The moment Claire’s voice faded, the hall turned silent.

Then it came.

Not a sound. Not a flash.

Just... weight.

An invisible force crashed down on everyone at once, like the ceiling had dropped without warning. The air thickened, turning heavy and suffocating. Breathing felt wrong, as if each inhale had to fight through something dense and cold. Shoulders sank. Knees trembled. Hearts pounded faster, yet weaker.

It was not just pressure.

It was intent.

A presence filled with hostility, cold and overwhelming, pressing into their minds instead of their bodies. It did not simply weigh them down—it invaded them. Thoughts slowed. Focus cracked. Fear crawled in without permission.

Some didn’t even last a second.

Bodies hit the floor immediately. No resistance. No struggle. Just collapse.

Others tried.

That made it worse.

Blood slipped from noses. A few felt warm trails running from their eyes. Their faces twisted as if they were being crushed from the inside.

"What’s this... suffocating pressure..." Lucian forced the words out, his teeth grinding as he tried to stay standing.

His legs shook, but he refused to kneel.

Not in front of everyone.

"I... don’t think I can hold on..." Jane whispered, her voice barely there.

Her vision spun. The ground tilted.

"Lady Jane... I also... cannot last..." Talia said, trying to steady herself.

She turned, waiting for an answer.

None came.

Jane was already lying on the ground.

Talia’s fingers trembled as she looked at Jane.

"I... wanted to go further..."

Her voice broke slightly.

Then everything went dark.

Talia dropped before finishing.

One after another, bodies fell.

Some tried to crawl. Some tried to shout. Most couldn’t even move.

On the other side, a few still stood.

Barely.

Among them was Jaden.

"I told you... this is nothing for... me..." he said, forcing a grin that looked more painful than confident.

The expression on his face didn’t match his words. His lips curled like someone trying to act cool while their soul was being crushed. It almost looked impressive.

Almost.

Shadow watched him for a second.

’Fake it till you make it... I respect the effort,’ he thought, a faint smile appearing.

’He actually believes he’s above everyone else. That confidence alone is dragging him forward.’

Shadow shifted his focus.

The pressure was real.

Even for him.

His body remained straight, but every part of him felt resistance. Muscles tightened. Breathing slowed. His mind whispered a simple solution.

Fall.

Rest.

End it.

He ignored it.

That kind of suggestion meant nothing to him.

He had lived through worse.

A childhood where he was treated like something that shouldn’t exist. Experiments. Pain. Isolation. Years alone in a forest filled with monsters, where silence was more dangerous than noise.

The pressure tried to crush him.

He had felt worse.

The Cold rooms.

Silent nights.

Screams that no one heard.

Compared to that...

This was almost polite.

He didn’t break then.

This wouldn’t do it either.

He focused and arranged his thoughts, trying to understand the intent.

’This isn’t raw force,’ he thought.

’It’s targeting the mind first... body second.’

He adjusted his breathing slightly.

The pressure felt lighter.

"This is nothing," Shadow said quietly.

Then he moved.

Not a step filled with struggle.

Not a desperate push forward.

Just... walking.

Calm. Steady. Casual.

As if he wasn’t under the same crushing force.

Each step echoed lightly across the hall.

One.

Two.

Three.

Behind him, more bodies fell.

Lucian’s vision darkened.

As his knees hit the ground, Lucian slammed his fist weakly against the floor.

"Not... here...not yet"

His voice faded with his consciousness.

before he finally collapsed, frustration still written on his face.

As Shadow passed them, Jaden forced his head up.

Their eyes met for a brief second.

Shadow didn’t say anything.

He just gave a small nod... like acknowledging effort.

Jaden’s eyes started shutting down right after.

"...damn it," he muttered.

Jaden held on a moment longer, his grin twitching before it dropped along with Lucian.

’He’s smiling while almost dying. I don’t know whether that’s confidence or just brain damage’

He continued moving forward. Watching everyone struggle to their last attempt.

’So this is the "strong generation"...’ Shadow thought.

Then 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Another body hit the floor.

’Impressive. Truly. The ground must feel honored.’

"I... I won’t fall here!" a random student shouted.

He raised his hand dramatically.

"This is where legends are bor—"

He collapsed mid-sentence.

Another student raised her voice too, trying to encourage herself.

"This pressure... it acknowledges me..."

Shadow glanced at her.

’No... it’s crushing you.’

Thud~

She fell on the ground unable to move too

’People are already competing with Jaden’

Soon, no one remained standing.

Except one.

Shadow continued forward, hands relaxed, eyes steady.

He passed by Jane and Talia without stopping. His gaze lingered for half a second, then moved on.

They would wake up.

No need to act dramatic about it. Not that he cared.

Ahead, the professors stood near the gate.

Watching.

"What the... how is he moving like that?" Tess said, her voice filled with disbelief.

Paul stared, eyes wide. "No one in Velmora’s history has lasted a minute without collapsing. He’s walking like he’s on a casual stroll."

Claire didn’t speak immediately.

Her eyes stayed on Shadow.

"Maybe... we found someone who can change things, change Velmora" she said softly.

The others heard it.

They were taken aback by her wrods but no one denied it.

Because they were thinking the same thing.

Shadow reached them.

Stopped.

Looked at them like nothing unusual had happened.

"Is this enough," he said, "or should I walk around a bit more? I heard there’s food after this. Wouldn’t want to miss that."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Arthur blinked first, snapping out of it. "I think... this is more than enough. We should end the test."

"Y-yes... that should be fine," Claire replied.

The pressure vanished instantly.

Like it had never existed.

The air returned. Breathing became easy again.

Bodies remained on the ground.

Unconscious.

Paul cleared his throat. "Don’t worry. Everyone will be treated. Injuries, rooms, food... all handled."

"I can assist you personally if you need anything," Tess added quickly.

Her tone was softer than before.

Too soft.

The other professors glanced at her.

She turned her face away.

"Just food," Shadow said. "And something that resembles a bed would be enough."

"That can be arranged," Claire said. "Follow me."

She glanced at the others. "You can handle this, right?"

They clicked their tongues in annoyance but nodded.

Claire and Shadow left the hall.

Outside, the air felt fresh.

Claire reached into her spatial ring and pulled out something small. A tiny carriage, no bigger than a finger.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "That is.."

"It’s a movement artifact," Claire said.

She poured mana into it.

The object glowed, then expanded. Metal shifted. Structure formed. Within seconds, a full-sized carriage stood before them, complete with two lifelike horse constructs at the front.

Shadow looked at it.

"...Not useless," he muttered.

"Get in."

She stepped inside.

He followed.

The horses moved.

The carriage rolled forward smoothly, entering the academy.

Velmora wasn’t just a school.

It was a city.

Buildings stretched in every direction. Training grounds, towers, shops, dorms. Students walked around in groups, some laughing, some arguing, some carrying weapons like it was normal.

Shadow leaned slightly, observing everything.

’Feels familiar,’ he thought.

’Like Stormgard... just louder.’

They didn’t speak during the ride.

No need.

The silence wasn’t awkward.

It was simple.

After a short time, the carriage stopped.

Claire stepped out.

Shadow followed.

They stood before a large building filled with people.

The smell hit instantly.

Food.

Good food.

The kind that made people forget their problems for a few minutes.

"This is the main cafeteria," Claire said. "We’ll eat first. Then I’ll show you your room."

Shadow nodded.

As they walked toward the entrance, something felt off.

A strange feeling.

He glanced around.

Students were staring.

Some confused.

Some annoyed.

Some... hostile.

He paused for half a second.

Then smiled slightly.

’Ah... I see.’

’Beautiful, cold and respected professor walking in with a random guy.’

’Classic setup.’

He stepped forward again.

’Somewhere in this room, there’s definitely a third-rate villain preparing a speech about honor, pride, and "stay away from her."’

His smile widened just a bit.

’This might actually be entertaining.’