By the time Kael’s group returned to the dungeon entrance, the morning sun had climbed high over the academy towers.

  Students gathered in the courtyard again, some excited, others exhausted, and a few clearly shaken from their encounters inside the dungeon.

  Kael stretched his shoulders.

  “Okay,” he said quietly. “That could’ve gone much worse.”

  Mira nodded enthusiastically.

  “We worked really well together!”

  Lyra crossed her arms.

  “You worked well. The rest of us mostly followed your instructions.”

  Kael blinked.

  “…Was that a compliment?”

  Lyra hesitated.

  “…No.”

  Mira leaned toward Kael.

  “That was definitely a compliment.”

  Lyra glared at her.

  The Announcement

  Professor Arkwright stepped forward once all the groups had returned.

  The courtyard slowly quieted.

  “The dungeon trial is now complete,” she said calmly.

  “Your performance has been evaluated based on three criteria.”

  She raised one finger.

  “Combat effectiveness.”

  Another finger.

  “Team coordination.”

  And a third.

  “Adaptability.”

  Several students shifted nervously.

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  Arkwright continued.

  “Your final entrance rankings will now be posted.”

  A large stone board near the courtyard wall began glowing as magical letters formed across its surface.

  Students rushed toward it immediately.

  Kael stayed where he was.

  “…I’m not in a hurry to see how badly I ranked.”

  Mira grabbed his sleeve.

  “Come on!”

  Lyra walked past them toward the board.

  “Let’s see.”

  The Rankings

  Students crowded around the board.

  Names slowly appeared across the glowing surface.

  At the very top:

  1. Lyra Valencrest

  Several students murmured in admiration.

  Lyra barely reacted.

  “Expected,” she said calmly.

  Mira scanned the list excitedly.

  “I’m ranked twenty-seven!”

  “That’s good, right?” Kael asked.

  “I think so!”

  Kael slowly looked down the list.

  The names continued.

  Twenty…

  Thirty…

  Forty…

  His name finally appeared.

  58. Kael Arden

  Dead last.

  Kael sighed.

  “Yeah, that seems about right.”

  “Mira frowned at the board.

  “That ranking system feels a little unfair,” she said, “We defeated the monster!”

  Lyra studied the list.

  “You scored highly on the written exam.”

  Kael nodded.

  “Probably the only reason I’m not ranked lower.”

  Lyra tilted her head slightly.

  “…There isn’t a lower rank.”

  Kael paused.

  “…That’s comforting.”

  Rumors Spread

  Students began whispering again.

  “That’s the one-spell mage.”

  “I heard he used a sword in the dungeon.”

  “A mage with a sword?”

  “Apparently it worked.”

  Kael scratched the back of his head.

  “…I’m becoming famous for all the wrong reasons.”

  Mira smiled.

  “At least people are talking about you!”

  Lyra shook her head.

  “They’re confused.”

  “Same.”

  The Professor’s Interest

  From the edge of the courtyard, Professor Arkwright watched the students quietly.

  Another instructor spoke beside her.

  “The results were predictable.”

  Arkwright didn’t respond.

  Her attention remained fixed on one particular student.

  Kael Arden.

  She had replayed the dungeon footage several times already.

  Each time, the same detail stood out.

  The Echo spell.

  When it interacted with the Stone Hound’s magical armor…

  The spell’s Aether pattern had shifted.

  Only slightly.

  But enough.

  No ordinary spell behaved like that.

  The instructor beside her sighed.

  “The Arden boy will probably struggle to keep up with the others.”

  Arkwright adjusted her glasses slightly.

  “…Perhaps.”

  But her eyes remained thoughtful.

  Student Dormitories

  Later that evening, the newly admitted students were assigned to their dormitories.

  Kael found his room on the third floor of the first-year tower.

  The room was simple but comfortable.

  Two beds.

  Two desks.

  A small bookshelf.

  A window overlooking the academy training fields.

  Kael dropped his travel bag beside one bed.

  “…Not bad.”

  The door opened behind him.

  A familiar voice spoke.

  “Well, this is unfortunate.”

  Kael turned.

  Riven Solhart stepped inside.

  Kael blinked.

  “You’re my roommate?”

  Riven looked equally displeased.

  “This must be a mistake.”

  Kael shrugged.

  “If it is, I’m not volunteering to fix it.”

  Riven sighed heavily and dropped his expensive travel bag onto the other bed.

  “You’re the one-spell mage.”

  “That title is spreading quickly.”

  Riven crossed his arms.

  “I don’t understand how someone like you was admitted.”

  Kael sat down on his bed.

  “Neither do I.”

  Riven frowned.

  “…You’re not even trying to defend yourself.”

  Kael leaned back.

  “Seems like a lot of effort.”

  Riven stared at him for a moment.

  “…Freak.”

  Kael smiled faintly.

  “Yeah, won't deny that either.”

  The First Pulse

  Later that night, the dormitory tower grew quiet.

  Most students had already fallen asleep after the long day.

  Kael lay on his bed staring at the ceiling.

  His thoughts replayed the dungeon battle.

  The Stone Hound.

  Lyra’s lightning.

  The moment Echo disrupted the monster’s attack.

  Something about that moment had felt…

  Different.

  He closed his eyes.

  Deep within his mind, the familiar pattern of Echo pulsed softly.

  But now the structure of the spell looked slightly different.

  More stable.

  More defined.

  Kael frowned slightly.

  “…Weird.”

  The spell pulsed again.

  Almost like it was testing something.

  Adapting.

  Learning.

  Kael eventually rolled over and fell asleep.

  Unaware that the small spell inside his mind had just taken its first step toward evolution.