The western teleportation gate was a giant stone circle carved with intricate runes and pulsing with blue light. Hundreds of prospective students gathered before it, excitement and tension filling the air.
I could see all the new faces I had met before: the arrogant William, gathering a group of nobles around him; the calm Seraphina, talking to several other students with a friendly but authoritative manner; Ysilde the Elf, standing away from the crowd, her hands already holding a beautiful wooden bow; Arthur the Hero, offering words of encouragement to a nervous-looking student; and Princess Aurelia, surrounded by several of her loyal followers, her face calm and focused.
Instructor Evelyn stood on a raised platform, her voice amplified by magic so it could be heard throughout the square.
"Listen, prospective students! Behind these gates lies the Forest of Illusions. It is a vast area with varied terrain. There are dense forests, misty swamps, ancient ruins, and dark caves. The more dangerous the terrain, the stronger the monsters you will encounter, and the higher the points."
She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in.
"Remember the rules! Points are earned by killing monsters or seizing other students' crystals. Death in the forest is not real—the protection system will teleport you out before the fatal blow lands, but it still means you fail. You have six hours. The rankings will be displayed in real-time in the sky above the forest. Survive, fight, and prove your worth!"
With a wave of his hand, the teleportation gate pulsed brighter. "The test... BEGINS!"
One by one, the students stepped into the portal and disappeared in a flash of blue light. I waited a moment, letting the overly enthusiastic first wave go in first. There was no point in rushing.
When my turn came, I stepped inside. The sensation was strange, like being pulled through space and time. A moment later, I was standing on soft grass under a canopy of giant trees that blocked out most of the sunlight.
The air was humid and smelled of wet earth. Strange sounds echoed in the distance—the cries of wild animals and the buzzing of insects the size of fists.
In the artificial sky above, a huge magical scoreboard appeared, displaying the names of the students and their points, which were currently all zero.
"All right, it's time to hunt," I muttered.
I didn't immediately run blindly like most of the students. I took a moment, closed my eyes, and felt the flow of mana around me.
My Star Affinity wasn't just for light shows; it gave me a heightened sensitivity to the energy around me. I could sense energy 'knots' in the distance—concentrations of mana that signaled the presence of living creatures. There were several small knots nearby, and one much larger and denser knot deep within the forest.
I decided to warm up first. I followed one of the small energy knots and quickly found my target: a group of three Moss Golems, humanoid creatures made of stone and covered in moss, moving slowly. Three easy points.
Another student was already fighting them, a boy with a large sword who was slashing awkwardly. I decided to make it a little more interesting.
I jumped from a tree branch, landing between the student and the golems. "Let me take care of this, buddy. You can learn from the expert."
Before he could protest, I moved. I didn't use a sword. Instead, I channeled Lightning mana to my fingertips. With lightning-fast movements, I touched each golem. A small electric current flowed through their bodies, not enough to destroy them, but enough to disrupt the basic magic that made them move. They froze in place, trembling.
Then, I snapped my fingers. A small spark from my Star's affinity, no bigger than a firefly, shot out and hit the core point in each golem's chest in sequence.
*Pop. Pop. Pop.*
The three golems crumbled into piles of rocks and moss. My crystal vibrated, and my name appeared on the scoreboard: **Orion - 3 Points**.
The student who had been fighting stared at me with his mouth agape. I gave him a brilliant smile. "See? Efficiency and style. Learn from that."
I continued my hunt in the same manner. I didn't just defeat monsters; I did it in the most efficient and conspicuous way possible.
I used my Lightning affinity to paralyze and my Star affinity for deadly precision attacks. I paralyzed the Shadow Wolf with an electric net before destroying its core with a beam of starlight. I brought down the Stone Spider by manipulating the gravity beneath it, causing it to fall and shatter.
My points began to climb rapidly, drawing attention on the scoreboard. I didn't bother chasing Arthur, whose name had already skyrocketed to the top by killing mid-level monsters like Orcs and Armored Boars. I also saw other names rising: Aurelia, Seraphina, William, and Ysilde all showed high competence.
The attention I received also brought problems. Just as I defeated a group of Fire Imps, I sensed several energy nodes approaching rapidly from various directions. An ambush.
"Finally, a little entertainment," I muttered with a grin.
Five students jumped out of the bushes, surrounding me. Their leader was a burly young man with a large axe.
"Orion, right? You've been causing quite a stir. Hand over your crystal, and we won't hurt you too badly."
I looked at the scoreboard. Their combined total points didn't even reach half of mine. Pathetic.
"An interesting offer," I said. "But I have a better one. Turn around and run now, and I might forget your forgettable faces."
"Arrogant!" shouted the leader, and they all attacked at once.
This wasn't even a challenge. I channeled Lightning mana into the ground around me, creating a static electric field that slowed their movements and made their hair stand on end. Then, I used my Star affinity to create an optical illusion—several shadows of myself moving in different directions.
While they were confusedly attacking the wrong shadows, I moved between them like a ghost. One touch on the neck here, one blow to the solar plexus there, all reinforced with a little electric shock to ensure they were incapacitated. In less than fifteen seconds, the five attackers were lying on the ground, moaning in pain.
I took their crystals one by one. +21 Points.
"I told you. Efficiency and style," I said to the pitiful pile of bodies before walking away.
However, I knew this was only the beginning. I had marked myself as the primary target for those who preferred shortcuts over hard work. And deep within the forest, I could sense a much larger and stronger energy knot beginning to stir. This test would become far more interesting. I couldn't wait.