บท 489: Scythe's Manipulation

The timer hit zero with a sharp chime, and the golden screen that had hovered above the colosseum vanished in a ripple of magic. Ren's voice rang out, steady and commanding.

"Time is up! All trades are final."

The crowd of examinees shuffled nervously, some clutching their tokens with relief while others stared at their hands in despair.

"Those who have passed, stand to my right," Ren continued, gesturing to one side of the colosseum. "Those who have not, to my left."

The movement was almost immediate. Over a hundred examinees moved to Ren's right, their steps brimming with cautious pride. The rest, fewer in number, trudged to the left with the weight of uncertainty on their shoulders.

From his position in the middle of the crowd, the scythe boy stood still for a moment longer than the others. He took a slow breath, his sharp eyes gleaming with calculation. Then, with deliberate slowness, he stepped to the left, joining the failure examinees.