Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey-Chapter 410: Results [1]

[Congratulations, Student Rank 3, Lucas Darkheart, you have been selected as a candidate for the Multi-Academy Tournament.]

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I stared at the notification for a few seconds longer than necessary, thumb hovering over the screen.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

"...I didn’t fail."

It wasn’t relief exactly.

More like confirmation.

All the calculations, the risks, the adjustments—I hadn’t misstepped far enough to be disqualified.

That was enough.

"Attention!"

The sharp, hoarse voice cut cleanly through the morning air.

I blinked once and locked my phone, slipping it into my dimensional storage without another glance. By the time I looked up, my posture had already straightened.

We stood in formation on the training field—around thirty of us, all dressed in light exercise gear. The early morning breeze brushed faintly against my skin, cool but not uncomfortable.

In front of us stood a man who looked like he’d been carved out of stone.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with a face lined by years of experience—and probably just as many fights.

His name was Nex.

He paced slowly before us, hands clasped behind his back.

Each step he took carried a subtle ripple of mana, spreading across the ground like a silent warning. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it didn’t need to be.

He stopped in front of the line, his sharp eyes sweeping across us one by one, as if memorizing every face.

Then he spoke.

"As most of you have already been notified last night—congratulations."

His tone wasn’t warm. If anything, it was flat. Measured.

"You’ve made it past the tryouts. That alone puts you above the majority of your year."

A few students subtly straightened at that.

Pride.

Expected.

"But don’t misunderstand."

His voice hardened instantly.

"This isn’t a reward."

The air seemed to tighten.

"This is responsibility."

He resumed pacing.

"The multi-Academy Tournament isn’t just some friendly competition. You will be facing the best students from other academies."

He paused briefly, glancing over his shoulder.

"And all of them will be aiming to crush you."

Every extra flinched at those words.

"You represent this academy now," he continued. "Which means every mistake you make out there... reflects on all of us."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"So if any of you think you can just coast through this because you ranked high in the tryouts..."

He stopped walking.

"...you’re free to leave."

No one moved.

Not even a twitch.

A few seconds passed.

Then he gave a small nod, as if that was the only acceptable answer.

"Good."

He turned fully to face us.

"From today onward, your schedules change. Regular classes are secondary. Your priority is preparation."

A student somewhere to my left hesitated before raising his hand slightly.

"Sir... what kind of preparation?"

The instructor’s eyes flicked toward him.

"For now?" he replied. "We break you."

A few people tensed.

Then—

"And rebuild you properly."

That landed heavier.

He gestured toward the far end of the field, where various training setups had already been prepared—combat dummies, sparring zones, even mana suppression barriers.

"Your weaknesses got exposed during the tryouts. Don’t think we didn’t notice."

My gaze drifted slightly.

Yeah... they definitely noticed.

"Some of you lack endurance. Some lack control. Some—" his eyes swept across us again, lingering just a fraction longer on certain individuals, "—lack awareness."

For a brief moment, I felt his gaze pass over me.

Then it moved on.

"...And a few of you," he added, "think too much."

That almost made me smirk.

"Overthinking will get you killed just as fast as recklessness."

Not wrong.

He clapped his hands once.

A sharp, echoing sound.

"Pair up."

The command came instantly.

"You’ll be sparring first. I want to see where you stand now, not yesterday."

Students began shifting, glancing at one another, quietly choosing partners.

Adrian paired up with Emma.

Aric with Hora.

Isabella with Noha.

Elera with some random girl that I didn’t know.

I looked around and find few more familiar faces.

But where is Evelyn?

I couldn’t find her.

"Lucas."

I turned my head slightly.

Evelyn stood a few steps away, already looking at me. Her expression was calm, but there was something underneath it.

Determination.

Maybe a bit of frustration still lingering from yesterday.

"Partner?" she asked.

I studied her for a brief moment.

"Alright."

We stepped into the sparring area together.

Around us, other pairs were already getting into position, the low hum of mana beginning to rise across the field.

The instructor’s voice rang out once more.

"Begin."

Evelyn didn’t hesitate.

The moment the word left his mouth, she moved—fast.

Her hand reached for her bow in one smooth motion.

I exhaled softly.

...No holding back this time, huh?

That’s exactly what I wanted.

Because this time—

I wasn’t planning to hold back either.

--

The moment her fingers brushed the string—

she fired.

-Thwip!

The arrow shot forward without hesitation, cutting straight through the air toward my chest.

Fast.

Faster than yesterday.

I tilted my body just enough for it to graze past my shoulder.

Not bad.

She didn’t stop.

Another arrow was already nocked.

-Thwip! Thwip!

Two more followed in quick succession, one aimed at my legs, the other at my head.

I stepped forward instead of back.

-Swoosh!

The first arrow missed as I closed the distance. The second—

-Clang!

My blade flicked upward, knocking it off course.

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed.

"Too slow," I said calmly.

But I knew that wasn’t true.

She was faster.

More decisive.

No hesitation in her movements this time.

Good.

That meant she learned.

Without giving her time to reset, I pushed forward.

My foot dug into the ground—

and I vanished.

-Swoosh!

Evelyn reacted instantly.

She jumped back, firing another arrow mid-air.

-Thwip!

I reappeared just to the side of its path, the arrow brushing past my cheek.

Close.

But not enough.

I swung.

-Slash!

She twisted her body at the last second, the blade cutting through a strand of her hair instead of her neck.

She landed roughly, skidding back—but her hand was already moving.

A short blade slid into her grip.

So she switched.

Good choice.

"You’re not running this time?" I asked.

She didn’t answer.

Instead—

-Clang!

Our weapons met.

The impact sent a sharp vibration up my arm.

Stronger.

Her stance was tighter now, more grounded.

She pushed forward.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

Each strike came faster than the last, her movements sharp, controlled, carrying none of the recklessness from yesterday.

I blocked, redirected, stepped aside—

but didn’t counter.

I watched her.

Her breathing—

steady.

Her footing—

stable.

Her timing—

better.

But still...

Predictable.

"Lucas."

Her voice cut through the clash.

I met her eyes.

"Stop holding back."

For a brief moment, everything slowed.

Then—

I smiled faintly.

"...Alright."

My grip tightened.

The next time our weapons met—

-BOOM!

The sound exploded across the field.

Evelyn’s eyes widened.

The force behind my strike was completely different.

Her arms trembled as she struggled to hold her ground, boots digging into the dirt.

"What—?!"

I stepped in.

Closer.

Faster.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

This time, I didn’t hold back.

Each strike came heavier, sharper, leaving no room to breathe.

Her defense started to crack.

Not because she was weak—

but because the pace had changed.

And she wasn’t used to it.

Yet.

I feinted left—

then struck right.

-Slash!

She barely managed to block, the impact forcing her back a full step.

Another strike followed immediately.

Then another.

No pause.

No gap.

Her breathing broke rhythm.

Her stance wavered—

just slightly.

That was enough.

I stepped in.

Twisted my blade—

and stopped it just inches from her throat.

Silence.

The world around us seemed to fade for a moment.

Evelyn froze.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes locked onto the edge of my blade.

Then—

"...I lost," she said quietly.

I didn’t move.

For a second, neither did she.

Then I lowered my sword.

"You improved," I said.

She let out a breath, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"...Not enough."

"Not yet," I corrected.

That made her glance at me.

There was still frustration there.

But also something else.

Resolve.

----

Author Note:

Here I am with new Chapter! Sorry for this long wait up!

Chapter will be continued to appear daily.