperate?"
Serena nodded.
"I'm certain the core breach won't be something a single student can conquer alone," she explained. "From the very beginning, the instructors have been testing us with realistic scenarios—Manacron alerts, urgency in reaching breaches, and fights meant to measure our decisiveness and strength."
Her eyes moved toward the distant direction of the core breach markers.
"This final stage must be meant to test our ability to collaborate and see the larger picture."
Lucian considered her words for a moment.
Then he nodded.
The two of them stepped forward and shook hands.
A moment later Serena tilted her head slightly.
"By the way," she asked casually, "how did you end up getting beaten by someone who isn't even in the top hundred?"
Lucian smiled faintly.
"Well…"
He shrugged lightly.
"I can't exactly use resonance on academy grounds, can I?"
***
In another sector of the jungle, beneath the shade of towering trees whose branches twisted together like a woven canopy, Cedric Beaumont stood calmly with his gaze fixed on the holographic map floating above his Manacron.
Cedric watched it for a moment before a quiet laugh escaped his lips.
"I knew it," he said.
"That arrogant fool would overestimate himself and head straight toward the core breach."
One of the noble students standing beside him frowned slightly.
"Lord Cedric… how can you be so certain he's overestimating himself?"
Cedric tilted his Manacron slightly so the ranking list became visible again.
"Look at his ranking," he replied calmly.
Then he added another question.
"And tell me… have you ever seen him use his resonance?"
The student's eyes widened in realization.
"You mean…"
Cedric's lips curved faintly.
"There's a rumor that has circulated within noble circles for quite some time," he said quietly.
"That the eldest son of the Dragon Sword Duke…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…is resonanceless."
The amusement faded from his expression as his tone turned serious.
"Gather our people near the entrances of both core breaches."
He closed the map display and stepped forward.
"I'll go ahead and take a look inside the core breach myself."
Then his eyes flicked briefly toward the direction of the moving red dot.
"You can deal with that dirt."
***
Damon walked through the jungle with a steady, unhurried pace, the undergrowth parting beneath his steps as the distant pressure of the two core breaches pulsed faintly in the air ahead of him. The forest around him had grown strangely silent, as if the entire simulated world had begun holding its breath for what was about to unfold.
His Manacron flickered softly on his wrist, its map guiding him forward, yet his eyes were no longer looking at it.
Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the path ahead.
His thoughts flowed quietly in his mind.
I only have two options now…
The first is to stay away from the core breaches and hide somewhere until the exam ends… waiting for people to eliminate each other while I somehow stay afloat within the top hundred… maybe, if luck allows it, I could end up around the top eighty.
A faint breath escaped him.
So much for getting into Class S, huh?
His footsteps did not slow.
And the second option…
A soft laugh slipped out of him before he could stop it.
…is to take an impossible gamble… one whose very thought sounds absurd even to me.
He continued walking.
The pressure of the breaches was becoming clearer now.
I know the commoner students will be waiting for me there.
I know the nobles will do everything they can to eliminate me.
Even the beastmen are eager to kill me.
Another quiet laugh escaped him as he muttered to himself..
"Doesn't it sound like the whole world is against me… and I'm standing against it without any ability at all?"
For a moment his gaze lowered slightly.
The most sane decision would obviously be the first option.
After all… survival is what matters most, right?
His fingers tightened faintly.
Then slowly loosened.
But…
His steps did not stop.
I'm tired of running away.
Memories flashed through his mind as he moved forward.
First against those five…
Then against that beastman…
Then again… and again… and again…
Just running… without being able to do anything.
His jaw tightened.
I'm tired… of this kind of survival.
The jungle ahead began opening into a wide clearing.
The distorted mana pressure grew heavier.
The two massive core breaches slowly came into view, hanging in the air like torn wounds in reality itself.
And beneath them—
Dozens of figures stood waiting.
Humans.
Nobles.
Commoners.
Beastmen.
Elves.
All of them turned the moment Damon stepped into the clearing.
Their gazes fixed on him instantly, sharp and predatory, like hunters watching prey walk willingly into their trap.
Damon felt every single pair of eyes settle on him.
Yet his thoughts continued calmly.
I know this goes against all my convictions…
But enough is enough.
His gaze lifted slowly.
Even if I know I might get eliminated from the exam.
Even if I lose any chance of entering Class S… or even Class A or B.
Even if I end up humiliated…
His lips slowly curved upward.
I don't want to run anymore.
The smile widened.
And I definitely don't want to lose without a fight.
He looked directly into the eyes of the dozens of students standing between him and the two core breaches.
Then Damon's bright smile appeared fully, sharp with reckless defiance as he raised his voice across the clearing.
"Come at me…"
His golden eyes burned with a strange, fearless intensity.
"…you bastards!"