The Obsidian Badlands Exam is the entrance exam for the New Creation Academy of the Awakened. From the wealthy to the poor, anyone who meets the requirement of having at least one Mana Mark gathers here to take the entrance exam once every so often.
Since it is only available once per person and the test is dangerous, most young people wait until they have two or more Mana Marks before coming.
It was 8 a.m. when around 200 students gathered near a large forest in the Obsidian Moors, the largest rocky expanse with occasional forests in Zone 1.
The Academy's teachers began arriving one by one. But the families involved had already been there for 30 minutes.
"That guy actually showed up." Robert Asturias was standing with the rest of the Asturias family, waiting for the event to begin, when he saw Lucius arrive.
"Lucius?" Darius's eyes flashed with anger. "What's that good-for-nothing bastard doing here?"
"Heh, cousin, it's only natural he'd come. His only chance to move up is by getting into the academy. It's just that…" Robert didn't finish his sentence.
"It's just that his talent is mediocre in every way. Heh, looks like he's going to humiliate himself this time." It was Joe Clark who finished his sentence.
Darius looked at both of them and suddenly smiled with realization, saying shrewdly, "The Clarks have been doing well lately. My father has mentioned them frequently. It seems he holds them in high regard."
Joe Clark and his father, who stood beside him, trembled.
"R-really, Young Lord Darius?" Joe's father stammered upon hearing this.
"Of course. I've heard it myself."
Joe Clark saw an opportunity right then, so he didn't let it slip by. "Young Lord Darius, I heard you have a bit of a feud with your older brother… or your former brother. Is that true?"
Darius raised his eyebrows. "With Lucius? It's true." He nodded.
"I heard the rumors… That guy even dared to try to humiliate you. He's a cocky bastard who only reached that milestone by luck."
Darius sighed and shook his head heavily. "We all know that. But I can't lower myself to teach him a lesson, so we can only let him strut around in his rainbow cloud for a while."
"Of course, you can't lower yourself. But I'll be taking the exam—how about if…?" Joe smiled.
Darius smiled back, but said nothing.
They both understood what the other meant.
Sitting in the shade beside them, Elara Castelier stared intently at Lucius.
'A pretty face with no talent—it's a face meant to be trampled on, Lucius. Even if you were lucky enough to reach that milestone, will you be lucky enough to pass this test?'
Though her gaze was fixed on him, her heart was cold. She understood the importance of making the right choice in this life.
On the field.
"That's Lucius, the one expelled from the Asturians." A voice reached Lucius's ears.
"Heh, that little trash, what the hell is he doing here? Does he really think he's something special just because of that milestone he reached by luck?"
"He's a fly trying to be a lion… It's just laughable."
Despite the taunts ringing in his ears, Lucius didn't care. They went in one ear and out the other.
Everyone present was nothing more than tiny ants trying to measure themselves against a colossus who had once dominated the world at a young age and was destined to do so once again.
As he waited patiently for the teachers to speak and begin the Exam, Joe and Robert appeared beside him.
"I saw what you accomplished, Lucius. I'm impressed that you still had enough money left to waste on buying magical tools just to do something so small," Robert said.
Lucius turned to look at him and laughed before answering. "Do you think I bought magical tools just for that?"
"If not, how did you do it? Lucius, don't try to fool people. You don't have the strength to pull something like that off."
Lucius shrugged and stopped listening. He didn't care what they thought of him. Despite that, they kept chatting nonsense beside him until a teacher stood in front of everyone.
Immediately, silence fell.
"Aspirants, the Obsidian Badlands Exam is finally here. As you know, this is merely an entrance exam, so it's relatively simple and only aims to determine who is qualified for training at the Academy of the Awakened on our glorious New Creation Island…" His opening remarks were simple and brief, but what followed was a lengthy speech.
"Ever since the world of us humans became separated from the ground, finding beasts has been a real challenge. We don't just fight against those around us to secure a better position through healthy competition; we also fight to obtain resources. That's why, today, 200 of you will have to use your wits to find what you want…"
And so, the assigned professor spoke nonstop, giving them motivational speeches and nonsense.
Lucius felt drowsy from listening to that guy talk for over 15 minutes.
"Finally, the admission requirement for the Academy has gone up this year, but it's still simple: Bring an E-Rank Mana Mark. The beast's strength doesn't matter. And don't try to pass off an F-Rank one as an E-Rank one, because we brought specialized devices. With that said, please, go ahead. You have 12 hours to complete it."
Immediately, the students began to get ready. As for Lucius, there wasn't much for him to do. He planned to start walking right away.
But someone stepped in his way.
"It's you, Lucius. The scum of New Asturias. How have you been?" It was a young man who greeted him, apparently around his own age.
Lucius frowned. 'Who is this? I have a feeling I know him…' His mind raced until it found a face in memories from over a year ago.
"Joan Clark," he said.
He was Joe's younger cousin, a real pain in the neck who used to bully the former Lucius.
"Glad you remember me." Joan smiled mockingly. "What are you doing in a place like this? You should be with your family. Coming here…" He suddenly acted as if he'd remembered something.
"Oh. Right, I almost forgot. You got expelled."
Lucius shook his head. 'Why do I keep running into these annoying guys every time?' He tried to get around them, but it was no use.
"Hey, scum. You think you can just ignore me?" Joan suddenly growled and nodded to Joe, who stepped behind Lucius to block his escape. Robert did the same, though more discreetly.
Lucius stared at him, feeling annoyed. In the distance, the students were already starting to venture into the forest. He had to be quick because there weren't many beasts in this area.
"The test has already started. Do you want to get out of the way? You're not an E-Rank beast that'll give me a Mana Mark, so your existence is irrelevant right now. If you want to talk, come find me when this is over," he said and started walking again.
But he was stopped immediately. Joan's hand grabbed him by the shoulder. "Let's make a bet, little trash."
Lucius stared at him. "A bet?" he asked, shaking his arm. "You're not even worthy of tying my shoes. What makes you think you're worthy of betting against me?"
But Joan's hand clenched tightly on his shoulder. "You're trash. Who do you think you are to reject me? The bet will be simple. If you lose, you'll have to lick my shoes and admit you're not worthy of the Asturians. Whoever brings the most powerful mark wins."
His words immediately caught the attention of everyone around. People turned to see what was happening.
"Are they going to make a bet? That's that scum Lucius and young Joan… Those guys really hate each other. They were like that in high school."
"Haha, Joan's trying to humiliate him in public," another added. "Lick his shoes… I don't think Lucius will go for that."
Contrary to expectations, Lucius smiled, finally showing interest.
"You'll do exactly the same if you lose. Got it? Plus, whoever loses will have to give up their last name. If you agree to that in front of everyone watching us, I'll accept your bet."
"Do you have the guts?" Joan looked at him, deeply surprised, but laughed as he fell into his trap. "Fine, very well. I accept the bet. I hope you don't regret your words." He turned away pompously and finally entered the Obsidian Moors.