Combat Test

Yulan Calendar, May 9994.

The fourth year's final month.

Nearly a year had passed since the Fallen Heart Flame evolved. My strength had steadily risen from the early fourth rank to its peak, with only one last step between me and the fifth rank.

That morning, in the fourth-year fire-classroom, Alison announced some news.

"Next week, the fourth-years will have a combat test."

A stir went through the classroom.

"A combat test?" someone asked. "How does it work?"

Alison glanced at him and said calmly, "You'll be paired up by drawing lots. There are no restrictions on magic or methods. The test ends when one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight."

The room fell silent for a moment, then the chatter grew louder.

"No restrictions? Doesn't that mean people could get hurt?"

"This has been a fourth-year tradition for years. It lets students experience real combat."

"I heard someone had a rib broken last year..."

Alison raised a hand, signaling for quiet.

"I know what you're thinking," she said. "But real battles don't wait until you're ready. This test is meant to give you an early taste of what it means that nothing matters more than life and death."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the classroom before finally settling on me.

"Of course, teachers will be watching. No one is actually going to die."

After class, a few students gathered around me.

"Akes, you're definitely not worried about this."

"Right. You're the top student in our year."

I shook my head. "Real combat is different from practice. We can't afford to be careless."

They were about to say more, but I had already left the classroom.

That afternoon, I sat cross-legged on a rock beside the waterfall on the back mountain and meditated with my eyes closed. The Fallen Heart Flame pulsed gently inside me as the Five Spirit Wheel turned, drawing in the fire elements around me.

After nearly a year of cultivation, I had grown ever more adept at using these two treasures. The Fallen Heart Flame's automatic cultivation kept me in peak condition, while the Five Spirit Wheel let me absorb elements far faster than ordinary people when meditating.

"Third Brother."

Linley's voice came from behind me.

I opened my eyes and turned around. Linley was walking toward me, with Bebe perched on his shoulder.

"You here to cultivate, too?" I asked.

"Yeah." Linley found a rock nearby and sat down. "I heard your fourth-year class has a combat test next week?"

"You're pretty well-informed."

"Yale told me." Linley paused. "How are you preparing?"

I thought it over before answering. "Strength is one thing. Actually fighting is another. I've never faced anyone in real combat."

Linley nodded and said nothing more.

We each meditated in silence.

When the sun began to set, I opened my eyes. Linley had already left, but Bebe was still perched on the rock beside me, watching me with his round, shiny eyes.

"Where's your master?"

Bebe tilted his head but didn't answer.

I reached out and patted his head. The little fellow narrowed his eyes contentedly.

"Come on. Let's go back for dinner."

I picked Bebe up and headed for the dormitory.

A week later, the combat test went ahead as scheduled.

The testing ground was an open area on the east side of the academy. Several teachers stood around the edge, Alison among them. The fourth-year students had gathered in small groups, some nervous and others excited.

When the lots were drawn, I was paired with a boy named Kallen.

He was a fourth-year fire mage, above average in strength but usually easy to overlook. Yet he looked at me differently—not with fear, but with eager anticipation.

"Akes." He came over and held out his hand. "I look forward to learning from you."

I shook his hand. "Likewise."

The test began.

Kallen and I stood in the middle of the testing ground, ten meters apart. The students and teachers around us watched.

"Begin!" Alison called.

Kallen immediately took a step back and began chanting a spell. It was a sensible choice: against an opponent with a reputation like mine, keeping his distance was the obvious move.

But I didn't move.

I stood where I was, quietly watching him.

Kallen finished his incantation, and a fire snake shot from his palm and lunged at me. A second-level spell, Fire Snake Technique. It looked hot enough—probably around nine hundred degrees.

I raised my right hand.

The Fallen Heart Flame stirred. The fire snake suddenly stopped a meter away from me, then... turned around and lunged back at Kallen.

Kallen's expression changed. He hurriedly raised a defensive barrier.

Boom!

The fire snake slammed into the barrier and exploded in a burst of flames. Kallen staggered back two steps, and several cracks appeared in the barrier.

"How is that possible..." He stared at me in disbelief. "What did you do?"

I didn't answer. I simply raised my left hand.

Another fire snake took shape, larger than the first, with a faint milky-white glow along the edges of its flames.

Kallen's expression changed.

He gritted his teeth and suddenly began chanting a new spell. This incantation was longer than the last, and the fire elements around us surged violently.

A third-level spell?

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Kallen finished the incantation, and a huge fireball formed above his head, a full two meters across. A third-level fire spell—Great Fireball.

"Go!"

The fireball hurtled toward me.

The students around us cried out in alarm. A third-level spell was already a powerful attack for a fourth-year student. Kallen had clearly been hiding his strength.

I stood where I was, still unmoving.

The fireball drew closer: ten meters, five meters, three—

Just as everyone thought I was about to be hit, I raised my right hand.

I drove the Fallen Heart Flame to its full power.

The fireball stopped two meters away from me.

"How... How is this possible?" Kallen's eyes widened.

I looked at him and willed it to move.

The fireball slowly turned around, facing Kallen.

His face turned deathly pale.

"I surrender!"

He practically shouted it.

I withdrew the Fallen Heart Flame, and the fireball slowly dissipated in midair.

Silence fell over the area.

A few seconds later, Alison's voice rang out. "Akes Yan wins."

Scattered applause broke out, but most of the students were still too stunned to react.

After the test, Alison called me over.

"Come with me."

She led me to a quiet corner, then turned to look at me.

"Is your ability to control other people's flames something you were born with?"

I thought for a moment. "You could say that."

Alison fell silent for a moment, then said, "That ability is extremely rare. In all my years, I've only heard of legendary fire-element Saint-level powerhouses who could do something like that. And you're so young..."

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully.

"I don't mean anything by this," she said. "I just want to remind you to avoid showing this ability in public when you can. Everyone here today was a fourth-year student, so it's fine. But if you show it in a more public setting in the future, it could attract unwanted attention."

I nodded. "Thank you, teacher."

Alison gave me a look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

That night, at the dormitory, the five of us sat in the courtyard chatting as usual. Yale animatedly recounted the day's events. He hadn't been there to see it, but he was always quick to hear the news.

"Third Brother, you were incredible! You controlled your opponent's magic! What's that move called? Teach me!"

"You wouldn't be able to learn it even if he taught you," George said.

"Why not? I'm talented, too!"

"You're a wind mage. Why would you learn fire magic?"

Yale choked, then waved a hand. "Never mind, then."

Reynolds laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

Linley sat nearby without a word, but a thoughtful look flickered in his eyes. He probably knew that my ability wasn't something ordinary fire-element talent could explain.

The night breeze swept past, carrying the warmth of early summer.

Looking at my four brothers, I suddenly felt that life like this was wonderful.

[Ping—The host has been detected experiencing: first display of the Fallen Heart Flame's special ability in actual combat.]

[Hidden condition triggered? Would you like to check in?]

The system's voice rang out.

I silently said to myself, "Check in."

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward obtained: Azeroth Arcane Intellect (permanent)—permanently increases spiritual perception and boosts meditation efficiency by another twenty percent.]

A cool sensation surged into my mind and spread through it in an instant.

In that moment, I felt as though the whole world had become clearer.

The insects chirping in the distance, the rustle of leaves, the movement of the night breeze—even the faint sound of Bebe chewing meat—all of it was crystal clear.

This was the effect of improved spiritual perception.

"Third Brother?" Yale's voice came from nearby. "What are you spacing out for?"

"Nothing." I came back to myself. "Just thinking about something."

"About what?"

"Something good."

Yale rolled his eyes and didn't ask any more.