Adam stood inside the fighting circle, the monster in front of him roaring with a terrifying sound.
It was a massive black creature with long claws and red eyes glowing like burning coals.
Around the arena, the students watched.
Some smiled mockingly.
"He'll run away."
"I bet he gives up before the fight even starts."
Kyle stood silently, arms crossed, watching with sharp eyes.
The instructor's voice boomed:
"Begin!"
In the next instant, the monster charged at Adam with shocking speed.
The ground shook under its feet.
Adam's heart pounded hard.
"I'm weak…"
The thought came back to his mind.
But then he remembered something else.
Hours of running…
Harsh exercises…
Long nights in the library.
"But I'm working to become stronger."
Adam jumped quickly to the side, barely dodging the monster's claws.
The students went quiet for a moment.
"Why didn't he fall?"
The monster turned, roared again, and attacked once more.
This time, Adam raised the training sword the academy had given him.
He tried to strike the monster.
But the monster was faster.
It slashed him with its claws.
Adam flew several meters and crashed to the ground.
Soft laughter spread among the students.
One of them said:
"It's over."
Adam tried to stand, his body aching.
The monster slowly approached.
"Is… this all there is?" Adam thought.
But suddenly…
He felt something strange in his chest.
That same feeling from his fight with Kyle.
A faint warmth…
Like a small spark moving deep inside him.
Adam closed his eyes for a moment.
He remembered what he had read in the books.
"Magical energy… is a flow inside the body."
He breathed slowly.
Then opened his eyes.
The monster leaped toward him to attack.
At the very last second…
Adam moved with unexpected speed.
He dodged the strike, then swung his sword toward the monster's side.
The blow wasn't very powerful…
But it hit a sensitive spot.
The monster stepped back and roared in anger.
The students' eyes widened.
"He… actually hit it?"
The instructor narrowed his eyes slightly.
Kyle frowned.
But the monster didn't fall.
Instead, it grew even angrier.
Its body swelled, and its eyes became an even deeper red.
The instructor said in a low voice:
"Hmm… the monster is entering a berserk state."
The students stepped back a little.
The monster charged again…
This time much faster.
For the first time, Adam truly felt real danger.
"I… might lose."
But he didn't run.
He clenched his fist tightly.
And deep inside him…
That small spark began to grow—just a little bigger.