While the other students began leaving, Kael remained behind to examine the training ground diagram more closely.
He was particularly interested in the magical mechanisms mentioned by Professor Vista.
Some structures appeared to contain mana conduits, while others had symbols resembling activation arrays.
He couldn’t identify their exact functions from the diagram alone.
Still, understanding the general layout could help him prepare.
"Planning something?"
A familiar voice came from beside him.
Kael turned.
Lilith stood there with her arms crossed.
"Just studying the layout," he answered, closing the distance slightly to get a better look at the diagram.
"You’re taking this assessment seriously."
"Shouldn’t I?"
Lilith smiled faintly.
"Considering how much attention you’ve been receiving lately, I suppose you have a reason."
Kael glanced at her.
"I’d rather not make a habit of attracting attention."
"Then you’ve chosen the wrong academy."
She looked toward the diagram.
"Although I suppose the assessment will give you another opportunity to demonstrate your abilities."
"That’s not particularly reassuring."
Lilith chuckled.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then her gaze shifted toward his right hand.
"By the way, I heard about your mana breakthrough."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Who told you?"
"Professor Helen mentioned it while discussing the assessment."
Lilith looked at his hand with interest.
"External mana manipulation is rather interesting. I wonder what happens when you apply it to something other than defense."
Kael considered her suggestion.
"I haven’t experimented with that yet."
"Then perhaps you should."
She gestured toward his hand.
"Your current technique distributes incoming force across a curved layer of mana, doesn’t it?"
Kael nodded.
"That’s the general idea."
"Then you’re already controlling the shape and movement of mana outside your body. You might be able to apply the same principle in other ways."
Kael remained silent for a moment. He hadn’t thought about it from that perspective. His recent training had primarily focused on maintaining a thin, curved layer of mana around his body.
The technique was still far from perfect.
Even maintaining its shape for several seconds required concentration, and redirecting an external object was considerably more difficult than simply forming the layer.
However, Lilith’s suggestion made him reconsider the possibilities.
If he could maintain external mana independently of his body’s natural circulation, perhaps he could eventually use it to influence the movement of surrounding objects.
He might also be able to reinforce his sword techniques without relying entirely on physical strength.
For example, instead of simply redirecting an opponent’s attack through the movement of his sword, he could potentially use external mana to influence the trajectory of the weapon itself.
It was an interesting possibility.
Of course, there was a considerable difference between imagining something and actually accomplishing it.
His control was still crude.
Attempting something too complicated could easily destabilize the entire formation. Still, there was no reason not to experiment once he had established a more reliable foundation.
"That’s something worth investigating," Kael admitted.
Lilith smiled.
"I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with."
She turned toward the door but paused briefly.
"Just don’t spend all five days experimenting with mana. You still have an assessment to pass."
Kael gave her a small nod.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"Good. See you during the assessment."
"See you."
After Lilith left, Kael remained beside the table for another moment. He looked down at his right hand. External mana manipulation. When he first started experimenting with it, his objective had been relatively simple. He wanted a defensive technique that could distribute incoming force rather than forcing his body to withstand everything directly.
It had taken considerable effort just to establish a stable formation. But now that he had made some progress, he was beginning to see how much room there was for further development.
His current technique was only a foundation.
There was no reason to limit its potential to defense.
However, he would need to approach the matter carefully. He had already learned that forcing mana into an unfamiliar shape without sufficient control could produce unpredictable results.
For now, improving stability and precision remained his priority.
...
By the time Kael stepped into the corridor, most of the students had already left. His teammates were waiting near the entrance.
Darius approached first, resting his greatsword against his shoulder.
"Did you find anything useful?"
"Not much. The diagram gives us a general idea of the training grounds, but we don’t know what the actual objectives will be."
Darius nodded.
"Then what should we focus on?"
Kael considered the question.
"The individual evaluation will probably involve several combat situations. We should practice against different opponents rather than repeating the same routines."
Darius nodded again.
That was particularly relevant to him.
His fighting style relied heavily on powerful strikes and maintaining pressure against opponents. Although he had improved his technique recently, he still needed to become more comfortable adjusting his approach when facing enemies who refused to engage directly.
"What about the team exercise?" Mira asked, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"We’ll practice communicating under different conditions. But since we’ll be separated, there’s no point trying to prepare for every possible combination."
Elias raised his hand.
"Can we at least prepare for the possibility that I get assigned with someone who hates talking?"
"You’ll have to adapt," Kael replied.
"What if they hate talking and are terrible at listening?"
"Then you’ll have to adapt more."
Elias stared at him.
"Your solutions are becoming increasingly unhelpful."
Darius laughed, giving Elias a light pat on the back.
"He’s not wrong."
"You’re supposed to be on my side."
Mira smiled before turning toward Kael.
"What about the field simulation?"
"We should work on observation and decision-making. We don’t know what kind of mission they’ll give us, so improving our ability to assess unfamiliar situations will be more useful than memorizing a particular strategy."
Kael paused before continuing.
"There’s something else we need to work on."
His teammates turned toward him.
"We’ve become accustomed to relying on our usual formation. That’s useful when we’re together, but we shouldn’t assume we’ll always have that advantage."
He looked toward Darius.
"You need to be able to hold your position without expecting support from Elias."
Then he turned toward the archer.
"And you need to be comfortable repositioning yourself when the frontline becomes unstable."
Elias nodded reluctantly.
Kael’s attention shifted to Mira.
"You should also practice creating distance when someone gets past the frontline. Your healing is important, but you can’t depend on Darius being there to protect you every time."
Mira nodded seriously.
"I understand. I’ll work on that."
Finally, Kael looked at Quinn.
"And you should continue practicing your web placement. Don’t get distracted by food."
"Qiu!"
The spider raised its front legs.
Kael wasn’t entirely convinced it understood the instruction.
Darius scratched his chin.
"You’re right. We have been relying heavily on our formation."
"There’s nothing wrong with having a preferred formation," Kael explained. "The problem is becoming dependent on it."
He glanced at the others.
"If we’re separated and can’t function independently, all the time we’ve spent training together won’t help us much."
Nobody immediately responded. They understood what he meant. During their previous examination, Team 37 had gradually developed an effective fighting arrangement.
Darius could hold the frontline, Elias provided ranged support, and Mira maintained their condition through healing. Kael coordinated their movements and dealt with opponents who threatened their formation.
Quinn had also become an important part of their group. It was a system that worked. But the upcoming assessment was specifically designed to challenge that familiarity. They couldn’t afford to be helpless without one another.
Mira eventually broke the silence.
"I’ll prepare a few additional healing supplies, just in case."
"Don’t bring too much," Kael advised. "We don’t know what equipment they’ll allow."
"Right. I’ll check the regulations first."
Darius adjusted the position of his greatsword.
"I’ll work on changing my approach against faster opponents."
Elias sighed before looking down at his bow.
"Then I suppose I’ll have to practice shooting while moving."
"That’s a good idea," Kael replied.
"Of course it is."
Quinn crawled from Kael’s shoulder to his head.
"Qiu!"
Kael reached up and carefully moved the spider back.
"And you’ll continue practicing your webbing."
"Qiu!"
The spider tilted its head.
Kael looked at his teammates.
"Let’s start tomorrow morning. We’ll divide the training into individual practice and group exercises. I also want everyone to get enough rest. There’s no point exhausting ourselves before the assessment even begins."
Darius nodded.
"Agreed."
Mira smiled.
"Then I’ll see you all tomorrow."
Elias looked at the others with a resigned expression.
"I really should have stayed in bed this morning."
Darius placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on. I’ll make sure you get plenty of practice."
"That’s exactly what I’m afraid of."
Their conversation continued as they made their way down the corridor.
Kael glanced briefly at his right hand.
Five days.
It wasn’t enough time to completely transform their abilities, but it was enough to address some weaknesses and improve their coordination.
His external mana control still needed considerable work, and he had several ideas he wanted to experiment with.
More importantly, the assessment would expose how much they had actually learned.
There was a difference between performing well alongside familiar teammates and demonstrating the ability to adapt when circumstances became unfavorable.
He wanted Team 37 to be capable of both.
Beyond that, the sanctuary incident remained unresolved. Valthazar Stitch and Lorelei Delilah were still somewhere beyond the academy’s walls. Their failed ritual hadn’t eliminated the threat, and Kael had no intention of treating the matter as finished.
He couldn’t control what those people would do next.
But he could make sure he and his teammates weren’t caught completely unprepared.
For now, the priority was simple.
Improve their weaknesses.
Strengthen their abilities.
And be ready when the assessment begins.
Because the next time something went wrong, Kael wanted to be strong enough to deal with it.