Rainor straightened immediately.
“Esteemed guests, welcome to the School of Infinite. Is your visit this time also for scouting new students?”
The three guests were:
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Ramyas Bidarel from the Four Elements Academy
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Kaigal Kallas from the Wildheart Academy
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Evan Twiland from the Twilight Greenland Academy
Ramyas smiled faintly. “What do you think, Rainor?”
Rainor chuckled. “I imagine your intentions are the same as always.”
Kaigal folded his arms. “Find any good seedlings this year?”
“As you can see, Mr. Kaigal,” Rainor replied, gesturing toward the screens, “like always, there are many promising ones.”
Evan watched the displays silently.
“Why so quiet, Evan?” Kaigal asked. “Here just to enjoy the show?”
“You brutes do your thing,” Evan said coldly. “Don’t mix me in. I’m watching the Trial.”
Rainor switched the main screen.
Aashna.
Inside the Trial Grounds, Aashna was facing what looked like an endless swarm of ferocious rabbits. A pale, snow-like aura flowed from her body. As she activated her innate skill, a thin veil of frost spread in a three-meter radius around her.
Glacial Veil.
Wherever the veil touched, movement slowed by nearly ninety-nine percent. Rabbits froze mid-leap, their bodies dragged into heavy stillness for five full seconds—more than enough time.
Ice spikes erupted a moment later, piercing straight through frozen hearts.
The monitoring room fell silent.
Ramyas leaned forward. “Who is that girl, Rainor? Her control is precise. And that soul—Ice Soul?”
“Yes,” Rainor replied. “Her name is Aashna Icenfield.”
“Icenfield?” Ramyas’ eyes widened. “No wonder. That family’s control over snow-type techniques is terrifying. Her skill—Snow Veil?”
Rainor shook his head. “No. It only looks similar because of her cultivation. Her innate skill is Glacial Veil. And Ice Spikes is also an innate skill.”
Ramyas stiffened. “Glacial Veil? That’s an advanced innate skill—the same one awakened by the Northern House Icenfield matriarch.”
Evan finally spoke. “If she joins Twilight Greenland Academy, she can fully understand that skill. In time, she could handle an entire corrupted-beast region alone. I will definitely recruit her.”
Kaigal snorted. “If she’s really related to the Icenfield matriarch, do you think you can just force her to join?”
Both Ramyas and Evan turned toward Rainor.
“Stop staring at me like that,” Rainor sighed.
“Yes. She is related. She’s the matriarch’s daughter.”
Ramyas and Evan reacted in shock.
“Her daughter?” Ramyas muttered, then smiled. “Even so, I’ll get her with the right offer.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kaigal said. “We’ll see.”
A rough, disciplined voice cut through the room.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Looks like I have heavy competition this year.”
Rainor turned. “Welcome, Sir Robert.”
Robert Raison, from the Frontwall Martial Academy, stepped inside. He was both a frontline commander and the dean of the academy guarding the boundary between the Dark Forbidden Grounds and the Indus Continent—an Ascension-realm powerhouse at the Cosmic Veil Realm.
“What happened to you, Rainor?” Robert said lightly. “You’ve gone soft. Why don’t you come back to the frontlines for a while?”
“Please don’t joke, Sir Robert,” Rainor replied. “Whenever the call comes, I’m ready to return.”
Robert laughed. “I know. I’m just teasing.”
They turned back to the screens.
The view briefly shifted to Miron, whose shadow clones were beginning to hold solid form for nearly two minutes, enough to fight at full strength. However, his understanding of his soul still lagged behind others, and Rainor switched the feed again.
Five screens stabilized:
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Aarna and Gonad, defending a meditating WINI
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Aashna, freezing waves of beasts
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Miron, commanding his shadows
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Carg, manipulating beast instincts with rune techniques
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One rapidly moving figure eliminating students at extreme speed
A teacher frowned. “Why are those two protecting that seated student? And what is he doing inside the Trial Grounds?”
Rainor’s gaze lingered on the figure.
“That student,” he said slowly, “is the one who awakened the unique soul this year.”
Ramyas raised an eyebrow. “Unique? Which soul?”
“The Void Soul,” Rainor replied.
Silence followed.
Ramyas frowned. “Void Soul… so that’s what it is.”
Robert nodded. “So he’s the Void awakener I heard about.”
“Yes,” Rainor said. “From the looks of it, he’s experiencing backlash from using awakened soul energy too early.”
Ramyas shook her head. “Even if it’s unique, no one on this continent has ever succeeded in cultivating the Void Soul. Every record ends before Integration.”
“Six awakenings in history,” Kaigal added. “All failures.”
Robert continued watching the screen. “That doesn’t mean the soul is useless. It means the path is brutal.”
Rainor exhaled softly. “Either way, he’s not acting without reason.”
Gonad had finished recovering his energy and was now fighting alongside Aarna, holding a defensive perimeter around WINI.
More than two hours had passed since the Trial began. Four hours remained.
WINI remained seated, circulating energy to stabilize his newly awakened Void Eye. His earlier attempt to flush away restlessness by flooding his body with spirit energy had completely emptied his reserves. Now, he was rebuilding them slowly.
Gonad checked his wristband.
“My rank is third,” he said. “Aarna, what about you?”
“I was first,” Aarna replied. “…Now I’m second.”
“Mine just dropped to fourth,” Gonad muttered.
Total students entered: 900
Remaining: 820
“Still so many,” Gonad said. “Is the test too easy?”
Before he finished speaking, the number dropped rapidly.
820… 800… 780…
Within two minutes, it reached 750.
“How is that possible?” Gonad asked. “Did everyone crush their wristbands at the same time?”
“Probably groups withdrawing together,” Aarna replied calmly. “Focus behind WINI—twelve Razor Wolves are approaching from the rear.”
Another teacher frowned. “The remaining count is dropping too fast.”
Rainor narrowed his eyes. “Do you want to see who’s responsible?”
The screens shifted.
Five of the seven feeds focused on six students—especially one figure responsible for forcing over 350 students out alone.
Remaining: 350
Robert folded his arms. “Who is that? What soul allows that speed?”
“No, Sir Robert,” Rainor said. “Her soul isn’t agility-based. Her name is Oscherin Terrion. She awakened a Serpent Soul.”
“If she’s moving like that,” Robert said, “then she either reached the second stage—or awakened a linked skill.”
“Her recorded innate skill is Silent Strike,” Rainor replied.
Robert nodded slowly. “Serpent Souls have records of linked skills. Her movement matches Silent Strike: Charge.”
The rankings updated.
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Oscherin Terrion
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Aashna Icenfield
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Aarna Asval
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Gonad Valtoris
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Carg Capster
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Miron Tuberlin
…
-
Winay Hecksopian
“Was Oscherin always this strong?” Gonad muttered. “I thought she was just a random girl.”
Aarna tilted her head. “I hear faint footsteps. From the front. Be ready.”
Recently eliminated students gathered, injured and furious.
“She’s a demon,” one girl groaned.
“No hesitation—she crushed my wristband instantly.”
“My leg…!” another hissed. “She blitzed past before I could react.”
“I’ll take revenge on that—”
“Revenge?” another scoffed. “Look at the rankings first.”
The board displayed:
1st: Oscherin Terrion — 700 points
2nd: Aashna Icenfield — 550
3rd: Aarna Asval — 530
4th: Gonad Valtoris — 499
…
899th: Winay Hecksopian — 33 points
Pebble laughed loudly. “See? Trash soul stays trash!”
Some laughed with him. Others remained silent—those who had withdrawn voluntarily after facing high-tier spirit beasts.
“There’s movement from behind,” Aarna said. “West—and east too.”
Gonad clenched his fists. “We’re surrounded.”
“Prepare your strongest skills,” Aarna said. “We clear this circle and hope Winay finishes his circulation in time.”
At that moment, something streaked past Aarna—too fast to intercept.
Oscherin.
She reached WINI and swung her dagger toward his shoulder.
The blade never landed.
From behind Oscherin, a brilliant red heat erupted, flames roaring into existence between her weapon and WINI’s unmoving form.
The Trial Grounds are heating up, and new players are starting to make their moves. The next chapter will pick up right where this one ends.