We faced down the robots standing in for monsters.

Five wolf-sized quadrupeds.

Two humanoids with shields.

Three wheeled types with gun-barrel shoulders.

“To make this as close to real combat as possible, you won’t be wearing protective belts,” Abel announced.

“You’ll have five minutes. Within that time, strip as many robots of their shields as you can. If I judge it’s too dangerous, I’ll call it off immediately. Ready?”

I looked back at my squad.

Lumina’s face was pale as snow, while Meiling pouted at the Level-20 iron sword she was holding, and Seo Yui regarded the robots with her usual drowsy expression.

“Lumina. No need to panic.”

“Y-Yein…”

“Just fight like you would in a dungeon.”

Then I turned to Meiling.

“Remember the practice during break?”

“Of course.”

I nodded. “We’re ready.”

“Good. Begin!” Abel’s words dropped with his finger on the tablet.

The robots’ glowing eyes turned on us.

“What do you think, senior?”

Cheongryong, arms crossed, turned slightly. Ao was staring at the Gwangcheon squad walking out toward Abel.

“It’ll be tough for them to down all of them,” Cheongryong said.

“Equipment—especially weapons—decides battles. That Meiling girl was a magic user, and Nam Yein himself claimed he was the weakest. If that’s true, they’ve only got two real melee fighters.”

At that moment, Abel gave the signal. The robots came to life.

First to move were the quadrupeds. Four darted to the flanks, aiming to close in on Gwangcheon’s sides.

“!”

Cheongryong’s eyes widened.

The four split into pairs, charging into the wolves’ path—Seo Yui with Yein, Lumina with Meiling.

The machines leapt high, claws extended.

Crash! Crack!

The sound rang across the field.

“….”

Cheongryong was struck speechless.

On the dirt lay the quadrupeds, shields gone dark.

“Senior, did you see that?” Ao asked in shock.

Cheongryong nodded.

Yui had slashed twice at their necks the instant they jumped, cutting their momentum. Before the bodies hit the ground, Yein thrust his sword into the belly of one, snuffing its barrier. And as another fell, Yui matched his timing and pierced its core.

On the other side, Lumina and Meiling each caught a wolf mid-air—targeting necks, then bellies. The result was the same: two machines, barriers down, silent on the ground.

“That was excellent coordination,” Ao murmured. “Especially Yui and Yein—like they’ve drilled together a hundred times.”

Cheongryong narrowed his gaze.

So much for being “the weakest.” That boy knows how to fight. And that girl…

He shifted his focus to Meiling.

Her swings weren’t wild. She’s wielded a blade against monsters before.

Weapons weren’t like skill gems. Gems taught your body instantly. But true proficiency with a weapon only came from use.

Awakeners learn faster thanks to their gifts, but still—that was experience speaking.

In an instant, Gwangcheon had overturned his evaluation. No longer “rivals worth watching”—they were an unknown quantity with frightening depth.

With the quadrupeds down, the backline robots activated.

Ratatat!

The wheeled gunners opened fire.

The four dodged wide, weaving left and right. But the turrets rotated smoothly, tracking them with relentless fire.

“What would we do in that situation?” Ao asked, following their movement with her eyes.

“Hard call. With only swords—no shields, no skills, no powers—it’s almost impossible to dodge long enough to close in. The only option is to risk injury and push through.”

Then—

“…No way.” Cheongryong’s jaw dropped, disbelief flashing across his face.

Yein had stripped off his armor and tossed it to Yui.

He broke away, sprinting off to the side, while Yui lifted the armor as a shield over her head and charged straight at the gunners.

Bullets chewed through the armor, sparks flying, but she didn’t flinch, closing the distance fast.

At last, she reached them.

The three gunner bots ceased fire. Shield-bearing humanoids stepped up, interposing themselves in front of her like guardians.

She made it in close… but if those shields are truly Level 30 gear, there’s no way her sword can break them…

The thought had barely crossed Ao’s mind when—

“…What?” Her face twisted with shock.

“Hah.”

Cheongryong let out a short, incredulous laugh.

Seo Yui suddenly flung her sword aside and crouched low.

Then, with both arms, she grabbed the legs of the shield-bearing robot.

And began swinging it like a weapon.

The tank robot’s shield caved in fast as its comrade’s body slammed into it again and again.

With an ally so close, the gunner robots held their fire, trying to wheel back instead.

That was when—crash, crack!

While Yui drew their focus, Lumina and Meiling had slipped in from behind and slashed the gunners’ cores.

“Stop!” Abel’s voice rang out.

The three girls froze mid-motion.

“Good. Very good!”

Abel’s face was glowing with a smile.

At his tablet’s command, the robots powered down and rolled back into formation.

“A most entertaining, impressive fight,” Abel said, turning to the other academies.

“Honestly, I’m at a loss. The goal of this exercise was for you to observe one another’s battles, to discuss strengths and weaknesses, to learn. But Gwangcheon gave the model answer on their very first attempt. What do I do with that?”

His eyes found me and Yui.

“Especially you two. To strip off armor and use it as a shield, to take a weak weapon and turn the enemy itself into your weapon—that is exactly the mindset a Hunter needs. If you don’t have teeth, use your gums. Don’t care if it looks crude or shameless. Survival is the only true measure in a dungeon. And all four of you showed real proficiency in melee as well. Excellent. For a flawless first attempt, Gwangcheon Squad earns ten points.”

Our smartwatches chimed in unison, and a chorus of gasps and murmurs swept through the students.

“But of course,” Abel went on, “this isn’t the only way. Each party has its own strengths and specialties—there are always other approaches. Next squad, raise your hands.”

Hesitation gave way as one by one, the other academies volunteered.

In turn, each of the five remaining academies attempted the drill.

Only Crystal and Martial God managed to strip every robot’s shields, earning three points apiece.

The rest failed.

Magicka fared the worst: within twenty seconds, two members were downed by quadrupeds, forcing Abel to halt the attempt and award them last place.

“That concludes the exercise.”

Abel tapped his tablet, sending the machines clanking back underground.

“The time is 8:41. Gwangcheon, Crystal, and Martial God squads may return to the dorms. Rest until 10, or use the training facilities if you like. The failed squads—Ucheon, Dai, and Magicka—will remain. We’ll drill your close-combat basics. Magicka especially, we start from scratch.”

Groans rose from Ucheon, faces darkened at Magicka, and the Dai students just clenched their jaws in silence.

Not far from the HAUT grounds stood a two-story building.

Unlike the worn training halls, this place gleamed like a luxury hotel.

Inside its wide conference chamber, HAUT’s executive committee and outside guests were gathered, watching a holographic feed.

“This is truly remarkable,” said a man in his late forties with lilac hair.

“I’ve seen many kids pass through HAUT, but never like this. They fought like seasoned Hunters. Even Abel’s smile looks genuine.”

“Genuine?” asked a dark-haired man across the table, brows drawn.

“Abel always smiles, yes. But when he truly means it, the angle of his lips and eyes are different.”

“I see.”

The dark-haired man’s expression cooled, gaze drifting back to the screen.

“President Oh Sungcheon doesn’t look pleased, though. Gwangcheon is owned by your conglomerate, isn’t it?” asked Zeek, guildmaster of All Around.

“He asked his own school’s students for help in business, and they refused him. That kind of insult leaves a mark,” another man quipped.

Sungcheon’s face twitched, but he quickly smoothed it over, meeting the speaker’s eyes with a thin smile.

“And President Ahn Hyung-gi seems unconcerned, even though his daughter—the one famed for her talent—has yet to impress.”

“There’s still time,” replied the gray-haired Ahn, lounging back with ease. “And I trust both my daughter and Crystal Academy’s education.”

“Still, it’s surprising to see such talent from a school with so little support.”

At that, Oh Sungcheon’s cheek twitched. His glare burned with naked resentment.

Even with a change in leadership, the great houses are still eager to devour each other, Zeek thought with a dry chuckle, turning back to the hologram.

The feed now showed Martial God Academy’s squad pressing the robots.

“There’s much to look forward to this year,” Zeek remarked. “The data shows average body-mind-spirit affinities are higher than last year’s intake.”

“Affinities alone don’t define an Awakener,” said Riyu Homar, the Amethyst Sage and HAUT’s committee chair.

“Take that lone boy from Gwangcheon. His readings are F, F, and C.”

Shock rippled through the room.

“But the battle we just saw was highly skilled!” said Johnny Mark, VP of Elixir Industries, leaders in potion development.

“To be a true swordsman takes years of training,” Riyu said, “but to succeed in a specific scenario, you only need to prepare for that situation. And Gwangcheon’s kids just achieved a flawless victory against robots they’d never faced before. That means they anticipated these combat scenarios, practiced them. And who led that? Most likely Nam Yein. You saw yesterday’s King’s Game match?”

Zeek nodded.

“Abel said the winning strategy was his.”

“I see. Then Nam Yein is a rare talent indeed.”

Riyu’s eyes gleamed as he nodded.

“He’s one worth watching closely.”

A quiet chuckle followed his words.

(End of Chapter)

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