The hall did not return to silence.
It tightened.
The moment Professor Halbrecht's words settled, the runes along the walls shifted in tone, their glow deepening from a steady pulse into something sharper—more active. The air itself seemed to hum with restrained energy, like a mechanism preparing to move.
Bran felt it immediately.
Not in his body.
In his awareness.
Something was about to begin.
No one spoke loudly now. The earlier murmurs had thinned into quiet exchanges, sharp glances, quick assessments. The ranking board still hovered above them, its presence impossible to ignore.
Numbers had been assigned.
Positions defined.
And now—
They would be tested again.
"Trial Two," Halbrecht continued, his voice cutting cleanly through the tension, "will assess adaptability, resourcefulness, and survival under pressure."
He raised a hand slightly.
The runes flared.
"The Hunger Field."
The name alone carried weight.
Before anyone could ask, the space behind him shifted. A large section of the hall's wall dissolved into a layered projection—no, not a projection.
A window.
Beyond it—
A landscape.
Rough terrain stretched as far as the eye could see. Dry earth cracked under uneven light, jagged rock formations rising from the ground like broken teeth. Sparse vegetation clung stubbornly to life, scattered and insufficient.
There were no structures.
No shelter.
Just land.
"This is a contained zone," Halbrecht said. "A controlled environment designed for this trial."
The image shifted slightly, zooming out.
Candidates could be seen already inside.
Separated.
Moving.
Searching.
"You will be deployed at randomized locations."
A pause.
"Within the field, resources will be limited."
That word again.
"Food. Water. Recovery items."
Another pause.
"Information."
That one lingered.
Bran's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Each of you will be given a starting allocation."
At that, the air shimmered again.
Small objects materialized in front of each candidate—similar to the earlier devices, but different in design.
Bran caught his.
A compact bracelet.
Dark metal, etched faintly with runic lines that pulsed once as it locked around his wrist.
A soft glow appeared across its surface.
[Energy: 100]
He frowned slightly.
Halbrecht continued.
"This is your survival meter."
That got their attention.
"It will decrease over time."
Silence deepened.
"It will decrease faster under strain."
Bran's gaze sharpened.
"Physical exertion. Injury. Ability usage."
Each word added weight.
"When it reaches zero—"
A pause.
"You will be eliminated."
No ambiguity.
No second chances.
Bran exhaled slowly.
"So it's not just about fighting…"
It was about lasting.
"You may replenish energy through resources found within the field."
The image shifted again.
Small glowing objects scattered across the terrain.
"Or by taking them."
That line didn't need explanation.
A subtle shift passed through the hall.
Now—
They understood.
Halbrecht lowered his hand.
"Candidates are not restricted from engaging one another."
Of course they weren't.
"However—"
That single word pulled focus back.
"Unnecessary conflict will reduce efficiency."
A faint pause.
"Choose your actions accordingly."
Not forbidden.
Just… costly.
Bran glanced briefly at the ranking board.
563 candidates.
Now placed into a field with limited resources.
And only 100 would make it through all trials.
The math was simple.
They didn't all need to fight.
But eventually—
They would.
"The trial will last twelve hours."
A ripple moved through the room.
"Those who maintain sufficient energy by the end will proceed."
Another pause.
"Those who do not—"
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
The bracelet on Bran's wrist pulsed faintly.
[Energy: 100 → 99]
His eyes sharpened immediately.
"…It's already dropping."
Time had started.
Before they even entered.
A faint tension ran through the crowd.
That was intentional.
Pressure from the start.
Halbrecht stepped back.
"Deployment begins now."
The runes flared.
The hall fractured.
This time—
There was no corridor.
No transition.
Just displacement.
Bran felt the ground vanish beneath him for a fraction of a second—
Then—
Impact.
The air was dry.
That was the first thing he noticed.
The second—
Heat.
Not overwhelming, but constant. The kind that drained slowly, steadily, without drawing attention to itself.
Bran pushed himself up from the ground, his hand pressing against rough earth as he steadied himself.
The academy was gone.
The field stretched around him.
Endless.
Silent.
Real.
He glanced at his wrist.
[Energy: 97]
Dropping.
Already.
"…Alright."
His voice was low.
Focused.
This wasn't something he could overthink.
He scanned his surroundings quickly.
No immediate threats.
No visible candidates.
But that didn't mean he was alone.
The terrain wasn't flat. Jagged rock formations created blind spots, uneven elevation limiting visibility. Movement could be hidden easily here.
That meant two things.
Opportunities.
And danger.
Bran exhaled slowly, grounding himself.
"First priority… resources."
Because without that—
Nothing else mattered.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
The field didn't respond.
No illusion.
No trick.
Just reality.
And somewhere within it—
Other candidates were moving.
Searching.
Thinking the same thing.
Or something worse.
Bran adjusted his pace slightly, staying controlled, conserving movement.
Because now—
Every step had a cost.
Not far from him—
A figure moved.
Watching.
Waiting.