Part 44 – The Great Exam (Part 1)
Tom's POV
With
extreme difficulty, I finally reached the exam grounds.
The soldiers, after realizing I really was Tom, left me alone.
With that statement I made—saying I wanted to be first place—
I had put psychological pressure on Den, Henry, and Adriana.
I knew I wouldn't be first;
I just wanted to use their stirred emotions.
I think it only affected Den—
not Henry or Adriana.
Right now it was affecting me more,
and my stress had increased.
The exam judge continued his speech.
I went to the last row, which was arranged by ranking—
from first to last, up to 655.
The Academy had a capacity of 655 students.
I, who was ranked 28,
should have been in the first row, not the last.
The sun was beating down harshly.
Stress and sunlight made sweat pour down my body like water.
I didn't know why lately, after using magic and speed,
I got tired quickly and lost my strength.
I used to train for hours with Ziar—
extremely hard training—
and still had energy.
But now, with the smallest burst of speed, I got exhausted.
Judge: "As I said, the exam time is thirty minutes.
You must finish within thirty minutes."
The judge quickly placed his hand on the ground and—BOOM.
The first exam arena was created:
The Labyrinth of Death.
A place extremely difficult,
with a high chance of death,
used by Black Mages outside the Walls.
Anything could happen inside this labyrinth.
But the good part was…
Judge: "You must complete the exam in this place in under thirty minutes.
Let me tell you this:
In this labyrinth, a single insect bite can paralyze you.
A swamp can drag you to death.
Man‑eating plants can devour you.
Walls constantly move and may trap you.
And most importantly—
in this exam, no friendship,
no love,
no family bond matters.
Either you eliminate,
or you are eliminated.
Either you eliminate and win this exam,
or you are eliminated and it's over.
This is the final warning.
And do NOT rush!"
I could feel the stress of all the students.
They swallowed nervously.
They had trained a lot—
but not for this.
Unlike me—
I knew this path.
Ziar had trained me many times in death illusions.
And besides that,
I had real combat experience in the forest
against mutated creatures and insects.
This was nothing.
I felt a bit hopeful.
I would win easily.
This exam wasn't too hard for me.
Many were confused.
The exam time was thirty minutes—
so why shouldn't they rush?
There was one thing Ziar had told me many times—
and I knew it.
Judge: "And now the exam begins!"
With the judge's words, the horn sounded.
Then the announcer's voice
and the endless cheering of the spectators.
Everyone started running at full speed—except me.
Everyone rushed forward without paying attention to anything,
toward the labyrinth—
Then—
BOOM
The ground beneath them suddenly collapsed,
and many examinees—around 400—fell down
and were eliminated.
The judge's point was this:
Act without emotion,
act with logic.
Rushing leads to elimination.
Just like outside the Walls—
acting without logic leads to death.
Ziar had told me this many times:
acting without logic,
attacking with emotion,
leads to death.
After this happened,
the spectators went wild.
I still hadn't moved.
My eyes met one of the spectators.
He looked at me,
nudged his friend,
and they burst out laughing.
They thought I was scared.
The announcer also pointed out
that I still hadn't moved.
I could feel many spectators staring at me,
wondering why I wasn't doing anything.
I looked again at the spectator who laughed.
I smiled—
he was shocked.
I gathered my strength.
Prepared myself.
It was time.
One… two… three—
Move.
And that was it—
I crossed half the path
in less than a minute.
The announcer said it,
and the crowd erupted in cheers.
While many examinees—
even Den and Henry—
were still at the beginning,
I had already crossed half the path.
I told them I'd be first, didn't I?
But I gave them a chance.
I could finish the exam right now.
But I moved slowly.
I needed a bit of rest—
I had pushed myself too hard lately.
Let them catch up.
Then I'd finish the job.
A psychological game.
Hahahahaha.
Narrator's POV
The people were extremely happy.
Tom, the Chosen of the Gods, had returned.
No more famine,
no more death of children,
no more divine wrath.
No more civil war and innocent bloodshed.
For the first time,
people saw the Tom described in the newspaper—
a boy who, unlike many,
wore clothes like farmers and commoners.
Yet this made him even more attractive.
Rumors said if you saw him, you'd turn to stone.
Fire came from his eyes.
Touching him would destroy you.
Thousands of rumors—
but he was just a normal boy.
Like his teacher,
despite being fourteen,
he had many white hairs among his black hair.
People waited to see what the Chosen One would do.
But despite the exam starting,
he didn't move.
People doubted.
Was he truly the Chosen One?
The true successor of Ziar,
the Empire's champion and strongest man?
Someone who had entered the Academy on his own?
Maybe he entered with Church support.
Maybe he had no power.
Maybe he was a fraud.
People began laughing
and mocking Tom.
Tom smiled—
a strange smile in response to mockery.
What kind of boy was he?
Suddenly the announcer said
Tom had crossed half the field.
Everyone was shocked.
How could he suddenly be halfway through?
How was it possible?
No one believed it—
until they saw him.
He truly was the Chosen One.
He truly was Ziar's successor.
Why had they doubted?
They should trust him.
King Harold, after seeing this,
became furious.
He looked at Bard—
whose face, as always, showed nothing.
He looked at Henry—
who was smiling.
Was Henry a fool or a traitor?
Why was he smiling at Tom's actions—
the true enemy of the Court?
And the High Bishop…
that man…
with pride on his face.
King Harold grew even angrier.
He clenched his fists,
grinding his teeth.
Lucas felt the same.
He was struggling to move forward.
He was close to elimination—
if he hadn't pushed that boy.
And now Tom was winning?
Den Hyper's POVI couldn't believe it—
and I was very happy.
Tom had returned.
The Chosen of the Gods had returned.
No more divine wrath.
No more pressure on me.
But one question bothered me:
Where had Tom been all this time?
Where was he that neither the Church,
nor the Court,
nor the Pope,
nor the King
knew anything?
And he came with these clothes?
I was advancing quickly.
After feeling the ground shake,
I jumped high
and was ahead of everyone inside the walls.
Suddenly, a flesh‑eating beetle—
the size of a human head—
attacked me.
One bite and I'd lose the exam.
I killed all the beetles.
Let's see what Henry and Tom were doing.
Then the announcer said
Tom had crossed half the path.
What?!
How?!
Tom—
Tom who had disappeared—
had returned
and was ahead of everyone?
I was completely confused.
I understood only one thing:
I had to try.
Try hard.
To catch up to Tom.
Henry's POV
The exam had begun.
I was both stressed and happy.
Stressed about my own performance,
happy because Denris and Tom were here.
Tom had returned—
which meant no civil war,
no innocent deaths.
When the exam started,
most students were eliminated
because of the Academy's trick.
I was lucky—
Denris's hand was in mine.
I didn't care about the rule
that you shouldn't help your lover.
I would go through the entire exam with Denris.
We reached a place with deadly storms.
I quickly held Denris,
created a magic barrier around us,
and we passed safely.
Then—
Tom had crossed half the path.
The announcer said it.
What!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adriana's POV
Tom had returned—
and I was happy,
because I was supposed to defeat him.
I looked at my cold father.
He was smiling because of Tom's return.
I clenched my teeth in anger.
He didn't smile at me—his daughter—
nor at Henry—his nephew.
But he smiled at Tom,
a stranger and enemy.
I had to defeat Tom.
That arrogant boy.
He wanted to be first place.
But before that,
he would be defeated by me.
I would erase that smile—
my father's smile.
Hardy Melodia's POV
The exam was about to start
when Tom returned.
I felt relieved.
Yes, I hated Tom—
with his stupid personality—
but I didn't want a civil war
or to fight my own friends.
I admit—
Tom looked really attractive in that outfit.
Simple but stylish.
I wished Tom's personality was like Den's.
But unfortunately, he was a pervert,
and I hated him.
I hoped he'd fail the exam.
Then the announcer said
Tom had crossed half the path.
That pervert had gone halfway!!!!
He had disappeared for a month
and worried everyone.
Now he wanted to anger everyone
with his return.
I was so angry
that because of a tiny vine
that had nothing to do with me,
I cast Flame Lily
and destroyed all four walls around me.
Rose Tarin's POV
Tom had returned—
and that was important.
No more wasted money on inventions
because of civil war.
No more innocent deaths.
I was surprised by Tom's outfit—
he wore farmer clothes,
yet still looked very attractive.
There is no difference
between a commoner and a wealthy person.
We create the difference
with our rotten thoughts.
Unlike all the girls in class and the Academy,
I thought Tom was more attractive than Henry.
Then I was trapped
between four moving walls.
Anyone else would have gone insane
or destroyed a wall out of emotion.
But not me.
I waited.
The right wall moved—
I knew that was the correct path.
Then the announcer said
Tom had crossed half the path.
Tom kept surprising me.
That chaotic boy.
William's POVI
was furious.
Why—why did that damned Tom return?
Why did he return
when all my plans were going perfectly?
I was extremely angry.
In the first obstacle,
I sacrificed several people
for my own victory.
That's how the world works:
Either you sacrifice for victory,
or you are sacrificed.
Tom was the same for me.
For my plans,
I was ready to eliminate—even kill—Tom.
Either Tom would die
and my plans would succeed,
or I would die
and Tom would win.
End of Part 44