Chapter 9 : The Entrance Exams 1

Itekan awoke to the sterile whiteness of a small room, the steady hum of magical wards humming softly in the walls. His head throbbed, but not painfully—more like an echo of the chaos from before. Blinking a few times, he turned his head to the left. Itoyea lay sprawled on the adjacent bed, his chest rising and falling slowly, still unconscious. Relief swept through Itekan's chest.

Before he could sit upright, the door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman bustled into the room. Her uniform marked her as a healer, her silvered hair tied neatly into a bun. Her weathered face softened when she saw him awake.

"Oh, you're awake now. That's good," she said, placing a tray of herbs and folded linens down by Itoyea's bedside. "You were almost late for the entrance exams. I was just coming to wake the both of you."

Itekan's eyes sharpened at her words. Entrance exams? His mind snapped back to the memories of the ambush, the assassins, and Kutote's near-death.

"Where are we? Where's Kutote!?" Itekan asked quickly, his voice edged with worry. His eyes darted around the room, half-expecting another attack.

"Your other friend? Kutote, was it?" she replied, casually adjusting the bandages on Itoyea's shoulder. "He left already. Poor boy was in worse shape than the two of you when you were brought here. Still insisted on leaving early."

Itekan's shoulders relaxed slightly, but unease lingered in the pit of his stomach. He replayed the events in his mind—the assassins had been after Kutote. If he or Itoyea hadn't been there, Kutote wouldn't have survived. Who were those people? Why go to such lengths to eliminate him? These questions gnawed at him as he swung his legs off the bed.

Itoyea stirred as Itekan gently shook his shoulder.

"Hey… Itoyea, wake up. We've got to move. We're late for the exam," Itekan said softly.

"Huh…?" Itoyea's brows furrowed in confusion. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first. But then realization dawned on him, and he shot upright in bed.

"We're late!!" he exclaimed, nearly tripping over himself as he scrambled off the mattress.

"That's what I've been telling you," Itekan muttered, already moving toward the small cabinet near the corner of the room.

"Cool your blood, tigers," the nurse interrupted with a bemused smile. She pointed toward a row of lockers on the wall. "Your uniforms are in those lockers, along with your old clothes… at least what's left of them."

Without another word, both boys darted toward the lockers and began hastily changing into the standard black and silver training uniforms of Four Stars Academy.

---

By the time they reached the academy's sprawling outdoor training grounds, nearly a thousand other candidates were already gathered. A sea of varied faces stretched across the open field, all brimming with excitement, anxiety, or determination. Itekan's sharp eyes scanned the crowd methodically.

"Who are you looking for?" Itoyea asked, adjusting the collar of his uniform beside him.

"Kutote. And maybe some of the other people from the cart," Itekan replied, still scanning every face and shadow.

Itoyea nodded, joining the search.

Suddenly, a sharp, reverberating sound echoed across the field—BWKH!!—snapping everyone's attention toward the central platform where an instructor floated above the ground using a levitation spell. His voice boomed across the grounds, easily commanding silence.

"Hey, everyone! The physical exam is about to begin. Be quiet and listen while I explain the rules."

The murmurs quickly faded, and all eyes fixed on him.

"The physical exam consists of three parts. The first is a free-for-all. Scattered across the test site are monsters—eliminate them or interact strategically to gather points. Each monster kill is worth one point. You can also gain a point by rescuing another candidate in danger. But beware—you can also steal points from other candidates. So choose your allies carefully… and don't get too sentimental."

A ripple of nervous energy swept through the crowd. Some gasped, others exchanged wary glances.

"This first trial is designed to eliminate fifty percent of you."

That announcement hit the group like a thunderclap.

"... Fifty percent? That's harsh…" someone muttered.

"I hope I make the cut," another said, clenching their fists.

The instructor waited for the murmurs to settle before continuing.

"The second phase is conducted in pairs. It's a capture-the-flag game. Each team will have a safe zone. One member leaves to capture flags from other teams, while the other must defend the zone. If you step out of your safe zone, your team is disqualified and all your flags will be scattered randomly. To pass, your team needs five flags."

The candidates exchanged glances again, some whispering potential alliances.

"As for the final trial," the instructor smirked slightly, "that will only be revealed to those who make it that far. Any questions?"

A boy beside Itekan raised his hand nervously.

"What happens if our teammate… dies?"

"No one will die," the instructor replied briskly. "Instructors will intervene before anything fatal happens."

Another boy called out, "How are we disqualified in the free-for-all?"

"You'll be disqualified if you quit, if an instructor is forced to intervene due to excessive injury, or if you attack someone with the clear intent to kill. Now enough questions! We begin now. See you on the other side."

As soon as he finished, the space around Itekan began to shimmer and glow. He held up his hand, watching as his body dissolved into light. His heart raced—not with fear, but exhilaration. Beside him, Itoyea grinned fiercely as the two vanished along with over a thousand other candidates.

---

The forest stretched endlessly beneath a cloudy sky. Dense, ancient trees clawed toward the heavens, their roots tangled beneath thick undergrowth. It was the northeastern wildlands of the Four Stars Academy grounds—a perfect place for a survival trial.

A boy sprinted through the dense foliage, his breath ragged. Behind him, two pursuers gave chase, smirks plastered across their grimy faces.

"Wisterna!!" one shouted, releasing a blast of water that slammed into the fleeing boy's back, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt.

"Got him, Basthee!" the caster chirped, his toothless grin widening.

"Nice shot," Basthee replied, stepping forward with predatory grace. His scarred face twisted into a cruel smile, the black durag tied tightly around his head. He crouched in front of their fallen prey.

"The instructor said we can't kill, but they didn't say anything about… fun," Basthee sneered, raising his fist high.

Before it could fall, a sigh cut through the thick forest air.

From the shadows of a towering branch above, a figure appeared. Cloaked in darkness, only his gleaming eyes pierced the veil.

"That's unnecessary," the stranger said coolly.

Basthee's head snapped upward, alarm flashing across his face.

"Who the hell are you!?"

The figure's lips curled into a thin smile.

"My name… is Binturu. Binturu of the Binturu Clan. And you two?" His voice darkened as his eyes narrowed, "You two are my foes."