Chapter 30. A Test in Disguise

Succubi Chapter 30. A Test in Disguise

The sharp clap of Elise’s hands snapped me back to reality, dragging my attention away from the absolute beatdown Evelyn was delivering to Ares in the next arena.

"Alright," her voice cut through the murmurs and lingering tension from our last fight. "I know the next arena is distracting, but you need to focus on your own combat class. Got it?"

A few students shuffled, tearing their gazes away from House of Valor’s training grounds. I reluctantly did the same, though a smirk still played on my lips.

Ares was fuming. Not just because he lost—no, he had probably expected a tough fight. But the way Evelyn had toyed with him? That was a humiliation his ego wasn’t going to recover from anytime soon.

I could feel his rage from here.

"Now," Elise continued, scanning the group, "I’m sure you all learned something from that last battle."

Her gaze landed on Adrian. "And I’m especially talking about you."

Adrian, who was still catching his breath, let out a weak chuckle. "Uh… yeah. I may have overestimated how much we could handle."

Elise crossed her arms, her expression stern. "You need to know your limits. Pushing them is good, but recklessly exceeding them is dangerous. You took ten opponents thinking it would be a good test of skill, but if Evan hadn’t stepped in, you would have been taken out halfway through the fight."

Adrian sighed. "Noted."

"Good." She turned her gaze toward me. "And Evan."

I straightened, already expecting what was coming. "You adapted well to the situation, but you still relied too much on brute force at the end."

I frowned slightly. "Brute force?"

She nodded. "Your Death Wave wiped out everything in its range, but what if it hadn’t? What if the enemies were resistant to necrotic energy? You might have drained your energy on a gamble."

I inhaled deeply. "So, I should have played it smarter."

Elise smirked. "Exactly."

I exhaled. She wasn’t wrong. I had reacted emotionally when I saw Adrian in danger. My instinct was to end the fight immediately, which worked—but it could have easily backfired.

"Remember," Elise continued, addressing the class as a whole, "we push our limits to grow, but we also learn our limits so we don’t break. Keep that in mind for future fights."

A few students nodded, taking mental notes.

Then, with a sharp motion of her hand, she gestured toward the training grounds.

"Alright, combat class continues! I will assess your fighting style, your stamina, and your strategic ability. Step forward when your name is called."

One by one, students stepped forward.

Each time, Elise gave custom challenges based on their skillsets. A lightning caster had to fight a group of resistant targets. An illusionist had to maintain concentration while dodging physical attacks.

It was smart. She was evaluating their combat instincts, not just their power.

I was half-listening, keeping track of how everyone performed.

But honestly?

I was also peeking at the next arena.

Like me, some Arcana students were sneaking glances at the Valor battle. Even though our classes were separate, it was clear that everyone wanted to see how the "Strongest First-Year in Valor" was handling his loss.

Ares was standing stiffly, his arms crossed, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like he was about to explode.

His frustration was palpable, barely restrained.

Evelyn, on the other hand?

She looked completely unbothered. She didn’t gloat. She didn’t tease him. She just acted like she had done nothing special.

Which, honestly, made it even worse for him.

I grinned. ‘That must sting.’

Adrian, who had recovered enough to follow my gaze, leaned in slightly. "So, what do you think? Is Ares going to demand a rematch?"

I smirked. "Oh, no doubt. But I bet Evelyn won’t give him the same fight twice."

Adrian chuckled. "She fights differently every time, doesn’t she?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "She fights based on what annoys her opponent the most."

As we spoke, I noticed something.

Ares had turned away from the instructor evaluating him, and his gaze swept across the arena—until it landed on me.

His eyes locked onto mine.

I froze.

For a second, it was just pure silence between us.

Then— His expression twisted into something between a snarl and a smirk.

Not anger. Not frustration.

Something else.

‘Oh. He’s targeting me now.’

I felt my grin widen. ‘Good.’

Beside me, Adrian shifted uncomfortably. “…Uh. Why is he looking at you like he’s about to declare a blood feud?”

I chuckled. “Because he’s got a grudge against me.”

Adrian blinked. “Already? Dude, we’ve only been here a day.”

I shrugged, crossing my arms. “I kicked his ass yesterday. It was so funny."

Adrian let out a low whistle. “Damn. And you lived to tell the tale?”

“Yup.” I smirked. “Oh, he wanted to kill me, no doubt. But nope. Didn’t happen.”

Adrian shook his head. “You’re collecting haters way too fast.”

“Tell me about it.” I exhaled. “That’s why I didn’t pick House of Valor. No way in hell am I dealing with him every single day.”

Adrian chuckled. “Smart move.”

Yeah. Very smart move.

Or so I thought—until I noticed something.

A sharp shift in the air.

Cold. Thin. Deadly.

It was so subtle that most people wouldn’t have noticed.

But my instincts screamed. A flash of silver glinted in my peripheral vision— Not aimed at me. At Adrian.

I moved before I even thought. My hand snapped forward, grabbing Adrian by the back of his coat, and in one sharp yank, I pulled him backward— Just as a volley of ice needles tore through the air, stabbing into the seat where he had been sitting.

-          THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.

Thin shards of frost-coated magic quivered in the wood, still buzzing with residual mana.

For a second, everything stilled.

“SORRY!”

A flustered voice called out from the arena, and I turned to see a female student, eyes wide, holding up her hands apologetically.

“I didn’t mean to—uh—! It wasn’t supposed to—”

She trailed off awkwardly.

Adrian, still processing the fact that he almost got turned into a pincushion, slowly turned to me.

“…Okay,” he breathed, adjusting his coat. “What the hell just happened?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You almost got stabbed?”

“No, no—I know that part.” He ran a hand through his hair, his heart rate still racing. “But how did you even see that coming?”

I shrugged. “Felt it.”

Adrian squinted at me. “Felt it?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Like—the air changed.”

Adrian exhaled, rubbing his face. “You are an anomaly.”

I smirked. “You’re welcome.”

Before Adrian could respond, a soft chuckle echoed behind us.

My head snapped toward Elise. She was standing not far from us, arms crossed, watching the whole thing. She wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t concerned.

No.

She was amused.

And in her hands?

A clipboard.

I glanced at it. She was taking notes.

‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.’

I squinted. “You let that happen, didn’t you?”

Elise smiled innocently. “Hmm? Whatever do you mean?”

I gestured at the ice spikes still stuck in the chair.

She simply tilted her head.

“Oh, I could have stopped that easily,” she admitted, not even trying to deny it. “But then how would I have assessed your reaction speed?”

I blinked.

Adrian stared at her. “Wait—you—what?”

Elise just jotted something down on her list. “Quick reflexes. Instinct-based awareness. Tactical decision-making under stress.”

She glanced up, eyes twinkling. “Good work, Evan.”

I groaned. “You set me up.”

She grinned. “You figured it out fast, though.”

Adrian threw his hands up. “Great! I almost got impaled!”

Elise nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, and that also tells me something useful.”

Adrian frowned. “And that is?”

She tapped her pen against the clipboard. “That you need better situational awareness. This is combat class.”

Adrian blinked. “…Oh.”

“Exactly.” Elise smiled. “Good thing you have Evan to yank you out of danger.”

I rolled my eyes. Before I could respond, the instructor turned away, already moving on to assess other students.

But not before I caught a glimpse of what she had written.

Evan: Exceptional response time. Heightened awareness. Hybrid combat potential high. Close monitoring required.

‘Oh, yeah.’ She was definitely going to keep an eye on me.

I sighed. “Great. Another thing to deal with.”

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