Chapter 5: The Academy’s First Test

The days following the entrance exam passed quickly. Lahsiv observed the Academy’s workings from within, learning everything he could about its hierarchy and systems. The Academy was divided into three main classes: Novices, Elites, and Apex. Each class had its own training regimen, but only the top students from the Elites could advance to Apex, the highest tier where the true prodigies and the strongest students competed. For now, Lahsiv had been placed within the Elite class, which suited him just fine.

‘No need to stand out too much right away,’ he thought. ‘Let them underestimate me.’

The Elites were given daily lessons on the manipulation of Light Karma, physical conditioning, and combat training. The curriculum was challenging for most, but for Lahsiv, it was little more than a formality. He breezed through the lessons, pretending to struggle only when necessary to maintain appearances. Behind the scenes, he continued to refine his Dark Karma abilities, keeping them hidden from the instructors and the other students.

The Academy itself was built like a fortress, with high stone walls and countless training areas for students to hone their skills. Large portals lined the outskirts of the grounds, leading to otherworldly creatures that could be hunted to strengthen one’s Light Karma, but these portals were only accessible to the higher-ranking students. For now, Lahsiv’s focus was on the immediate task at hand—surviving the Academy’s first test.

Three days after their arrival, the Elites were summoned to the main training ground for their first real trial. The students gathered under the watchful eyes of the instructors, their expressions tense. Whispers of excitement and fear spread through the crowd as they waited for the challenge to be revealed.

Instructor Kaelor stood at the front, his eyes scanning the group with cold indifference. “Today, you will face your first real test. This is where you prove whether you belong in the Elite class—or whether you’ll be sent back to the Novices.”

Lahsiv remained silent, his gaze focused on the instructor. Around him, the other students fidgeted nervously, some muttering to each other in hushed tones. Most of them had no idea what was coming, and the tension was palpable.

Kaelor continued, his voice sharp and commanding. “Your task is simple: survive. We will release you into the Sombra Forest—a hunting ground filled with creatures that will not hesitate to kill you. You will be judged on how many of these creatures you eliminate and how long you last. There will be no assistance. You either succeed, or you die.”

A murmur of fear ran through the group, but Lahsiv remained calm. Sombra Forest. He had heard about it before. It was a dangerous place where the Academy sent its students to prove themselves, filled with beasts corrupted by dark energy. To him, it was the perfect opportunity to test his Dark Karma abilities against real enemies.

“Each of you will be given a tracking stone,” Kaelor said, holding up a small, glowing orb. “This will record your performance and keep track of your progress. If you’re on the verge of death, the stone will signal us, and you’ll be rescued. But remember this—those who are saved will be disqualified and sent back to the Novice class. There will be no second chances.”

Kaelor handed each student a stone, and Lahsiv took his without a word. His plan was already forming. He had no intention of being saved, nor of merely surviving. He would use this test to gather strength, eliminating as many creatures as possible while keeping his true power hidden.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The students were led to the edge of the forest, where the towering trees cast long shadows over the ground. The air was thick with an ominous presence, and even the most confident students hesitated as they prepared to enter.

“Begin,” Kaelor’s voice echoed as the gates to the forest opened.

Without hesitation, Lahsiv strode forward, his eyes scanning the darkened woods ahead. The other students quickly followed, some forming small groups for safety, while others, like Lahsiv, ventured out alone. He had no need for alliances. Anyone who relied on others in this test was weak, and he had no interest in babysitting the fragile.

The moment he crossed the threshold of the forest, Lahsiv felt it—a surge of Dark Karma lingering in the air. The creatures in this place weren’t just ordinary beasts; they were touched by darkness, their energy twisted and corrupt. Most students would fear this, but to Lahsiv, it was an opportunity.

He activated his Shadow Veil, cloaking himself in dark energy, making his presence nearly invisible to the creatures lurking within the forest. Moving silently through the trees, he focused on the system prompt, which flickered in front of him.

[Objective: Eliminate 10 creatures]

[Optional Objective: Avoid detection]

[Dark Karma utilization: Active]

The first target appeared soon after—a hulking, wolf-like creature prowling through the underbrush, its fur bristling with dark energy. Its eyes glowed red as it sniffed the air, searching for prey. Lahsiv could feel the pulsing of Dark Karma within it, but its strength was nothing compared to what he could do.

Quietly, he unsheathed his Sword of Ruin, its dark blade barely visible in the shadows. The creature had no idea he was there.

‘Perfect.’

Without a sound, Lahsiv moved, activating Shadow Blade. Dark Karma surged into his weapon, coating the blade in a corrosive aura. With a single, precise strike, he slashed through the creature’s neck, the dark energy corroding its flesh and soul simultaneously. The beast let out a strangled yelp before collapsing into a heap, dead before it even knew what had happened.

[Creature eliminated: +5 Dark Karma]

[Dark Karma: 5]

[Light Karma: 0]

Lahsiv smirked as the system updated. He crouched beside the corpse and examined it closely. The creature’s body was already beginning to rot, its soul drained by the Dark Karma. This was the power of Shadow Blade. Clean, efficient, and utterly lethal.

But this was just the beginning.

He moved deeper into the forest, hunting with ruthless precision. Each creature he encountered fell swiftly to his blade, the Dark Karma building with each kill. While the other students struggled, fighting for their lives against these beasts, Lahsiv moved through the forest like a shadow, unseen and unstoppable.

Hours passed, and the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the forest in eerie twilight. Lahsiv had already exceeded the required number of kills, but he wasn’t done. He needed more power, and he wouldn’t stop until the forest itself feared him.

[Creatures eliminated: 12]

[Dark Karma: 60]

[Light Karma: 0]

Suddenly, he heard a sound—voices, coming from deeper within the woods. He narrowed his eyes and moved silently toward the source. As he approached, he spotted a group of students, huddled together in a small clearing. They were injured, exhausted, and surrounded by two large, vicious beasts that were closing in fast. One of the students screamed for help, his voice shrill with panic.

‘Pathetic,’ Lahsiv thought, watching from the shadows. He could sense that one of the beasts was particularly strong, likely infused with a higher level of Dark Karma than the others he had encountered. It would be a perfect test for his growing abilities.

But why stop there?

A cold smile spread across his face. The system had mentioned “optional objectives,” and he knew what his next move would be. He would take out the strongest creature—and the students who were too weak to survive.

With a flick of his wrist, he activated Shadow Veil once more, moving silently through the trees as the beasts lunged toward the helpless students. Lahsiv raised his sword, channeling both Light and Dark Karma into the blade. As the first beast’s claws raked the air, Lahsiv struck.

Shadow Blade met Karma Slash in a devastating combination of light and darkness. The attack sliced through the creature with ease, its body collapsing in a heap of withered flesh and bone. The second beast barely had time to react before Lahsiv’s sword found its heart, leaving it crumpled on the forest floor, lifeless.

The students, too stunned to move, looked up at him in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. “You… you saved us…”

Lahsiv looked down at them coldly, his sword still dripping with the essence of his kill.

“No,” he said simply. “I didn’t.”

In one swift motion, he plunged the Sword of Ruin into the nearest student, the Dark Karma tearing through the boy’s body like paper. The others screamed, scrambling to run, but it was too late. Lahsiv moved with the same ruthless precision, cutting them down one by one, their blood staining the earth.

[Creatures eliminated: 2]

[Humans eliminated: 3]

[Dark Karma: 120]

[Light Karma: 0]

[Soul Fragments absorbed: 3]

[Title Unlocked: Soul Reaper]

The forest was silent once more. Lahsiv stood over the bodies, his sword glinting in the moonlight. The weak were dead, and the strong remained.

He sheathed his blade and walked away, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.