CreaaaaaK...!

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

BOOM!

The sky split apart.

Brilliant violet lightning flashed across the heavens, tearing through the clouds like enormous cracks spreading across a sheet of glass. The surrounding space distorted violently as glowing fractures expanded in every direction, releasing waves of spatial energy that caused the air itself to tremble.

The next moment...

Figures began pouring out of those fractures one after another.

"Hm..."

A boy slowly opened his eyes, still feeling the dizziness from the Spatial Alchemy Circle.

The cold wind brushed against his face, while his clothes fluttered violently.

For a brief moment...

His mind remained blank.

Then...

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!"

"WE’RE FALLING!!"

"YOU FUCKING PROFESSOR!!"

Dozens of terrified screams exploded around him.

The sudden noise immediately jolted him awake.

"Huh?"

His eyes snapped open.

Only then did he realize why the wind was roaring past his ears with such force.

He looked downward.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"AHHHHHHH! I’M FALLING!!"

His scream immediately joined everyone else’s.

Hundreds of meters beneath them...

An enormous forest stretched as far as the eye could see.

Towering ancient trees formed an endless sea of green.

Surrounding the entire forest stood gigantic defensive walls, their massive stone structures forming a perfect enclosure around the training grounds.

Several buildings could also be seen beyond the walls, appearing no larger than children’s toys from this terrifying height.

Above...

Nothing but endless sky.

Below...

A fall that seemed capable of killing anyone foolish enough to think they could survive it.

Students tumbled through the clouds in every direction.

Some desperately flailed their arms.

Others spun uncontrollably after losing their balance.

Several had already closed their eyes completely, screaming themselves hoarse.

The fierce wind continuously slammed against their bodies, making it difficult to even breathe properly.

Yet...

Not everyone panicked.

"Hahahaha!"

Lyra’s bright laughter echoed through the sky.

"This is fun!"

Unlike everyone else...

She looked completely thrilled about their situation, that instead of resisting the fall...

She leaned into it.

Her body straightened until she resembled an arrow diving toward the earth.

The change in posture immediately increased her speed.

The air howled louder around her as she descended even faster than the others.

Nearby...

Vera calmly adjusted her posture into a similar diving position.

One hand rested above her eyes, shielding them from the powerful wind while allowing her to continue observing the forest below.

Her long black hair streamed wildly behind her like flowing silk.

The academy training uniform fluttered violently under the pressure of the rushing air.

Despite everything...

Not a trace of panic appeared on her face.

Her expression remained as calm as if she were simply taking a leisurely walk through the academy gardens.

A short distance away...

Nina and Zack also maintained their composure.

Zack steadily controlled his breathing while allowing gravity to carry him downward.

Compared to the surrounding chaos...

The four of them appeared almost out of place.

"Does he seriously expect us to land inside that forest like this?"

One of the calmer students muttered while glancing around.

His eyes swept across his fellow terrified first-years still screaming at the top of their lungs.

Some had even begun crying.

Others had curled into themselves out of pure instinct.

A few...

Had already fainted.

Veda noticed this immediately, which made his expression hardened.

Without hesitation...

He adjusted his body in midair.

His Cognis surged through his muscles, allowing him to move through the air far more freely than ordinary people.

Whoosh!

His body shot sideways.

Before long...

He caught the first unconscious student.

Moments later...

He grabbed another before they could continue tumbling.

One rested over each shoulder.

Veda looked toward the surrounding students.

"What are you all doing?!"

His serious voice carried surprisingly well despite the roaring wind.

"Help those who passed out!"

His words immediately woke several students from their panic.

Nickolas reacted first.

Without wasting another second...

He rushed toward another unconscious student drifting nearby.

"I’ve got one!"

Linda looked around before gritting her teeth.

"I’m going too!"

Tracy followed immediately afterward.

Several of the calmer students exchanged brief glances.

Without speaking...

They silently joined the rescue effort.

One after another...

Unconscious students were caught before they could continue falling helplessly.

But of course, not everyone shared the same thoughts.

"Heh."

Basil folded his arms behind his head as though he were relaxing instead of falling through the sky.

"Look at him. Playing the hero."

Logan laughed beside him.

"I know, right? Why should we waste our time on weakling?"

Both boys continued falling without changing course.

Farther ahead...

Felix calmly descended past an unconscious female student.

He didn’t even spare her another glance.

"It’s basically pointless."

His voice remained completely indifferent.

"Helping weaklings only wastes time."

He looked downward.

"From this point onward... They’re just potential weak enemies."

A faint smirk slowly formed across his lips.

His body continued cutting through the air as though nothing had happened.

"Tsk."

Veda clicked his tongue.

He could still see several unconscious students scattered throughout the falling crowd.

Unfortunately...

His hands were already full.

A trace of frustration flashed across his face.

Then...

"Relax."

A calm voice reached his ears.

Veda turned.

Willow had somehow drifted beside him.

Despite falling from hundreds of meters in the air...

Her breathing remained perfectly steady.

One hand rested naturally near her waist.

Her posture resembled a swordsman calmly standing before an opponent rather than someone plummeting toward the earth.

"Young Lord of Ash... you shouldn’t worry so much."

She spoke gently.

Veda frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Willow raised one finger.

"Look."

She pointed ahead.

Veda instinctively followed her finger.

"...There’s nothing."

He looked confused.

The next instant...

BOOM!

A brilliant violet light exploded beneath everyone’s feet.

An enormous Spatial Alchemy Circle appeared out of nowhere.

It swallowed every student instantly.

Before anyone could react...

The falling sensation disappeared and Veda suddenly felt solid ground beneath his feet.

Boom!

He landed heavily inside the forest, making leaves shake violently from the impact, while dust scattered across the surrounding ground.

Even while carrying two unconscious students...

He maintained enough control to absorb most of the landing force himself.

He slowly lowered both students onto the grass before examining them.

"They’re still unconscious..."

He sighed quietly.

"Even with me taking most of the impact... They’re probably going to wake up with sore bodies. And also, the others who are still unconscious..."

A helpless smile appeared on his face.

Then...

Clap!

He lightly slapped both cheeks.

His eyes immediately sharpened.

"No. Forget that for now."

A determined flame burned within his gaze.

"The competition comes first."

He rolled his shoulders.

Cracked his knuckles.

Without another moment of hesitation...

He dashed into the forest at full speed.

Around him...

The same scene unfolded countless times.

Every student who had entered the second Spatial Teleportation landed somewhere different inside the massive forest.

Those who had rescued unconscious students appeared together.

While everyone else...

Was scattered across entirely different locations.

Far away from the training grounds...

Professor Kent quietly watched everything unfold through dozens of floating holographic screens.

His hands rested behind his back.

Beside him...

Karla calmly monitored the students’ conditions while recording every movement that appeared across the displays.

The hunt...

Had officially begun.

Lyra was among the first to emerge from the second Spatial Teleportation.

The instant her feet left the glowing violet light, she spotted the towering trees rushing toward her from below.

Instead of panicking...

She grinned, as her body twisted naturally through the air before one hand shot forward.

Grab!

Her fingers caught a thick branch extending from one of the tallest trees.

Using the branch as a pivot, Lyra allowed the force of her fall to carry her into a smooth rotation. Her body spun gracefully around it before she released her grip at the perfect moment.

The momentum carried her upward for an instant, then she landed lightly on the branch with both feet.

The thick branch bent slightly beneath her weight before bouncing back into place.

She balanced herself effortlessly, her smile never fading.

"Haha... That was fun."

Without wasting another moment, she kicked off the branch and disappeared deeper into the forest.

Not far away...

Vera’s landing was far less graceful.

Boom!

She struck the side of a massive tree trunk feet first.

The impact left two clear footprints pressed into the bark.

The force should have thrown her backward.

Instead...

Vera immediately pushed off the trunk.

Her body shot toward another nearby tree.

She landed against its trunk for only a brief moment before using it to absorb the remaining force from her descent.

Then...

She leaped one final time.

Her body flipped lightly through the air before she landed silently on the forest floor.

Not even a cloud of dust rose around her boots.

She calmly brushed a loose strand of black hair behind her ear as though nothing unusual had happened.

Her expression remained completely indifferent.

The terrifying fall from the sky seemed no different from stepping down a staircase.

She slowly looked around the surrounding forest.

Towering ancient trees stretched in every direction.

Their thick canopies blocked much of the sunlight, allowing only scattered rays to reach the forest floor.

The air smelled fresh.

The only sounds came from rustling leaves and distant footsteps echoing from students who had already begun moving.

Without another word...

Vera chose a direction and quietly walked forward.

Elsewhere...

Diane’s destination was considerably less fortunate.

Below her flowed a narrow forest stream.

Clear water rushed steadily over smooth stones before disappearing deeper into the woodland.

If she crashed directly into it...

The landing wouldn’t be pleasant.

Still wearing the same sleepy expression...

Diane slowly raised both hands.

Clap.

As her palms met...

A light-blue Alchemy Circle immediately formed between them.

Gentle blue lightning flowed around the circular pattern before gathering beneath her fingers.

Diane lazily lowered both hands.

Her fingertips pointed toward the stream below.

Immediately...

The blue lightning shot downward.

The current rippled violently the moment the Cognis entered the water.

Countless bubbles burst across the surface.

A narrow line of water suddenly rose upward like a living vein stretching toward her.

The instant the tip of Diane’s training boot touched it...

Crack!

The water froze solid.

Ice rapidly spread across the narrow stream beneath her feet.

Without changing her expression...

Diane landed on the frozen surface.

Instead of stopping...

She simply continued moving.

The remaining force from her fall carried her smoothly across the ice.

She slid through the winding stream like a skater gliding across a frozen lake.

The surrounding trees flashed past her one after another.

Only after her speed gradually decreased did she step calmly off the ice and continue walking deeper into the forest.

In a different location in the forest...

Ezra’s reaction had begun much earlier.

The moment the second Spatial Teleportation swallowed him...

His hand was already moving.

Without hesitation...

He pulled out the Harpoon Gun he had for a long time now, his eyes never shifting toward his target.

Instead...

He relied entirely on instinct.

Bang!

The Harpoon shot from the barrel with explosive force.

The black steel hook flew toward a towering tree standing somewhere to his left.

Ezra never even looked in that direction.

A split second later...

Clang!

The hook embedded itself securely into the thick trunk.

The attached steel wire stretched tight.

The sudden tension violently changed Ezra’s trajectory.

His body swung through the air in a wide arc.

The momentum carried him high above several tree branches before gradually slowing.

As the wire reached its highest point...

Ezra released it.

His body flipped once through the air.

Then...

He landed lightly atop a thick tree branch.

His feet touched the bark with barely a sound.

Not even the surrounding leaves trembled from the impact.

The branch beneath him remained perfectly still.

Ezra quietly lowered the Harpoon Gun.

The moment both feet settled firmly...

His senses expanded outward.

Invisible waves spread from him like ripples across the surface of still water.

The range of his perception continued widening as Cognis flowed through his body.

The forest gradually unfolded inside his mind.

He sensed the countless trees surrounding him.

The uneven rocks scattered across the soil.

Loose branches.

Falling leaves drifting gently through the air.

Even the vibrations created by students sprinting across the forest floor reached him.

Every footstep.

Every disturbance.

Every subtle movement.

His perception carefully pieced them together into a complete image.

Hmm...

No insects and no monsters.

Ezra’s expression remained unchanged.

Good.

That means the only enemies here are the other students.

His black eyes slowly turned toward the east.

Then...

He closed them.

The sound of the wind filled his ears.

Instead of listening to the forest itself...

He began separating every sound carried by the breeze.

Leaves brushing against one another.

Branches creaking.

Grass bending.

Clothing fluttering.

Running footsteps.

Each sound was isolated one by one inside his mind.

Since I’m searching for a gem...

The wind passing around its surface should produce a slightly different vibration.

He increased the flow of Cognis making his senses sharpened even further.

For several quiet seconds...

He remained completely motionless atop the branch.

Then...

"Tsk."

Ezra clicked his tongue.

"There are too many rocks making it hard to distinguish the gem."

He opened his eyes.

There was no point remaining in one place.

Without hesitation...

He leaped from the branch.

His figure disappeared into the forest.

Like that...

Every first-year student had now entered the enormous training forest.

Many immediately rushed deeper into the woodland, hoping to find their numbered gem before anyone else.

Others moved much more cautiously.

Although, they weren’t worried about the forest itself.

The academy had already ensured there were no monsters, dangerous beasts, insects, or aquatic creatures hidden inside.

The true danger...

Was the students themselves.

Some quietly began forming temporary teams.

Searching the woods together while watching one another’s backs, hoping their combined strength would discourage stronger opponents from attacking.

The once peaceful forest gradually became lively.

The sound of running footsteps echoed between the towering trees.

Bushes shook.

Branches swayed.

Voices occasionally called out in the distance before disappearing once again.

Every student searched for the same objective.

The numbered gem.

"Yaaawn..."

A noble boy stretched both arms above his head before lazily covering his mouth.

The non-noble girl walking beside him stared in disbelief.

"You’re already tired? We only just started."

The boy shrugged helplessly.

"I can’t help it. That breeze while we were falling... It made me sleepy."

The girl blinked.

"I’ve never heard anyone become sleepy while falling from the sky."

Another boy nearby pushed aside several bushes while continuing his search.

"You two should spend less time talking... and more time looking."

He carefully searched beneath exposed tree roots before moving on.

Not far away...

A noble girl sighed.

"Argh... This really isn’t the kind of life I’m supposed to be living."

She looked around at the dirt beneath her polished training shoes with obvious dissatisfaction.

A non-noble boy crouched beside a patch of short grass, carefully inspecting the ground.

"At least... I haven’t seen any insects flying around."

He sounded genuinely relieved.

After checking beneath a nearby rock...

He casually kicked another loose stone lying in his path before continuing his search through the forest.

"Well... Let’s just find our numbered gems and get the hell out of here."

The loudest boy in the group spoke while continuing to push aside bushes with his foot, his eyes never stopping their search for anything that looked even remotely unusual.

The non-noble girl beside him tilted her head.

"Ehnn... why?"

She crouched beside a large moss-covered rock and carefully looked behind it before standing again.

The boy glanced at her as if she had asked an obvious question.

"Why?"

He let out a dry laugh.

"Do you seriously want to get caught in the aftermath once those monsters from our year start fighting?"

His words immediately made the atmosphere around the small group quieter.

The non-noble boy scratched the back of his head before letting out a worried sigh.

"Yeah... Just thinking about it gives me the chills."

His expression stiffened as images of several first-year students flashed through his mind.

Diane Bergwyn.

Veda Ashenlocke.

Vera Ashenlocke.

Willow Derlis.

Fatima Drakes.

Ravenor Burnwick.

And many more names....

Each of them possessed strength that ordinary first-years had no desire to challenge.

The second noble boy slowly nodded.

"I agree."

He spoke calmly while scanning the forest around them.

"Even if we somehow find more than one numbered gem... we’ll only become targets. If one of those monsters notices us... everything we’ve worked for will disappear in seconds and we will be in a whole world of pain."

The others quietly agreed.

Compared to Academy Points...

They valued leaving the forest in one piece much more.

"And I wonder... who exactly are these monsters you’re talking about?"

A calm voice drifted through the trees behind them.

The group immediately froze.

Every movement stopped.

The surrounding forest suddenly became unbelievably quiet.

Even the sound of leaves swaying in the breeze seemed distant.

No one answered.

No one even dared to breathe too loudly.

"Haha..."

A cheerful laugh broke the silence.

It sounded bright and almost friendly.

"Why is everyone freezing?"

The boy’s voice carried a hint of genuine curiosity.

"I don’t think I look that frightening."

Those who could only hear his voice coming from behind them remained completely stiff.

Their necks refused to move.

While the few standing at the edge of the group who could have looked easily...

Didn’t dare.

The atmosphere pressing against their backs made even that simple action feel dangerous.

The boy slowly walked closer.

His footsteps were light.

Completely unhurried.

He looked at the frightened group with an innocent expression, as though he couldn’t understand why everyone had suddenly gone silent.

"Am I really that scary?"

He raised a finger and pointed at himself.

His face showed nothing but sincere confusion.

"I don’t remember my reputation becoming bad enough to make people my own age fear me like this."

His playful tone somehow made the tension even heavier.

One of the noble girls finally gathered enough courage to glance backward.

The moment her eyes met his face...

Her pupils shrank.

"...!"

Her breathing caught inside her throat.

She recognized him immediately.

Her hands began trembling uncontrollably.

Tears slowly gathered at the corners of her eyes without her even realizing it.

"I..."

She tried to speak.

Nothing came out.

The crimson-eyed boy noticed her reaction and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"It’s alright."

He smiled gently.

"You don’t need to be so nervous."

His calm voice carried none of the hostility everyone had imagined.

"You don’t even have a numbered gem yet. So why would I bother taking anything from you?"

He shrugged casually.

"I was only passing through this area."

His smile slowly widened.

"Although...I’m looking for a certain Ashenlocke."

The moment he spoke that surname...

A strange light flashed across his crimson eyes.

It wasn’t murderous.

Nor was it filled with anger.

Instead...

It resembled the excitement of someone who had finally found an interesting target.

"Well..."

He lifted one hand.

"Bye."

He gave the stunned group a casual wave.

The next instant...

A gust of wind swept through the surrounding trees.

Leaves fluttered into the air.

By the time the group instinctively blinked...

The crimson-eyed boy had already vanished.

There was no sound of footsteps.

No broken branches.

No trace of where he had gone.

Only the swaying leaves remained, gently dancing in the breeze.

The group stood frozen for several long seconds.

Only after confirming he was truly gone did everyone release the breath they had been holding.