But he had one advantage. He was a male, so nobody expected him to fight smart.
Instead of engaging directly, Marcus created multiple small fireballs, sending them in erratic patterns around his opponent, not due to skill, but merely due to his bad aim while moving.
She swatted them away easily, but that was the plan.
While she focused on the obvious attacks, Marcus concentrated harder than ever before. Heat built in his core, straining against his control. The Pyromancer skill amplified his connection to the element, but his inexperience fought back.
'Just... a bit... more...'
His hand pulsed like it was about to explode from the tension as Marcus held the condensed fire in his fist.
His attacker closed the distance, thinking Marcus had run out of mana.
"You are mine!" She grinned, launching a kick at his face.
'NOW!' Marcus threw the condensed fireball like a baseball straight at her chest.
Still mid-kick, she couldn't dodge.
"AHHH!"
Her defensive aura flared, but the surprise attack had done damage. Off-balance and blinded by steam, Marcus seized the moment.
Fireball after fireball slammed into her purple barrier, making it crack and splinter. Each impact made her stumble backward, her confident expression replaced with panic.
The barrier shattered like glass.
Marcus grinned, preparing the finishing blow—then his mana reserves hit rock bottom.
'Shit! I need to run!'
He bolted, not looking back.
"I WILL KILL YOU!" She roared, giving chase.
Her speed wasn't what it should've been—Marcus had intentionally targeted her leg earlier. Still, she pursued with single-minded fury.
"COME HERE, WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?" she screamed. "Males will always be useless, you are only good at running!"
She was so focused on her tirade, she didn't notice she'd entered Athena's territory.
The silver-haired terror stood atop a pile of defeated opponents, frowning at the noise.
"Noisy," she muttered.
One moment she was there, the next she was directly above the purple-haired girl, one leg raised high like an axe about to fall.
WHAM!
The heel drop landed squarely on the girl's back, driving her face-first into the ground. The impact cratered the platform.
Before Athena could follow up, the girl vanished in a transport bubble.
Marcus, a hundred meters away, watched with his jaw hanging open.
"Shit."
'Hopefully she doesn't come after me,' he thought desperately.
Athena's head turned with mechanical precision, her eyes locking onto his.
He saw her smile.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
"Yeah. I'm fucked." He sighed, then turned and sprinted like his life depended on it.
Which it did.
Jasmine spotted Marcus running toward her, arms windmilling frantically. She squinted, confused—then saw Athena strolling behind him like a cat toying with a mouse.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? GET AWAY FROM ME!" Jasmine shrieked, abandoning her fight to flee in the opposite direction.
Her opponent blinked, turning to see what had spooked her.
Athena waved.
"Shit." The girl took off in a third direction entirely.
Liana, fighting nearby, saw the chaos unfolding. "Is that... Marcus being chased by Athena?"
She watched Jasmine run past, then a random competitor, then Marcus again—all being herded by Athena like sheep.
"Why is she just walking?" Liana wondered aloud. "She could catch them easily."
As if hearing her, Athena called out: "Where's the fun in that?"
Athena approached, still walking at that leisurely pace. "You're interesting. I like you."
Marcus tried to summon more fire. Nothing came out but smoke.
"I'll... I'll fight you!" He raised his fists. "Come at me!"
She tilted her head. "But you have no mana left."
"Details!"
Athena actually laughed. "I like your spirit. I'll tell you what, survive thirty more seconds, and I'll leave you alone."
Marcus nodded eagerly, then realized his mistake.
'I can't survive a single hit. Let alone thirty seconds...'
"Starting... now." She vanished.
The next half-minute became a blur of desperate dodges, panicked screams, as Athena appeared and disappeared around him like a ghost whilst laughing.
Twenty-nine seconds later, Marcus tripped over his own feet.
One second remained.
Athena's fist stopped an inch from his face.
"Time's up," she announced with a smile. "You live."
She walked away, leaving Marcus face down on the platform.
The announcer's voice boomed: "The competition has officially ended!"
Marcus pushed himself up and called after Athena's retreating form. "Thank you! I don't know why you let me go, but I'll repay this favor one day!"
Athena glanced back, her smile widening. "Oh... you will."
Marcus missed her response as Jasmine's shriek pierced his ears.
"You insolent little—! How dare you try to kick me out of the competition after I protected you for so long?"
"I'm sorry! I just ran in random directions. Besides, you're still in, right? No harm done."
"You—"
"The leaderboard rankings are on the screen!" the announcer cut in.
Everyone's eyes shot to the massive floating display.
Marcus exhaled sharply, scanning for his name.
Ever since Athena locked eyes with him, he had completely forgotten about the third choice given by the system.
Instead, opting out for the first choice.
[Choice 1: Become one of the fifty chosen to enter The Empress Academy]
Reward: F-Rank Talent & Grade 1 Magical Weapon
Instead of attempting:
[Choice 3: Reach the 25th rank]
Reward: E-Rank Talent & Grade 1 Magical Weapon
His eyes found his name: Marcus of House Windcrest - Rank 29
'Good enough.'
[Ding! You have been rewarded Grade 1 Magical Sword & F-Rank talent: Charm]
'Charm? That's a useless talent. I wanted a defensive talent.'
"Twenty-ninth?" Jasmine's voice dripped with disbelief. "YOU made twenty-ninth?"
"Seems like it," Marcus grinned.
The crowd buzzed.
"A male made the top thirty?"
"He beat actual talented women?"
"The Windcrest ward?"
Elara stood frozen in the stands, mouth agape. Beside her, Kayla looked like she'd swallowed a lemon.
"He... he actually qualified for the Academy," Elara whispered.
Someone nearby chimed in. "First male Academy entrant in decades."
The Frost Empress rose from her throne. The temperature plunged.
"The selection is complete. Top fifty, step forward to receive your Academy tokens."
The successful competitors lined up. Marcus found himself between two girls who edged away from him like he had a disease.
Frost crystals formed in the air, coalescing into glowing tokens that floated to each recipient.
As Marcus caught his, the Empress's icy gaze fixed on him.
Marcus gulped, remembering the Empress's personality in the novel.