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Chapter 359 - Final Score
🕑 Added 2025-10-16 05:14:15 +0000 UTC-------------------------
Kai staggered through the dim tunnel, grateful the ground had leveled out in the last— How long had it been since the last trial chamber? An hour? Two?
The faint line on his bracelet could have given him an estimate, if he’d bothered to lift his arm. He couldn’t muster the care. Flaring Empower to fight off the exhaustion felt like dragging sandpaper through his veins, but it kept him moving.
Each step ached, miles and miles of tunnels through the dim dark on the fleeting promise of sunlight. They hadn’t realized just how deep they were. The stitches pulled at his ribs with a dull throb, torn when he tried to shortcut a trapped chamber.
Alden brushed his hair aside, treading close enough to catch him if he fell, though Kai had no energy to complain. The Pale Stalker’s venom had sapped his strength, leaving him racked with bone-deep shivers and a chill no potion could dispel. He wished nothing more than sitting down to rest and knew that, if he did, he wouldn’t stand up again anytime soon.
Only the next step mattered. And the next.
One foot planted in front of the other.
Thank the Spirits we went for the quick exit.
Kai let out a rueful breath. Few chambers had posed a challenge as they ascended, and fewer still accounted for his Luck, but the numbers added up. Following Hobbes’ inspired guidance, they’d neared the surface twice when Hallowed Intuition had strongly urged another detour.
It felt as though they’d walked for days. Once they realized leaving would take longer than anticipated, they were too committed to rest. He’d only triggered Nature Healing once more since the Stalker fight, so it couldn’t be that long. Even now, the passive trickle of green motes kept him on his feet—albeit barely.
Is that…
Light spilled over the tunnel ahead, warmer than the gleam of quartz. Relief flushed through his heavy limbs and cleared his thoughts.
“We’ve made it,” Kai said, surprised by his hoarse voice.
Alden stopped beside him. A faint exhale slipped through his composure, wariness edged with hope. “Is this the exit?”
“Yes.” He quickened his pace before his paranoia clamped down on the excitement. Too many accidents had marked the Trials to let his guard drop. His senses stretched wide. Hallowed Intuition stayed silent. No traps, no ambushes—only the faint seams of stone beneath his boots.
The gate stood exactly where Hobbes had said it would. Wards shrouded the sight and sounds from the outside.
With a shared glance, they crossed the threshold together.
Kai squinted at the sudden brightness that stabbed his eyes. The sun hung low in a cloudless, open sky. A breeze ruffled his sweat-matted hair, carrying the scents of grass, wildflowers, and people.
Several human signatures loitered around a gazebo ringed with inlaid tables and crates. Idle chatter cut off abruptly. The gate opened at the bottom of a rocky rise into a meadow hemmed with rusty shrubs. A domed building of pale stone rose on the hill above, its facade sculpted with warrior reliefs, Raelion’s crest gleaming along its walls.
Uhm… are we in the Martial Grounds?
Before Kai could speak, a stiff-faced man in the academy’s livery bolted from a chair, face smoothed into practiced neutrality. The motion broke the crowd of stares, prompting the rest of the attendants to snap into formal postures.
In a heartbeat, a dozen people stood poised to greet them. At the table below the gazebo, a woman fumbled with a golden pocketwatch, hastily scribbling on a stack of papers.
“Congratulations on complet—.”
“Do you require—”
“May I—“
The voices garbled together, and again as they tried to apologize at once, falling back with a swallow bow and throwing discreet glares at each other.
Too tired to care, Kai scanned the meadow for signs of other students. “Are we the first out?” They couldn’t have been that fast.
“I can confirm you’ve successfully completed the Mid-Term Trials within the time limit.” The stiff-faced man took the lead. His expression didn’t so much as twitch as he looked over their filthy, blood-stained clothes. “You’re the first group to emerge from this particular gate. I must apologize for our shameful display. The academy has prepared several exits to the first-year testing, though the arrivals have been… slower than predicted. We were notified the academy had steered the trial takers away from the peripheral—”
“Please excuse our bureaucratic miscommunication." A woman in an immaculate uniform cut off the other attendant. “Do any of you require medical assistance?” She spoke in a clipped, rehearsed cadence. Her eyes narrowed on the cut on his face with a tight smile. “I can see you’ve been injured and… poisoned. Please, let me offer assistance. "
Before Kai could refuse, a cool mist of mana washed over his skin, seeping into his weary muscles and melting his exhaustion. The glow softened his bruises and cuts into a gentle numbness before rippling to dull the throb in his ribs. Relief flooded him, so clean and sudden that he almost groaned aloud.
The healer led him toward the gazebo with the promise of a chair. He sank into the wooden seat as if it were a plush armchair. The attendants were talking again, tones sliding back into professional composure as they went through a list of rote questions and polished reassurances.
At some point, a porcelain mug appeared in his hands. The steam warmed his fingers, carrying a sweet, floral fragrance that soothed the chill in his bones. He took slow sips, more to stay awake than out of thirst, and murmured distracted answers.
I’m… actually out.
Kai looked at the open sky and almost laughed.
Another wave of apologies and deeper bows followed once they revealed their names, shifting the attention away from him.
“I’ve no injuries requiring your assistance,” Alden sat as if he were a marble statue, gazing ahead, his drink untouched. “Treat him first.”
“May I check—”
“Now.”
The woman dipped her head in acquiescence before returning her attention to Kai with a polite smile. “May I examine your wound, sir?”
Eager to get it over with, he pulled aside the torn fabric. At this point, only one goal occupied his mind—getting to his bed. Everything else was measured by how quickly it’d help him get there.
The healer crouched at his side. A damp cloth wiped away the crusted blood before she undid the stitches with deft hands. “Please, hold still. It won’t hurt.” She murmured a lilting chant under her breath. Soft light bloomed across her palms, spilling over his wounds.
The warmth turned into itching. Kai could only stare as the torn flesh knitted together under his eyes, red edges paling to pink, then smoothing into unbroken skin. No scar left. He carefully poked the lines of paler skin.
So that’s how an actual healer works?
His flicker of curiosity drowned beneath a wave of wooziness. The throb had vanished, but the pull of fatigue revealed a common aspect between potions and healing spells—magic might mend the body, but the strength it used still came from him.
Maybe a brief nap— No, stay awake.
He might have fallen asleep right there if he hadn’t bitten his cheek. Besides the embarrassment, he still needed to get his answers. What had gone wrong during the Trials? Because something most definitely did.
After addressing his minor injuries, an attendant with graying hair stepped forward to record their information, flipping the pages on his clipboard, pen scratching briskly. “Names confirmed… injuries noted… escort not required.” He ticked the boxes with bored precision. “For emerging three minutes and seventeen seconds before the end of the second day and as the first to exit through this gate, additional points will be added to your final score. Any other weighted achievements will be evaluated by the monitoring judges…”
His eyelids fought to remain open as the man droned on, and a woman approached to remove their bracelets. The silver bands clicked open along an invisible seam at the touch of an engraved stylus. Too late, Kai remembered he hadn’t checked his score after the last challenge chambers.
Whatever… not like it matters till I see the final ranking. Didn’t they say something about wondrous rewards? When do I get paid?
All his focus went into staying awake through the endless rambling, glad Alden took the brunt of the attention.
At any moment, Kai expected someone to ask if they’d noticed anything unusual, mention the Pale Stalker, or the malfunctioning arrays. His boots crunched on the cobbled path back toward his dorm when he realized no one ever did.
Did they not know? How could they not?
Aside from the blank zone around the Stalker’s attack, Hobbes insisted people had been snooping on them in nearly every chamber. And their points had still spiked after defeating the pale monster. They’d almost gotten killed and—
“Are you sure you can walk?” Alden eyed him dubiously. “If you’re about to faint, I’d appreciate an advanced warning. They shouldn’t have healed your wounds without a restorative tonic.”
“I’m fine. We’re almost there.” Kai condensed an ice cube to crunch under his teeth. Uhm… did you also notice something off? I thought they’d at least ask us about the Pale Stalker.”
“It would have been odd if they brought it up,” Alden said dryly.
“So do you think it was just an accident?”
“Most definitely not. Coincidences don’t happen a dozen times in one day. Someone must have released the Pale Stalker intentionally."
“Then why did you not speak up?”
“And ask what, exactly? Please confess if you had any involvement with a capital crime? In my experience, people rarely admit the truth when asked outright. And I doubt the attendants there knew anything. At most, they were told to keep quiet. ”
“Yes, but…” Kai yawned and rubbed his eyes.
Guess I can deal with this after a nap. Or two…
***
“Congratulations, Aspirant Matthew Reece Veernon.” The clerk checked off his name, her red lips curved into a practiced smile. Her arms disappeared into the spatially expanded drawer beside her desk. Papers rustled until she emerged with a crisp white parchment. “Here is your attest—”
Her eyes widened on the elegantly inked line at the bottom.
Kai reached to take the parchment, aware of the students queued behind him, throwing curious glances. “Thank you.” The paper came free with a little tug. He clenched his jaw to stifle a yawn. “Is there anything else…?”
“Any—no. No, that’s everything, Mister Veernon.” She watched him as if expecting to see him light up with sparkles. Realizing her prolonged stare, she jerked her gaze down and cleared her throat. “The official rankings will be posted in the atriums of the main towers and facilities once the Collegium verifies the scores. Any additional rewards can be collected from the offices of the Aula Ordinis. If you have any questions—”
“Everything’s clear. Thank you,” Kai gave a polite nod and stepped away, the parchment held close to his chest.
The students who noticed the exchange quickly lost interest, too occupied with their nerves and arguments over grading fairness. It was curious. Everyone left on academy grounds had passed their Trials, yet few could suppress the anxious fidgeting to see their score put on paper—a physical proof they wouldn’t get expelled.
Kai crossed the marble floor toward the atrium. Students gathered in clumps, the complaints about the unusually harsh Trials now drowned out by boasts of personal triumph. Stepping into the crisp air outside, he finally glanced at the paper in his hands. His eyes drifted past the Academy’s gold-pressed crest to the elegant lines below.
A slow breath escaped him. He couldn’t decide whether to grin or groan.
His days of peaceful anonymity were over.
Raelion Academy – Department of Mana Studies
Attestation of Mid-Term Trials Performance
Aspirant: Matthew Reece Veernon
Year: First
Total Ranking Points: 732
The ink shimmered faintly under the sunlight, official and irreversible. Despite not knowing the final rankings, he had yet to overhear a student boast a score above four hundred, including those from Fall Intake.
All that Pale Stalker’s fault. Why did it have to be two hundred points alone?
If nothing else, they’d promised the rewards would be worth it—once he found out what they were.
Kai covered a yawn with the back of his hand. Perhaps he should take another nap. The last stretch of the journey toward his bed was a blur; he only remembered waking some time much later, snuggling with a purring furball softer than clouds and drifting back to sleep.
Excited voices echoed off the central cluster of towers. An air of celebration rolled through the campus like a tide—laughter, shouts, and the occasional flare of magic crackling from the alcoves between buildings and side paths.
Students sprawled across benches, waving their parchments with pride, trading exaggerated retellings, and flasks of definitely academy-approved beverages. Kai couldn’t imagine what kind of trials they’d gone through to still have the energy to jump around.
He wrapped the scarf around himself and shoved his hands into his pockets. His old coat sported more tears than a patrician’s ego after losing a duel. At least the Academy had the decency to replace the uniform he’d torn.
The crowd was noticeably thinner than a week ago. The final tally hadn’t been posted yet, though at least a thousand first-years must have failed the Trials and gotten booted from the academy.
Or they died underground…
A day after the Trials had ended, no one had contacted him about the irregularities—at this point, Kai doubted anyone ever would. He’d briefly considered raising a fuss, but Alden had a point: drawing even more attention to himself wouldn’t bring him any closer to answers.
He brushed a thumb over the silver ring on his finger—right where it belonged. The artifact had been delivered directly to his room in a sealed box, stamped with verification sigils to prove no tampering. Every item inside had been exactly as he’d left it.
Never leave me again, my precious.
Kai gave a totally normal kiss to his finger. Strolling the paths toward the lavish buildings in the distance, he moved his attention to his pending notifications.
Ding
Profession XP (Domain): 4359
Uhm… I really need to get more sleep.
He blinked. But no, he wasn’t seeing wrong. Pushing his mana skills through dozens of challenge chambers and risking his neck a couple times had paid dividends.
Honestly, Guide, I feel like you’re teaching me all the worst habits.
Kai shook his head and pulled up his Skill Archive to finish his inspection. He’d gotten a few interesting additions in the last two months.
Tireless (lv1) – When others rest, you persist. Your mental and physical endurance enables you to work beyond exhaustion and recover from fatigue at an accelerated rate.
Perception Mastery (lv1) – The world hides countless details from the untrained. Your senses have sharpened beyond the ordinary, granting heightened awareness of sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. The more you focus, the clearer you perceive.
Fear Resistance (lv1) – Dread is an instinct, not a sentence. Through repeated exposure to fear, your mind and body have adapted to resist its paralyzing grip. The more your heart races, the steadier your thoughts become. True courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s refusing to yield to it.
Poison Resistance (lv1) – Through exposure and sheer persistence, your body has learned to slow the spread of toxins and neutralize them more rapidly. Each survival deepens your natural resistance. Immunity is earned one drop at a time.
All interesting options—especially if he could use them to unlock Yellow variants. The Stalker’s aura had taught him the fear of mental attacks. What did his skills matter if his mind didn’t react? The fight nearly closed before it began.
Well… there is someone I could ask about that.
The façade of the Wing Aurea towered above him, gold and white marble entwined in opulent reliefs that shimmered under the engraved enchantments. He was heading to meet Flynn, Rain, and Valela in a restaurant on the second floor when a clerk intercepted him near the entrance.
“Matthew Veernon?” the man asked, tone brisk and polite.
“Yes?”
The clerk offered a folded envelope, the violet wax seal stamped with the Raelion’s crest. “The Dean wishes to speak with you.”
Comments
Trevayne
Thanks for the chapter. Looking forward to the meeting with the Dean.
Keid
It is legally his name, Matthew was his name when he was born on the Isles, his father died, it has been a long time (subjective) since he last spoke to his mother, etc. There are lots of technical truths he could tell.
Mohit
BTW did Kai ever decide on a specialization for Earth Magic or should we assume he decided to stay the course?
wanderer117
Well…, I’ve a couple ideas who I can ask for. suggested edit Well…, I’ve a couple ideas who I can ask for advice.
Chuck K
I doubt she will be because they haven't formalized the mentorship. She probably hasn't seen his score either since it hasn't been publicly posted yet.
Chuck K
I wonder if the convo with the dean will be solo or with Alden. Will it be about the trial or Kia's irregularities? I look forward to the twee!
Brett
I’m really hoping that Jolene is in the meeting with the dean…
C
Man, I really need more updates. I can't wait another week!
noel meehan
Once he sees Kai's natural ability with spacial magic maybe he'll even mentor him in it. Wondering what rewards he'll get from the trial and if they'll be given by the Dean personally, maybe an elemental enhancing potion or two?
Heraclitus
The Dean, from what little we've seen, seems strong enough, and divorced enough from the regular politics of the empire, that being somewhat honest wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Some Guy
TFTC
noel meehan
Wonder what the end of year trial will be, I half remember something about trials of the moon's mentioned in a previous chapter. Hopefully Kai will get another boost to favour or maybe something more interesting?
Martingrant91
Kai against the Dean's truth artifact will be interesting. I'm kind of curious on how the artifact considers the truth because legally, Kai's name now is Matthew Veernon. Depending how the question is asked . . . it wouldn't be lying to say that is his name.
Sacredwisp
I'd change empty to over, personally.
Luboš Hemala
How about giving him a skill Alchemical body? Given the number of substances that circulated in his body over the years
Luboš Hemala
Doesnt have skill slots unfortunatelly
Kris Piskorski
youre on a roll with these chapters, I need more!!
Kris Piskorski
awesome selection of new skills, honestly he should take all of them but i doubt thats possible and in that case perception mastery and poison resistance are must haves
Mohit
What are the odds the Dean dresses up in a candy bar costume and does a freestyle rap apology? (Community reference)
Schuh
Getting grilled by the Dean!
Apep
Spatial time with the Dean!
Johan Timmers
Tftc
JH
Great chapter! Suggested edits “falling back with a swallow bow” to “shallow bow” Uhm… did you also notice something off?” - needs a quotation mark at the beginning “His days of peaceful anonymity were empty.” - possibly change “empty” to “ending”
Anthony Goh
Nice chapter
