"Boss, I think I missed the shot." A boy with black hair and black eyes stepped out from the edge of the woods, his face unremarkable in every way. One by one, dozens of other examinees followed behind him, most of them gripping swords, shields, or gauntlets.
Alex tried to see past them, but night had already fallen, and the faint glow of the moon and stars didn't offer much light to peer through the darkness. Thanks to the dragon blood in his veins, his eyes could see a little more clearly than most, but even then, the darkness swallowed everything behind the boy. Still, more examinees kept emerging from the shadows, their forms multiplying with every moment.
Alex turned to Lara. Her green eyes narrowed as she tried to make sense of the situation. Silently, she summoned the sword from the dimensional space that she had taken from him without asking.
With everyone watching, she handed the sword back to him. Alex accepted it gratefully, gripping it with both hands. He bent his body forward, legs braced at an angle, readying himself for whatever would come next.
Lara mirrored him, slipping into a fighting stance of her own. She raised her fist, right leg forward and bent at the knee, left leg stretched behind. It was clear she preferred fighting with her fists rather than a sword.
"You couldn't even land a hit, even though they were completely defenseless." Eldric Sealborne strolled into view with his hands clasped behind his head. He had black hair, black eyes, and an air of utter carelessness, despite the fact that he was facing Lara, who was level 42. Alex remembered seeing Eldric's level—just 38—on the first day of the entrance exam.
"How cowardly of you, ganging up on us like this," Lara growled, anger flashing in her voice as Eldric stepped into the open.
Eldric glanced around at his followers, a mocking smile on his lips. "Don't you have your own gang too?" he retorted. Then, as if remembering something, he added with a smirk, "Isn't he just level 1, though?" Tilting his head, he tapped his left temple with a finger, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Immediately, the examinees burst into wild, beast-like laughter, mouths wide open. Alex could feel their stares burrowing into him, sharp and cold. He took a small step back, raising his sword in front of him. For a moment, he squeezed his eyes shut, taking a long, deep breath, and when he opened them again, he forced himself to unclench his jaw.
"How about just you and me? Let's see who's stronger and settle this without dragging your lackeys into it," Lara proposed, stepping forward, her body tense and ready. "Wouldn't you like to see if you can actually beat me?"
Eldric's face twisted in anger. "You think you're in any position to make demands?" he snarled, raising his right hand. A spear appeared from his dimensional space, and he pointed its tip straight at them. His voice rang out, echoing through the trees. "Attack, boys. Leave them barely breathing."
Eldric's minions charged at Alex and Lara. There were at least dozens or more. Alex's chest pounded with fear, but before he could react, Lara grabbed his right hand and, with surprising strength, hoisted him over her shoulder like a sack of grain. Without hesitation, she dashed away in the opposite direction from Eldric, moving fast through the darkness.
"Chase them," Eldric shouted angrily.
"What are you doing? Put me down!" Alex shouted, wriggling and pushing against Lara's hold. But her grip was iron, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
"Stop struggling for once!" Lara snapped. "Do you really think you can take on that many? They're all at least level 20, probably higher."
Alex stopped fighting and fell silent. Deep down, he knew he had already accepted defeat the moment he saw those dozens of examinees charging toward him.
He was only level 1. If more than one opponent attacked him at once, he wouldn't be able to defend himself for long. He wasn't sure how much his armor and sword could protect him, being so low-leveled. Maybe half a minute, if he was lucky. He was strong—for a level 1—but that was all. He was just stronger than any other level 1, nothing more.
Alex could hold his own against some stronger opponents, at least in theory, but he had never truly tested his limits. He had only ever fought with dummies, not real enemies—except for that one time as a child, when he wandered into a white gate and managed to survive against a slime monster around level 5. That was the only real fight he could remember.
Alex glanced over his shoulder, heart pounding as he saw Eldric chasing after them, the others lost somewhere in the darkness. Lara was moving impossibly fast, dodging trees and roots that jutted from the ground, weaving through every obstacle so smoothly that the world blurred around them.
They moved so quickly that only Eldric had managed to keep up; the other examinees had long since fallen behind. Alex could only pray to make it out alive, hoping he could just hold on a little longer.
Alex looked up at the sky, wondering what kind of fate had led him to this—being saved by a girl, not even understanding why she bothered to help him. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a small, ball-shaped monster with bat-like wings and a single, enormous eye appeared. It was no bigger than his fist, and its unblinking gaze followed them as it trailed behind with surprising ease.
***
Far away, at the Drakethorne estate in Silverine, Shane Drakethorne sat on a large sofa. His wife, Sera, was at his side, and their daughter, Ariana, nestled comfortably between them.
"Look, big brother's finally on the screen!" Ariana shouted, pointing excitedly at the corner of the display, which showed the chaos of the ongoing battle.
Shane followed Ariana's finger. Amid the many small squares depicting different parts of the battlefield, he spotted his son in the top-left corner. Alex was being carried by a girl, Lara, the granddaughter of Morgana Chronveil.
Alex seemed to be staring right back at them, fear and dread filled his eyes. Behind him, Eldric chased them relentlessly, never falling far behind.
"Dear, what's happening?" Sera asked quietly. Shane turned to look at her; the glow had faded from her face, her azure hair a little disheveled, and her eyes dry and tired from staring at the screen for so long.
Ariana looked just as exhausted as her mother, and Shane suspected he looked no better himself. "I don't know, but at least Lara is helping him," he replied, uncertain. He still didn't understand why Lara was carrying Alex like that, but he added with a touch of hope, "Maybe if she helps him, he'll pass the final exam."
Sera blinked at Shane, as if slowly realizing something.
Ariana jumped up from the sofa and turned to them, her voice bright, "I think she'll help big brother! She's already protecting him from Eldric." She sounded completely convinced that Lara would see Alex through.
Shane glanced at his wife, seeing hope flicker in her tired eyes, completely fooled by Ariana's sweet words. He didn't have the heart to dampen their hope. "I hope so," he said softly.
***
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