Chapter 57: 57. World academy trials – 3

A massive crowd of candidates from countless races stood within a colossal arena that stretched so wide Will could not immediately see its boundaries.

The sheer scale of the structure made his breath catch for a moment. Tier upon tier of stone seating rose into the sky, carved with an architectural precision that reminded him strongly of ancient Rome from his previous life.

Wide arches, layered colonnades, and towering spires surrounded the arena, each surface etched with old runes that pulsed faintly with suppressed power.

The ground beneath his feet was smooth obsidian stone, reinforced by formation arrays so complex that he could not sense their depth.

Will stood among the sea of bodies, his posture was relaxed but his senses were alert. Around him were beings of every race.

Towering titans whose shadows alone covered dozens of people.

Slender elves with calm expressions. Dwarves with their sneers.

Beast folk with twitching ears and tails that betrayed nervous anticipation.

Vampires looking bloodthirsty, phoenix kin radiating heat, and even a few dragon kin whose mere presence made those around them nervous.

It felt less like an entrance exam and more like the gathering point before a continental war.

After verifying the token Tamasya had given him, Will had been allowed direct entry into the arena.

He was fully aware that this was not the case for most of the candidates present. The majority standing here had clawed their way through multiple stages of brutal selection.

There had been theoretical examinations designed to eliminate those lacking foundational knowledge.

Aptitude tests, Talent evaluations that exposed hidden potential or confirmed mediocrity.

Many of those standing here had bled, broken bones, and sacrificed years of preparation just to reach this stage.

And yet, a very small portion of them had entered through recommendations.

Will knew the number clearly.

At most, a hundred candidates or a bit fewer, had arrived here directly through recommendation letters issued by the top 100 alumni of the World Academy.

These alumni were monsters in their own right. Each one was a figure capable of influencing nations, wars, and political balances.

Will did not know Tamasya’s exact standing among them.

But he knew enough.

She was somewhere within the top twenty honored ranks.

Those rankings were never revealed to the public. The World Academy deliberately concealed them to prevent chaos.

Publishing such information could destabilize entire empires overnight. Alliances would shift. Assassinations would be planned. Wars would be sparked simply because someone ranked above another.

The academy did not want such unnecessary disturbances.

Will slowly scanned the crowd, his eyes moved calmly as he searched for a familiar presence.

However, he could not find it.

The arena was simply too large, and the number of candidates too overwhelming. Thousands of individuals packed together could easily form a small city if given land and time.

Naturally in such a crowded place disagreements happened but before anyone could showcase their auras, they were quickly suppressed by academy enforcement formations.

Despite the presence of recommended students, no special treatment had been given to them.

Everyone stood together.

No elevated platforms, no preferential seating and no separation from the common crowd.

The World Academy enforced equality within its domain with absolute authority.

Here, the sons and daughters of emperors stood shoulder to shoulder with commoners.

Bloodlines carried no weight unless proven through ability. Titles meant nothing unless backed by strength.

The academy’s professors feared no one.

They did not need to.

Any single one of them was powerful enough to overturn empires if provoked.

Will found this deeply reassuring.

His gaze shifted toward the empty central stage at the heart of the arena. It was vast, circular, and reinforced by layers of spatial formations.

He knew someone would soon appear there to announce the rules of the entrance trial.

He already knew the nature of the trial.

A forest filled with monsters.

But knowing something and witnessing its official declaration were two very different experiences.

While waiting, Will allowed his attention to wander. He examined the academy’s grand spires rising beyond the arena walls, their designs almost perfectly matching the descriptions he remembered from the novel.

The scale, however, far exceeded anything the text had conveyed. Seeing it with his own eyes made him realize how limited written descriptions truly were.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.

The murmurs died down almost instantly, as though someone had placed a heavy hand over the crowd itself.

Will raised his head looking towards the figure that had appeared.

the figure of a professor had appeared on the main stage.

He wore robes of black and gold, the standard attire of World Academy professors.

The fabric shimmered faintly, layered with defensive enchantments and authority seals. The humanoid man stood tall, his posture rigid and formal.

He was Phoenix kin.

Currently in humanoid form, but unmistakable nonetheless. Heat radiated subtly from his body, distorting the air around him.

His eyes burned with arrogance, a trait common among phoenixes. Like dragons, they were creatures of immense pride, and clashes between the two races were frequent, each constantly seeking to prove superiority.

The man cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Attention, please.”

His voice was dull, serious, and completely devoid of warmth. Mana amplified it effortlessly, ensuring every candidate heard him clearly regardless of distance.

“This year’s entrance academy is a bit special,” he continued, his tone unchanging. “The number of students who have qualified the exam has exceeded ten thousand, unlike last time.”

A ripple passed through the crowd. Shock, excitement, and fear mixed together.

“But rest assured,” the professor said coldly, “the World Academy will only admit the top 500 brightest stars. The rest can compromise somewhere else.”

The words struck like a hammer.

Quite literally.

Several candidates turned pale. A few weaker ones spat mouthfuls of blood as their mental fortitude cracked under the pressure of his words.

There was no encouragement, No attempt to motivate, No speeches about honor or glory.

Only blunt dismissal .

The professor looked almost bored.

“Any more questions before I leave?”

The arena erupted.

“HUH???”

Confusion spread rapidly. He had not explained the trial at all.

Minutes passed as the crowd hesitated, unsure whether speaking out would be punished.

Finally, a massive young titan raised his hand. His body towered over those around him, muscles tense as he gathered courage.

The phoenix professor gestured lazily. “Speak.”

“Umm… Professor,” the titan said carefully, “can you tell us something about the trial?”

The professor blinked, then chuckled faintly.

“Oh. My bad. I forgot.”

At that moment, the crowd realized something important.

This man did not care.

He had been forced into this role.

“You will be dropped into a forest inside the academy,” he said casually. “The forest contains monsters ranging from F rank to SSS rank.”

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the arena.

“The domain is special,” he continued. “If you die, you will be revived outside the forest. However, you will be immediately disqualified.”

Silence followed.

“Since the highest recorded rank among your peers is A rank,” he added, “an adjustment has been made. Monsters above A rank will not initiate attacks unless provoked.”

A transparent screen appeared before every candidate, listing point values.

“F rank monsters are worth one point,” the professor explained. “Each rank increase multiplies points by five. E rank monsters are worth five points. D rank, twenty-five. C rank, one hundred twenty-five. B rank, six hundred twenty-five. And so on.”

Murmurs erupted again as the big screen behind them showed a points table

F –> 1

E –> 5

D–> 25

C –> 125

B —> 625

A —> 3125

S —> 15625

SS –> 78125

SSS –> 390625

“Special weapons are not allowed,” he said flatly. “Standard weapons will be issued at the start of the trial.”

“Points will be tracked by the domain itself. No manual intervention. No complaints afterward.”

“No potions or special artifacts are allowed. Professors will be observing at all times. Violators will be disqualified immediately.”

“The trial will last one day”

He paused.

“Any more questions?”

A vampire candidate raised his hand.

“Sir,” the vampire asked calmly, “are we allowed to kill each other?”

The phoenix professor raised an eyebrow.

“At the World Academy,” he replied coldly, “we believe betrayal is the gravest sin.”

“If you kill a candidate, or even show intent to do so, you will be disqualified.”

The vampire did not back down.

“What if another person starts stealing your kill?”

The professor’s gaze sharpened.

“Then,” he said evenly, “you have to kill your target before them.”

The arena fell silent once more.

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