No! I don't want to be a Super Necromancer!

The top of the hill was quiet.

The wind blew gently across the training field below, where hundreds of students were still being rounded up by the instructors. The chaos had calmed. The gunfire had stopped.

Now, there was only golden sunlight, stretching long shadows across the grass, and two students standing side by side in silence.

Damien Bloodbane stood straight, hands loosely at his sides. He wasn't out of breath. He didn't look exhausted. If anything, he looked like he had just finished a light jog.

But he was quiet. His sharp eyes remained on the horizon, unblinking, expression unreadable.

Beside him, Jiang Xiao Yu adjusted her ponytail with a flick of her fingers, then glanced at him from the corner of her eye. The corners of her lips tugged up ever so slightly.

"So," she said, breaking the silence with a playful lilt, "do you always fight through meteor rain and elemental apocalypses like you're taking a stroll in the park?"

Damien Bloodbane turned to her. He blinked once.

Then nodded.

"…Yes."

She laughed softly, the sound clear and pleasant. "Wow. You're really good at small talk."

"... Thanks." Damien Bloodbane smiled lazily.

Jiang Xiao Yu laughed again, this time harder, shaking her head at his deadpan reply and complete disregard for her sarcasm. She waved it off like she was used to dealing with strange people. "No worries. I'll do the talking for both of us."

She folded her arms and turned to look at the view below, her tone lighter now. "You're really strong, you know that? That wasn't just instinct. You moved like you'd done this a thousand times before."

"I have." Damien Bloodbane said simply.

Jiang Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "Some secret training program, I'm guessing?"

Damien Bloodbane didn't answer. His silence was answer enough.

"You're interesting." She tilted her head slightly, studying him again. But this time, her gaze was softer, more curious than cautious.

"That's what people say before things get complicated." Damien Bloodbane looked at her with the slightest hint of a smile on his lips, as though he was chiding her gently for her interest.

"Hm. True." Her eyes sparkled. "But I like complicated."

Damien Bloodbane chuckled quietly at her guts and openness.

They stood there for a while longer, watching the field.

Then Jiang Xiao Yu spoke again, voice softer this time. "Thank you, by the way."

She didn't elaborate at first. Her gaze was thoughtful, but there was warmth in it now.

"For earlier. Saving me."

"Anyone would've done it." Damien Bloodbane shrugged.

"Maybe they would." she said firmly. "But only one could"

For a moment, silence returned.

But this time, it was comfortable.

Eventually, she let out a satisfied sigh and stretched her arms. "Well, guess we just wait for the next round of torture."

"At this rate that they're going, it'll probably be something crazy. Like underwater battle or skydiving with spears." Damien Bloodbane nodded.

"Sounds fun." Jiang Xiao Yu smiled brightly.

He glanced sideways at her. "Adrenalin Junkie."

"Takes one to know one." Her smile widened.

And the two of them stood side by side at the top of the world, quietly waiting for whatever madness came next.

They didn't have to wait for long.

The sun had barely begun to rise over the jagged hills of Pearl Institute when the loudspeakers crackled ominously to life.

"All surviving first years, report to the Blackstone Chamber," came Professor Kong Hu's voice, deep and grim. "You have ten minutes."

The first years, still battered, sore, and half-broken from the hill test, dragged themselves to their feet. The chamber was a black, square facility built partially underground, its walls covered in rune-etched basalt that glimmered with faint red light. No one knew what it was used for. Until now.

"The twelve of you. Enter first." Professor Kong Hu motioned for them to move.

Inside the chamber, a circular platform awaited them.

The chamber was empty save for a single pedestal with a red button which stood ominously in the center.

And then the chamber door slammed shut behind them with a metallic boom.

They stood frozen.

"Press the button to open the door. Whoever presses the button will have 1000 Pearl Points deducted and will have to clean the toilet for the entire first grade for 1 week." Came a metallic voice from somewhere.

"What the hell? 1000 Pearl Points?" Zhao Rui said flatly, staring at the button like it had insulted his ancestors. "Are they high on mana fumes? That's robbery."

Jennifer Aquafrost crossed her arms. "I'm not touching that. I'll freeze the damn toilet before I clean it."

Mu Qingyu raised an eyebrow. "This has to be a joke. A test of character, maybe?"

"It's a test of desperation," Lin Fei muttered, eyeing the button warily. "Pearl Points don't grow on trees."

Ji Chen remained utterly still. His eyes were closed, like he was meditating. Or trying not to commit murder.

Damien Bloodbane said nothing. His gaze was fixed on the timer now counting down above them—4:55… 4:54…

At the 4:30 mark, a faint hissing noise echoed through the chamber.

Mu Qingxue's head snapped up. "Do you hear that?"

"Yes," Lin Bao muttered, his voice dropping. "And I don't like it."

The metallic floor beneath their feet vibrated softly. Then, from unseen vents above, a shimmering silver fog began to spill into the chamber.

At first it was harmless.

Cool, almost pleasant, like mist from a mountain spring. But within seconds, it began to thicken. Tendrils of mana-laced vapor curled around their legs and rose slowly, creeping toward their faces.

Jennifer Aquafrost's eyes narrowed. "What is this? Poison gas?"

"I think so." Mu Qing Yu murmured. Her voice was unusually soft. "It's infused with... something. Dulling agents."

"Great," Zhao Rui said dryly, waving his hand in front of his face. "They're trying to make us clean the toilets while high. Very ethical."

Ji Chen finally opened his eyes. They were slightly unfocused. "This fog is layered. Illusion magic, maybe. Light paralytic. Tch… troublesome."

Mu Qingling stumbled slightly. "It's… weirdly warm. Is anyone else feeling floaty?"

"Floaty?" Fatty blinked and sat down on the ground. "Boss, I think the fog is whispering to me. It said the toilets aren't so bad."