The air shifted.
Not once.
But multiple times.
Kael felt it instantly.
Different directions.
Different speeds.
"…More than one…"
His voice was low.
Focused.
The stranger didn't move.
"…Three."
A pause.
"…No."
"…Four."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…You're joking."
No answer.
Which meant—
They weren't.
The distortions formed around him.
Not fully visible—
But no longer completely hidden either.
Four presences.
Moving.
Hunting.
Kael exhaled slowly.
His stance lowered.
"…You're really trying to kill me."
"No."
The stranger's voice came calmly—
"…I'm measuring you."
That word again.
Kael didn't have time to question it.
The first attack came instantly.
From the right—
He moved.
Barely dodging—
The second hit came from behind.
Too fast.
Impact slammed into his back—
Driving him forward.
He caught himself—
Rolled—
And stood again.
"…This isn't the same…"
One was manageable.
Four—
It was chaos.
They didn't move together.
They didn't follow one pattern.
Each one attacked differently.
Unpredictable.
Kael's breathing slowed again.
He couldn't track all of them.
Not separately.
So he changed approach.
He expanded his awareness—
Not focusing on one point—
But everything at once.
The space.
The movement.
The pressure.
A shift—
Left.
He stepped.
Another—
Above—
He ducked.
A third—
Behind—
He turned—
And struck.
Contact.
One flickered.
But the others didn't stop.
Two hit him at once.
Pain exploded through his side and shoulder.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"…Not enough…"
His body couldn't keep up again.
The pressure was too much.
His chest pulsed.
The core responded.
"…Fine."
He didn't hesitate this time.
"Partial release."
The energy surged—
Controlled.
His senses sharpened instantly.
The chaos—
Slowed.
Not stopped.
But… readable.
The four presences moved—
And this time—
Kael saw the pattern between them.
Not individuals.
A system.
A rotation of attacks.
"…Got it."
He moved forward.
Not back.
Closing the distance—
Breaking their rhythm.
His strike landed—
One shattered.
He turned—
Dodged—
Struck again—
Another flickered violently.
But the third hit him—
Hard.
His control slipped—
Just for a moment.
The energy surged.
Wild.
Kael's vision flashed red—
His body tensed—
"…No—"
He forced it down.
Harder this time.
The strain hit immediately.
His movements slowed—
But his control held.
"…Stay… focused…"
The last two attacked together—
Perfect timing.
Kael stepped in—
Not away.
He took the hit—
Just enough—
To close the distance.
His hand shot forward—
Energy focused—
Impact.
One shattered completely.
The last one hesitated—
Just for a second.
That was enough.
Kael moved—
And ended it.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Kael stood there—
Breathing hard.
His body was shaking again.
But this time—
He didn't collapse.
"…Four…"
He let out a weak breath.
"…I handled four…"
Behind him—
The stranger stepped forward.
"…Barely."
Kael smirked slightly.
"…Still counts."
The stranger didn't deny it.
Instead—
They spoke calmly.
"…Entry-level entities."
Kael blinked.
"…What?"
"…What you just fought."
"…They're the lowest classification."
Silence.
Kael's expression flattened slightly.
"…You're kidding."
"…No."
The stranger continued.
"…This world categorizes threats in tiers."
"…D."
"…C."
"…B."
"…A."
"…S."
A pause.
"…And beyond that…"
Silence lingered.
"…Things without classification."
Kael stared at them.
"…Let me guess…"
"…I'm at the bottom."
The stranger looked at him.
"…You're not even ranked yet."
That hit harder than any attack.
Kael let out a quiet breath.
"…Figures."
But again—
Something inside him responded.
Not fear.
Drive.
The stranger noticed.
"…Good."
A pause.
Then—
"…Because of the next test…"
The air shifted again.
Heavier this time.
Slower.
Stronger.
Something approached.
Not like the others.
Bigger.
More… real.
"…Won't be D-rank."