Isabella was stunned speechless when she learned Derek had already reached E-class as a cultivator. While many first- and second-year students were aware of his accomplishments, most upperclassmen were completely unaware.

To them, cultivators were supposed to be weak — so a first-year student reaching E-class was nothing short of astonishing.

All the assumptions she had about Derek began to collapse one after another. At first, she thought her friend Emma had been scammed or tricked somehow… but now, her thoughts were taking a very different direction.

Seeing Isabella completely spaced out, Emma couldn't help but giggle. She took the initiative and introduced them properly.

"Derek, this is one of my closest friends, Isabella. She wanted to see which party I'm joining for the Half-Yearly Ranker's Test, so I had no choice but to drag her along."

"No problem," Derek replied casually.

"And Isabella," Emma continued with a teasing smile, "this is Derek. The one you thought used some sort of magic trick to hypnotize me into joining his team."

"What?! Magic trick? Hypnotize?" Derek was visibly confused.

Emma was the one who insisted on joining his party. How did the story turn into him brainwashing her?

"Well… umm…" Isabella suddenly lost all composure. She had come fully prepared. She'd even practiced in her head how she would interrogate and corner a first-year boy she assumed was tricking her friend. But now? She was completely flabbergasted.

And who wouldn't be?

It wasn't just Derek's cultivation rank that shocked her. There was something else about him... a faint, natural pressure, an aura she had only ever sensed from family elders.

"Relax, I was just joking," Emma said to Derek.

"If you say so…" Derek replied, still a little confused.

"By the way, where are the other team members?" Emma asked.

"They are..." Derek began, but he stopped mid-sentence when he spotted Henry and Art already walking toward him. Eva was a short distance behind them, making her way over as well.

Once they all gathered, Derek took the initiative this time.

"Guys, this is Senior Emma and her friend, Senior Isabella."

Then he turned toward Emma.

"And Senior Emma, these two are my friends, Art and Henry. And this here is my guide, Senior Eva." Even though Eva had asked him to just call her by name, Derek felt it would be rude to address her so casually in front of other seniors.

"So this is the full team, huh?" Emma asked, observing them one by one.

"Yes. You said we'd be able to practice together. Where is it?" Derek asked.

"Come with me." Emma guided them through several corridors until they stopped in front of a training chamber.

She pushed the door open.

"This used to be a fighting arena, just like the main one," Emma explained. "But since it's slightly smaller, no one really comes here anymore. The teams that participate in the Ranker's Test all get separate rooms for group training once they perform well. Since this team is new and we haven't even participated once, we'll have to start with this."

"It's already pretty good," Derek said as he entered the room. "I'm not even sure the room we get later will be better than this."

"You sound awfully confident about performing well in the test," Isabella suddenly remarked. "You do know that doing well enough to earn a separate training room means ranking in the top five teams, right?"

"Really?! I didn't know that. But we're aiming for the top three anyway," Derek said casually.

The words hit Isabella like a bomb.

"Your dreams sure are… very big," she muttered with thinly veiled disdain. She accepted that Derek was talented... exceptionally so. But a brand-new team, with only one fourth-year student, aiming for the top three? To her, that was nothing more than a childish fantasy.

Derek didn't mind her reaction. He had expected it, because that was how any normal person would respond.

He turned to the others. "Before we start practicing, let's get to know each other first. I'm just a cultivator, so there isn't much to say about me. And you all know I am at E-class level."

Emma went next. "I'm a wind mage, and my cultivation rank is E-class."

Eva followed. "I'm an ice mage. F-class."

"I'm a fire mage. F-class," Henry said.

Art was last. "I'm also a fire mage, but I recently formed my dantian, so I haven't reached any cultivation realm yet."

Isabella snickered inwardly. 'And he thinks he can reach the top three with this lineup? Right… keep dreaming.'

"So," Derek continued, unfazed, "how exactly does group training work? And what kind of trials will we face in the test? Based on that, we can start improving our teamwork and combinations."

"The trials are unpredictable every year," Emma explained. "In some of them, we might have to face another team directly… or even all the participating teams at once. And sometimes we won't encounter any team at all. The best thing we can do right now is spar. That will give us a clear idea of our own team's strengths and weaknesses. With barely two days left, that's all we can do at this stage."

"Only sparring, huh?" Derek nodded. "Makes sense. We can't learn new skills in such a short time anyway. So how should we do it? One-on-one? Or all five at once?"

"We can all spar together first," Eva suggested. "Then maybe do a few one-on-one rounds after."

"Okay. Sounds fun," Henry said, cracking his knuckles excitedly. He knew he wasn't the strongest in the room, but the thrill of battle still pumped through his veins.

Eva remained calm and neutral, typical of a second-year student who'd already witnessed plenty of spars and duels.

But Art looked nervous. He knew exactly where he stood. He was the weakest among them.

Noticing the tension on his friend's face, Derek gently placed a hand on Art's shoulder. "Relax. Just fight with your heart and enjoy it. Try to learn, try to improve. Nothing's going to happen to you. It's only a friendly sparring session."

Art managed a small, uneasy smile. "Yeah… I know."

The five of them took their positions, forming a loose circle inside the training chamber. Isabella stood off to the side, arms crossed, choosing to observe rather than interfere. Her eyes were sharp. She wanted to see exactly what this "miracle first-year" was truly capable of.

Emma raised her hand. "Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Begin!"

The moment the word left her mouth, the air exploded with movement.

Just as Derek expected, Emma, Henry, and Eva attacked him simultaneously. Art remained in his place, too uncertain of where to jump in.

Henry moved first — fast and fiery.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Fireballs shot out one after another, painting the air in burning streaks.

At the same time, Emma spun lightly on her heel. Multiple wide crescent-shaped arcs of compressed wind sliced forward, cutting through the firelight with a sharp whistle.

Eva followed instantly. Cold mist burst around her feet as she slammed her palm toward the ground.

CRACK!! A sheet of ice spread outward, racing toward Derek's position, threatening to solidify his footing.

Three coordinated attacks. Three different ranges. Three different elements.

It was a well-timed strike — especially for a team that barely knew each other.

But...

Derek didn't move.

Not at first.

Isabella leaned forward instinctively.

'Is he paralyzed from fear? Overwhelmed? Or maybe frozen already?'

But then...

Derek's body moved. He was so fast that he looked like a blur.

With one light step, he slid out of the path of Henry's fireballs. They passed him by inches, exploding behind him harmlessly.

He tilted his head, and Emma's wind arcs sliced through the air where his neck had been a moment earlier.

A small hop. Barely even a movement. Eva's ice froze only the print of where he had been standing.

It wasn't just dodging. It was effortless. As if Derek already knew the direction, timing, and intent of every strike before they even formed.

Henry gritted his teeth. "How come you became even more slippery! It's only been five months!"

More fireballs erupted.

Emma's wind sharpened into faster, narrower arcs.

Eva raised both hands now. This time, she started attacking with ice bullets that whistled through the air and lunged at Derek.

But...

Not a single attack touched him.

Derek danced through the barrage like he was strolling through a gentle breeze. No panic. No urgency. He simply moved where their attacks weren't.

His calm expression infuriated Henry, impressed Eva, and made Emma bite her lip in frustration.

But Isabella… Her eyes trembled.

'Even Emma…? She's an E-class mage. And she can't even graze him?'

She had seen strong fighters before. She had sparred with upperclassmen. She had even watched family elders duel.

But this...

This was something else entirely.

It wasn't just raw power. It wasn't speed. It wasn't brute force.

What Derek displayed was control. Awareness. Fluid movement. The composure of someone who had fought countless battles… someone far older than a first-year student.

The attacks intensified...

But Derek still hadn't launched a single counterattack.

And still, no one could land a hit on him.

Not even Emma, an E-class mage with superior range.

Isabella's pulse quickened.

'Who… in the world is this boy?'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.