Sunlight streamed through the window, landing on Rin's face as he blinked awake. He turned to his right.
Ella sat there with a faint smile. "Oh hey. You're awake?"
"Yeah," Rin muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry."
Ella raised an eyebrow. "Sorry? For what?"
"I kinda lost it yesterday. You used up so much mana just to calm me down. I'm… pretty pathetic."
She gave a light laugh. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, get dressed. Since you're up early, we've got time to squeeze in a bit of training."
"Alright," he said, already pushing himself off the bed.
Five minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
Rin opened it to find Jin standing there.
"Today's our exam," Jin said bluntly. "Don't screw around. Make sure you're back before it starts. That's all."
Rin blinked. The hell's his problem?
As Jin walked off, Ella's voice echoed in his mind. Yeah, I think he's pissed off that he's stuck on your team.
Rin stepped out, closed the door, and quickened his pace to match Jin's. "Hey, Jin. Since we're teammates, mind telling me your attributes? Might help to know."
Jin scoffed. "Light and plant. That's it."
"Light and plant, huh?" Rin repeated, then added, "I've got fire and electricity."
Jin didn't even look at him. "How pathetic."
Rin didn't respond out loud, but his thoughts sparked. Ella, if Jin learned elemental fusion, what would that make?
He can't, she replied. He's unlucky. Plant Control isn't an element—it's an attribute. You can't fuse attributes with elements.
Then what about me? If I combine fire and electricity?
Ella paused. Well… you'd get… she trailed off with a sheepish smile. Actually, I have no idea.
Ugh. Forgot I asked.
Jin suddenly turned. "Why are you still following me?"
"I'm heading to the training grounds."
"Now? You had all the time in the world to train before."
"Yeah, well… luck hasn't exactly been on my side. A lot of unexpected shit happened."
Jin shook his head. "Whatever. I'm going this way. Don't be late to the exam. It's in the center of the academy, obviously."
As he walked off, Rin muttered, "Wow, he's seriously mad."
Can't blame him, Ella added. Not knowing where your own exam is? That's pretty dumb. Back in my day, I was top of my class. No one could touch me.
"Yeah, yeah," Rin muttered. "Top class, my ass."
---
Two hours later – Academy Central Grounds
Kaela stood beside Taro, arms folded. "Hey, Rin still isn't here."
Taro smirked. "One less variable to worry about… But still, can't believe we're on the same team. We might actually win this."
"Of course we'll win," Kaela replied. "There's no one better than us."
Far behind, Rin trudged toward the gathering, sweat dripping down his brow.
Ella, I can't move. We shouldn't have trained… I told you I needed rest.
"Don't be dramatic. You've still got plenty left in the tank." Then her tone softened. But still… I didn't think just hearing those words from you yesterday would calm you this much. Your electric aura's steadier, too. Just how much were you holding in?
I can still hear you, Rin said in his mind.
W-What?! You can hear my thoughts too?
Apparently.
Before she could reply, Jin called out, "Hey, asshole! Didn't I tell you not to be late?!"
Rin scratched his head. "Ah, yeah… I was, uh, stuck in the bathroom. Took a while to—y'know—break free. Anyway, I'm glad to be working with you."
Wow, Ella laughed. Didn't think I'd hear that from you.
Shut up, Rin shot back. I'm just saying what he wants to hear so he'll let it go.
Just then, an unfamiliar man walked up to the group. He was average height, muscular, with short black hair and a double-edged sword strapped to his back. His voice was low and commanding.
"I'm your examiner. I'll be overseeing this exam. As the instructors told you, this is a free-for-all—teams of two. But you won't just be fighting people. There are monsters too. All kinds."
He held up a sleek, watch-like device. "Each of you will wear one of these. It registers knockouts. When a protective magic bubble appears around you, that means you're out. No exceptions."
He tapped the screen. "There's a scoring system, and it's simple. Knock out a student, earn twenty points. Eliminate both members of a team, and you'll get sixty total. So a full team wipe scores you a hundred points. Monster points vary. A skeleton's worth one. A minotaur? Five. Some rare beasts are worth even more."
He turned the screen toward them, zooming in on the interface. "Now, pay attention. There are two important buttons here."
He pointed to the first. "This one's the Surrender Button. It only works if both team members press it. That means if one of you gives up and the other doesn't? You're still in the game. Got it?"
Then he tapped the second button. "This one's for emergencies only. Let's say you fall into a cave, get trapped by a landslide, or something crazy like that—press it, and an extraction team will come for you. It's not a free pass, though. You'll be disqualified, and points won't be counted."
He looked out across the group, his tone turning serious. "One last thing. If you survive a full week on this island—without surrendering or being eliminated—you'll be guaranteed five hundred points. That's enough to skyrocket you to the top of the board."
A murmur spread through the crowd at that.
He glanced around. "To pass, your team needs a combined total of 300 points. Any questions?"
No one spoke.
"Good. When I call your team, step into the portal. You'll get a five-minute head start before the next team enters, so use that time to hide or strategize."
He checked a scroll. "First up, team 5, Hana and… Verclian. Step forward."
Five minutes passed.
"Next, team 6, Taro and Kaela."
Another 2 hours passed.
"Team 20, Rin and Jin. Your turn."
Rin stood. "Finally."
As they approached the portal, Jin muttered, "Stay sharp. We don't know what's waiting. Could be an ambush right at the gate."
Rin gave a cocky smirk. "Who do you think I am?"
They stepped through the portal.
...
To be continued...