Rivan quietly exclaimed, "Stop!"His eyes shone brightly as he watched the flower in front of him cease moving, as if time had frozen."Good," said a man, his eyes filled with appreciation. "You have progressed rapidly."Rivan turned, a proud smile blooming on his face. "Of course! There's nothing Rivan Aster can't master."The man smiled faintly and gently patted Rivan on the head. "Hm, you're excellent."This feeling again, from both Nathan and Lunara. Their presence always made him feel safe, and this strange feeling had made Rivan addicted."How big do you think my chances are of defeating Noah?" Rivan asked."30%," Nathan replied. He glanced briefly and swallowed the following words. It would be different if you were in the state you were in that day."Noah awakened his power earlier. He has a stronger foundation than you," he added.Nathan stood up, picked up his book, and said, "We won't be training for the next five days. Focus on the monthly exam."Rivan happily agreed. Train

The Practical Exam Arena is not an arena used for playful fights like those between Isla and Talia. This arena is a massive circular structure, specially designed to test the limits of students' strength. Its walls are made of high-level energy-absorbing material, and its floor is decorated with intricate magical patterns that serve as strength gauges and stabilizers.A faint rumbling sound and occasional flashes of light from the arena across the way created an atmosphere of tension. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixed on the stage; the judges, consisting of senior instructors and several members of the Aegis Division, sat in the highest row, their faces serious and impassive.Rivan stood at the arena entrance. His heart was pounding, but it was different from anger—it was pure adrenaline."Next fighters: Rivan Aster versus Leana Dione!" the referee's mechanical voice echoed throughout the complex.Rivan stepped forward. His opponent, Leana, a girl with light brown hair and determin

Up ahead, Nathan had already taken out many Echoes. His movements were agile and swift, while Isla drew her bow and fired shot after shot.Rivan took a deep breath, refocusing his mind. He gripped his dagger tightly and charged toward the enemy. “Slow.”Instantly, the Echo’s movements slowed; Rivan used those two seconds to strike at both its legs.The Echo collapsed, whimpering in pain before roaring angrily at him. Rivan caught his breath, surveying his surroundings. His mind raced, devising various ways to kill the Echo.​With his current power level, Rivan could only use the ‘slow’ and ‘stop’ spells for a maximum of 5 seconds.​Since it was crucial for him to kill Echo quickly, Nathan had taught him to move fast. The training had worked, but not without its issues.His stamina would be completely drained, and it would take time to recover. Just then, Lunara patted his shoulder, causing Rivan to tense up before relaxing.“I’ll hold them off; don’t worry, just focus on killing Echo.

The sound of Isla’s sandals clacking echoed through the quiet hallway. In this usually bustling place, there weren’t many people passing by right now. They were all busy preparing for the arena exam, or too exhausted after taking the written exam. Isla glared at her friend. “Rivan, make sure this is important—we have the arena exam coming up soon. If not, I’ll—” “Trust me, this is important! Keep walking,” Rivan cut in without looking back. Isla glanced at Talia, opening her mouth to whisper softly. “What’s wrong with him?” Talia shrugged, remaining silent. Yet her gaze remained fixed on Rivan’s back. His thoughts were unreadable, but from the young man’s face, Talia could tell something was wrong. “What do you know about that shield?” Rivan asked suddenly. “Tell me.” Isla blinked, then scratched her head. “Okay, so… I heard this from an upperclassman at the market. Apparently, the academy’s shield isn’t just a single layer—it’s three layers. The outer layer keeps the Echoe