Chapter 27: Wounds and Worth
The dust settled.
Cheers broke out across the battlefield. The monstrous Bugbear lay motionless, the shattered gem on its chest gleaming with fragments of light.
"We did it!" one student shouted.
"It's over!"
Tears of relief and joy filled the air. The archer squad hugged one another. The casters slumped to the ground, exhausted but triumphant. For the first time, the cursed zone no longer felt suffocating—it felt like a battlefield they had conquered.
Lux turned, scanning the area.
"Wait... where's Synoh?"
That's when they saw him—crumpled against the wall, unmoving.
"Synoh!" Lux and Yuta rushed over.
Blood pooled beneath him, his breathing shallow, his chest rising with pain.
"A few… broken ribs," Synoh muttered, eyes half-closed. "But we won, right?"
"You idiot," Yuta choked out, kneeling beside him.
Lux clenched his jaw, lifting Synoh carefully. "You held back that monster with your body."
Synoh managed a small, cracked smile. "That's what a leader does…"
Even as the healers surrounded him, he raised a trembling hand and spoke clearly, "Celebrate this win. Not just for us… but for Marcus and the others who didn't make it."
His words rang through the canyon, and silence followed—then quiet nods of respect. A small fire was lit. They placed old insignias of the fallen beside it.
Yuta stared at the monster's corpse. "Damn... I wanted to tame it," he muttered. "But it's completely dead."
He sighed, surveying his remaining summoned goblins—only a few left. "Guess I need to start capturing stronger beasts soon."
Their journey back to the kingdom was long. Healers kept busy tending to Synoh and the others injured. Lux, Yuta, Edward, and even Mina took turns leading the formation, guarding them from any surprise attacks.
Lux carried the cracked gem, wrapped carefully in cloth.
---
Back at the Academy
The instructors gathered around the artifact, silent as they examined it.
One instructor's voice trembled:
"This gem… it amplifies monster strength fivefold. No wonder that Bugbear was so deadly."
Another added, "They coordinated. They adapted. They executed tactics beyond their level. This is no longer just a class..."
Irina stepped forward, eyes locked on the cracked stone.
"They are the Second Golden Generation."
The others nodded.
"Give them a week of rest," one instructor said. "They've earned it."
"But…" another stood. "Let's not end it yet. The people of the kingdom must witness this generation with their own eyes. Let the world see what they are becoming."
There was a pause—then agreement across the room.
"The final exam will be public."