Inside the grand throne room of the Citadel Of The Golden Crown,

The king sat on his throne with a smile on his face. In front of him was the Dean and they were talking about the upcoming dungeon competition for the first-year students. The king was a large and imposing man who had long white hair. His hair and beard was decorated with many expensive trinkets and jewels. He was already tall but sitting on the large golden throne he was truly majestic and imposing. The throne itself was made out of solid gold and was so large it made the King seem even more imposing.

"Has the dungeon been chosen for the competition?", The king asked.

"Yes your highness. We have decided to use the rank 05 dungeon in the northwest region of the kingdom," The dean said.

The king asked curiously, "Why that one?"

The dean answered, "The beasts there are weak enough for first-years but are still strong enough to test them."

"I understand. What else do you need to report?", the king asked.

"All preparations are going as planned. The academy will be hosting a small event for the nobles of the kingdom to mingle with the second and final year students and the academy staff."

"Tell me, what is the main focus of the annual dungeon competition this year?", The King asked.

"This year we want the focus to be on the student's ability to work as a group and not their individual strength. Plus, the dungeon will test the very boundaries of patience and fortitude of the students and see how they can handle stressful situations."

"How many people will be attending this years dungeon competition?", the king asked.

The dean looked down at the parchment and looked up with a slight smile, "2381 students, your majesty.

"Very good," The king nodded.

He stroked his beard and murmured, "Hmm... patience and willpower are indeed the foundations of a good soldier. They will also be important for the future of this kingdom."

He remembered Darell and his group and asked, "And what about Darell and the rest?"

A smile formed on the Dean's face as he responded, "They are progressing as we expected them to be, Your Majesty. Their dedication and training surpasses that of an average student."

The king smiled in response, clearly pleased with the news. He stroked his beard and nodded approvingly as he said, "Good! Very good!"

Then a frown formed on his face as he asked, "However, since the competition's aim is to test the students' patience and willpower, then... don't provide any clues or external assistance whatsoever to Darell and his group. They must persevere and triumph through their own hard work and ingenuity. They will either sink or swim. There must be no external interference."

The Dean was taken aback by the sudden and unusual command and he tried to speak, "But, Your Majesty, th-"

But, the king interrupted him as he declared, "I understand what you're concerned about but I won't change my decision. It's best to let them fail early if they are not able to overcome this puny challenge. If they can, then I can rest assured that the future of this Kingdom will be safe. Both of us know that some participants have obtained information about the dungeon beforehand and they would resort to cheating. But, both of us know that their efforts are useless because their lack of patience would lead them to quit easily. This is the only way for Darell and the rest of his team to be tested. You understand, right? They have no time or opportunity to fail."

The Dean remained silent as the king continued, "There's a reason I'm doing this, and I'm certain you can figure out what that is. It is through facing difficult battles and hardships that one is able to reap the greatest benefits. There will come a time when they'll have to take on the burden and responsibility of the Kingdom. So, they will have to prepare themselves, both mentally and physically."

The king continued, "That is why I'm giving them the opportunity to experience the same things and learn from their mistakes. Do you think my plan is flawed?"

"No, Your Majesty." The Dean replied.

"Very well. Also, increase the rewards for the top five winners to rank 04 beast cores. This would increase the difficulty of the competition."

"Understood, Your Majesty," The Dean bowed.

The king stood up and said, "Alright, that's all for today. You're dismissed."

The Dean walked away while rubbing his chin as he understood the meaning behind the king's command and thought, 'He really is fit for his position! His thinking hasn't changed at all. He's the same... just like the old days.'

After the dean left, the King walked up to the large window behind the throne. He looked out at the city and smiled.

"Let's see how they do."

* * *

The next day, within the assembly hall,

The students were talking to each other about the recent competition.

"Hey! Have you heard which dungeon they've chosen?"

"No! It's so frustrating. I couldn't get enough equipment and potions for this test."

"Forget about that. Did you hear?! Adam asked Zara out on a date!!"

"WHAT?! That jerk! H-H-He told me he wasn't interested in her."

"Oh, shut up! You're delusional. Who'd date a bitch like you!"

"Who's a bitch?!"

"You are!"

Suddenly, Walter's voice boomed through the hall, "QUIET DOWN, ALL OF YOU!!!"

The hall became quiet. The students instantly shut their mouths and straightened their postures in their seats. Walter looked over the crowd and nodded approvingly upon seeing the disciplined students. He raised his hands and announced, "As you may know, the Dungeon Competition for the first year students is approaching. This competition would test your knowledge and training. I've been informed by the Dean about the dungeon. But, all I can say about it is that it would test your knowledge and training. Any other information about it wouldn't be shared. To prevent cheating, a different dungeon is chosen each year. The dungeon's terrain changes unpredictably, so you must be prepared for the unexpected. So, use the time wisely and train diligently. The dungeon is a dangerous place. And, you have to remember, not all dungeons are equal."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

One of the students raised his hand and asked, "Sir, can you tell us the theme of the competition?"

Walter replied, "The theme is unknown. But, the dean said that it would test the limits of your patience and endurance."

'So, it's a survival-type dungeon. Interesting...' the students thought.

He glared at the students and ordered, "You must adhere to all the rules stated on the tablet provided to you. Breaking any of these rules will result in expulsion, and your family members won't be permitted to join the academy for three years?"

"Do all of you understand?", He shouted.

The students shouted back, "Yes sir!"

They received the stone tablet which was inscribed with different types of runes. They read the rules on it and they were shocked by the strict guidelines, causing them to murmur among themselves.

"What?! Punishment?!"

"Are they serious?!"

"They can't do this!"

"I know that this is an important test. But, can't they ease the restrictions a bit?"

Walter raised his hand and shouted, "SILENCE!!!"

The room was once again silent. Walter glanced at them and said, "These rules were set up by the Dean himself. I have no say in them. However, the Academy has a history of rewarding its students, which means the rules are not as harsh as you think. So, you have nothing to worry about."

The students breathed a sigh of relief.

"Also, if anyone is found cheating, the consequences would be dire. So, do not try anything foolish or you'll face the consequences."

The students began whispering among themselves.

"Cheating?"

"How can I cheat if I don't even know where the dungeon is located?"

"I know that some people would cheat. I've heard that someone tried to cheat during the last competition. He found out the dungeon selected, got caught and was expelled for it."

"Really? I didn't know about that."

"Yes, his name was..."

"I think we should keep quiet about this matter."

The students remained silent and listened to the rest of Walter's explanation about the rules. After explaining the rules, he asked, "Now, I'm sure many of you believe that to achieve rank 01 in the competition, you must conquer the dungeon, am I right?"

"Yes sir!"

Walter chuckled and said, "You're wrong."

"Huh? What do you mean, sir?", the students were stunned.

Walter looked at the students with a disdainful gaze before speaking, "You are all fools! The academy won't stop you from trying to conquer the dungeon, or I should say, from killing yourselves. To win this competition, all you need to do is collect as many beast cores as possible. Simple enough, right? Your points will be based on the number of beast cores you gather."

Beast cores were concentrated orbs of mana that were commonly found in a beast's body. They were found beside it's heart. They allowed the beasts to empower themselves. When a beast died, the beast core would remain. However, if the beast's body was obliterated, it would also disappear. The most common way to obtain it was to hunt and kill the beasts. These cores had mana inside them which the beasts used to enhance their bodies and use different spells. If an animal possessed a beast core from birth, they were considered a beast. The beast cores came in different colors, depending on the mana density and quality of the beast that produced it. Rank 01 beast cores were the weakest while rank 10 beast cores were the strongest and had the most potent mana in them. These beast cores were highly sought after because they could be used by people who could use mana and people who could not.

It was quite easy to identify the strength of a beast by its beast core. If the beast was the equivalent of a 9th rank human, the beast core would have the same mana density as a 9th rank beast core.

Humans didn't have beast cores inside them but they had mana flowing within their bodies. The amount of mana a human could hold depended on their aptitude, and those with higher aptitudes could control more mana than others. They could use the mana in their body and perform various spells. When a human consumed a beast core, the mana inside would slowly integrate with the mana inside their body, allowing the human to cast a much stronger spell. They could also strengthen their bodies and enhance their natural abilities using the mana inside their body.

For example, a mage with the ability to conjure a fireball could enhance the power of his fireball by absorbing a fire-elemental beast core and use a stronger fire-based spell. But, the mage wouldn't have any physical changes, unlike the person who had consumed a physical beast core.

Sometimes, a rare beast would have multiple beast cores within their body. This was quite useful for people who could harness the energy inside the cores and absorb them into their body, which allowed them to cultivate their strength and break through the shackles of their mana. Some people didn't have any mana in their bodies and couldn't use any magic spells.

Also, some humans were born with natural mana-empowered bodies which allowed them to change their body into that of a humanoid elemental of their ability. For example, a person who had a mana-empowered body and a fire ability could change his or herself into a fire elemental being which greatly increases their overall attributes and increases the intensity of their spells. This process was known as awakening and the person could only have one type of element.

Walter continued, "This competition will be conducted for one month. Ensure you have the necessary equipment, potions, food, and so on for the challenge. Now, listen carefully as I announce the rewards for this competition."

He paused briefly before revealing the rewards,

- Rank 01: 5 rank 04 cores and 100,000 academy points

- Rank 02: 4 rank 04 cores and 85,000 academy points

- Rank 03: 3 rank 04 cores and 65,000 academy points

- Rank 04: 2 rank 04 cores and 50,000 academy points

- Rank 05: 1 rank 04 core and 25,000 academy points.

"The top 5 participants will receive rank 04 equipment, while the remaining top 10 will be awarded rank 03 cores and 10,000 academy points. Tomorrow, you will enter the dungeon, so prepare yourselves and give it your best. Do not disappoint the academy."

He smiled and asked, "Any questions?"

"No, sir!!"

Walter nodded and said, "Good! You're dismissed, then."

"Thank you, sir!"

The students were very excited.

"I wonder which dungeon we're going to?"

"We'll know soon enough."

"I hope it's not a fire-themed dungeon.

* * *

In the training hall, three individuals were fighting against different beasts of various shapes and sizes. Among the three, there was a boy who gritted his teeth and his eyes glowed red as they spit fire from it. His skin turned into rocks and his hair transformed into flames and they danced on his head, turning him into a living torch.

* BANG *

He punched the ground in anger and a ball of fire formed in his hand.

* WHIZZ *

* SPLURT *

He shot the fireball at the beasts, killing one of them.

* WHAM *

Then, he dashed towards another beast and punched its neck, instantly snapping it. Suddenly, he noticed a huge fireball conjured by the FireFalcon coming at him and he quickly dodged it as he leaped backward.

* KA-BOOM *

The fireball exploded when it hit the ground and it caused the area around him to tremble. A huge crater was formed in the ground and the fire was slowly dying out. He gripped his fire sword tightly and grabbed a nearby tree branch and jumped on it. He jumped on another tree branch and launched himself into the air, above the falcon.

"You can't run away!"

* THWACK *

* WHAM *

He kicked the FireFalcon in its head, stunning it. Then, he swung his sword down and cut off the beast's wing.

"DIE!"

* SCHICKK *

* CRUNCH *

He stabbed his sword into the beast's neck and twisted it, causing blood to spurt out. The boy used the falcon's body as a cushion and landed on the ground safely. The other two were female twins, with one wielding a spear and the other skillfully wielding dual axes. One of them dashed forward and thrust her spear at a beast's eye, while the other one chopped off its leg with her axe.

* THUD *

* SPLURT *

She then cut off its arm and threw her axe at the other beast.

* ZIP *

* THUD *

"Take this!"

* SLASH *

* RIP *

* CHOP *

The girl with the dual axes chopped up the other beast.

* SPLURT *

The spear-wielding girl pierced the head of the rock golem and murmured, "Trash!"

She kicked it's body backward.

* BOOM *

* THUD *

The golem flew back and landed on the ground with a resounding impact. She abruptly ducked and barely managed to dodge. She turned around and saw a fire golem snarling at her. She glared at the golem and pointed her spear at it and said, "A surprise attack? You got on my nerves, silly golem."

She charged at it and shouted, "I hate surprise attacks!!"

After a few minutes, both of them were breathing heavily as they glanced around and saw all of the golems dead on the ground.

Suddenly, they heard a voice calling out to them.

"Alfith! Alfen!"