Chapter 192: The Day After

The evaluation ended before noon.

Yet the training grounds remained crowded.

Students gathered around the large display above the arena, waiting for the final rankings.

Noah stood with Squad Seven near the edge of the field.

Eric kept looking at the display.

"They’re taking too long."

Sophia folded her arms.

"It’s been thirty seconds."

"Exactly. Too long."

Luna laughed.

Damien shook his head.

"You’re more nervous about this than you were during the evaluation."

"I wasn’t nervous."

"You were."

"I was focused."

"Whatever helps you sleep."

Noah smiled.

The display finally changed.

A list of squad numbers appeared.

FRESHMAN EVALUATION RESULTS

The rankings began appearing one after another.

10th: Squad Nine

A few students groaned.

9th: Squad Eight

More reactions followed.

The rankings continued.

Squad Seven waited.

Noah wasn’t particularly concerned about their position.

They had fought well.

More importantly, nobody had abandoned anyone when things became difficult.

That mattered more to him than a number.

The display changed again.

4th: Squad Four

Eric leaned forward.

"Top three."

Noah glanced at him.

"You really care about this."

"Of course I care."

3rd: Squad Three

The students erupted.

Squad Three celebrated among themselves.

Only two positions remained.

Eric’s eyes widened.

"No way."

Laura looked at the display.

2nd: Squad Seven

For a moment, the group was silent.

Luna blinked.

"Second?"

Damien smiled.

"That’s pretty good."

Sophia nodded.

"We’ll take it."

Eric stared at Noah.

"We were second."

Noah shrugged.

"Apparently."

"Apparently?"

"We didn’t win."

Eric grabbed his shoulders.

"We were second!"

Noah laughed.

"Yes, Eric. I can see the number."

The final result appeared.

1st: Squad One

Noah’s eyes moved toward the other side of the field.

Maria Billu and the members of Squad One stood together.

Maria looked genuinely surprised.

Zelen appeared pleased.

Zane simply smiled.

Torino gave a small nod.

Eric looked toward them.

"So that’s the squad we need to beat."

Noah nodded.

"Looks like it."

Maria noticed them looking.

She raised a hand.

"Good match!"

Eric waved back.

Noah smiled.

"You too."

Professor Astrid stepped forward.

"These rankings are not permanent."

The conversations gradually died down.

"Some of you will improve faster than others. Some of you will discover abilities you didn’t know you possessed. Some will fall behind and have to work harder."

Her gaze moved across the students.

"Do not become attached to your position."

The display vanished.

"Valhalla does not care where you started."

The students listened.

"It cares where you end up."

Noah looked at the empty space where the rankings had been.

There was something strangely motivating about that.

He had started as an F-Rank.

He had been mocked.

Underestimated.

Written off.

Yet he was standing here.

Second place wasn’t bad.

But it wasn’t enough.

Not for him.

Not anymore.

Eric nudged him.

"Training tomorrow?"

Noah looked at him.

"Definitely."

Laura closed her book.

"I suppose I’ll have to join."

Sophia sighed.

"Looks like we’re all training."

Damien nodded.

Luna smiled.

"Squad Seven is getting stronger."

Noah looked at them.

The academy stretched beyond the training grounds, filled with hundreds of students and countless possibilities.

For the first time, he wasn’t thinking about surviving the next battle.

He was thinking about becoming stronger before it ever arrived.

And somewhere beneath that thought, the Dead Zone remained silent.

Watching.

Waiting.

But for once, Noah didn’t feel the need to ask why.

Today, he was simply a student of Valhalla Academy.

And tomorrow, the real work would begin.

The morning after the evaluation felt different.

Not because anything had changed.

Because everyone suddenly had something to prove.

The training grounds were already crowded before the first bell.

Students from the freshman squads had begun training earlier than usual, determined to improve their positions.

Noah watched from the edge of the field.

"Everyone’s suddenly motivated."

Eric stood beside him, stretching his arms.

"Second place will do that."

Noah glanced at him.

"You’ve mentioned second place twelve times."

"Thirteen."

"That’s worse."

Eric grinned.

Squad Seven had agreed to train together again.

Not because Professor Astrid had ordered them to.

Because they wanted to.

Laura arrived carrying her usual book.

Sophia followed shortly afterward.

Damien and Luna joined them.

Noah looked across the field.

Squad One was already there.

Maria was sparring with Zelen while Zane observed their movements.

Torino stood nearby, occasionally offering advice.

They noticed Squad Seven.

Maria smiled.

"Morning!"

Eric raised his hand.

"Morning!"

Noah nodded.

The rivalry between the two squads was still new.

It wasn’t hostile.

Not yet, anyway.

It was simply a reason to improve.

Noah stepped into the training area.

"Let’s start with individual exercises."

Eric immediately raised his sword.

"Finally."

Sophia sighed.

"You’re too excited about this."

"What’s wrong with wanting to improve?"

"Nothing."

"Exactly."

They began.

Noah focused on movement.

His body still carried remnants of the exhaustion from Hrafnvier, but his stamina was slowly returning.

He moved through a series of sword forms.

One.

Two.

Three.

Each movement became smoother.

His breathing stabilized.

His grip tightened.

For several minutes, everything felt normal.

Then the familiar sensation appeared.

A faint pressure behind his consciousness.

Noah paused.

You’re pushing too hard.

Dead Zone.

Noah lowered his sword slightly.

I’m fine.

You aren’t.

Noah frowned.

The Dead Zone’s voice sounded different.

Not threatening.

Not sarcastic.

Concerned.

Your body hasn’t recovered.

Noah looked at his hand.

His fingers trembled slightly.

He hadn’t noticed.

I can handle it.

That’s what you always say.

Noah went quiet.

He hated when Dead Zone made sense.

"Everything okay?"

Laura’s voice brought him back.

Noah looked toward her.

"Yeah."

She studied him for a moment.

"You stopped."

"Just thinking."

Laura nodded.

She didn’t question him.

Instead, she stepped closer.

"Don’t destroy yourself trying to catch up."

Noah smiled faintly.

"That’s becoming a popular opinion."

"Maybe because you’re making it obvious."

Before Noah could respond, the academy bell rang.

Classes.

Everyone began gathering their equipment.

Eric walked past Noah.

"Come on."

Noah followed.

As they crossed the courtyard, he noticed something.

The academy felt more alive than before.

Students were forming friendships.

Rivalries were beginning.

Training groups were expanding.

Squads that had barely spoken days ago were now exchanging names.

Valhalla wasn’t simply a place where powerful students were trained.

It was a community.

A huge one.

And Noah was slowly becoming part of it.

They entered the main building.

A notice had been posted beside the classroom doors.

FRESHMAN COMBAT PAIRING PROGRAM

Noah stopped.

Eric read it aloud.

"Students will be assigned temporary training partners from different squads."

He smiled.

"Interesting."

Noah looked at the list.

"Looks like they’re trying to make us train with people outside our squads."

Laura glanced at the announcement.

"Probably to prevent squads from becoming too dependent on one another."

Sophia nodded.

"That makes sense."

Noah looked down the corridor.

Somewhere among the hundreds of students at Valhalla were people he hadn’t met yet.

Friends.

Rivals.

Maybe even enemies.

For now, they were simply students.

And Noah had a feeling the academy was about to become much more interesting.