That single announcement was enough to make a certain someone who had still been half-disoriented since waking up witness his death all over again.
The sudden blast from the speakers was so loud that Ethan nearly tripped over himself as he practically jumped into the air from fright.
"For Christ’s sake!" he groaned, clutching his chest as his heart threatened to leap straight out of it. "Did the speakers seriously have to be that loud?"
And whoever had decided it was a brilliant idea to scream through an already ear-splitting speaker deserved jail time.
No... Fuck that person in particular!
His gaze darted toward the time displayed on his phone, and the remaining trace of sleep vanished completely.
Five minutes.
Five freaking minutes!
He hadn’t even washed up yet!
"Panic later... move first!"
Without wasting another second, Ethan shot toward the tiny sink, hastily squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush before shoving it into his mouth. While brushing at lightning speed, he somehow managed to yank on his uniform trousers at the same time, hopping awkwardly on one foot as he struggled to pull them up.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
By the time he splashed cold water across his face, the dried blood staining the corners of his mouth, nose and ears had finally been washed away, leaving only an unhealthy paleness behind. He didn’t even have the luxury of checking whether he still looked like someone who had crawled back from the dead because the countdown inside his head was only getting louder.
Five minutes...
Four...
Three...
With barely enough time left to button his shirt, he snatched up his academy badge, shoved his phone into his pocket, grabbed his shoes while running, and bolted out of his dorm room like his life depended on it.
Which, knowing this academy...
It probably did.
The usually quiet pathways of the Academy had descended into complete chaos. Students were pouring out of every dormitory building at full speed, all racing toward the assessment grounds in what looked less like students heading for an examination and more like contestants participating in an academy-wide marathon.
Ethan immediately blended into the stampede.
His lungs burned after only a minute of sprinting, yet nobody around him looked remotely interested in slowing down.
"...You people are insane..." he wheezed between breaths.
Eventually, the enormous assessment grounds came into view, and Ethan pushed himself even harder before finally crossing through the entrance.
He bent over immediately, supporting himself with both knees as he greedily sucked in mouthfuls of air.
"I made it..."
"I actually made it..."
Once his breathing finally settled, he slowly raised his head to examine the surroundings, only for his eyes to widen in complete disbelief.
There were already a handful of students standing neatly in formation.
"...You’re kidding."
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
There were actually people who managed to arrive early...
"...At this ungodly hour?"
Did these people sleep inside the assessment grounds or something?
His gaze wandered across the crowd before finally landing on a familiar head of ash-colored hair.
Rin.
Relief washed over him almost instantly.
Without hesitation, Ethan squeezed through the rows of students until he finally reached his best friend, already prepared to ask how on earth Rin had managed to arrive this early despite the ungodly hour.
The words never left his mouth.
Instead, he found Rin quietly staring at him with an expression so strange that Ethan couldn’t immediately decipher it. It was almost as though the other boy couldn’t decide whether Ethan deserved an explanation...
...or immediate medical attention.
"...What?" Ethan asked, instinctively touching his own face.
Rin remained silent for another moment before leaning closer and lowering his voice.
"You do know yesterday’s senior... Melvin... is here, right?"
Ethan blinked.
Then blinked again.
He stared at Rin for several seconds, genuinely wondering whether the guy had finally knocked a screw loose somewhere.
What exactly did that have to do with him?
"So?" he asked honestly.
Rin looked at him as though he’d just witnessed something unbelievable.
"You seriously don’t mind him seeing you looking like this?" he whispered dramatically before gesturing toward Ethan’s pale face. "My friend, you look like a walking disaster."
Ethan frowned in confusion.
He understood the walking disaster part, he had practically ran all the way here after the world’s most chaotic morning. Looking like a disaster was perfectly understandable.
But...
Why exactly should he care whether Melvin saw him?
"Rin..." Ethan sighed, giving him an incredulous look. "Are you nuts? Why would I mind? I don’t even care how I look right now."
Rin slowly nodded, though the expression on his face only became even stranger.
Interesting...
Very interesting.
So Ethan didn’t mind appearing disheveled in front of Melvin.
Did that mean... they already secretly seeing each other?
That couldn’t be possible right?
He’d definitely have to interrogate his best friend later.
Meanwhile...
Poor Ethan remained completely unaware of the increasingly absurd conclusions forming inside Rin’s head.
Right now...
The only thing occupying Ethan’s mind was something entirely different.
He still had absolutely no idea whether his cultivation had actually succeeded.
After collapsing yesterday, he had been completely shut out of his Mental Sea and hadn’t even been given enough time to check whether his rank had changed.
That uncertainty alone was driving him crazy.
Before Ethan could continue spiraling into panic, one of the academy instructors Mr Davin stepped forward, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
His sharp gaze swept across the gathered students before he spoke in a firm voice that echoed throughout the enormous grounds.
"If you’re standing here today, then congratulations. You have successfully made it to the academy’s first assessment examination. Your results today will determine whether you’re qualified to proceed to the practical Rift and Dungeon exercises that begin after this assessment period."
The moment those words fell, the massive steel gates leading towards the training grounds began sliding open with a deep mechanical rumble.
Every student’s attention shifted toward the opening.
Beyond the gates lay an enormous training complex that had clearly been prepared in advance. Multiple testing zones stretched as far as the eye could see, each one filled with different obstacle courses, simulation chambers, and specialized equipment designed to evaluate both Sentinels and Guides under academy standards.
Ethan’s expression froze.
The color slowly drained from his already pale face.
"...Don’t tell me..."
His eyes remained fixed on the daunting obstacle course waiting beyond the gates as one horrifying realization settled heavily inside his chest.
This...
This was what they were going to put him through?