The canyon was quiet. The other students had scattered, terrified of the F-Grade who could extinguish fire with sound.

  Julian didn't chase them. He didn't care about their fear; he cared about their efficiency. Chasing them would be a waste of calories.

  He found a secluded cave near the landslide and sat down. It was time to audit his gains.

  First, the ring.

  He held the **Ember-Heart Ring** up to the light. It was warm to the touch, pulsing with a faint, rhythmic heat.

  [Item: Ember-Heart Ring]

  [Grade: Rare]

  [Enchantment: Minor Pyromancy Amplification]

  [Durability: 45/50]

  "Inefficient," Julian muttered, inspecting the rune work on the inner band. "The mana conduit is looped. It loses 15% of its energy as waste heat before it even activates the spell. No wonder Kaelen was so angry; he was overheating."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  He took out his file.

  *Scrape. Scrape.*

  He couldn't completely re-forge it here, but he could smooth out the conduit flow. He filed down a jagged rune edge that was causing resistance.

  [Modification Successful]

  [Heat Waste Reduced by 5%]

  [Mana Regeneration increased to +25%]

  "Better," Julian slid the ring onto his finger.

  Immediately, he felt a rush of warmth. His mana bar, which had been dangerously low after the landslide, began to tick up visibly.

  [Mana: 12/45] ... [13/45] ... [14/45]

  "With this regeneration rate, I can sustain the Sonic Lancet for 40% longer," Julian calculated. "I can move from single-target elimination to continuous sweep mode."

  He opened the leaderboard.

  1. Julian (F-Grade) - 1,450 Points

  2. Kaelen (Fire Mage) - 640 Points (Stalled)

  3. Lyra (Wind Blade) - 610 Points

  His lead was massive. But the Trial wasn't over. There were still six hours left.

  "Kaelen will be out of the picture for at least an hour while he recovers from the vertigo," Julian analyzed. "Lyra is the new variable. Wind mages are fast."

  He stood up. He didn't plan to hunt more spiders. The Hive was destroyed. He needed a new target.

  He looked at the map. There was a blue zone to the north: ** The Whispering Lake**.

  "Water environment," Julian noted. "Sound travels 4.3 times faster in water than in air."

  A predatory smile touched his lips.

  "Perfect."

  He packed his gear. He wasn't going to defend his title. He was going to expand the gap so wide that no one would ever dream of catching up.

  As he stepped out of the cave, he noticed a notification blinking in the corner of his vision. It wasn't a system message. It was a message from the outside world, transmitted through his student badge.

  [Sender: Amelia Voss]

  [Message: You crazy bastard. You actually took his ring? The Dean is watching. Kaelen's father is on the school board. Watch your back.]

  Julian dismissed the message.

  "Let them watch," he said, turning north. "If they have a problem with my methods, they can debate me. After I win."

  Author's Note: