Chapter 7: The Examination Begins [1]

Many changes had taken place over the two hundred years since portals first opened on Earth.

Continents had shifted in shape. Nations had disappeared from maps their histories hidden beneath governments and new orders. The world I knew as Samuel was now history.

To survive the disaster the World Government was formed—a single body made from the old nations. It pushed back the monsters. Shut as many portals as it could. Then did a fragile peace come back.

That peace did not last long.

To keep the peace the World Government set up academies—places to train the generation of awakened warriors, weapons and defenses against the constant threat of portal openings and monster attacks.

In the two generations many academies were founded. Large families set up their own. Powerful awakeners built training grounds. Politicians put money into institutions.

Only one academy stood out among them all.

Golden Dawn Academy.

Created by the generation of awakeners and funded directly by the World Government, Golden Dawn Academy represented the pinnacle of what humanity could achieve in the new world.

’Though that does not mean the other academies are far behind’ I thought as I watched the entrance courtyard. ’They have closed the gap considerably.’

Still Golden Dawn Academy stood out—not because of its facilities or resources. Because of its ideology.

Other academies believed in letting students develop first.

They used training methods, controlled environments and calculated risk management.

Golden Dawn Academys ideology had not changed since the world was most dangerous.

Golden Dawn Academy operated under a principle: survival is earned, not taught.

While Golden Dawn Academy produced the awakeners and many powerful rankers in the World Government and top guilds it was also the only academy where students had a real chance of dying.

’Not from cruelty’ I reminded myself using information from Lorenzos memories and the game files. ’. Each year students who enroll here die. From monsters inside the portals. From training accidents.. Sometimes... Through other peoples hands.’

I had read about dungeon dives, field expeditions and controlled portal encounters where students had to face monsters with support and equipment.

Golden Dawn Academy did not hold hands. It threw students into the end and watched to see who could swim.

As for people...

I did not know about monsters and portals since I had only faced them while playing the game.. As for people?

’Let us say that no one here is a real threat to me.’

With a smile on my face I walked among the other entrance exam candidates gathered in the courtyard.

There were many of them. Teenagers aged seventeen and eighteen all bearing the mark of awakening potential. Some wore the insignia of families. Others displayed the tattoos of clans. A few stood alone bearing the confidence of their own strength.

My eyes swept across them methodically.

There—a girl with white hair red eyes and a sword at her hip.

I knew her. She was a character from a game I knew the granddaughter of sword saint Dreck Storms, one of the Overlords I encountered in the game.

Her name was Alice Storms.

I gave her a glance before walking away.

Golden Dawn Academy was located in Nova City, the capital of what used to be Europe before the portals appeared.

The city had been rebuilt from scratch—designed around the necessities of the world.

Tall walls kept monsters out. Guild halls served awakeners. Portal monitoring stations watched the portals.

The city was orderly. Structured. Practical.

Which means it was also perfectly symmetrical in many of its designs.

’Lucky’ I thought, suppressing the urge to smile. ’At least I will not be constantly triggered by buildings.’

Well, at least I hoped so....

Anyway I eventually arrived at the entrance examination venue.

"Please present your examination ticket."

As I approached the entrance a man wearing a badge labeled Guard held out his hand.

"Here."

I handed him my examination ticket. After checking it he let me through.

The moment I entered I was greeted by a sea of people.

"That’s a lot of people..."

The area was full of examinees and adults who looked like their parents. Everyone was moving in the direction. Because the path was crowded I had no choice but to follow the flow.

After walking for a while I finally saw the gymnasium where the examination would take place.

It was huge.

The size of the building reminded me of a domed soccer stadium.

Inside I spent ten minutes looking and taking everything in while waiting for the examination to begin.

It was a feeling.

I had seen this place times on my monitor but experiencing it in person was something else entirely.

Then it was only a collection of polygons and textures.

Now everything was real.

The people. The building. Even the faint sounds of conversation echoing throughout the gymnasium.

I could not. Feel a little excited.

This is what it feels like to be inside the game...

"Attention, everyone!"

A voice suddenly boomed through the speakers drawing everyone’s attention.

"We will now begin the entrance examination for Golden Dawn Academy! All examinees please proceed to your designated groups according to the numbers on your examination tickets!"

I glanced at my ticket.

Group 7.

With that in mind I made my way to the designated area.

The examinees were divided into groups of ten making a total of two hundred groups across the gymnasium.

That was a lot of people competing for a place in the world’s academy.

At the front of each group stood someone who looked like an instructor. The woman in my group wore sunglasses making it hard to read her expression.

She looked laid?back though.

"All right Group 7. Let us get started."

After that announcement she smirked and settled into her chair.

"One at a time show me what you can do. I will evaluate your abilities."

Is that all?

I stared at her for a moment.

Are they really going to conduct the examination like this?

Well I was not going to complain.

If anything I considered myself lucky.

I did not have any abilities or particularly impressive skills at the moment. The only things I could really boast about were my hand?to?hand combat and shooting skills both ranked B.

Unfortunately that was not the kind of academy where those skills alone would guarantee admission.

I needed something

Something that would make me stand out.

"Whoa! A Pyromancer!"

"That is a pass!"

The voices of the examinees pulled me out of my thoughts.

The first person in our group had begun demonstrating his ability.

Flames erupted from his body dancing around his arms and shoulders without burning his clothes.

From the way he manipulated the flame it was clear that he already had a grasp of his powers.

Not bad.

Nothing particularly impressive or

"All right, next."

The instructor jotted something on paper.

Alice Storms.

I had seen her earlier.

"Oh? So she is in my group."

"Well then. Let us begin—"

Before the instructor could finish speaking Alice moved.

Her hand flashed toward the sword at her waist.

In the instant—

Crack!

Sparks burst through the air.

Alice had closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye her blade colliding with the instructor’s dagger in a flash of steel.

The sudden clash sent a metallic sound echoing through the gymnasium.

Several examinees stared in disbelief.

Damn. She is fast.

I narrowed my eyes trying to follow Alice’s movements.

Even though I had known what to expect from a game like this seeing her move, in person was a different experience.

Her footwork was precise. Her movements were so quick that an ordinary person might have struggled to follow them.

The instructor still blocked the attack with one hand.

"What do you think you are doing?"

The woman asked the question with genuine curiosity rather, than anger her dagger still pressed against the blade of Alice.

After a pause Alice withdrew the sword and returned it to the sheath.

"Did you not ask me to show you my abilities?"

The instructor answered in a almost indifferent voice as though the instructor had done nothing unusual.

Then the instructor returned to the position and stood quietly the expression of the instructor completely unchanged.

For a moment the instructor simply stared at the instructor.

"Hehe."

The instructor chuckled.