The hunting grounds beyond the inner walls stretched for miles—carefully warded pockets of wilderness seeded with controlled monster populations for training. Dense forest gave way to rocky hills and shallow caves, all enclosed by invisible barriers that prevented anything truly lethal from escaping… or so the instructors claimed.
Yang arrived at the assembly point with the other Elites, the black-and-gold uniform issued that morning fitting surprisingly well. The fabric felt alive against his skin, reinforcing runes humming faintly with each movement. His rusted sword remained at his hip—academy policy allowed personal weapons for now.
Teams were called in groups of four, mixing Elite and Upper Class. When the rune slate projected the pairings, Yang found himself grouped with two Elites he barely knew—a quiet archer girl named Mira and a burly shield-bearer called Tor—and one Upper Class student.
Cheng.
The lightning-wielder stepped forward without comment, spear resting on his shoulder. His indigo armor gleamed under the morning sun. He gave Yang a single nod—neither friendly nor hostile. Just acknowledgment.
Yuan was assigned to a different team. She stood across the clearing, flames licking along her greatsword as she tested its balance. Their eyes met briefly. She looked away first.
Instructor Garrick, a veteran knight with a missing ear and a voice like gravel, briefed them all. "Today's exercise: clear a designated cave system. Three chambers. Live monsters—level 18 to 25. Real injuries possible, but return stones will yank you out if life force drops critically. Work as a team. Coordinates on your slates. Move out."
Teams dispersed into the forest. Yang's group moved in loose formation—Tor at the front with his shield, Mira on the flank with bow ready, Cheng and Yang taking the rear.
The forest smelled of damp earth and pine. Leaves rustled overhead. Birds fell silent as they passed. Cheng walked a few paces away, spear tip occasionally sparking when a branch brushed it.
Tor broke the silence first. "Heard you broke the exam dome, Lionheart. That true?"
"True enough," Yang answered.
Mira glanced back, her voice soft. "Shadow magic is rare in Elites. Most stick to elemental or physical paths. Yours… feels different."
Cheng's lightning crackled once. "Different is one word for it."
They reached the cave entrance—a dark maw in a rocky hillside, wards glowing faintly around the rim. The air drifting out carried the scent of wet stone and something sharper—musk and ozone.
Tor raised his shield. "Standard formation. I tank, Mira picks off ranged, you two handle mobility and burst."
Cheng moved without argument. Yang followed, shadow mist already stirring beneath his skin.
The first chamber opened into a wide cavern lit by bioluminescent fungi. A pack of level-20 Shadowfang Wolves prowled the space, eyes glowing faint violet. The moment the team stepped inside, the wolves charged.
Tor slammed his shield into the ground, an earthen barrier erupting to slow the pack. Mira's arrows whistled past—each tipped with piercing wind mana, dropping two wolves mid-leap.
Cheng exploded forward. Lightning surged down his spear as he thrust into the nearest wolf's flank. The creature howled, body convulsing before collapsing. Sparks danced across the stone floor.
Yang moved with them, but not quite in sync. He used Shadow Step to flank a wolf that had slipped past Tor, manifesting Shadow Blade and driving it through the creature's spine. The wolf burst apart, essence threading into his mist. Devouring Strike healed a shallow claw graze on his arm before it could bleed.
The pack fell quickly. No one spoke much—only short commands and the sounds of combat.
When the last wolf dissolved, Cheng wiped sweat from his brow and looked at Yang. "You didn't use that… gluttony thing."
"No need," Yang replied. "Team exercise. Not solo."
Cheng's jaw tightened, but he said nothing more.
The second chamber was narrower, forcing them into single file. Acidic slimes clung to the ceiling and walls, dropping with wet plops. Tor's shield blocked most, but one splattered across Mira's shoulder. She hissed in pain as the acid ate through leather and began burning skin.
Yang reacted first. Shadow Bind erupted from the stone, chains wrapping the offending slime and holding it long enough for Cheng to drive his spear through its core. Lightning cooked the creature from the inside. Yang followed with Devouring Strike on another, pulling vitality to share through proximity—enough to ease Mira's burn.
Mira flexed her shoulder, surprised. "Thanks. That… helped."
Cheng watched the exchange, lightning on his spear flickering unevenly. "You're sharing power now?"
"Practical," Yang said.
They pressed deeper. The third chamber opened into a larger space with a shallow underground lake. In the center waited the chamber guardian—a level-27 Corrupted Cave Drake, scales dripping acidic mucus, wings folded tightly against its body. It roared when they entered, the sound echoing off the walls like thunder.
Tor charged first, shield raised. The drake's tail swept across the cavern, forcing him to brace. The impact sent him skidding backward. Mira loosed arrows that bounced off hardened scales.
Cheng leaped onto a rock outcrop and unleashed a Storm Breaker thrust. Lightning arced toward the drake's eye, cracking one scale but not penetrating deep.
The drake retaliated with a blast of corrosive breath. Yang used Shadow Step to pull Mira clear just as the spray hit where she had stood. Stone sizzled.
"Flank it!" Tor shouted, voice strained behind his shield.
Yang felt the Shadow Mark stir. Not full Gluttony—not yet—but enough. He activated Shadow Domain. Darkness spread in a fifteen-meter radius, thickening the air and slowing the drake's movements as vision blurred.
Cheng noticed the change immediately. His lightning brightened inside the domain, feeding off the amplified darkness somehow. "What is this?"
"Advantage," Yang answered. He lunged with Shadow Executioner, blade targeting a crack Cheng had made earlier. The high-speed strike pierced deep. The drake roared in pain.
Mira's arrows found purchase in the weakened spot. Tor slammed his shield into the creature's side, creating an opening. Cheng followed with another lightning thrust, pouring everything into it.
The drake thrashed, tail catching Tor and sending him flying into the shallows. Acidic water splashed. Yang Shadow Stepped to the fallen shield-bearer, Devouring Strike pulling enough vitality to stabilize him before serious damage set in.
Together they wore the guardian down. Cheng landed the final blow—spear driven through the cracked scale into the heart. Lightning cooked the beast from within until it collapsed with a final, gurgling roar.
The chamber fell quiet except for heavy breathing.
Tor pushed himself up, armor dripping. "Good work. That domain of yours… changed the fight."
Mira nodded, rubbing her healed shoulder. "Never felt shadow magic work like that. It… helped all of us."
Cheng stood over the drake's corpse, spear still crackling faintly. He looked at Yang for a long moment but said nothing. The silence carried weight—acknowledgment mixed with the same lingering unease.
Yuan's team emerged from a side tunnel moments later, faces flushed from their own fight. She saw the drake's corpse and the way the group stood together. Her flames flickered uncertainly along her greatsword.
The exercise ended with all teams reporting back. Instructor Garrick reviewed recordings on the floating orbs. Yang's team ranked high—not the highest in raw damage, but strong in coordination and adaptability.
As students dispersed toward the academy proper, Cheng fell into step beside Yang for a few paces. "Joint exercises continue next week. Same teams if we request it."
Yang kept walking. "Your choice."
Cheng didn't answer immediately. Ahead, Yuan waited near the gate, watching them both. Her expression was unreadable, but the flames on her hands had died to almost nothing.
The cracks were widening.
Inside the spire that evening, Yang stood on his balcony again. The Vault stirred—three reapers waiting. He summoned one briefly, letting it stand silent sentinel while he watched lanterns move across the grounds.
Tomorrow would bring more tests. More eyes. More opportunities.
And somewhere in the Upper spire, two siblings were asking questions their mothers would not like.
The night deepened as night fell.
Yang smiled—small, cold, certain.
The academy was teaching him many things.
He was teaching it back.