While the Mortal Grade techniques were very important, it was the final reward that truly sent a wave of shock through the students.
Those from more knowledgeable backgrounds knew was the Decade Condensed Jade Extract it was a rare treasure for those that just began training.
Dravin's mind, processing the information from his predecessor's memories, sucked in a deep breath.
A single, precious drop of that jade-like liquid, when consumed, was equivalent to a full day of non-stop, perfect-state cultivation for an average Super Soldier. And Sub-Dean Scarlet had offered an entire bottle.
A full bottle contained at least thirty drops. That was, at minimum, an entire month of condensed cultivation and without much side effect also! Such a shortcut was something alls students craved. If a talented student could acquire such material, he would undoubtedly leave the other students far behind.
For a genius like Gerald, it could solidify his foundation and push him to a new realm. For Dravin, it was something else entirely. A month's worth of base energy, when subjected to his system's random multiplier… the potential was so astronomical, so utterly terrifying, that he had to forcibly suppress the thought before he lost his mind from being too happy!
Before the students could fully absorb the weight of these heaven-defying rewards, the Sub-Dean's voice cut through the greedy murmurs like a blade.
"Before we get started, are there any questions?"
Silence. The thousands of students were still processing the torrent of information she had delivered.
They sighed in collective relief, knowing they at least had one chance to live with the emergency shield.
But that relief was quickly being consumed by a burninh greed.
Those who had planned to play it safe, to find a secluded cave, hunt a single beast near the end of the trial, and scrape by with a passing grade, were now seriously reconsidering their strategy.
Sub-Dean Scarlet's eyes swept over the silent, avaricious crowd.
Not bothering to wait any longer, she raised her voice, a clear note of finality ringing in her tone.
"If that is the case, then let the 92nd Entrance Examination begin!"
As the words left her lips, a massive, crimson trident materialized in her hand. It appeared from nowhere, its form coalescing from motes of blood-red light.
The weapon was a masterpiece of lethal craftsmanship, three-pronged and glowing with an intense internal aura that made the surrounding space tremble and twist violently.
An intense, mist, so thick it was almost tangible, writhed around the weapon as though it had drunk the blood of gods and was still thirsty for more.
Suddenly, she vanished. In a flicker of movement too fast for even Dravin's senses to track, she reappeared a hundred meters away, standing in the empty air above the stadium floor.
"This stadium contains the sealed entrance to a Tier One Dimensional Zone, a pocket dimension locked down by the academy for training purposes," she announced, her voice booming.
Naturally a Tier one dimensional zone contains primitive dimensional monsters from rank one to rank nine. However, the dimension has been cleared by the academy, removing monsters above rank 5.
Suddenly sub-dean Scarlett stabbed her trident forward, at a single, empty point in space.
"CRACK!"
The tip of the trident pierced the void itself. The surrounding space where the weapon made contact shattered like glass. as the very fabric of reality splintered and broke.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sub-Dean Scarlet pulled the trident down. A sound like the world's thickest canvas being ripped apart echoed through the stadium. With a single, swift motion, she tore a massive, two-meter-long rift through the void.
The students, Dravin included, were instantly and utterly stunned. Their jaws hung open in silent, uniform shock.
The power they had witnessed, the power they were striving for, was nothing compared to this.
Never in his wildest dreams would Dravin have expected the fiery, indifferent Sub-Dean to be a powerhouse of such a monstrous caliber that she could literally tear a hole in the space with her bare hands.
The rift hung in the air, a gaping wound in the world. It did not show the sky or the stadium walls on the other side. Instead, it was a swirling, vertical vortex of colors containing chaotic energy.
At that moment, Instructor Pearson and the other instructors began to move, their faces grim and serious as they started guiding the front lines of students toward the spatial tear.
As his line began to shuffle forward, Mr. Pearson suddenly spoke, his voice low but imbued with energy, allowing it to be heard clearly by the thousands of recruits.
"Listen up! The trial will last just a single day, which should give you plenty of time if you are careful. Do not rush in blindly. Find a safe place, make your strategies, meditate, and calm your minds. When you feel you have reached your peak condition, only then should you go out to battle."
His eyes, full of genuine concern, swept over the faces of the students he had trained for four long months.
"Do not overdo it just because of the promised rewards! Your life matters first! Strategies of banding together to fight a stronger beast are also allowed, but your landing positions within the zone will be vastly different and spread out, so this strategy is not reliable. You may spend the entire trial just trying to find one another. And also—!"
Instructor Pearson didn't get to finish his heartfelt advice. A cold, sharp snort, like the crack of a whip, echoed from behind him. It was the Sub-Dean, her expression clearly impatient.
Instructor Pearson stopped mid-sentence and offered an awkward, apologetic smile. He knew he had overstepped. He turned back to the students, his professional demeanor returning. "Alright, form a single file line. Move it!"
With that, he gestured for the first student in the front line to enter the spatial tear. The young man hesitated for a second, staring into the swirling chaos of the portal, before steeling his resolve and stepping through, vanishing from sight. One by one, the students began to step through the spatial tear, into the dimensional zone.