Yuri wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving as he stood over the slowly dissolving creatures' bodies. The simulation room's walls shimmered, and his surroundings changed once again. He had already faced a shadow panther and two agile beasts, he was now about to face another.
The room darkened, and a low growl echoed through the space. Yuri's grip tightened on his sword as a massive figure appeared before him. A peak primal realm beast unlike any he had faced before—a Thunderclaw Bear. Its fur crackled with electricity, and its eyes glowed with a fierce intensity.
"Alright," Yuri muttered, "let's see what you got."
The bear charged, its claws slashing through the air towards Yuri.
As Yuri dodged, he countered with a strike of his own, leaving a slash on the bear's arm.
As they sized each other up, Yuri focused on the bear's movements, looking for an opening.
He patiently waited as he dodged and weaved many attacks until he saw an opening. He lunged, aiming at the Thunderclaw Bear's abdomen. His katana slashed the bear's side, its movements became more erratic, and it roared in pain.
As they kept fighting, Yuri continued to slash at the bear's openings, leaving it with many wounds. He continued with his strategy until the bear finally made a fatal mistake. As it attacked, Yuri dodged, then sidestepped and quickly mounted the bear. Swinging his katana down with all his might, he pierced the beast's skull.
It let out its final roar as it collapsed to the ground, leaving its body to dissolve into pixels. The simulation room's lights flickered back to normal. Yuri stood, panting heavily, as he was brought back into reality. He stepped off the stage and was directed to the area where everyone who had finished was. He found a spot to sit and waited, his mind replaying the fights he had just endured.
After what felt like hours, the last candidate emerged from the simulation room. The woman instructor stepped forward. The instructor then tossed a device she had in her hands onto a wall. Soon as the device touched the wall, a screen appeared and covered the wall, entirely showing the results of the test.
"Attention everyone," she called out, her voice cutting through the murmurs. "The results are on the wall. If your name is not in the top 500, you must leave the premises immediately."
Yuri scanned the list and found his name relatively fast. "Second? Not bad, but who could be first?" He didn't dwell on it for long; he took his eyes off the list and waited for what was next.
The instructor continued, "To those who made it, you have one final test before you can officially join Mysticadia Academy. Tomorrow, you will be dropped into a simulated wilderness area. Your objective is to survive and accumulate points by defeating both primal realm beasts and other candidates. The point system is as follows: defeating a primal realm beast earns you 50 points, and defeating another candidate earns you 100 points. The top 250 scorers will be admitted to the academy. Dismissed."
Yuri let out a sigh of relief. He had just one more test to go.
As he left the hall, he couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement. He would finally gain his affinity and class once he finished the test. After leaving the academy, Yuri headed towards an inn that was closer to the academy so he could arrive early. Once he found one, he made his way inside and asked for a room.
Once he got to his room, he set his bag down and went to bed. He wanted to be well rested for tomorrow.
The next morning, Yuri woke up early. He got ready and made his way to the academy grounds, where the remaining candidates were gathered. Anxiety hung heavy in the air, palpable tension radiating from every candidate. Everyone was aware that this was their last chance to prove themselves.
The woman instructor stood before them, her expression as stern as ever. "Today, you will be dropped into a simulated wilderness area. Your objective is to survive and accumulate points by defeating both primal realm beasts and other candidates. Remember, only the top 250 scorers will be admitted to the academy. Good luck."
With that, the candidates were led to the same simulation room they were situated in yesterday. Once everyone was inside, the instructor told them all to get ready as the test was about to start. As the instructor activated the simulation room, Yuri felt a strange sensation, and the world around him shifted. He found himself standing in a dense forest, the sounds of wildlife echoing around him.
Yuri took a deep breath, his senses on high alert. He knew he had to be cautious—both beasts and other candidates could be lurking nearby. He moved silently through the underbrush, his eyes scanning for any signs of movement.
It wasn't long before Yuri spotted two candidates fighting against each other. He decided to take both of them out and gain the two hundred points. Yuri creeped up silently, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
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Eventually, he found a chance and took it. He lunged, using every fiber in his body and made two quick slashes. His opponents didn't even have time to process what happened before their bodies dissolved and they were kicked out of the simulation.
Quickly moving from where the fight took place, Yuri continued through the forest, his senses heightened and his body tense with anticipation. Every rustle of leaves and snaps of a twig put him on edge. He had to stay sharp; this was no ordinary forest. It was a battleground where only the strongest would survive.
Yuri's first encounter after the duel was with a fellow candidate wielding a massive Warhammer. The candidate charged at Yuri with a roar, swinging the weapon with brute force. Yuri dodged, feeling the rush of air as the hammer smashed into the ground where he had stood. He countered with a swift kick to the side, sending his opponent flying into a tree. Getting up, the candidate he was fighting lunged and swung his Warhammer down at Yuri. Sidestepping, Yuri delivered a powerful punch to his exposed ribs, which forced the candidate to retreat.
Seizing the opportunity, he closed the distance, delivering a series of rapid strikes that sent the opponent sprawling to the ground. Before the candidate could recover, Yuri pinned him down and slashed his throat.
After recovering, he pressed on. His confidence and excitement grew with each kill. He encountered a variety of opponents—an archer whose arrows were deadly accurate, a cunning assassin who used the shadows to his advantage, and a fighter who only fought using his bare hands.
There were close encounters too. At one point, a candidate wielding dual daggers ambushed him from the trees. Yuri barely had time to react, diving to the side as the blades sliced through the air. Ignoring the pain of a shallow cut on his arm, he retaliated with a swift slash of his katana. They fought, exchanging deadly attacks, but Yuri's knowledge and prowess gave him the edge. With a quick and decisive blow, he cut down his opponent with a fatal slash to his midsection.
As the day wore on, Yuri found a small clearing and decided to rest for a moment. He leaned against a tree, his mind racing with thoughts of the challenges he had faced and those yet to come. The forest was a labyrinth of dangers, but Yuri navigated it with skill and caution. He encountered many different candidates, but they weren't much of a problem. He continued to defeat and collect points from both beasts and his fellow candidates.
After a while, Yuri found himself in a dense thicket. He had accumulated a significant number of points, but he knew the final stretch would be the hardest. The remaining candidates would be desperate to secure their spots in the academy, and the beasts would be more aggressive.
Again, on the move throughout the wilderness. Yuri ran into an opponent who wielded a long spear. Despite the weapon's reach, Yuri felt a calm confidence wash over him. He had faced many spear users in his past life, and this would be no different.
The candidate lunged forward, the spear thrusting towards Yuri's chest. Yuri sidestepped effortlessly, his katana at the ready. The spear's tip whistled past him, missing by mere inches. He could hear the faint whooshing of the spear slicing through the air. Yuri's eyes never left his opponent, reading every movement and every shift in stance.
The candidate's continued to launch a flurry of attacks, but none connected. His frustration began to show. His attacks became more aggressive, each thrust more forceful than the last, but Yuri parried and dodged with ease. His movements, fluid and controlled. He could see the cracks forming in his opponent's composure, the slight tremor in his hands, the beads of sweat forming on his brow. Yuri read his opponent like an open book.
With a swift motion, Yuri deflected a particularly aggressive thrust, using the momentum to close the distance between them. His katana flashed in the light, striking the spear's shaft with a sharp clang and sending it off course. The candidate stumbled, momentarily off balance.
Yuri seized the opportunity. He moved with lightning speed, his katana slicing through the air with a faint hum. The blade found its mark, cutting through the candidate's head cleanly. Leaving his body to dissolve.
Before Yuri could leave the area, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He tensed, ready for another fight, but this time it was different. Three candidates emerged with their eyes locked on Yuri. Two boys and a girl, each armed and ready for battle.
Yuri sized up his opponents. "So y'all are teaming, fine with me." Yuri said as he got ready to fight. His red eyes gleamed with a sinister excitement that put fear into the three kids.
"He's fronting, I bet he's scared." The blonde haired boy in the middle said as he lunged and slashed his sword.
Yuri parried the attack, countering with a swift strike that forced his opponent back. The second boy joined the fray, his movements quick and sharp. He aimed at Yuri's side, trying to catch him off guard, but Yuri reacted perfectly, his blade clashed with the boy's battleaxe.
The girl hung back, watching for an opening. When she saw her chance, she struck with deadly accuracy, her dagger slicing through the air. Yuri barely managed to deflect her attacks, his focus was split between the three opponents.
The battle was intense, each one gave Yuri a challenge. His heart pounded in his chest, but he remained calm and focused. He knew he couldn't afford to make a mistake.
As the fight raged on, the signal to end the test echoed through the forest. The combatants froze, their weapons still raised. They were all exhausted, but none of them had been defeated.
Yuri looked at three candidates he had just fought. The blonde haired boy looked as if he wanted to kill Yuri then and there.
'What's his problem?' Before he could say anything, their surroundings changed, and they were brought back to reality. The woman instructor awaited them, her expression unreadable.
"Congratulations to those who survived," she said. "The points have been tallied, and the top 250 scorers will be admitted to Mysticadia Academy. The rest of you, exit immediately."
Yuri looked at the list and found his name in first place. 'That was fun,' Yuri thought as he took his eyes off the list and waited for what was next.
Once everyone who had failed left the room, the instructor resumed, "We'll now go to the real academy."
'Real academy?' Yuri wondered.
Before anyone could question her words, she tapped her bracelet, initiating the teleportation of the entire room.