"What!? A tie!? No... this can't be... it's absolutely impossible!"

Time was up, but the displayed result showed a tie. Deya couldn't accept this outcome.

Ouyang Tao's protective barrier had shattered into fragments. Under that explosive force, he shouldn't have survived on the field without his shield.

Besides, where was he? The arena held only Deya and piles of rubble.

Not just Deya—even the students and professors in the stands were baffled. If Ouyang Tao was still here, where was he?

Amidst the confusion, a loud clang echoed. Something invisible hit the ground. Then, as the optical camouflage faded, Ouyang Tao's figure appeared.

The boy was covered in dust and grime, bloodstains soaking his clothes. He slowly crawled from the half-destroyed Phantom Mech—he'd performed emergency repairs on the downed unit and hidden inside to dodge Deya's final strike.

After staggering a few steps, Ouyang Tao's legs buckled. He collapsed onto his back, chest heaving violently.

"Heh... hah... huh... huff... huff..." Exhausted, his mouth hung open—impossible to tell if he laughed or gasped. Yet he raised his right hand, giving a V-sign toward Lu Yun. A victory declaration.

The students forgot Ouyang Tao's commoner status. They clapped instinctively. Some even cheered.

Lu Yun couldn't hide his smile. He noticed the amulet on Ouyang Tao's chest was dark—he'd truly fought with his back against the wall, teleportation disabled.

For Deya, this was the cruelest blow. She stood frozen. Her own trump card had forced this tie. What bitter irony!

Medical staff rushed in with a stretcher, but Ouyang Tao refused. He struggled upright. Two officials brought score sheets for signatures—these counted toward final grades.

Ouyang Tao scanned his sheet: A-. His tactics were too simplistic; he'd wasted materials and mana. Still, he was satisfied. He signed briskly.

Deya stared at her C+. This score was a disgrace.

"Damn it, remember this!" She glared at Ouyang Tao's back, then gritted her teeth and signed.

Competitors exited. The Magic Array activated, resetting the arena for the next match.

Insisting he was fine, Ouyang Tao returned to the stands with medical support. "Professor Lu... I... I..."

"You did brilliantly. Rest now. Don't speak."

"Mm..." Ouyang Tao nodded, then slumped into his seat. Staff gave him a sports drink. After confirming minor injuries, they left.

Students began chattering.

Deya sat silently in a corner. Noble poise held firm—despite inner fury, her expression barely flickered. She had two more scoring matches soon. She needed to reset fast.

Lu Yun sat beside Ouyang Tao. This match had clarified the student's strengths and weaknesses. A tailored curriculum formed in his mind.

But first, a question. "Ouyang Tao, that light orb in your left hand—what was its purpose?"

"Oh, that? It controls all my construction and manipulation magic. And..." He paused, gulping sports drink. "I used it as a radar earlier."

"It has that function?" Lu Yun had planned to warn against unnecessary movements. Now he reconsidered.

"Yeah. I merged multiple control spells. Excess mana always leaked out. At first, I tried minimizing waste. Then I realized—I could sense echoes to detect surroundings without sight. Tweaked it. That's how I spotted those invisible units."

"I see..." But Lu Yun's real curiosity was the repair. "How did you fix the Phantom Mech so fast?"

"I just fixed it."

"You just fixed it?" Even Lu Yun was stunned.

He knew Deya's mechs well. All were heavily personalized—packed with details only she could decode. Her optical camouflage was a signature secret. Plus, she installed self-destructs on critical parts. No student or professor had ever cracked her tech.

Yet Ouyang Tao did it in seconds.

This was rare talent.

"Well, a few key tricks, mainly—" Ouyang Tao started.

Lu Yun cut him off with a gesture. "Some things, keep them to yourself." He nodded toward the watching students.

Ouyang Tao understood. He fell silent.

Lu Yun felt excitement. With guidance, this boy could become a top Mechanical Mage.

But weaknesses were clear. Lu Yun lowered his voice. "You fought well today. But next time, luck won't save you. Three flaws."

"Tell me."

"First: Magic Stones. You barely used any. Deya powers all her mechs with them to conserve mana."

True—Ouyang Tao hadn't touched a Magic Stone. "I rarely handle them. I'll study this."

"Second: Standard mech knowledge. Hit the Arcane Library for basics."

Ouyang Tao nodded. "I will."

"Third: Combat fundamentals. You need drills."

"Yes. I felt it." Building Deya's mechs would take him triple the time.

"Then we'll structure your courses around these. I'll set projects and a schedule. You complete them your way. Agreed?"

"Thank you, Professor Lu."

His path was clear. Ouyang Tao felt relief.

Unknowingly, he'd accepted combat as his reality.