The Boy Who Walks Beyond The End-Chapter 48: Trial Exam

The sun hovered high above Obsidian Vale, the academy's renowned monster combat ground—where dirt met claw, and sweat was the language of progress.

Today, all three classes—Aetherion, Royal, and Verdant—stood at attention. The first-years buzzed with unease. Whispers flew like sparks in the wind. For many, it was their first time standing before live monsters.

Zen stood near the edge of the training ring, arms folded, quiet as always. His expression unreadable, eyes fixed on the iron cages being wheeled out near the other end of the field.

Then came that voice. Soft, melodic... and irritatingly amused.

"Ooooh, are you pouting already, Zen?"

Zen didn't flinch, but he knew that voice anywhere.

Lyra.

She slid beside him with practiced ease, her blue hair catching the sunlight like riverwater. Her arm bumped his gently—definitely on purpose.

"I was thinking," she said, fake-serious, "if you keep staring like that, the monsters might fall in love before we even fight them."

Zen exhaled through his nose. "Unlikely. They have more survival instinct than that."

Lyra placed a hand over her heart, gasping. "Was that... was that sass? From you? Oh no. Someone's getting bold."

Zen's cheeks twitched.

[ SYSTEM ]: [Alert: User has entered 'Flustered but pretending not to be' mode. Stats unaffected, pride reduced slightly.]

Zen gritted his teeth slightly. "Nex... shut up."

[ SYSTEM ]: [I shall record this moment as: 'Zen's Emotional Weakness = Pretty Girl with Sharp Tongue.']

Lyra tilted her head with a grin. "You muttering to yourself again?"

Zen looked away. "No."

[ SYSTEM ]: [Lying detected. Rolling deception check: You failed. Miserably.]

Before Lyra could continue her verbal assault, a voice echoed across the field.

"First-years, attention!"

Professor Orlean strode onto the field, his boots kicking dust and authority into the air. Tall, scarred, and dressed in a worn battlecoat, he looked like he could take on a dozen monsters before breakfast.

"Today, you'll engage in physical training against real monsters. You will be hurt if you're reckless. You will be challenged. And that is the point."

Nervous glances. A few audible gulps.

"You'll form teams of three. Choose wisely. No switching later."

Zen had already turned toward Lyra, but she beat him to it.

"Dibs," she said brightly, grabbing his wrist with zero shame.

Zen blinked. "I didn't say anything yet."

"You didn't have to." She winked.

Sylvia—quiet, thoughtful Sylvia from the Verdant Class—approached them. She gave a small bow. "If it's alright... may I join you two?"

Zen nodded. "Of course."

Thus, Zen, Lyra, and Sylvia became one of the first official trios.

Elsewhere, Arisella stood regal as always, flanked by Elvren Halcrest—whose silver hair and fire affinity made him look like a walking legacy—and Fiora Reins, the elegant and sharp-tongued Aetherion rep. Another formidable trio.

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All around them, teams of three snapped together.

Professor Orlean surveyed them.

"Good. Time for the trial."

The cages were opened.

From within came growls.

Two frostfang wolves, their fur crackling with frozen mist, and a stonehide orc with thick gray skin and a mouth full of tusks. It stomped forward, its club dragging along the dirt.

"Each team will take a turn," Orlean declared. "You'll engage. Fight. Survive. We'll watch."

The first few teams stepped up—some holding their ground, others falling quickly.

One student screamed as he was lightly bitten and ran off shouting something about "a family curse against canines."

[ SYSTEM ]: [Side Quest Failed: 'Don't Embarrass Yourself in Front of the Entire Year.']

Zen sighed. "Are you ever quiet?"

[ SYSTEM ]: [ If I was, who would narrate your tragic life story?]

Soon, it was Arisella's team's turn.

Elvren ignited a fire phoenix that swooped over the field, crashing into one wolf. Fiora trapped the orc with binding threads of mana while Arisella struck its head cleanly with one precise blade arc. The crowd murmured with awe.

Then...

"Next—Zen's team!"

Lyra rolled her shoulders. "Finally. Time for me to shine—"

"Lyra, stay back," Zen said simply.

"Huh? Wha—?"

Sylvia already raised her hand. A spiral of cold formed above her palm.

[ Arctic Push ].

BOOM—the left wolf was hurled into a tree and collapsed with a groan.

Zen disappeared in a blur. His sword flashed once—clean, deadly.

The second wolf dropped with a muffled yelp.

Then came the orc.

Zen darted forward. [ Sword Slash ] tore through the creature's side, followed by [ Ice Bloom ] sprouting around its legs, trapping it. Sylvia snapped her fingers and a [ Frozen Wall ] closed around it like a cage.

Zen's sword gleamed.

One strike. Down.

Silence.

Lyra stood dumbfounded.

"...I... didn't even unsheath my weapon," she muttered.

[ SYSTEM ]: [Combat Log: Lyrielle Caelivara – 0 kills, 0 assists, 1 pout. Would you like to retry the level?]

She turned toward Zen, puffing her cheeks in faux rage. "You could've at least left me the orc's ankles or something!"

Zen looked vaguely amused. "It didn't seem necessary."

"Oh, I hate how cool you say that."

[ SYSTEM ]: [Translation: She finds you attractive and mildly infuriating. Emotional danger level: critical.]

They stepped back as their round ended—flawless victory.

And so the training continued—day after day. One month passed like a storm.

Muscles grew. Magic refined. Monsters fell.

Then came the announcement.

Professor Orlean stood before the students once again.

"In three days," he began, "you'll enter a low-class dungeon outside the academy walls. You'll face unknown monsters, under real-world conditions. This will be your next exam."

Murmurs erupted like wildfire.

"You may not change teams. Your teachers—yes, teachers," he clarified, "will observe from a distance. Secretly."

Lyra leaned closer to Zen and whispered, "Guess we'll finally find out who screams first."

Zen didn't answer.

[ SYSTEM ]: [Spoiler: It's probably not you. Probably.]

Orlean continued, "The top-performing team will earn a full scholarship until the final exam."

That shut everyone up.

"And," he finished, "all other classes are cancelled for three days. Use that time to train. Seek out any teacher if you need help. Dismissed."

As students began to scatter, Lyra tugged Zen's sleeve.

"Hey," she said softly. "We're gonna win this."

Zen looked at her. Calm. Focused.

"...We will."

[ SYSTEM ]: [Team Status: Zen, Lyra, Sylvia. Confidence: high. Team chemistry: suspiciously romantic. Let's roll, champ.]