Kyle stepped into Class S with a leisurely pace.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, the previously buzzing room fell into sudden silence. His brow furrowed. Everyone was looking at him.
He offered them a small smile, guessing the silence was just because he'd walked in without saying anything.
"Hey, guys."
At his greeting, the chatter returned—louder and more intense than before. Whispers filled the room like wildfire.
"I thought Kyle was unawakened before… but now he's awakened—and to the highest level?"
"As expected of the academy's former top student."
"Former? What do you mean?"
"The rankings from last term are being reset. This grade starts fresh."
"You think Kyle will take the top spot again?"
The class buzzed with speculation.
Kyle smiled wryly as he glanced around for an open seat. That's when he caught sight of Mark waving him over, pointing to the seat beside him with a grin.
Kyle thought, he can always trust Mark to have your back.
Kyle slid into the seat next to him and leaned back, half-exhausted, half-relieved.
Things had gone better than expected. He'd been worried that his unique awakening—triggered by the ring—wouldn't register properly.
But it turned out, the academy's device had measured it just fine, despite how different his process was.
"Kyle," Mark leaned closer, eyeing his palm curiously. "What kind of power did you awaken? That mark looks unfamiliar."
Kyle chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You'll find out soon enough."
Mark glared at Kyle. "You're the worst."
Before he could retaliate, the classroom door opened. Professor Miki stepped in, carrying a stack of books.
"Good morning, class," he greeted with a smile.
"I'm sure most of you heard the announcement earlier. You're probably wondering what it meant."
He set hid books down and turned to face the class.
"This year, our academy will participate in the 25th Elemental Nation Competition, hosted by the Dragon Nation. The Azure Nation will send a team of fourteen—seven members from Grade 4, and seven reserves from Grade 5."
A wave of gasps and murmurs erupted across the room. The ENC was legendary—held every five years and broadcast worldwide.
It showcased the top talents from ten nations, and while their academy was prestigious within Azure Nation, their nation ranked on the lower end internationally, usually placing between 7th and 10th.
"To prepare, there is a preliminary ranking event—the Virtual Elemental Challenge, or VEC. The top seven students in this competition of each grade will represent us. You have three months to train and prove yourselves."
"I want at least half of the Grade 4 team to come from this class."
Applause and cheers broke out. The whole class is brimming with energy.
The VEC, while held in a virtual world, mimicked the format of the ENC.
It was a high-stakes, high-reward competition that offered not just recognition but rare resources and elite training opportunities.
Kyle's eyes lit up. Both competitions sounded like exactly what he needed.
Class continued like normal, but everyone's focus had shifted. The air buzzed with anticipation and determination.
Back in his room, Kyle sat in front of the elemental pod—a capsule provided to all Grade 4 students and above. It was his first time using one.
He slid into the pod, the top sealing shut with a soft hiss. A cold void enveloped him.
A robotic voice broke the silence.
"Please choose your avatar."
Dozens of premade models floated before him, along with a customization window.
Kyle chose a model close to his real self but changed the hair to silver. The result was a pale-skinned boy in a white jacket, silver hair cascading over sharp eyes.
"Please choose your environment."
Desert. Ocean. Forest. Volcano…
Kyle's gaze landed on the volcano.
'It looks like the Trial of Flame. Let's go with that.'
He confirmed his choice. Instantly, a sensation of falling pulled at his core, making his stomach lurch.
The descent felt terrifyingly real.
When he opened his eyes, he stood in a hellish landscape—rivers of magma, burning rocks, ash swirling in the air.
But unlike the Trial of Flame, this place was crawling with monsters.
Flaming rhino-like beasts—bodies ablaze, eyes glowing red—roamed the scorched terrain.
'Monsters? Where did they come from?'
In the real world, monsters were rare. Most conflicts involved power-abusing villains. This was… different.
Kyle took a deep breath—but choked. The air was thin, the oxygen scarce. A tight pressure gripped his chest.
"Mission: Defeat 50 Lava Rhinos in 30 minutes."
Kyle ducked behind a boulder as the notification blinked in front of him. He peeked over it.
There were dozens of beasts—definitely not fifty. He'd have to venture deeper.
'Information first. Terrain. Numbers. Weak points.'
He gripped the knife in his hand, channeling ice energy into the blade. The cold aura shimmered against the fiery backdrop.
'Let's start.'
Kyle lunged forward and slashed at a rhino's neck. The cut wasn't deep. The beast roared in fury. So much for a silent kill.
As it charged, Kyle gritted his teeth and buried the knife deeper. It worked.
Before he could catch his breath, a chill ran down his spine. He twisted—just in time to dodge a pincer attack from two more rhinos.
'This is going to be rough.'
One by one, Kyle carved through the lava-rhinos, alternating between close combat and ranged spells—Ice Burst, Ice Rain, Ice Arrow. His ice magic slowed the creatures, but rarely finished them. Most he had to kill by hand.
Ten kills. Then twenty. He lost count after that.
At the 28-minute mark, he was drenched in sweat and down to five remaining enemies. His chest burned from exertion, and his limbs screamed with fatigue.
Still, he pushed on.
When the timer hit zero, Kyle drove his knife through the last rhino's neck.
"Mission Success. You will be transported out in 5 minutes."
He collapsed to the ground, panting.
Everything hurt.
The pain level in the pod was adjustable, and Kyle—being Kyle—had set it to 100%.
"Never again," he muttered with a weak laugh.
When the pod opened, Kyle dragged himself to bed, his muscles aching with every movement.
The pain he felt in the virtual world carried over, thanks to the full-sensation setting.
Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling, processing the fight.
'Mana control was decent.
Efficiency… okay.
But the lethality of my ice spells? Low. Most of the kills were from the sword.'
His control lacked something crucial—something that could turn slowing effects into lethal force.
A soft thud broke his thoughts. A fluffy, winged creature landed on his chest with a purr.
"Koko," Kyle whispered.
The little beast curled up against him. Warmth spread through his chest—not fire, not ice, just… comfort.
He hugged Koko close and let sleep take him, promising himself he'd figure out tomorrow on the lethality he need for his spell.