Maya was the first person to reach Tyda as soon as the first trial ended. The moment she saw him standing there—one eye swollen shut, blood crusted at the corner of his mouth, and dark purple bruises spreading across his face and neck—her chest felt tight with worry. She stopped right in front of him and looked him over carefully, her eyes wide.“Tyda, are you really alright? Just look at yourself,” she said, her voice shaking a little. “Your eye can barely open, your whole face is a mess, and you’re standing like you might fall over any second.”She took a small step closer, her tone softening into a plea. “You don’t have to push yourself this hard. Just pull out before the second trial starts. No one will blame you after what they did to you out there.”Tyda waved one hand like it was nothing, though every movement sent a sharp pain through his arm.“Hey Maya, relax. We don’t even know what the next trial is yet,” he said, forcing a grin that looked more like a wince. “I’m fine, rea

“Soldiers, formation!”General Wensel’s voice boomed across the training ground, cutting through every sound. The remaining examinees stood straight in an instant, their eyes sharp and alert.Around sixty of the best soldiers stepped forward from all sides. They moved calmly, rolling their shoulders, twisting their wrists, and stretching their legs like they were just warming up. None looked excited or angry—they just looked ready, like people who had done this same work many times before.The whole area felt heavier right away. Several examinees swallowed hard, their nervousness clear to see. Others squeezed their hands into tight fists, trying to slow their breathing.General Wensel walked to the edge of the platform and crossed his arms.“Listen closely to the rules,” he said, his tone sharp and serious. “If the soldiers cannot break through your mana protection and never even touch your body, you pass this trial automatically.”A few examinees let out quiet breaths of relief. Othe

“Failed!”A soldier pointed sharply at someone lying crumpled on the ground.“Failed!”Another examinee collapsed right after, their mana breaking apart like shattered glass.“Failed!”The shout rang out loud across the field. Three more fell one after another. Their bodies had reached their absolute limit, and their mana was completely used up. They simply could not keep going.General Wensel stepped forward and looked over everyone still standing. His voice carried across the whole Eastern Garrison, clear and strong.“Kota, Reaver, Lora, and Fulei.”The four turned to face him.“You pass.”Right away, the soldiers surrounding them stepped back and lowered their fists.The other examinees still standing stared in disbelief. Those four had gone through the whole trial almost without a scratch, as if all the fighting had been nothing more than a small annoyance.Reaver just crossed his arms and walked calmly toward the resting area.Kota slowly floated down to the ground, his prayer be

All around the field, Maya covered her mouth with both hands. Tears streamed down her face.“No…”Rona cried openly, her shoulders shaking.Bren clenched his fists so tight his nails dug into his palms. He could not look away, but it hurt to watch.Judy turned her face to the side, letting tears fall freely.No one wanted to see this go on any longer.Even Marco stood up from his seat. Mary stood beside him, her face looking unusually dark and serious. For the first time since the trial began, both of them seemed truly worried.Up on the viewing platform, the guild leaders rose from their chairs.Commander Thermo pushed his glasses higher on his nose, his eyes wide. “This is enough. Far too much.”His voice boomed across the whole field. “General! Stop this right now! It has gone way too far!”Even some of the stricter, more ruthless guild masters nodded in agreement.General Wensel immediately raised his hand, his own face pale with concern. His voice roared like thunder.“SOLDIERS,

BOOM!Wensel struck first. Tyda struck back just as fast.Their fists crashed together. The impact shook the entire stone ground.BAM!Another exchange. BAM!Again and again, they traded blows.Their speed grew faster with every second. Neither gave ground. Their movements looked almost exactly the same—same punches, same blocks, same steps, same way of shifting weight.Every strike became sharper and stronger. The crowd struggled just to keep up with what was happening. The soldiers stared in disbelief. The leaders watched without blinking.Then suddenly, Tyda stepped right inside Wensel’s guard. A heavy punch landed straight against the General’s defense.BOOM!The force pushed Wensel several steps backward.Tyda leaned closer, his face only inches from the General’s ear. Then he spoke in a low, rough voice that did not sound like his own.“You’ve gotten stronger, Wens.”For a moment, the whole world seemed to stop.Wensel blocked the next attack, but his body dropped down onto one