Chapter 74: Academy Trial

The first rays of the dawn sun pierced through the artificial atmosphere of the Supreme Evolution Academy’s independent realm, illuminating the vast central amphitheater. Tens of thousands of newly arrived cadets stood in tight, disciplined rows, their faces flushed with a volatile mixture of fierce ambition and nervous apprehension.

Ethan stood quietly in the mid-ranks, clad in the standard grey applicant robes. His pale face was partially shrouded beneath his hood, his crimson-tinged eyes assessing the surrounding atmosphere with absolute, chilling composure.

High above the amphitheater on a hovering platform formed from solid white jade, Elder Vane—the Academy’s Vice-Principal—stepped forward. His long white robes fluttered in the mountain wind, and his gaze, sharp as an ancient sword, swept across the ocean of aspiring youths.

"Candidates of the Supreme Evolution," Elder Vane’s voice thundered, carrying a terrifying spatial resonance that vibrated inside every cadet’s mind. "The time for idle boasting has passed. The Grand Entrance Trial shall now commence!"

With a flick of his broad sleeve, the space directly behind him buckled violently.

*RUMBLE—!*

A colossal, swirling vortex of dark green and obsidian spatial energy erupted in mid-air, expanding until it spanned nearly three hundred meters across. A suffocating, primal aura filled with the scent of ancient moss, damp earth, and distant monster roars spilled out from the portal, causing several weaker cadets to turn pale and stumble back.

"Before you lies the entrance to the **Void-Timber Secret Realm**," Elder Vane declared, pointing a single finger at the swirling portal. "A pocket dimension inhabited by Rank 2 to Rank 4 wild beasts, ancient runic traps, and shifting terrain. Your objective is brutally simple."

He raised his hand, and a small, crystalline token materialized, glowing with a faint crimson light.

"Every candidate will be issued a **Void Token** upon entering. The trial will last precisely forty-eight hours. To secure a passing score and gain entry into the Academy’s inner court, you must collect a minimum of **Fifty Tokens** from defeated monsters, hidden chests, or your fellow candidates."

A wave of sharp gasps swept through the crowd. Collecting fifty tokens meant that open conflict and ruthless ambush among candidates were not only permitted—they were actively encouraged.

"Killings are prohibited by the protective arrays built into your tokens," Elder Vane added, his voice turning cold. "If you suffer a fatal blow, your token will shatter, instantly teleporting you out of the Secret Realm and disqualifying you forever. Now... enter!"

Without a second thought, the absolute powerhouses of the younger generation reacted.

*BOOM!*

Prince Ignis Valen of the Ignis Empire roared as a torrent of golden flames burst from his boots, launching him into the swirling portal like a blazing meteor. Right behind him, Lady Sera glided forward on a path of manifested ice crystals, her cold aura freezing the air in her wake.

From the Church’s delegation, Arthur leaped into the vortex with terrifying speed, his chest radiating the faint, gold-laced resonance of his Flame Sword Bone, while Kael followed closely behind with a dark, resentful glint in his eyes.

Across the amphitheater, a nondescript, dark-haired youth with ordinary features—Keklar in his newly acquired Slime Transformation human form—melted smoothly into the crowd, his sharp, predatory eyes scanning the portal with quiet calculation before stepping through.

Ethan watched the chaotic rush with a faint, amused smile.

*’The Void-Timber Secret Realm...’* Ethan thought, stepping calmly into the swirling portal as space folded around him. *’In my past life, this trial was designed to weed out the weak, but it also contains three ancient ’Void Heart’ nodes—concentrated pockets of spatial energy that Keklar is destined to discover to boost his devour-system. It’s time to re-route those opportunities.’*

***

*WHOOSH!*

The sensation of spatial translocation vanished as quickly as it had begun. Ethan landed silently on a thick, moss-covered branch high up in an ancient, towering oak tree.

The air inside the Void-Timber Secret Realm was thick and heavy with raw, unrefined mana. Surrounding him was a primordial wilderness—trees spanning hundreds of feet tall, thick twisting vines, and misty ravines echoing with the distant shrieks of magical beasts.

Ethan didn’t move immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and activated his system’s perception, spreading a invisible mesh of blood-magic sensors through the surrounding shadows.

Within seconds, spatial coordinates and energy readings bloomed inside his mind.

> **[NOTIFICATION: Spatial Scanning Active]**

> **[Detected High-Density Energy Signature: 3.2 kilometers North-East]**

> **[Target Match: First ’Void Heart’ Node — Containing Spatial-Element Origin Fluid]**

> **[Keklar’s Spatial Trajectory: Moving directly toward the North-East Node]**

Ethan opened his eyes, his crimson pupils flashing with cold calculation. "As expected... his system’s intuition is steering him straight toward the primary jackpot."

Without a sound, Ethan dropped from the high branch, dissolving into a fluid, dark shadow that glided effortlessly across the forest floor at terrifying speed.

***

Two kilometers to the North-East, deep inside a humid, rocky ravine choked with glowing purple mushrooms, a three-headed **Iron-Claw Panther**—a peak Rank 3 beast—let out a deafening roar.

Its six eyes burned with crimson fury as it lunged forward, its razor-sharp steel claws aimed at the throat of a young man standing calmly in the clearing.

The young man was Keklar, maintaining his human disguise with sharp dark eyes and plain features. Face-to-face with a terrifying Rank 3 monster, Keklar didn’t even draw a weapon.

"Too slow," Keklar muttered in a low, rumbling voice.

He shifted his stance, channeling his hidden *Iron-Hide* trait beneath his human skin. As the panther’s massive claws struck his arm, a dull metallic ring echoed through the ravine. The beast’s razor-sharp claws shattered against his flesh, sending sparks flying into the damp air.

Before the monster could recoil in shock, Keklar’s hand shot forward like an iron vice, slamming straight into the central neck of the three-headed beast. Dark, corrosive mana erupted from his palm—the *Venom-Spit* skill acquired from the swamp basilisk—melting through the panther’s tough hide in a fraction of a second.

*CRACK!*

With a brutal twist, Keklar snapped the beast’s neck and tore out its glowing blue beast core, tossing it straight into his mouth and swallowing it whole.

---

> **[System Notification: Consumed Rank 3 Iron-Claw Panther Core!]**

> **[Gained +150 Experience Points!]**

> **[Agility Attribute increased by +3!]**

---

A satisfied grin touched Keklar’s disguised face. "This secret realm is a goldmine. The monsters here are rich in elemental mana... and according to my system’s internal compass, there’s a dense concentration of spatial energy just deeper inside this cave system."

He turned toward a dark, subterranean cavern at the end of the ravine, where a faint purple glow pulsed softly.

"If I absorb that spatial energy, my Slime Transformation skill will evolve, allowing me to fully mask my aura even against Rank 5 or Rank 6 elders," Keklar thought, his eyes burning with intense ambition. "Nothing will stand in my way."

He stepped toward the cave entrance—

*SWOOSH!*

Suddenly, a blinding surge of golden sword-light slashed down from the cliff above, tearing a deep, ten-foot crater directly in front of Keklar’s boots!

Keklar instantly halted, leaping backward with inhuman reflexes as the dust settled.

Landing gracefully atop a jagged boulder at the cave entrance were two figures clad in white-and-gold holy robes.

It was **Arthur** and **Kael**.

Arthur stood with his hand gripping the hilt of his glowing broadsword, his aura sharp and commanding. Beside him, Kael held a runic staff, his eyes scanning Keklar with arrogant disdain.

"State your name, candidate," Arthur demanded, his voice cold and echoing with the dignity of a Church holy knight. "This cave section has been requisitioned by the Church of Magic and Knowledge. Step back and surrender your Void Tokens peacefully, or face immediate elimination."

Keklar’s dark eyes narrowed into thin slits. Deep within his chest, his monstrous instincts flared with sudden, intense murderous intent. He recognized Arthur’s energy—it was the same golden, divine flame resonance that he had sensed near the Whispering Forest days ago.

*’Arthur... the Church’s precious prodigy,’* Keklar thought, a dark, sardonic smile playing under his human disguise. *’He came right to my doorstep.’*

Kael stepped forward, raising his staff with an arrogant smirk. "Arthur, don’t waste breath on this commoner. Look at his plain robes—he’s probably an independent candidate from some backwater province. Let me eliminate him and take his tokens."

Kael raised his staff, casting a high-tier *Holy Arrow* spell. A spear of radiant light formed in mid-air, locking onto Keklar’s chest.

Keklar didn’t panic. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity, preparing to unleash his full Hobgoblin strength and crush both Church candidates right here in the shadows of the secret realm.

However, neither Arthur, nor Kael, nor Keklar noticed the tall ancient oak tree hovering directly above the cavern.

Perched upon the highest branch, completely submerged in an invisible barrier of dark-spatial magic, stood **Ethan**.

His crimson eyes looked down at the three major figures meeting in the rocky ravine, a cold, dark smile spreading across his face.

*’Arthur, Kael, and Keklar... all converging on the first Void Heart node at the exact same time,’* Ethan analyzed silently, raising his pale hand into the air as dark-blood runes began to swirl around his fingers.