Chapter 9: First Place

The perimeter gate of Sector 4 hummed with heavy containment energy, casting a pale blue haze over the gathered cadets. Hundreds of students stood in high-tech tactical suits, gleaming armor plates, and custom weapons, looking like a heavily funded military vanguard.

At the front stood Travis, radiating S-class confidence in bespoke composite armor. Lionel hovered beside him, adjusting a polished silver rifle while chuckling with the rest of Class A’s elite squad.

“Remember,” Travis announced, his voice carrying over the crowd, “we clear the upper ridge, secure the C-rank Dire Wolves, and lock down first place by noon. Don’t waste time on lower-grade trash.”

Suddenly, a loud, metallic CLANG-CLACK echoed from the deployment line.

The crowd parted as Phoenix strolled up, shoulder-slinging a makeshift spear crafted from a sharpened iron fence post and heavy duct tape. Trailing behind her was Toby, practically hidden beneath a massive, clanking backpack filled with improvised traps, wires, and a squeaky folding stool.

Silence blanketed the gate.

Lionel snorted, clutching his rifle. “Look at this. The outcast circus has arrived. What are you going to do with that rust bucket, Wraith? Poke the monsters to death?”

Phoenix stopped, resting the heavy iron spear on her shoulder like a casual walking stick. Her dark brown eyes swept over Class A’s shimmering, multi-million-credit gear with absolute, unbothered pity.

“It’s called resource efficiency, extra,” Phoenix drawled, offering a bright, razor-sharp smile. “While you boys are busy polishing your silver buttons, my squad is going to show you how real hunters operate.”

Travis stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. “Phoenix, this isn’t a track lap. The monsters past the barrier don’t care about your little parlor tricks. You’re putting an E-rank cadet in lethal danger just to spite me.”

“Spite you?” Phoenix laughed, a melodic, genuinely amused sound that rang across the field. “Travis, darling, you aren’t the main character in my story—you’re barely an obstacle in my morning routine. Stay out of my way, or I’ll use your shiny armor as scrap metal for Toby’s grid boosters.”

Before Travis could react, the perimeter klaxon shrieked, glowing red as the heavy blast doors hissed open.

“DEPLOYMENT COMMENCED!” the automated system blared.

While Class A marched toward the easy upper ridge in a slow, textbook formation, Phoenix grabbed Toby by his collar.

“Hold on to your glasses, kid!” she yelled.

Without waiting for the signal to clear, Phoenix sprinted straight through the gate, leaping off a three-story retaining wall and dropping directly into the dense, shadow-drenched canopy of the high-danger zone below.

Toby’s scream echoed all the way down until a distant THUD marked their landing.

Twenty minutes later, in the deep ravines near the perimeter wall, a pack of four blood-eyed, C-rank Shadow Panthers circled a glade, growling with low, gut-churning vibrations.

In standard academy tactics, a team of six S-rank Sentinels would form a defensive phalanx, request mental support from two Guides, and carefully chip away at the beasts’ armor over twenty minutes.

Phoenix didn't have twenty minutes. She had a leaderboard to conquer.

“Toby! Trap line three, now!” she barked, dropping into a low, predatory crouch behind a mossy boulder.

“Deploying!” Toby squeaked, slapping a modified shock-grid into the mud.

Phoenix didn't wait for the beasts to detect them. She launched forward like a coiled spring, using the weight of her makeshift iron spear to drive straight down into the lead panther’s shoulder. The heavy iron split the beast's hide instantly.

Before the remaining three panthers could react, Phoenix kicked off the fallen beast, flipped mid-air, and yanked a handful of sharpened cafeteria steak knives from her belt.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Each knife hit with terrifying, surgical precision, driving directly into the beasts’ eye sockets. The panthers thrashed, blinded and enraged, charging blindly into the glade—right into Toby’s electrified wire trap.

BZZZZZZZZT!

Blue lightning erupted through the clearing. The beasts collapsed in a smoking, twitching heap as the automated wrist comms chimed in unison across the entire academy grid.

[NOTIFICATION: SQUAD 'OUTCAST' HAS SLAIN 4 x C-RANK SHADOW PANTHERS.] [POINTS EARNED: 800.] [CURRENT RANKING: 1ST PLACE.]

Phoenix wiped a tiny speck of dark monster blood off her cheek with the back of her hand, resting her iron spear on her shoulder once again.

She turned to Toby, who was staring at the four massive, defeated beasts with his jaw hanging open so wide it nearly touched the mud.

“Not bad for twenty minutes,” Phoenix grinned, her dark brown eyes flashing with pure, mischievous delight. “Come on, kid. Travis is probably still trying to figure out how to unholster his rifle. Let's go steal the rest of his points.”