Nero turned his blade toward the sky.
Fire burst from its edge.
A blazing arc rose through the rain, splitting the dark cloud and illuminating the forest.
BOOM!
The explosion scattered the storm’s lower layers, sending steam rolling through the clearing.
The Water mage immediately tried to gather the scattered moisture.
Nero was already moving.
Lightning carried him across the battlefield.
He appeared before the Water mage, who hastily raised a shield of compressed water.
Nero’s sword struck.
The shield burst apart.
Before the mage could recover, Nero swept his free hand forward.
A burst of fire engulfed the ground beneath the cadet, forcing him backward and disrupting his balance.
Nero followed with a lightning-charged strike.
The mage’s bracelet flashed.
**Eliminated.**
Four down.
The Wind mage froze.
For a moment, the entire forest seemed to fall silent around him.
His companion was gone.
Three knights were gone.
Their carefully arranged ambush had collapsed.
Only he remained.
And Nero was turning toward him.
The Wind mage’s breathing became uneven.
He was the only remaining member of the group who could still fight, and he knew it.
He also knew that running would accomplish nothing.
He had awakened the Law of Wind.
He understood its applications, from enhancing movement to forming cutting currents and disrupting an opponent’s balance. Among the cadets in his class, he was considered particularly talented.
Yet, against Nero, his abilities had accomplished almost nothing.
He gritted his teeth and raised both arms.
The air around the clearing began to howl.
Leaves, branches, and loose stones rose from the ground as a powerful vortex formed around him. The storm tightened, creating a spinning barrier that distorted everything within its reach.
The Wind mage poured more mana into the technique.
The vortex expanded.
He was determined to overwhelm Nero with sheer force.
Nero watched.
His expression remained calm.
Then he took a step forward.
The wind struck him.
His coat fluttered.
His hair shifted slightly.
That was all.
The Wind mage stared at him.
Impossible.
He increased the pressure.
The vortex roared louder, tearing through the ground and uprooting small trees. Compressed currents raced around Nero, striking from every direction.
Nero moved through them.
A flash of Lightning carried him forward, while bursts of Fire forced the most concentrated currents apart.
To the Wind mage, it appeared that Nero was simply overpowering his technique with the two Laws he already knew.
He couldn’t see the truth.
He couldn’t see the thin currents bending around Nero’s body.
He couldn’t see how the surrounding air carried information to him, revealing every shift in the vortex.
And he certainly couldn’t see the way Nero quietly adjusted the wind itself, creating openings in the storm whenever he needed them.
Nero had no intention of revealing his third Law.
Not here.
Not to these cadets.
The Wind mage roared and compressed the vortex into a single massive blast.
The entire clearing trembled.
Then the attack was released.
A wall of compressed air rushed toward Nero, tearing through the ground as it advanced.
Nero raised his sword.
Lightning surged along its edge.
Fire spiraled around the golden current.
The two Laws intertwined, forming a brilliant blade of scorching energy.
Nero swung.
BOOOOM!
The collision shook the forest.
The Wind mage’s attack split apart, its compressed currents scattering into the surrounding trees. The resulting shockwave swept across the clearing, flattening the remaining grass and sending the last monsters fleeing into the darkness.
The Wind mage staggered.
His mana reserves were nearly depleted.
His final attack had failed.
Nero stood several meters away, his sword resting at his side.
Unharmed.
Unhurried.
The Wind mage stared at him in disbelief.
Then, in a final act of desperation, he summoned every remaining trace of mana and launched himself forward.
His sword was wrapped in swirling air.
He aimed directly for Nero’s chest.
Nero waited until the very last instant.
Then he moved aside.
The Wind mage’s sword passed through empty air.
A golden flash appeared behind him.
Nero’s sword stopped against the back of his armor.
A precise burst of Lightning followed.
CRACK!
The Wind mage’s body stiffened before he collapsed onto the ground.
His bracelet flashed.
**Eliminated.**
Silence returned to the clearing.
Five cadets.
Five eliminated.
Nero stood motionless for a moment, listening to the fading sounds of the forest.
Then he lowered his sword.
The entire fight had lasted only a fraction of the time the cadets had spent preparing their ambush.
They had followed him for hours.
They had waited until nightfall.
They had lured monsters toward him, hoping to drain his strength before attacking.
And in the end, their own scheme had given him the perfect battlefield.
Nero glanced at the bracelets scattered across the clearing.
Their accumulated points would be transferred according to the trial’s rules, and his own ranking would rise even further.
He had gained something else, too.
A better understanding of how to fight several coordinated opponents while concealing his true capabilities.
His mastery of Lightning had improved through repeated use, while Fire had proven useful for controlling the battlefield and breaking defensive formations.
But the greatest advantage remained hidden.
The Law of Wind.
Throughout the entire encounter, he had used it to monitor the cadets, adjust his movements, and navigate the storm without revealing its presence.
Not once had they realized what he was doing.
As far as they knew, Nero possessed only Lightning and Fire.
That was how it would remain.
For now.
He sheathed his sword and walked back toward the clearing where he had eaten dinner.
The remains of his barbecue were still beneath the tree.
His bottle of wine had survived the chaos, although the glass beside it had been knocked over.
Nero picked up the bottle, inspected it briefly, and found that a little wine remained.
He poured himself a glass.
Then he sat down.
The night was still young.
He took a leisurely sip and gazed at the distant forest.
Tomorrow, he would continue hunting monsters.
Perhaps he would encounter something interesting enough to test his newly acquired abilities.
For now, however, he was satisfied.
The ambush had been entertaining.
The meal had been good.
And the wine was still drinkable.
What more could he ask for?
Nero leaned back against the tree, closed his eyes, and resumed his peaceful rest.
Far away, the trial’s ranking system registered the latest changes.
His already overwhelming score increased once again.
The gap between him and the other cadets widened.
And somewhere beyond the forest, those who monitored the trial would soon discover that five cadets had attempted to hunt the strongest participant—and had instead become his prey.
Nero, meanwhile, couldn’t have cared less.
He had two more days to enjoy himself.
And he intended to enjoy them.