The Ashen Expanse is on the southern end of the Velmoria Kingdom, housing creatures that could become nightmares for ordinary warriors.
The ones who defended the kingdom against them, however, were far from ordinary.
The Vaise dukedom occupied the entire southern part of the kingdom, facing the Ashen Expanse and protecting the kingdom.
The Vaise family, filled with monsters, defended against corrupted creatures. It wasn't hard because the stronger ones never left the Ashen Expanse, and dealing with the weaker ones was not a big deal for them.
Most importantly, the creatures that came close to the borders were corrupt with diluted corruption in their veins, making them far less dangerous.
However, even those creatures were strong enough to give ordinary three to four-plate knights and even mages a run for their money.
The students of the Cradle had to fight those.
As for their objective, Instructor Gale soon told them about it, his voice cutting through the thick air like a blade.
"Like any test, this one has an objective."
His sharp eyes swept over the gathered students, weighing their reactions. Some looked resolute, others uncertain, but none dared to break the silence.
"You can roam alone, in groups, or stay standing, no one cares. What we care about, however, is you killing three creatures—alone."
A wave of tension rippled through the crowd.
The students, who, like their predecessors, were supposed to fight and defend the borders against the corrupted creatures, were taught everything known about them.
So, they already knew that defeating a single corrupted beast was challenging for most warriors, and although they were Vaise, defeating three creatures would be a challenge—especially if, just in case, the creatures were in a group.
If that wasn't enough, this was the first time the students would fight a creature to kill.
This would be their first kill.
It could take a toll on some of their minds.
To make things worse, the royals were here, so they couldn't appear pathetic as that would sully the Vaise name. They had some weight on their shoulders.
Gale, on the other hand, continued, his voice unwavering.
"Remember, you are graded for everything once the test starts. You might get a minus for moving in groups as that would decrease the effort or a plus if you move alone..."
A sharp light flashed past Gale's eyes as he observed the children's reactions. "The one who gets the most kills or completes the mission first might get plus points."
Then, he paused for a while.
"But, refrain from taking too many risks since Death likes those who get arrogant—especially in this area."
The words hung in the air, cold and absolute.
Some students clenched their fists. Others swallowed hard. They all understood.
This wasn't a mere examination.
The tests they had gone through until today were nothing compared to this because today, they would be risking their lives.
They could die if they were careless.
Gale raised his hand, and an instructor beside him stepped forward, carrying a small wooden box.
"This—" Gale pulled out a small, silver whistle, holding it high for all to see, "—is your only lifeline."
The instructors moved through the crowd one by one, handing out identical whistles to each student. The small object felt cold in the students' palms, its weight surprisingly heavy for something so small.
"This is your abort whistle," Gale explained. "If you judge that you cannot proceed—if you know that another moment will cost you your life—you are to blow this whistle. The instructor closest to you will come to your aid."
A few students visibly relaxed, reassured by the existence of a failsafe.
But Gale wasn't finished.
"However..." His voice hardened. "Hesitation will kill you."
A few students stiffened at his tone.
"If you hesitate to use it, if you try to push beyond your limits when you have already lost the fight, you will die." Pausing, letting the words settle, he continued. "You must know, even if the instructors are strong, they can't teleport next to you when you whistle. It takes time."
A chilling silence spread across the field.
"We will try our best to save you, but this is not a test where we will coddle you," Gale declared. "You are warriors. This is your final proof. If you cannot judge when to advance and when to retreat, then you have no place on the battlefield."
The message was clear.
Blow the whistle too soon, and you were a coward.
Blow it too late, and you were dead.
Raven let the moment settle in, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on those around him.
But his focus was elsewhere.
While the others were absorbed in Gale's words, Raven's golden eyes were moving—scanning.
His mind wasn't on the test.
He was looking for someone.
'She has to be here.'
He knew it.
There was no way she wasn't here.
She was always present when the Vaise family and the royals gathered for an event. It was inevitable, or more like her calling.
His eyes drifted over the gathered instructors, searching for a familiar face. But with so many figures present, his usual sharp instincts weren't enough.
Which meant...
It was time to use it.
A smirk played at Raven's lips as he exhaled.
Then, he activated his new ability—Fate Eyes.
It was something he had brought from the store, which he had unlocked the day after his soul dragon bloodline awakening.
The shop, however, was unique.
Unlike other systems he had heard about, this one shuffled items daily.
There was no guarantee that you would get a good thing for months straight.
If that wasn't enough, Raven's luck was so bad that in all these years, he hadn't found many items worth buying. If, by chance, he did find some, their price would be sky-high.
The only thing that was worth its price and was within his budget was this—Fate Eyes.
This ability could let him see people who would bring him profit surrounded by a different color.
It would rate people on seven levels from red to violet following the rainbow sequence.
Red would bring him the least profit and violet would bring him the most.
Raven bought this ability because it could help him improve the plot in many ways.
Now, as soon as he activated the ability, a subtle pulse spread from his pupils, unseen by anyone around him.
With his ability activated, he scanned the group of instructors again, and then, he saw it.
Every instructor was coated in a red aura, which indicated profit. Each of them could at least teach him their techniques, so it wasn't uncalled for.
There were also some instructors with orange, and some with yellow auras, but Raven ignored them as he already found the person he was looking for.
A man with a conical face cut and a mole on his chin stood among the instructors. He wasn't actually an instructor, but people seemed to be oblivious to that.
He stood there, staring at Damien and the royal delegates covered in dark green color, indicating the man to be of higher class green.
The moment he caught sight of it, a thrill ran through him.
There. 'Found you.'
'She' was disguised as a man, but Raven was sure it was her.
Only the woman with a hundred faces, the owner of the largest information trust in the kingdom, can give off the green fate, which promises immense profit.
His eyes locked onto the figure, his smirk widening.
As if feeling his gaze, the man turned to look at him, only to have his eyes widened a little.
'How could he see me?' Such a question appeared in his (her) head before he shuffled within the crowd, losing Raven's gaze.
Raven didn't try to look for her again as he knew how cautious she was. He didn't want her to run away sensing something amiss.
Rolling the whistle between his fingers, he smirked, wondering how he could make the best use of her when Clara, standing next to him, suddenly spoke.
"...what shit are you planning right now?"
Hearing her words, Raven tilted his head innocently. "What do you mean?"
Before Clara could answer, Alex cringed at Raven's expression. "Don't do that."
Raven, turning to him with the same expression, asked. "Don't do what?"
Jake, behind Raven in the line, just shook his head. 'They're at it again,' he thought, not wanting to get involved.
Unlike their relaxed attitude, the other students were tense as the test was about to start, and for the first time, they were going to face beings they had only heard about.