Chapter 11:Stellar Admission Part 3
The various students were called forth and each displayed their techniques and comat abilites, the instructor writing down their scores, not giving any facial clues on their performance.
But then Lucien spotted one the novel's main characters as they were called up.
Rowan Drayk, a tall boy with spiky auburn hair and a cocky smirk plastered across his face. He exuded confidence as he walked to the center of the arena, spinning twin daggers in his hands.
"Let's see what he's got," a nearby student murmured.
"Begin!" the instructor called, and the stationary dummy activated.
Rowan darted forward, his movements fluid and precise. His daggers flashed as he unleashed a flurry of strikes, hitting the dummy's weak points with pinpoint accuracy. The screen above displayed his performance:
Precision: 95%. Power: 70%. Technique: 92%.
Rowan didn't pause to admire his score. As the dummy entered combat mode, he danced around its attacks with an agility that seemed almost supernatural. When it lunged, he somersaulted over it and landed behind it, delivering a decisive double slash to its back.
The crowd murmured in approval as Rowan stepped back, twirling his daggers with a smug grin. His final score appeared:
Overall: 89%.
Amara, who was up next, stepped forward next. Unlike the others, she carried a sleek, high-tech bow that seemed more suited for a battlefield than a training exercise.
"Archer? Let's see how she does in close combat," someone scoffed.
Lucien frowned at the comment. He knew better.
Amara wasted no time. Her first shot, imbued with frost mana, shattered the stationary dummy's core with a single arrow. As the combat dummy activated, she transitioned seamlessly into motion, firing arrows while dodging its attacks. Each projectile left a trail of frost, slowing the dummy's movements until it was practically encased in ice.
"She's improved since the last time I saw her," Lucien admitted under his breath.
Amara ended with a rapid-fire barrage of frost-tipped arrows, the final shot shattering the frozen dummy into pieces. Her final score appeared:
Overall: 90%.
As more students took their turns, the tension in the room grew. Each performance added to the mix of successes and failures. Some students fumbled their techniques, their scores dipping below the threshold for passing. Others, like Rowan and Amara, displayed remarkable skill and drew murmurs of admiration from the audience.
Lucien felt the weight of his turn approaching. His palms were damp, and his heart raced as the instructor called for the next candidate.
"Lucien Anderson," the instructor announced.
He stood, grabbing his spear and making his way to the center of the arena. The whispers started immediately.
"He's the one close to Amara, right?"
"Think he'll live up to her score?"
Lucien ignored the chatter, his focus narrowing as he stepped into position. He planted the butt of his spear on the ground and took a deep breath.
The instructor raised her hand. "Begin!"
The stationary dummy activated, and Lucien wasted no time. His spear shot forward with Linear Strike, piercing the dummy with speed and precision. He followed up with Sweeping Arc, striking multiple targets in quick succession.
The screen displayed his scores for the first phase:
Precision: 88%. Power: 85%. Technique: 84%.
"Not bad," he thought, but there was no time to dwell on it.
The dummy entered combat mode, and Lucien adjusted his stance. When it lunged, he countered with Point Guard, deflecting the attack before retaliating with Lancing Dash, closing the gap and landing a solid strike.
The dummy shifted tactics, moving faster and attacking unpredictably. Lucien activated Echo Stab, chaining quick thrusts to keep it on the defensive. The strikes weren't as powerful as his sister's or as flashy as Amara's, but they were deliberate and efficient.
As the fight reached its peak, Lucien executed Spiral Vortex, spinning his spear in a blur of motion that knocked the dummy back. He finished with a decisive thrust, the tip of his spear glowing faintly with mana.
The room was silent as his final score appeared on the screen:
Overall: 89%.
Lucien stepped back, breathing heavily but feeling a sense of accomplishment. The score wasn't the highest of the day, but it was solid enough to earn respect. As he returned to his seat, Amara gave him a small nod of approval.
"You did well," she said simply.
"Thanks," he replied, feeling a warmth in her rare praise.
Around him, the other students buzzed with energy, some celebrating their victories while others brooded over their failures. The instructors conferred quietly, their expressions a mix of interest and critical evaluation.
The first stage of the admission process had tested their minds, and now the second had tested their bodies. For Lucien, it was clear that the challenges ahead would only grow more intense—but so would his resolve.
After about two hours the second trial was complete and now came the last and final trial.
The hall buzzed with energy as the students filed back in after completing the theoretical exam and basic combat tests. Despite their earlier exertion, the tension in the room remained palpable. Above the platform at the front of the hall, the imposing instructor stood once again, arms crossed and eyes scanning the crowd with a stern, assessing gaze.
"Congratulations," he began, his voice sharp and clear. "You've made it through the first two stages. But the real challenge begins now. The third and final stage will test your ability to adapt, strategize, and survive in a simulated combat environment—a dungeon run."
The murmurs that spread through the room carried a mix of excitement and anxiety. The students knew this was the critical test.
"You'll face monsters within an E-Rank Gate dungeon. Points will be awarded based on the creatures you defeat, and those with the highest scores will secure the top spots in the Academy's rankings. Remember, this is not a team test. Collaboration is allowed, but the points earned will only count for the individual who delivers the final blow."
"If you look towards the screen here's a list of the monsters you'll find in the dungeon." He said pointing to a hologram screen above him.
E-Rank Gate Monster Point Rankings
Shadow Kobold (1 Point)
Description: Small, humanoid creatures that rely on numbers and basic weapons.
Threat: Minimal.
Gutter Bat (3 Points)
Description: Winged creatures that attack in swarms. Agile and hard to hit, but individually weak.
Threat: Moderate in groups.
Stonecrawler (5 Points)
Description: Armored, insect-like creatures that burrow underground.
Threat: Hard to kill due to tough exoskeletons but slow-moving.
Flame Wolf Pup (8 Points)
Description: Juvenile fire-element wolves with basic fire attacks.
Threat: Agile and capable of minor elemental damage.
Duskwraith (15 Points)
Description: Shadowy apparitions immune to physical damage, requiring elemental or mana-based attacks to harm.
Threat: Dangerous if underestimated; can ambush from the shadows.
Ironback Boar (20 Points)
Description: Large, heavily armored boar-like creatures with a powerful charge.
Threat: High physical resilience and overwhelming strength.
Crystal Golem (35 Points)
Description: Elemental constructs made of jagged crystal, slow but devastating in melee.
Threat: High durability and area-of-effect attacks.
Fire Drake (50 Points)
Description: A smaller, less developed dragonkin with flame breath and sharp claws.
Threat: The most dangerous creature in the dungeon, serving as the "boss."
The applicants studied the list making sure to know what they were facing once they went in.
"Remember you must attain a minimum of 500 points to pass this test, fail and don't even think about being admitted." He strictly warned
The crowd soon realized that there two previous scores, no matter how good won't get them admitted and that this was the test that truly mattered.
A smaller display appeared beside the monster rankings, counting down from one hour.
"Before the dungeon run begins," the instructor continued, "you will have one hour to rest, strategize, and prepare. Use this time wisely. Food and mana replenishment supplies are available in the preparation rooms. Remember, this is your last chance to steady yourselves. When the timer reaches zero, you will be teleported into the dungeon."
Lucien sat with a group of students at one of the rest area tables. Despite the bustling atmosphere, he remained quiet, replaying his earlier fights in his mind and strategizing for what lay ahead. Across from him sat Amara.
"You're oddly calm, Lucien," Amara observed, raising an eyebrow as she sipped from a mana-infused drink.
Lucien shrugged, his fingers tracing idle patterns on his spear's shaft. "Worrying won't help. Better to focus on what's coming."
Amara chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "Typical Lucien—always thinking three steps ahead. Me? I'm just aiming for a solid performance. No way I'm letting you two overshadow me."
Lucien smirked but said nothing, his competitive streak flaring as he prepared for the next stage.