The First Target & Academy Entrance

[+50 Points]

[-50 Points due to property damage]

"Fucking dumbass, be careful," Zero snapped.

"Shut up! I'll get it this time!" Zion shot back.

A massive robotic hand came crashing down toward him. He dashed to the side, using its arm as a foothold to propel himself upward. With a forceful leap, he slammed his fist into the machine's head, shattering it.

[+50 Points]

"HAHA! See?!" Zion laughed like a maniac.

"Whatever," Zero scoffed. "Just focus on getting the highest points. You need to make it into the top section."

Zion nodded, then continued his rampage. Machine monsters fell before him one after another, and civilians were saved in the chaos. But for every point he gained, he also lost some—more buildings crumbled as his battles intensified.

Up in the sky, Zero observed him closely. "He's doing good..."

He gave a slight nod. "System, pull up Zion's info."

[Name: Zion Asyphre]

[Race: Half-Elf / Half-Human]

[Age: 18]

[Job: None]

[Abilities: Bloodline Ability]

[Type: Special – Infinity Gaze]

[Awakened: Positive (1x)]

[Family: Positive]

[Traits: Cocky, Simp]

[Weakness: Girls]

"Tsk, that might be a problem…" Zero muttered. "Even though he awakened his power during our two years of training—" He smirked. "Well, it doesn't matter, as long as he follows the plan."

"System, how many points do I have?" Zion asked, panting slightly.

[800 Points]

[Rank: No. 8 on the leaderboard]

"No. 8? That's not bad," Zion muttered. "Too bad I can't see the others' scores."

He took a deep breath, then activated his ability. "Gaze."

His vision expanded, sensing energy within a 200-meter radius.

"South… I barely see any energy signatures there."

Without hesitation, he dashed toward the area, landing on the rooftop of a building.

"Why the hell did you come here?" Zero asked, appearing beside him.

"I barely sensed anything. I figured there would be more robots or monsters hiding."

Zero sighed. "You idiot. You can literally see energy. Just track the electrical flow inside the machines."

SMACK!

"OUCH!" Zion yelped as Zero slapped the back of his head.

"Now go there and stop wasting time."

Zion grumbled but complied.

They had an unspoken bond. Ever since they agreed to become one, they could interact with each other something that went beyond normal comprehension.

As Zion rushed across the battlefield, his eyes locked onto a girl lying helplessly on the ground. A massive monster loomed over her, its foot poised to crush her in an instant.

Without hesitation, Zion dashed forward, his body moving on instinct. Just as the monster's foot came crashing down, he grabbed the girl and rolled away. The impact shattered the back of his jumpsuit, sending a shockwave through his body.

"T-Thanks..." the girl stuttered, her voice weak.

Zion clicked his tongue, his gaze turning sharp. "A monster that dares to harm a woman... must be punished."

The creature flinched under his glare, but it didn't matter. Its massive jaws opened, and a vile green liquid began to bubble in its throat. Acid!

"Shit!"

The monster spewed the burning substance, melting a nearby building on impact. The acid hissed as it corroded the steel, reducing it to nothing in seconds.

Then, the creature twisted its neck unnaturally, its head spinning like a grotesque top before spewing even more acid, destroying everything in its path.

"I gotta get out of here."

Zion grabbed the girl and jumped between buildings, moving swiftly to escape the destruction. Once they were at a safe distance, he placed her down.

Her white hair, soaked in blood, stuck to her face.

He smirked. "Tsk, such a waste of beauty."

Then, he turned back toward the monster. Time for payback.

Zion sprinted to the rooftop of a tall building, his muscles tensing as he gathered momentum. The moment he reached the edge, he launched himself into the air.

He spun midair, twisting his body as his left leg shot forward. The force created a spear-like illusion, a blur of deadly precision.

"OMEGA PIERCING KICK!"

His attack collided with the monster's skull, the sheer impact tearing through its head like a bullet through flesh. The creature let out one final shriek before collapsing, its massive body crashing into the ruined city.

[+150 Points]

As Shin's memories resurfaced, he could hear their past conversation echoing in his mind.

"Can you at least give it a better name?" Shin asked, watching the destruction left in the wake of the technique.

Zero crossed his arms, unimpressed. "What do you mean? It's a good name Omega Piercing Kick!"

Shin's expression twisted in disbelief. "Really?"

Zero shrugged. "Yeah, I named it back in the academy."

Zion sighed but said nothing. Memories of their past training days flashed through Shin's mind.

The Leaderboard Shifted Rapidly

As students continued racking up points, the leaderboard kept changing. Only one hour remained.

A man with a long black ponytail adjusted his glasses, his cold eyes narrowing at the monitors. "That technique... It seems familiar."

Beside him, an elderly woman watched the screens with a calm expression. "Really? I thought I was the only one who noticed."

The man removed his glasses, revealing sharp eyes that gleamed with interest. Raizel Varek, the academy's principal, smiled though it carried a sinister undertone.

"Have you set your eyes on any students yet?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Raizel replied, his smirk widening. "About ten of them."

The Top Contenders

The monitor flickered, showing a boy with fierce orange hair battling a monstrous creature. His attacks grew stronger with each passing second, his body radiating raw energy.

"That boy… he's ranked #1, isn't he?" Raizel mused.

The elderly woman nodded. "Yes, his name is Valrak. His ability is called Berserker the angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes. Each rage-induced state grants him random power-ups."

Raizel smirked. "An interesting ability. He might just become an SSS-ranked hero one day."

The screen shifted again, revealing a girl with sky-blue hair. Her eyes shone with a star-shaped glow, her movements precise and elegant.

"This one comes from a prestigious family of Mystic Arts Users," the old woman commented. "However, upon birth, she awakened an ability called Neuroform."

Raizel raised an eyebrow. "A Special Type ability, huh?" He took the papers from the woman and skimmed through them. "Her power is… quite confusing."

"You'll understand once you read further," the woman replied.

But what truly caught Raizel's attention was the student ranked #5.

Zion.

His elf lineage was no secret his family was one of the wealthiest in history. But what was truly astonishing...

"He's already awakened his Aetheris at just 18 years old," Raizel thought, intrigued.

"And," the woman continued, her voice dropping slightly, "his fighting style resembles that of the former SSS-ranked hero, Lockerum."

A flicker of unease crossed Raizel's face, but it quickly disappeared behind his composed smirk.

"It doesn't matter," he muttered, almost as if reassuring himself. "The kid is probably just a fanboy of Lockerum."

The elderly woman nodded but thought to herself, You're scared, aren't you, Raizel?

Meanwhile, Raizel continued grinning, his gaze locked onto the top 10 students each one a potential legend in the making.