The Zenith Academy—regarded as the most prestigious academy in the entire world, holding the number one spot for years.
Its auditorium brimmed with activity, second-years and third-years filling the seats, their chatter echoing under the dome-shaped ceiling.
Above them, a massive holographic screen flickered, projecting a live feed of the First-Year Dungeon Survival Exam—the notorious "Forest of Nightmares."
This wasn't just a test. It was considered the most difficult trial in the first-year curriculum. Survival here was a rite of passage.
The rules were simple yet cruel:
Each cadet had 24 hours to reach the center of the forest.
Monsters ranging from Low-Rank Predators to Expert-tier Beasts roamed freely.
Only one exit existed—at the dungeon's heart. Whoever reached it first would claim the highest rank.
The audience whispered about the terrifying ecosystem inside.
