Two hours into the practical combat test, several students had already unearthed the score orbs hidden in various corners of the simulated battlefield.

Since each stronghold could hold a maximum of ten people, the students typically formed teams of ten for the assessment. Upon entering the battlefield, each group adopted its own strategy. Most aimed to gather points quickly and secure a stronghold.

The reason was simple: every score orb radiated a strong elemental energy signature, which was nearly impossible to conceal even if wrapped.

The more score orbs a group collected, the stronger the energy waves they emitted. This made it easy for others to locate them, leaving the orbs vulnerable to being stolen after a hard-earned effort. Conversely, by gathering enough points to claim a stronghold first, a team could gain a significant advantage.

A stronghold consisted of a three-meter-tall circular wooden platform, divided into ten sections. Enveloped by a unique magical barrier, it weakened incoming attacks while amplifying outgoing ones. Moreover, anyone attempting to enter the barrier without sufficient elemental energy—which came from the score orbs—would be repelled.

This meant that if a team occupied the stronghold with all ten members, other groups could only send in a few people unless their combined elemental energy was sufficient. Such a numerical disadvantage significantly lowered the attacking team’s chances of success.

Of course, claiming a stronghold early came with its own risks. It meant constantly defending against other teams for the test's 24-hour duration, draining both stamina and morale.

16TH STRONGHOLD IN THE SOUTHWEST

Mia pushed through the dense underbrush, her eyes locking onto the three-meter-high wooden platform in the distance. She turned to Jack and the others behind her, pointing it out.

“Look, someone’s already claimed the stronghold.”

Jack, with his sun-darkened skin, brushed aside a banana leaf for a clearer view and frowned. “Why don’t we target the teams outside the stronghold? Attacking the platform seems way harder.”

Sully stepped forward, slinging an arm around Jack's shoulders with a knowing grin. “Think about it. If we attack teams roaming outside, there’s no guarantee they’ll have enough score orbs. And even if we catch them, how do we know they’ll have enough points to make it worthwhile?”

Jack scratched his head. “That’s a fair point. So, you’re saying if we go after a stray team and they only have a few score orbs, it’s not worth the effort?”

“Exactly!” Sully smirked. “Hey, didn’t think your brain could work this well.”

“What?!” Jack grabbed Sully’s arm and twisted it behind his back. “You looking to get smacked?”

“Ahh! Ow, ow, ow!”

Mia waved a hand to quiet them. “Cut it out. Let’s talk strategy.”

Among the students from Red Leaf Academy, Mia was the oldest, most talented, and strongest. She was also a natural strategist, which made her the de facto leader whenever Karien wasn’t around.

“From the looks of it, there are ten people on the 16th platform. Judging by their uniforms, they’re from Violet Academy. Since they’ve secured the stronghold, it’s safe to assume each of them has at least ten points.” She paused, a sly smile curling her lips.

The others caught on quickly and grinned in return. That meant 100 points were up for grabs.

“Remember,” Mia said firmly, “our goal isn’t the stronghold—it’s the score orbs. Our mobility is our advantage right now. We can’t afford to get tied down defending a platform. Once we grab their orbs, we leave immediately.”

Sully, with his thick eyebrows furrowed, nodded. “But here’s the issue: our attacks will be weakened from outside the barrier. And with only 11 points, we can’t all get onto the platform.”

They had found another 5-point orb in the past two hours, bringing their total to 11.

Holding a 6-point and a 5-point orb, Mia replied confidently, “I’ll go in alone. The rest of you surround the stronghold and cut off their escape.”

“You alone?” Jack asked, concerned.

“Relax. I didn’t train for years for nothing.”

ON THE PLATFORM

The ten students from Violet Academy stood in a circle atop the 16th stronghold, each guarding their designated position and scanning the surroundings intently.

The team’s leader, a braided girl named Lina, looked about 14 years old. Though her delicate features were marred by freckles on her cheeks, her sharp eyes exuded authority.

“Lina, I’m detecting wind-elemental energy approaching from the south!” one of the boys, seated on the southern edge of the platform, called out.

Lina immediately turned toward the south, spotting eleven figures emerging from the trees. They quickly spread out, surrounding the stronghold from both flanks.

“Everyone, get ready!”

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Gripping her half-meter-long pink staff adorned with a fire-elemental crystal, Lina steadied herself and issued commands. “We have the barrier advantage. Don’t panic. Just hold your positions.”

With that, she began drawing a red magic circle half a meter wide in the air before her. Moments later, a barrage of fireballs erupted from the circle.

Second-tier magic: Rapid Fireball Barrage.

The already powerful fireballs swelled as they passed through the barrier, raining down on the approaching group with explosive force.

Mia, her ponytail swaying as she moved, watched a fireball hurtling toward her. With a flick of her arm, she conjured a wind wall, neutralizing the threat effortlessly. Meanwhile, Jack and the others utilized their K7 suits’ agility to dodge the fiery onslaught with ease.

Mia’s gaze locked onto the braided girl on the platform. She bent her knees slightly, preparing for her next move.

On the platform, Lina furrowed her brows. Her fireballs had been easily blocked or evaded, and now this ponytailed girl appeared to be preparing for something.

Before Lina could react further, Mia pushed off with explosive force, propelled higher by Wind Rejection. She soared over five meters into the air and crashed through the barrier, landing heavily on the platform.

Lina’s eyes widened in shock.

“She’s crazy! Coming in alone?”

The other Violet Academy students hesitated only for a moment before launching their attacks.

Mia, rising smoothly from her crouch, dodged their spells with practiced agility and charged directly toward Lina—the obvious leader.

As a Tier-2 mage, Lina excelled at long-range magic attacks. So, when Mia charged at her with the Qinglan Sword, Lina panicked and hurriedly retreated.

Just as Mia was about to close in, a sturdy boy from Lina’s team stepped forward with a shield, placing himself between them. But Mia didn’t stop. Instead, she sped up and crashed straight into the shield.

Before the collision, she activated the "Shield" feature of her K7 abdominal armor, mitigating the impact on herself.

After the crash, Mia stopped in her tracks, while the boy holding the shield was sent flying backward, landing right on top of their team leader, Lina.

This bold and aggressive move left the other Violet Academy students stunned. Yet, they didn’t hesitate. Taking advantage of the moment Mia was still regaining her footing after the collision, three Tier-1 mages simultaneously inscribed water-elemental "Water Bullet" magic arrays and launched their attacks from three different directions.

“This time, there’s no way you can dodge!” they shouted.

To their disbelief, Mia didn’t even move. Wind walls sprang up around her, blocking all the water bullets.

"Impossible!"

In their understanding, low-tier mages needed to inscribe magic arrays to cast spells. Even with magical tools, the arrays on the weapon would light up during activation. But here was this ponytailed girl, conjuring magic around her without any visible arrays or weapon activation — and it was instantaneous.

Was she really a low-tier mage?

Mia tilted her head slightly, activating the jet propulsion feature of her K7. In an instant, she dashed toward one of the Tier-1 mages, swinging her Qinglan Sword. The student screamed, certain he was about to be struck down.

But this was a trial, not a life-and-death battle. Mia had no intention of inflicting serious harm. She deliberately slowed her swing, hitting the student’s shoulder guard instead.

A buzzing sound echoed, and his shoulder guard turned from black to gray — a sign he was on the verge of elimination.

To ensure fairness and prevent injuries during the trial, each student was equipped with enchanted shoulder guards and waistbands. These items served as "vital points." If any one of these three points was struck during the battle, the student risked elimination.

However, there was a chance for recovery: if the affected student stood still without casting magic for the next 15 minutes and avoided damage to the other two "vital points," they could avoid being eliminated.

If they moved, however, the remaining vital points would quickly dim, confirming their elimination.

Hearing the sound from his shoulder guard, the struck student froze, his face pale. He stood still, too terrified to move. His gaze toward Mia turned pleading. Please don’t hit my other vital points!

Mia wasn’t interested in wasting time. Her goal was points, not eliminating opponents. After dealing with one, she turned and dodged an attack from another student, then used her K7’s propulsion to accelerate toward a third. The sight sent the student into a panic, and he jumped off the platform to escape.

Mia’s incredible speed and agility left the Violet Academy students at a complete loss. Most of them had focused on becoming mages, prioritizing long-range combat and neglecting close-quarters skills.

This was why they had been so determined to secure territory quickly. If they could take advantage of the territory's barriers, they could rely on long-range magic to fend off intruders. What they hadn’t anticipated was this ponytailed girl storming in and shattering their plans.

In mere seconds, Mia had struck three students’ vital points, forcing them to stand frozen in place. The remaining mages, panicked, flung spells wildly — water bullets and fireballs flew chaotically across the platform.

Mia easily dodged or blocked these attacks with wind walls. Unfortunately for the immobilized students, they couldn’t do the same. One of them was struck by a teammate’s stray water bullet, losing another vital point.

“Stop it already! Stop attacking us!” he wailed.

Using a wind wall to block a fireball, Mia swung her Qinglan Sword again, unleashing a wind blade that struck another student’s vital point.

At this point, the Violet Academy students finally realized they were utterly outmatched. Staying in the territory only restricted their movements further.

“Abandon the territory! Retreat!” Lina, their leader, shouted decisively before climbing down the wooden platform via the ladder.

The platform was three meters high, and unlike Mia, who could use wind magic, Lina had no choice but to rely on the ladder. But in her haste, she misstepped and fell backward.

"Careful!"

Jack, who was guarding the platform below, dashed over and caught her just in time.

Relieved that she hadn’t hit the ground, Lina relaxed slightly — until she realized she was in the arms of an unfamiliar boy. Her instincts took over, and she slapped him across the face before leaping out of his grasp and fleeing.

Jack stood frozen, his hands still outstretched. A bright red handprint gradually appeared on his cheek, leaving him completely dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, on the platform, Mia had defeated five opponents. The remaining students had fled in all directions, except for Lina. The other four were intercepted by Sal and his team, who quickly struck their vital points.

Sal, with his thick eyebrows, cheerfully collected the score spheres from the immobilized students. "Thanks a lot!" he said with a grin before heading toward Jack.

“Hey, Jack, what happened? What’s up with your face?”

Jack turned stiffly, his face contorted. “I have no idea what I’m doing anymore.”

Having just finished gathering all the score spheres from the platform, Mia leapt lightly to the ground and pointed at Jack’s face with a laugh. “He tried to grope a girl and got slapped for it.”

Jack’s face turned even more miserable. “I didn’t grope her! I caught her to save her!”

Seeing Jack’s expression, Sal burst into laughter, slapping him on the shoulder. “Hahaha... You held a girl in your arms. Totally worth the slap!”