Yang resumed speaking, his stone-covered arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed the sea of students before him. "For some, this is already known, but let me clarify for our misinformed novices: while victory brings glory and rewards, what we evaluate is your progress, your adaptability, your growth as tamers. A spectacular defeat can be more valuable than an easy victory." His eyes seemed to rest briefly on Ren, though it might have been imagination. The weight of that glance carried unspoken expectations. "For those who fail to advance in the main tournament," added Lin, stepping forward with feline grace, "there exists the Obstacle Trial. A specially designed challenge that allows even the eliminated to demonstrate their development." Director Ignatius reclaimed the center of the stage, his phoenix's golden-red aura briefly intensifying around him to also reclaim the attention. "The schedules are now posted. The first trials begin in one hour. Prepare yourselves." The crowd surged forward as the professors retreated, eager students rushing to learn their assignments. The sound of hundreds of feet created a thunderous backdrop as almost all students jostled for position. Ren and his friends hung back, knowing the tumult would subside shortly. "Look at those," Liu pointed toward a group of older students. "Some second years and above already know that the true value of Battle Week isn't just winning and passing the year." Ren followed his gaze. The older students were gathered in small circles, some demonstrating techniques with their beasts, others discussing strategy in low tones. "It's the only time multiple years mix freely," Liu explained, his eyes bright with appreciation. "Sometimes you can learn more by watching an eighth-year student with your same type of beast than from a complete semester of battle classes." "Speaking of which," interrupted Taro, straightening suddenly, "isn't that Zhou Liwei? The one with the Silver Steator Vulture." Everyone turned to see a tall, slender seventh-year student surrounded by admirers. His skin had a subtle gray tinge. "The echo prodigy," Liu confirmed, his voice dropping with reverence. "Rumor has it he already has offers to join the royal guard after graduation." "Looks like you're quite interested in his fighting style," Min observed, nudging Liu with his elbow. "He has a different beast than me, but… I have to see him fight," Liu whispered, nodding eagerly. "They say he can direct strong sound vibrations to strike any point around him without even moving from his spot." The crowd at the board had diminished enough for them to approach. They scanned the lists, searching for their names among the organized chaos of schedules and brackets. "There!" Min pointed excitedly, his finger tapping a section of the board. "Bronze Beast Challenge, Team Eight: Min, Taro, and Ren." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎 "We're not the first," Taro sighed with evident relief. "Who opens?" asked Min, stretching his neck to see better. Liu pointed toward the top of the list. "Ron Blackfire's team." 'The salamander boy from the invocation ceremony?' Ren remembered the event, the smile on the boy's face when his red egg had produced a respectable fire creature. Ren remained silent, studying the other brackets with methodical precision. His mushrooms pulsed at a steady rhythm as he absorbed the information. Team One of Group B consisted of Roran, Mira, and Trent. Team Five had Klein, Astor, and Feng. His gaze shifted to the Individual Tournament bracket. His first match would be against the same student he had recognized from Group A... Ron, likely with his beast still at iron rank. If he won that, he would face the winner between Hector and Cass. The board also displayed the team pairings for the sixteen first-year teams. Ren, after a quick glance, noticed that his group would face the challenge in sixth place, right after Klein's team and before Luna's. "Interesting pairings," he murmured, his mind already calculating probabilities and strategies. ♢♢♢♢ "That's Ron's team?" Min asked, pointing toward three students entering the preparation area. "Must be, since they're going first," Liu nodded. "He's in the other section, Group A, which is why you don't have classes with him, but he's a first-year just like you." First-year students were beginning to fill the stands around the arena dedicated to their final exam. "We'd better find a spot," suggested Taro, already moving toward the seating area. "I want a good view of how the monster behaves." As they approached, Ren noticed the final preparations in the arena. Specialized professors with wood-element beasts traced complex patterns on the ground, creating anchors for a root system that would remain hidden underground until needed. Others installed parasitic plants or insects in the beasts' bodies to be able to stop them instantly if necessary, a small green larvae being carefully "fed" to the stone creature. Security methods perfected through decades of academic combat. Ron Blackfire walked with the confidence of someone who has been admired all his life. His partially manifested crimson salamander gave his skin a scarlet glow, while small flames occasionally leapt between his fingers when he gestured, explaining something to his teammates. Beside him walked a girl with reddish hair, tamer of a red eagle manifested in her body. The same beast as Cass, a popular creature among noble girls of low and medium rank. The third member, a stocky boy with earth markings on his arms, completed the team. His beast, a digger mole, was visible as a pattern running across his skin and big claws. "A well-balanced team for the confrontation," commented Ren, analyzing the combination. "Ranged attacker, aerial support, and an underground attacker." "And Ron seems pretty confident of his victory," noted Liu, observing the salamander tamer's grandiose gestures and theatrical posturing. In the center of the arena, an enormous creature waited, contained by invisible barriers. The Big Stone Lurker, an evolution of the common stone Lurker, measured approximately three meters in height and slightly more in width. Its rocky body presented a texture similar to stone that could only be eroded by the passage of centuries. At first glance, it appeared to be an immobile mound, almost a natural formation, until one noticed its small eyes or the strange extremities at its base, short but surprisingly powerful. And on its front, a fissure that occasionally opened, revealing a jaw capable of crushing rock. ♢♢♢♢ Beyond the academy walls, the city itself transformed in response to this 'Battle Week'. In the markets, apothecaries and herb vendors were already experiencing their seasonal boom. Healing herb prices had doubled overnight, and several stalls displayed "Sold Out" signs before noon. The economic ripples extended to the city limits, where small healing practices that struggled during normal times suddenly found themselves flooded with orders. Independent healers who normally couldn't compete with the central medical corps received temporary contracts, their services in high demand as all schools in the city simultaneously conducted their battle exams. For those living in the outer city, Battle Week represented a unique opportunity. Gatherers who ventured into Iron and Bronze territories returned with bags full of medicinal plants, selling them at premium prices to desperate buyers. The poorest districts buzzed with unusual activity, temporary prosperity flowing through streets typically forgotten by the wealthy. Tamers with low-rank healing beasts, normally overlooked for their lack of potential, found themselves courted by various job opportunities. Those who would struggle to find employment during regular seasons could earn enough crystals during this single week to support themselves for months. Battle Week transformed not just the academy but the entire city's ecosystem, a reminder of how deeply the tamer system was woven into the fabric of society. Triumph and tragedy, victory and injury, all flowed together in a cycle as old as the city itself. And at the center of it all, young tamers prepared to prove their worth in the crucible of combat.