"Am I dead?" Kyren thought, closing his eyes and resigning himself to his fate.
"KYREN!" Hiro's urgent voice pierced through the fog in Kyren’s mind, accompanied by a firm tap on his shoulder. "We're being teleported to the Academy."
When Kyren opened his eyes, he was disoriented, finding himself surrounded by a group of students in a vast event hall. The once-crowded space had thinned out significantly since their arrival.
"What's going on?" Kyren asked, still struggling to make sense of the situation.
"It seems like we all passed the exam," a calm voice interjected. The girl who had nearly killed them earlier approached with an air of confidence, her gaze sharp yet unreadable.
Kyren instinctively took a defensive stance, ready for another confrontation.
“Relax,” the girl said with a faint smile, her hands raised in mock surrender. "I’m not your enemy."
She brushed past Kyren and Hiro, heading toward a group of students at the far end of the hall. Just before she joined them, she turned back, her expression still unreadable.
“What are your names?" she asked. "Both of you."
Kyren hesitated, still on edge, unsure if the exam had truly ended. The adrenaline from their near-death experience hadn’t yet left his system.
Hiro, however, extended his hand without hesitation, seemingly unfazed by everything that had happened. "Hello, I’m Hiro. And you are?"
“Rayn Princessmon,” she replied, her smile polite but distant. “Nice to meet you both.”
Before Kyren could introduce himself, a sudden buzz from the stage’s microphone pulled everyone’s attention. A figure stepped into view—handsome, poised, and radiating an unsettling authority. It was the Vice Leader of the AL Guild.
“Hello, Sky Students. I'd like to congratulate those of you who’ve been teleported here to this event hall. You’ve passed the qualification exam," his smooth voice carried over the murmurs of the crowd.
As Kyren and Hiro scanned the room, they noticed many of the other students were battered, bruised, and more severely injured than they were.
The Vice Leader continued, his words sharp and measured. "I believe all 797 of you discovered the true nature of the exam—"
He was interrupted by a shout from the crowd.
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“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT EXAM? MY BEST FRIEND DIED IN THAT FOREST!" a student’s voice echoed, filled with rage.
“YEAH! OUR FRIENDS DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!" another voice added, filled with anguish.
The Vice Leader flicked his wrist casually, as if brushing away a nuisance. The two protesting students suddenly collapsed to the floor.
"My mistake," the Vice Leader said coolly. “It seems I miscounted. Only 795 of you passed.”
Officials wearing masks rushed to the fallen students, but it was clear from the horrified expressions of those watching that the two were beyond help. Blood poured from their eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
Kyren felt a cold sweat trickle down his forehead. He remembered Alaine and Patricia’s warnings about the Vice Leader, but he had never imagined the extent of the man’s cruelty.
“He uses shadow roots,” Rayn whispered, her voice low as she glanced at the lifeless students.
“Shadow roots?” Hiro asked, surprised. “I’ve only heard about them in theory. Are they even obtainable?”
“I don’t know,” Rayn replied, her eyes narrowing. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone use them.”
Hiro nodded, his expression contemplative. "That's rare."
Rayn’s demeanor shifted suddenly, her posture straightening as she started to walk away. “Anyway, I don’t have time to talk to you,” she said coldly.
Hiro blinked in confusion. “What the...? Does she have a dual personality or something?” he muttered under his breath.
Kyren chuckled. “Well, at least we’re safe from her now.”
The Vice Leader continued his speech. “We’ll evaluate your performance from the exam and divide you into sections based on your results. For now, rest here until morning. There are bathrooms for you to clean up, and food has been prepared.”
The Vice Leader exited the stage, leaving a tense silence in his wake.
As they made their way to the bathroom, Hiro sighed. "Where do you think we’ll end up, Kyren? Mid-tier, maybe?"
“I don’t know,” Kyren replied, his mind still racing. “We did well at the start, but the final moments were... chaotic.”
"Yeah, you’re probably right," Hiro laughed, though the sound was a little strained.
Later that night, as Kyren and Hiro settled down to rest in the event hall, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by raised voices.
“YOU HUMANS DON'T BELONG HERE. YOU’RE JUST LUCKY TO BE HERE!” a student from the demon race shouted, his words dripping with contempt as he pointed at two human students.
The accused students held up their hands defensively. “Please, we don’t want any trouble,” one of them stammered, their voices shaking with fear.
Kyren and Hiro stood, watching as the situation escalated.
“PLENTY OF WORTHY STUDENTS WERE ELIMINATED, BUT YOU TWO PASSED? WHAT CAN YOU OFFER? YOU CAN’T EVEN PROTECT YOURSELVES, LET ALONE OUR REALM!” the demon continued, his insults biting.
A group of students moved forward to defend the humans. At the front was a man clad in heavy armor, his sword gleaming, a large shield strapped to his back. His presence alone silenced some of the tension in the air.
"That’s enough," the armored man said, his voice steady, but laced with authority.
The demon sneered. “Oh, another human acting tough? Trying to protect your race’s reputation?”
“We’re not here to protect anyone," the armored man replied evenly. "But your disruption ends now. You’ve caused enough chaos and woken up the entire hall."
The demon, his fury bubbling over, lashed out with a cheap attack, but the armored man deflected it easily, the clash of metal reverberating through the room.
In retaliation, the demon muttered an incantation, summoning a scorching fire blast that lit up the hall, singeing the walls. Yet the armored man remained unflinching, his shield absorbing the brunt of the attack.
Kyren watched, his heart pounding as the tension built around them. In the flickering light, the reality of their situation became clear. This academy was no safe haven—it was a battleground for power, respect, and survival.