" ...You showed that you are more than capable of functioning alone, without anyone beside you to give direction or cover your weaknesses."

The statement sounded simple enough to most of the hall, but among the students who knew Lucian well, the meaning carried deeper weight.

It was no secret that Lucian had often positioned himself near Chris Rature, acting more like a subordinate than a student pursuing his own growth. Those who understood Kaelen's words understood the warning hidden within them.

He was not merely praising Lucian's independence in Nalim. He was pointing out that Lucian was capable of more when he was not moving as someone else's shadow.

Lucian himself remained still, his gaze fixed on the stage.

Kaelen continued, his voice measured.

"Your earth affinity has improved significantly since the previous evaluations. Your control over terrain was more flexible than before, and your defensive structuring showed better timing and stability. You no longer rely solely on raising barriers and waiting for the enemy to exhaust itself against them. Several times during the assessment, you used the environment offensively, redirected enemy movement, and forced demons into positions where their physical advantage was reduced."

On the screen, Lucian could be seen standing at the base of a cliff while two Horror-class demons charged at him from opposite directions. Instead of retreating, he slammed his palm into the ground, causing the earth beneath one demon to collapse while a wall of jagged stone erupted in front of the other.

The first demon stumbled into the pit, and the second crashed into the stone barrier. Lucian then shaped the broken wall into several sharp pillars that pierced through the second demon's body, pinning it long enough for him to drive a blade into its core.

"However," Kaelen said, and the word immediately carried enough firmness to make several students listen more carefully, "your greatest issue remains how much time you sometimes spend preparing before committing. Earth magic grants stability and control, but too much dependence on preparation can become hesitation. There were moments when faster action would have preserved more of your Myst and prevented unnecessary injuries."

Lucian's expression tightened faintly.

Kaelen did not soften the criticism.

"You also need to improve the transition between defensive and offensive movement. At times, you created excellent defensive positions, only to remain within them longer than necessary. A good defense should not become a cage. If you create a position of advantage, use it to force the enemy into weakness, then move before the battlefield adjusts against you."

The advice was not cruel, but it was direct, and because it came from Kaelen, no one mistook it for empty commentary. Though he was not an earth affinity user himself, he understood combat flow, positioning, and survival well enough to know where Lucian had succeeded and where he had limited himself.

Kaelen allowed a brief pause, then his tone changed slightly. "I know you may feel as though you failed yourself during this assessment."

Lucian's eyes shifted slightly.

"You entered this academy ranked fourth among your year," Kaelen continued. "Since then, your rank has continued to fall. That is not an easy thing for any student to accept, especially one who began so highly. You have every right to feel frustrated by that."

The hall remained quiet.

"But you must understand something clearly," Kaelen said. "You have not dropped in strength. You have dropped in rank. Those are not the same thing. The students above you have grown at an exceptional rate, and some have exceeded expectations in ways no one could reasonably ignore. That does not erase your own growth. Remaining within the top ten for this long, among a year as competitive as yours, is not something to be ashamed of."

Lucian lowered his gaze for half a moment, then lifted it again.

Kaelen's eyes remained on him. "Hold your head high, Kellor. Then decide whether you are satisfied with remaining where you are or whether you intend to climb again."

The magical screen lingered on Lucian for a few seconds longer before fading out. The hall remained quiet, though there was a subtle shift among the students nearby. Some glanced toward Lucian with faint respect, while others looked at the stage as if Kaelen's words had struck them personally as well.

Lucia tapped the clipboard again, and another image appeared on the magical screen.

This time, the student displayed was Erica Roswell.

A murmur moved through the hall almost immediately.

"Rank nine, Erica Roswell," Lucia announced.

The reaction was stronger this time. Several students looked genuinely surprised, not because Erica being in the top ten was impossible anymore, but because she had climbed again. She had only entered the top ten recently after previously being outside the top twenty-five, and now, after surviving Nalim, she had moved up another rank. In a year filled with powerful names and difficult competition, that kind of steady rise was impossible to ignore.

Erica herself looked stunned.

She stood among the students with a bruised cheek, a cracked shield strapped to one arm, and her sword resting at her side. Her body was tall, fit, and visibly strong, but exhaustion sat heavily on her shoulders.

When Lucia called her name, Erica's eyes widened slightly, as though she had expected to remain where she was or perhaps even fall after the brutality of Nalim. Instead, her rank had risen. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

On the screen, her highlights began playing. The footage showed Erica moving through a ravine region, her shield raised as several Feral-class demons slammed into her defensive stance. Enhancement Magic pulsed through her body in controlled bursts, reinforcing her legs, shoulders, and arms as she held her ground against pressure that should have pushed most students back.

In another scene, she used her shield to deflect a Horror-class demon's claws before stepping in and driving her sword through its core with a clean, heavy thrust. Another highlight showed her dragging an injured classmate out of the path of a collapsing stone bridge before immediately turning to fight alone against the demons pursuing them.

Sir Regulus stepped forward next.

Since the war, there had been something colder and more measured in the way he spoke. His voice was not harsh exactly, but it had gained a certain restrained weight that made every word feel deliberate.

"Erica Roswell," Regulus began, his gaze resting on her through the crowd. "Among your peers, you have become one of the strongest examples of self-proven growth. You did not begin within the top ten. You were not handed a position there through reputation, bloodline, or early advantage. You climbed into it through performance, and now, once again, you have climbed higher."

Erica listened quietly, still seeming slightly unsure of how to react.

Regulus continued. "Your improvement is impressive. More importantly, it has been consistent. You have shown that Enhancement Magic, when applied with discipline and judgment, can stand beside more visibly destructive affinities. You reinforced your body well, conserved strength where possible, and endured several situations in which many students would have exhausted themselves too early."

The screen shifted to show Erica facing three Horror-class demons at once. Instead of rushing forward, she planted her shield low, allowed the first demon to strike, then used the force of its own momentum to redirect it into the second.

Her sword followed immediately, cutting into the exposed core of one before she pivoted with surprising speed and slammed her shield into the third's head hard enough to send it staggering.

"Your survival decisions were also notable," Regulus said. "You did not chase unnecessary battles. When you fought, there was usually purpose behind it. When you retreated, it was rarely out of panic. That distinction matters. Survival assessments reward endurance, but reckless endurance is no different from slow self-destruction. You showed restraint where others may have sought glory."

Erica's grip tightened slightly around the handle of her sword.

"That said," Regulus continued, "you still have areas that require refinement. For someone of your stature and physical conditioning, your style with sword and shield can be developed much further. You possess strength, durability, and timing, but your transitions remain too direct. You block, then strike. You brace, then counter. That is functional, but predictable if faced by a skilled opponent."

On the screen, a clip played of Erica taking a heavy claw strike on her shield before countering with a downward sword slash. It worked, but the slight delay between defense and offense was visible when highlighted.

"I am not a sword-and-shield specialist," Regulus said, "so I will not pretend to offer detailed instruction where others are better suited. However, this academy has instructors who can refine that part of you. Seek them out. Your Enhancement Magic gives you the foundation, but your weapon discipline will determine how far that foundation carries you."

Erica gave a small nod from within the crowd.

Regulus's tone remained steady. "You have done well, Roswell. Continue improving at this rate, and your position within the top ten may not be temporary."

The magical screen showed one final image of Erica standing at the edge of the ravine near the end of the assessment, shield cracked, sword stained, and body exhausted but upright. Then the image faded.

The hall remained quiet, though this time the silence carried approval. Some students looked toward Erica with surprise, others with respect, and a few with the discomfort of realizing someone they had once ranked far above was continuing to catch up.

Lucia glanced down at her clipboard once again.

For a moment, she let the hall settle.

Then she tapped the enchanted board, and a new image began forming on the large magical screen above the stage.

A familiar figure appeared within the projection, moving carefully through what looked like an ancient ruined structure in Nalim, her auburn hair slightly messy, her glasses cracked on one side, and her expression focused despite visible exhaustion.

Lucia lifted her gaze.

"Rank eight, Ariana Merdin."