Chapter 32: The Test

The grand auditorium of Zenith Academy, shaped like a colossal amphitheater, echoed with the whispers and murmurs of a million eager candidates.

The high-tech lighting glimmered above, casting a silvery glow over the crowd. A grand holographic screen hovered behind the central stage, pulsating softly as Headmaster Aldric stood tall, mid-speech, his presence commanding every soul’s attention.

Then, the doors creaked open with a deep, resonant groan.

BOOM.

A dramatic gust of wind swept through the entrance, silencing the entire hall.

And alex walked in.

Every head turned.

There stood a guy with silver hair blue eyes and a handsome face.

His silver-white hair shimmered under the glowing lights, each strand catching the luminescence like threads of moonlight.

His deep cerulean blue eyes gleamed with intelligence and an edge of mischief, holding the calm of a tranquil sea and the storm of a rising tide. His chiseled features seemed sculpted from marble, a perfect harmony of elegance and strength.

The black coat trimmed with silver embroidery he wore flared slightly as he moved, and each step he took was as if the air bent around him, acknowledging the power he radiated.

Girls started starring at him.

“…wow, he looks like a prince charming,” one girl muttered.

Another said “Is he glowing?”

Alden, seated among the elite candidates, clenched his teeth, trying not to laugh. His shoulders shook slightly. “This idiot… really made a grand entrance like it’s his wedding day.”

Whispers spread like wildfire.

“Who is that guy?”

“Is he some noble prince?”

Girls cried “That aura… he looks like a bad boy he’s not just handsome, he’s deadly too!”

All eyes turned toward Headmaster Aldric, who had paused mid-sentence.

A deadly silence loomed.

“Candidate Dragonheart… you’re late.”

Alex flinched slightly. “I… uh… got lost.”

Everyone strated laughing.

Alex sighed with embarrassment ‘There goes my plan for making first impression on the main characters. good job alex everything is the fault of that damn lion statue why was it so badass looking. ‘

Aldric’s sharp gaze didn’t waver. “Find your seat.”

Alex nodded rapidly and power-walked to his assigned place, muttering, “Sir, yes sir!” under his breath, nearly tripping over a stair.

A few chuckles echoed. Alden coughed loudly, definitely not laughing.

The tension dissolved.

Aldric turned back to the audience.

“As I was saying before the… entrance,” his tone laced with amusement, “You all have gathered here today thinking yourselves as geniuses, the best of the best.”

The auditorium went silent again.

“But let me remind you. You are not special. Not yet. Out there, in the vast lands beyond Avaloria, there are millions—millions—of talents far stronger, faster, and more experienced than any of you.”

He paced across the stage.

“You cannot fight the forces of the Abyss with dreams and hope. You will not survive the wrath of demons with only ego and talent. Here, we do not raise princes or princesses. We forge warriors.”

The crowd straightened in their seats.

“Every year, one million apply to Zenith Academy. Only two thousand are selected. Two thousand. That’s a 0.2% success rate. And even among them, only the top ten will receive the best treatment.”

Gasps erupted.

“Rank one, the Apex of this batch, will lead the first years. The strongest of you will not be given power, you will earn it.”

The hall was ablaze with fired-up energy.

Even the shyest candidates clenched their fists, determination lighting up in their eyes.

Alex leaned back in his seat and whispered, “Wow, this old man is on fire.”

Alden snorted.

Aldric stepped down from the stage. “Prepare yourselves. The entrance exam begins soon. My staff will explain the rest you.”

The doors opened, and walking with elegance and power came a woman with long raven-black hair, tied neatly in a high ponytail. She wore a sleek battle suit with gold linings, her violet eyes radiating intelligence. Her poise was perfect, her aura calm yet exuding the force of a Grandmaster.

Every male candidate sat up straighter.

“Damn, who is she?”

“That’s not a teacher… that’s a goddess.”

“I’m ready to fail just to see her again.”

Alex blinked. “Hot teacher alert. Focus, Alex, focus.”

She smiled. “Welcome, candidates. I am Professor Selena Vega, and I’ll be explaining the structure of your entrance examination.”

She gestured, and the massive screen flickered to show a holographic island.

“The test will take place on a deserted island populated by monsters. You will encounter Novice and Intermediate level monsters, as well as seven Advanced-ranked ones three Advance(low) three Advance(mid) and one Advance(peak).

Fear started washing over the candidates because even the most talented amongst them they were not Above Intermediate(peak) rank.

And fighting a monster of Advance rank while being a intermediate was was like a death sentence.

Alex watched in silence ‘ ofcourse they will get scared even among the main characters only a few have broken through to the Advance rank and that still couldn’t guarantee a victory against a monster of the same rank .

because the monster’s also have special attributes to compensate for their lacking intelligence.

They can just hope they dont run into the advance ranked monsters.’

Ms. Selena’s voice brought him back from his thoughts.

“However, this test is not a death sentence. You will be inside a hyper-realistic simulation created through Zenith’s latest technology system: the EVOlink Neural Combat Interface.”

A sleek, bracelet-like device appeared on the screen.

“Each of you will receive an EVOlink smartwatch. It will track your accumulated points. If you ‘die’ in the simulation, you’ll be automatically ejected and returned here.”

The hall relaxed slightly at that.

Then she showed the point system:

Novice (Low): 10 points

Novice (Mid): 30 points

Novice (peak): 50 points

Intermediate (Low): 80 points

Intermediate (Mid): 100 points

Intermediate (peak): 150 points

Advanced (Low): 300 points

Advanced (Mid): 600 points

Advanced (peak): 1000 points

The crowd buzzed.

“In addition,” Selena continued, “if you defeat another candidate, their accumulated points will be transferred to you.”

Suddenly, silence.

The cheerful tension vanished.

Every student felt the atmosphere shift.

Some looked around nervously.

“So… we can kill each other?”

“No, it’s just virtual… but still.”

“This just turned into a battle royale.”

Many started questioning themselves. Could they really survive this? Make the top 2000?

Alex, on the other hand, had a wide grin. “Ah, just like the game… even the same monsters and rankings. Perfect.”

He peeked back at Selena. “Still hot though. Focus, Alex. You’re not here to flirt.”

Selena clasped her hands. “You have one hour to prepare. Remain seated in the auditorium. Once the time is up, you will be teleported directly into the simulation. The EVOlink will be distributed shortly.”

With that, she bowed slightly and exited the stage.

The staff followed behind her.

The buzz of discussion erupted immediately.

Candidates discussed strategies, nervously rechecked their gear, or simply tried to calm themselves.

Some also started approaching other candidates to form teams.

Alex leaned back, eyes closed, already planning. The Advanced monsters spawn at the north cliff, hidden behind the obsidian waterfall. If I can get there before the others…

Suddenly, a familiar voice, dripping with sarcasm, spoke from behind.

“Well well well, if it isn’t the mighty Alex Dragonheart.”

Alex’s eyes snapped open.

He turned slowly.

A smirk crept onto his lips.

“Well, look who it is.”

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