Taking a steady breath, Yuna followed behind Dane as they stepped into the domain.
Their trial was clear-cut in theory—find the exit as quickly as possible. The faster they emerged, the more points they earned. Contributions made within the domain—combat, strategy, survival—would add to their final score. An extra reward would be given to those who retrieved the domain's catalyst, a rare and volatile resource worth a small fortune.
But the moment Yuna set foot inside, she knew something was wrong.
The ground beneath her feet crumbled without warning, vanishing into a lake of seething magma.
"…The fuck?!?"
Her heart thudded violently. She had prepared herself for a challenge, but this? This was hell mode! She clung to a jagged rock wall as molten lava hissed below, the heat biting into her skin. Her face went pale.
"This... this isn't just an exam anymore. It's a live broadcasted execution!" she muttered in disbelief.
Dane, latched onto the stone beside her, let out a light chuckle. "Actually, this is standard procedure. Testing theory and magic is just the warm-up. Children from elite families are brought into low-tier domains like this from a young age. It's how we learn to survive."
Yuna's eye twitched. "...You all had it rough."
"Not really. Danger builds resilience. Strength demands pressure. There's no growth without risk."
She frowned, unamused. "Sure, developing a sense of crisis is fine, but I don't believe getting barbecued alive is the best teaching method."
Dane shrugged. "It's the fastest one. In this world, the strong trample the weak. If you hesitate, you're eliminated."
Yuna pursed her lips. "...It's not like I want to be the strongest anyway."
"That mindset makes you rare," Dane replied with a smile as if believing her not wanting to be the strongest "Most people crave the peak."
Yuna didn't want to talk about ideals or strength anymore. This wasn't a storybook; this was survival. "So how do we get out of here? I'm aiming straight for the exit."
"I was planning to search for the catalyst first," Dane began.
"Nope," Yuna cut him off flatly. "Absolutely not. I want to exit safely with all my limbs attached. You can look for your catalyst in the second half of the exam with someone else."
Dane blinked at her, caught off guard by her decisiveness. She wasn't being petty or stubborn—just unapologetically pragmatic.
"The catalyst fetches tens of thousands of credits, even for low-tier ones," he reasoned, half-heartedly.
"Then get rich later. Right now, I want out," she replied firmly. "Please just find the exit."
There was a beat of silence. Dane stared at her, his ever gentle expression brooding into darkness for a bit. But in the end, he smiled again, warm and unbothered. "As you wish. I did promise your classmates I'd protect you."
Yuna hummed an acknowledgment and said nothing more. She didn't care to smooth things over. This wasn't about hurt feelings—it was about survival. As selfish as it might seem to prioritize her own safety over earning extra points or matching the ambitions of others, Yuna knew one thing for certain—her survival came first.
Below them, the land continued to collapse. Cracks split the rocky surface as magma fountained upward, devouring anything in its path. Yuna watched as several unfamiliar creatures—beast-like with long legs and shimmering fur—screeched in agony, their bodies seared the moment the molten fire touched them. The land around them gave way, and they slipped into the bubbling lake of lava, their cries cut short.
The stench of burnt flesh curled through the air. The ground underfoot was unstable—soft in places, sunken in others. But Yuna was lucky. Her elemental body gave her a surprising degree of durability. She didn't panic. Carefully, she adjusted her footing and climbed higher.
The Yuna of her past life would've frozen. Would've screamed. Would've slipped into the lava.
But now?
Now she was prepared—stoic, cold, and alert. Experience had forged her. Although not entirely calm, she fare better.
Above, the surveillance drone recorded her every move. Within the academy's monitoring hall, teachers and students watched in real time.
Some student scoffed out loud.
"What a coward."
"She's not going to last long."
"Why even bother watching her when the Crown Prince is still inside?"
Indeed, most of the attention had shifted. The Crown Prince and Enyo were inside a spatially collapsed region filled with chaotic, churning water. Gravity had broken down—the water flowed in unnatural directions, up, sideways, in spirals. Yet the two of them calmly discussed their next move, strategizing with serene clarity as they sought out the catalyst.
Their performance was sharp, clean—admirable.
In contrast, Yuna and Dane were climbing over collapsing stones, seemingly just trying to survive. But Dain's calm never faltered.
"The rocks are falling faster. This area will be gone soon," he said as they finally found stable ground. "We need shelter to avoid getting hit by debris or magma spray."
Yuna nodded.
"Animals have better danger instincts than humans. The direction those beasts were fleeing toward is probably the safest zone. We'll follow their trail. If we spot more creatures, we track their movements. The exit is usually located in a zone of relative stability. Sometimes... it's hidden in the most dangerous place."
Yuna glanced at him, silent for a long moment.
He had noticed the animals, analyzed their behavior, and formed a strategy—all while hanging above molten death. She couldn't help but feel a sliver of admiration.
"…I'll listen to your plan," she said plainly.
She was no hero. No fighter. Just someone trying to live.
If her best chance of getting out of this mess was following the guy with a working brain and steady hands, then so be it.
The heat pressed down on them relentlessly. The air was dry, scorching. The temperature had to be above fifty degrees. Dehydration would come swiftly. But the greater danger wasn't thirst or heatstroke—it was the trembling ground beneath them, threatening to collapse with every step.
In this deadly world, a single misstep meant death.
And they had only just begun.
Yuna's body had always passively absorbed and circulated the natural elements around her. Ever since awakening her ability, she could control not just one element, but all natural elements—fire, water, wind, wood, and earth. While that versatility sounded enviable, there was a caveat: the elements within her needed to remain in careful balance at all times.
In the stable environments outside, that equilibrium maintained itself with ease. But here, inside the domain where fire reigned supreme, her body was absorbing fire elements in overwhelming quantities while the others barely trickled in. The internal balance began to falter, and Yuna could feel it.
A creeping discomfort settled over her. Her body was growing increasingly hot—not to the point of pain, but in a way that unnerved her. She had never tested the consequences of one element dominating the others, and now wasn't the time to experiment. She had always worked hard to maintain harmony between them.
As she fretted over the rising internal heat and carefully followed Dane's lead, another stone pillar suddenly cracked and collapsed, its fragments swallowed by the seething magma below. The number of footholds was quickly dwindling. There was no time to hesitate—even the risk of being consumed by magma wasn't enough to delay them. They had to press forward.
Due to the dominance of fire within her body, Yuna found it harder to control wind. She could still make herself lighter, but flying outright was out of the question for now.
The gaps between the remaining stone pillars were growing wider—too far to cross with a simple step. Jumping was the only option.
Dane, quick to assess the situation, located a few sturdy-looking footholds. After gauging the distance and his own leaping power, he turned to Yuna and said, "We should drink body-lightening potions. They'll make it easier to cross the gaps and reduce the impact when we land."
Yuna blinked, then answered honestly, "I don't have any. I only carry medicinal potions from the apothecary. You go ahead—I'll manage with wind element to lighten myself."
Dane paused briefly, nodded, and pulled out a potion. Enhancing it with his ability to maximize its effects, he downed it in one gulp. Then, without delay, he leapt across the gap and landed securely. Yuna strained her control over wind and followed closely behind, landing with calculated precision.
Meanwhile, the watching students back at the academy muttered in frustration as they watched the scene unfold on the projection screen.
"She could've just used her wind element to carry both of them over. Why waste a potion?"
Others nodded in agreement. From their perspective, Yuna seemed unwilling to contribute, trailing behind Dane like a helpless passenger. While Dain actively scouted ahead and tested the stability of each boulder, Yuna merely followed as if he were her personal escort.
"If the pillar collapses, he'll be the one to fall first," someone scoffed.
"I swear, I hope I never get paired with her," one student muttered under his breath.