The Royal Academy’s Grand Arena was a colossal bowl carved from bck obsidian, its surface polished to a mirror sheen and reinforced with ancient runes that drank in stray mana. Today the stands were packed — thousands of nobles, instructors, and applicants watching from tiered seats. High above in the shadowed VIP balconies sat the High Council, their faces hidden behind veils of light. The air smelled of ozone, polished metal, and nervous sweat.

  I stood alone in the center of the field.

  My bcksmith’s tunic was dusty and pin among the silks and embroidered robes of the other candidates. My posture was not.

  [System Notification: Entrance Exam — Trial 1: Physical Prowess]

  [Objective: Neutralize the Aegis-Series Automatons using only Pure Strength. No external mana projection permitted.]

  [Current Physical Level: 20 (Base Mortal Limit)]

  “Zef of Ren!” the Proctor’s voice boomed across the arena. “You will face the Aegis-Series in ascending order. Begin when ready.”

  A low mechanical hum filled the air. The first gate slid open.

  The Ascent

  Rank-F to Rank-E models rolled out first — crude wooden frames wrapped in thin tin pting. Toys, really.

  I didn’t even shift my stance.

  With a casual flick of my wrist, the first one spun violently and crashed into the obsidian wall, splintering into kindling. The second and third followed the same fate — one palm strike each, delivered with the same indifference I once used to hammer nails.

  The crowd murmured. Some ughed. Most assumed it was beginner’s luck.

  Rank-D appeared next — bronze-pted, taller, joints glowing with faint kinetic runes.

  I stepped forward.

  One clean palm strike to the chest pte.

  The bronze crumpled inward like wet paper. The construct staggered, then colpsed in a heap of twisted metal and sparks.

  [Physical Level Growing: 21… 25… 30…]

  The ughter stopped.

  The Threshold

  Rank-C rolled forward — heavy bckened steel, reinforced joints, defensive glyphs pulsing red.

  The Proctor gnced toward the balconies. A ripple of tension moved through the stands.

  I met its charge head-on.

  Its massive fist swung down like a battering ram.

  I caught it — bare-handed.

  The obsidian beneath my boots cracked in a spiderweb pattern from the force. My arm didn’t tremble. My expression didn’t change.

  I squeezed.

  Metal screamed.

  The fist deformed, then shattered.

  The automaton lurched forward, off-bance.

  I drove my knee into its core.

  A deep, resonant crunch echoed through the arena as the internal frame gave way.

  Silence.

  Then whispers.

  “He’s… not even using mana…”

  “Is that really a bcksmith’s son?”

  Final Push: Rank-A

  The Proctor hesitated. Looked again at the High Council.

  A single silver-pted giant stepped into the light — the Rank-A Aegis. Eight feet tall. Runes of shock-absorption glowing bright blue across its armor. Designed to test veteran knights.

  The construct raised both arms in a guard stance.

  The crowd leaned forward.

  I exhaled slowly.

  Every fiber of my body aligned.

  No flourish. No drama.

  I simply walked forward and struck — one precise, concentrated fist to the exact center of its chest pte.

  The sound wasn’t an explosion.

  It was a deep, bone-rattling thud — like a cathedral bell struck underwater.

  The Rank-A automaton froze.

  For one long second nothing happened.

  Then cracks raced outward from the impact point.

  Gears screamed inside its torso.

  Runes flickered and died.

  The entire upper half disintegrated into fine metallic dust that drifted across the arena floor like gray snow.

  The legs remained standing for another heartbeat before toppling sideways with a thunderous crash.

  [Trial 1 Result: Perfect (Rank-A Surpassed)]

  [Physical Level Final Status: Level 45 (Elite Warrior Grade)]

  [Exp Gained: 5000 (Multiplier Applied)]

  [Level Up! Current Level: 23]

  [System Milestone Reached!]

  [Trait Gained: 'Iron-Boned Sovereign' — Your skeleton is now as dense as Diamond. Physical Defense +30%.]

  [Skill Unlocked: 'Titan’s Pressure' (Passive) — Your physical presence inflicts a 'Heavy' debuff to enemies within 5 meters. Movement speed -15%, reaction time -10%.]

  [Attributes Gained: Strength +10, Stamina +8]

  The Proctor’s mouth hung open.

  The stands were deathly silent.

  In the VIP balcony, the High Council members exchanged unreadable gnces. One of them — an old woman with silver hair — leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing.

  I turned to the Proctor.

  Dust still drifted around my feet.

  My breathing was even.

  My tunic wasn’t even torn.

  “Next test,” I said, voice calm and ft.

  No one ughed this time.

  No one whispered.

  They simply stared — at the boy who had just broken a machine built to break knights.

  And in that silence, I felt something very close to satisfaction.

  Not joy.

  Not pride.

  Just the quiet certainty that the game had finally begun.