Ray was genuinely satisfied with the outcome of the third trial.

Aside from himself, who had deliberately drawn upon both blood essence and soul power, the others had barely expended any energy at all. That alone made the trial a success in his eyes.

Central Academy's entrance examination was clearly designed as a marathon rather than a sprint, and now that three trials had already passed without pause, the importance of conserving strength could no longer be ignored. If they burned through their reserves too early, no amount of talent would carry them to the end.

This was precisely why Ray had stopped Lily from exerting her full control over the elements.

Among the four of them, she was the strongest overall and the one best suited to face whatever unknown trials lay ahead.

Letting her conserve her soul power while he took the brunt of the early challenges was a conscious choice on his part, one he did not regret in the slightest.

"You all scored ten points," Giselle announced, her expression carefully composed as she turned and led them onward without pause.

Though she maintained a calm exterior, her heart was anything but steady.

She had worried that forcing these children to take the trials consecutively without rest would be too much, yet reality had slapped that concern aside.

Not only had they passed the first three trials with ease, they had earned full marks on the third, which was widely acknowledged as the most difficult of the early examinations.

They had not shattered any records for speed, but what they had done was something unprecedented.

They had dominated the trial completely.

Ray's performance, in particular, left a deep impression on her. Now she finally understood why he was the captain of class zero, and why even someone as outstanding as Lily was willing to follow his lead without question.

"You can get down now," Ray said, reaching back to lightly pat the arms still looped around his neck.

Lily responded by burying her face deeper into his back, clinging to him as though she had not heard him at all.

Ray froze for a moment before asking in a low, worried voice, "Did you get hurt back there?"

Lily shook her head faintly and murmured, almost too softly to hear, "J-just carry me a little longer. I'm… a bit scared."

Raziel and Violetta exchanged strange looks at the side.

Scared? Lily?

The idea felt almost surreal.

In their eyes, Lily was practically immune to fear, someone who faced everything with detached calm.

Over the past three years, she had kept her distance from almost everyone, burying herself in cultivation and spending most of her free time at the Spirit Tower.

Yet ever since the entrance exams had begun, something about her had shifted. More precisely, her attitude toward Ray had softened, and now the change was impossible to ignore.

What they did not know was that Lily's thoughts were currently in complete disarray.

The image of Ray soaking in the bathtub flashed through her mind again, golden mist curling around his well-defined body, his muscles gleaming faintly through the steam.

She had only caught a brief glimpse back then, but it had etched itself deeply into her memory. That was the moment something had quietly changed inside her, even if she herself did not fully understand it yet.

Ray tried to free himself, but Lily's legs were wrapped around him far too tightly.

In the end, he could only give up and continue carrying her. Meanwhile, Lily's heart was pounding wildly, while Ray's face grew redder by the second.

Though they were still young, the subtle differences between boys and girls had already begun to surface.

Ray's body was lean and solid, full of restrained strength, while Lily was soft and light against him, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance. Strands of her hair brushed against his cheek as they walked, tickling his skin and making it even harder for him to stay calm.

After re-entering the building, they passed through another corridor and climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor.

The walls and ceiling here were pristine white, traced with intricate golden lines that formed complex patterns stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Those look like… soul device blueprints," Violetta said in surprise. As someone who had chosen mecha design as her secondary profession, she recognized the diagrams instantly.

Ray stared at the lines with a frown, unable to decipher their meaning. Even glancing at them made his head feel heavy. He suspected that if his spiritual power were any weaker, he might already be dizzy.

They entered a spacious room while he was still pondering this. Giselle pointed toward several chairs arranged along the side. "Wait here. I'm going to fetch the administrators for this trial. This one will test your individual strengths. You'll each be examined based on a single specialty, so think carefully. Your greatest strength will determine your result."

With that, she turned and left.

"Our specialty?" Raziel muttered, scratching his head in confusion.

Lily finally released Ray and sat down cross-legged without saying a word, already entering a meditative state.

Ray took a seat beside her and spoke quietly, "This trial shouldn't be complicated. It's about showing what you're best at as a soul master. Raziel, you're an agility-type, so you demonstrate speed. Show them what it really means to be fast. Since you have twin martial souls, combine both. That uniqueness is your advantage. The rest of us do the same. We just show our strongest point."

Violetta frowned slightly. "Captain, what about me? My abilities only truly shine at night."

Ray smiled helplessly. "Then explain it clearly. You already used your power during the second trial, so there's evidence. As long as you're honest, they shouldn't force you to demonstrate something you can't right now."

Her expression relaxed. "Alright, I understand."

"Good. Rest while you can," Ray said. "This kind of opportunity doesn't come often."

The moment he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. His blood essence was closely tied to his soul power, and without food, restoring soul power was the only way he could recover his strength.

Unfortunately, they were not given much time.

Less than five minutes later, Giselle returned, accompanied by three others. Two were middle-aged men, while the third was an elderly woman leaning on a walking stick.

Her steps were slow but steady as she approached the long table at the front of the room and took a seat. The two men followed her lead and sat respectfully on either side of her, leaving Giselle to stand nearby.

The old woman studied the four students, who were still meditating and unaware of her presence. A faint smile crept onto her weathered face as she spoke in a raspy voice, "These little ones really know how to seize every moment. Little Giselle, tell them we're starting."

"Yes, Elder," Giselle replied without the slightest hint of displeasure, stepping forward to wake the students.

"The administrators are here," she announced. "Who will go first?"

Ray's gaze swept over his teammates as he considered carefully. The order mattered. The first to step forward would leave the strongest impression, setting the tone for the entire group.

"Raziel, you go first," he decided. Leaning closer, he whispered a few words of advice into Raziel's ear.

Raziel nodded and walked to the center of the room. "Greetings, teachers," he said respectfully, bowing deeply.

The elderly woman chuckled. "Go on, then. You've only got one chance. Show me what you're best at."

"Yes," Raziel replied. As he straightened, three soul rings rose beneath his feet, two yellow and one purple, glowing softly.

The purple ring flared.

In an instant, his figure split into three identical copies, standing shoulder to shoulder, indistinguishable even under close scrutiny. The three Raziels bowed once more, then vanished in a blur of motion. Their footsteps were erratic and strange, as though they were dancing through invisible paths, each wielding a Light Dragon Dagger.

The air hissed and screamed as the daggers sliced through it. Slashes overlapped and multiplied, the three figures moving so fast they became whirlwinds, tearing through the space as if locked in battle with an unseen enemy at the center of a raging storm.

The two middle-aged examiners leaned forward, eyes widening in astonishment. Their soul power spread outward, probing the space, and they quickly realized that these were not mere afterimages.

They were real.

Clone-type soul skills were hardly rare, especially among agility-type soul masters.

Creating one or two afterimages was commonplace, and even three tangible clones could be seen from time to time among outstanding youths.

Within Central Academy, however, such a display would only earn a nod at best. Six clones was an entirely different matter, particularly when half of them were concealed within the shadows. That level of complexity and lethality elevated Raziel's performance far beyond the ordinary.

When thirty seconds had passed, the three figures blurred and collapsed back into a single body.

Raziel stood alone once more, sweat trickling down his temples as his chest rose and fell from exertion. He straightened his clothes and bowed deeply to the three examiners, repeating the gesture three times with sincerity. "That concludes my performance."

The elderly woman regarded him with keen interest, her cloudy eyes sharp beneath the weight of age. "Your twin martial souls are very similar in nature, aren't they?"

"Yes," Raziel answered honestly, showing no surprise at her insight. At Central Academy, secrets were rarely secrets for long.

She nodded slowly. "Your foundation isn't bad, but your control is lacking."

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