The Dark Relic reacted the moment my hand touched the crystal.
Shadows spread instantly across the ruined battlefield while black mana surged through my body in violent waves, flooding every mana circuit with enough intensity to crack the ground beneath my feet.
Unlike the unstable rage I had experienced against Kaelor, this darkness felt calm.
Controlled.
Ancient.
Compatible.
The crystal slowly dissolved into black particles before merging directly into my scythe.
The weapon reacted immediately, dark engravings spreading across the blade while abyssal mana flowed naturally through the metal like blood returning to a living body.
At the same time, fragments of knowledge resurfaced inside my mind once more.
Not memories exactly.
Instincts.
Techniques.
Control.
The shadows surrounding my body moved differently now, smoother somehow, as though the darkness itself resisted me less than before.
More importantly, the violent loss of control from earlier no longer felt inevitable.
I could feel it clearly.
The connection had stabilized.
And alongside that realization, another ability surfaced naturally inside my mind.
Shadow Clone.
A construct formed entirely from darkness and mana capable of acting independently through my will.
Very useful.
“Well?” Kael eventually asked while staring at my scythe.
“You gonna explain why the creepy death knight basically gave you a gift before disintegrating?”
“I think he approved of me.”
“That is somehow NOT reassuring.”
Faelyn crossed her arms while continuing to observe the transformed weapon carefully.
“The mana around you changed.”
She was right.
Even Lyra noticed it immediately.
The darkness surrounding my mana no longer felt unstable or violent like before.
It had become deeper, calmer, more refined.
Like sharpening a blade instead of unleashing a storm blindly.
Varkas quietly looked toward the vanished Guardian afterward before speaking.
“…It recognized you.”
The words lingered for a few seconds.
Honestly…
He probably wasn’t wrong.
Before anyone could continue the conversation, the entire Pocket Dimension suddenly trembled violently.
Massive waves of mana spread across the sky while every remaining biome in the distance started collapsing one after another behind enormous walls of white light.
Then a voice echoed across the world itself, calm and ancient, powerful enough to silence the entire dimension instantly.
“The Battle Royale has ended.”
Every surviving candidate across the Pocket Dimension froze immediately.
“The one thousand qualified participants for this year’s entrance examination have been selected.”
Kael immediately exhaled loudly.
“FINALLY.”
“Congratulations on surviving.
You have proven your strength, adaptability, intelligence, and potential.”
The shattered ruins surrounding us slowly started dissolving afterward while transfer magic formed beneath every surviving participant across the dimension.
“Prepare for extraction.”
Light exploded around the battlefield.
For a brief moment, my vision disappeared completely beneath the teleportation magic swallowing the Pocket Dimension whole.
Then the world returned.
The noise hit first.
Thousands of voices.
Cheers.
Explosions of excitement.
The moment the surviving participants reappeared inside the colossal arena surrounding Aetherion Academy, the crowd erupted violently.
Massive magical screens floating above the stadium still displayed fragments of the Battle Royale while countless spectators shouted the names of candidates who had distinguished themselves during the examination.
And unfortunately for me…
A large number of them seemed very aware of who the “Darkness S Rank” was now.
“That’s him!”
“The one who injured the nobles!”
“He destroyed an entire elite team alone!”
“Look at his mana…”
The atmosphere inside the arena felt completely different from when the exam began.
Back then, twenty thousand hopeful candidates had stood there filled with arrogance and ambition.
Now only one thousand remained.
Exhausted.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Survivors.
Kael slowly turned in circles while staring at the gigantic arena around us.
“Okay… this is WAY more dramatic than I expected.”
“You screamed while fighting an electric eel,” Faelyn replied.
“You are not allowed to judge dramatic things.”
“I regret nothing.”
Meanwhile, healers and academy staff immediately started moving through the arena, checking injuries and stabilizing exhausted participants.
Several candidates stared openly at our group now, especially after recognizing Varkas and Faelyn beside us.
The reactions varied between fear, curiosity, admiration, and occasionally hostility.
But after everything we survived together inside the Pocket Dimension, none of us cared anymore.
The atmosphere inside the arena continued growing louder with every passing second.
Thousands of spectators filled the colossal stands surrounding Aetherion Academy while magical screens replayed the most impressive moments of the Battle Royale high above the stadium.
Some candidates celebrated their qualification openly.
Others collapsed from exhaustion the moment the pressure disappeared.
Healers moved constantly between the survivors while professors observed the remaining participants with increasing interest.
And above all of that…
The Academy itself towered over the arena like something beyond human ambition.
Massive white structures infused with glowing mana stretched toward the sky while floating platforms circled enormous towers connected through bridges of light.
Ancient statues stood around the stadium like silent guardians watching over the next generation of warriors and mages.
Even after everything we had survived inside the Pocket Dimension, the sight alone was enough to leave most candidates speechless. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Kael stared upward slowly.
“…Okay, now THIS looks like the kind of place where people accidentally destroy mountains during exams.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Faelyn replied.
“It sounds inspirational.”
Meanwhile, I kept observing the academy itself quietly.
The mana surrounding the entire structure felt absurdly dense.
Ancient.
Almost alive.
Authority of Knowledge continuously attempted analyzing the countless magical formations hidden throughout the Academy grounds, yet most returned incomplete results or information far beyond my current understanding.
Which meant one thing.
Aetherion Academy was far more dangerous than it appeared.
Then suddenly…
The entire arena fell silent.
Not progressively.
Instantly.
Every voice disappeared at once as a pressure unlike anything I had ever felt descended across the stadium.
My body froze instinctively.
Even breathing suddenly felt heavier.
The sky above the arena slowly distorted afterward while golden light spread across the stadium in enormous waves.
Mana itself reacted violently to the presence appearing above us.
The air trembled.
Space warped slightly.
And for the first time since reincarnating into this world…
Authority of Knowledge failed completely.
?????
?????
?????
No analysis.
No information.
Nothing.
A figure slowly materialized high above the arena.
Humanoid.
Tall.
Wrapped in flowing white and gold garments that seemed woven directly from light itself.
Long silver hair drifted calmly behind him despite the complete absence of wind while countless golden particles floated naturally through the air surrounding his body.
And yet…
Nothing about him felt human.
The pressure alone surpassed everything I had experienced until now by an incomprehensible margin.
Around me, every surviving candidate stood frozen in stunned silence.
Some unconsciously lowered their heads beneath the sheer weight of the presence filling the stadium.
Even several professors looked visibly tense now.
Kael swallowed slowly beside me.
“…Why do I suddenly feel like an ant?”
Because we probably were.
Then the figure finally spoke.
“Welcome.”
His voice spread calmly across the arena, yet every word resonated directly through reality itself.
“You who survived the entrance examination of Aetherion Academy.”
The moment the name echoed through the stadium, realization spread instantly through the crowd.
Aetherion.
The God of Ascension.
Founder of the Academy.
A being worshipped across entire kingdoms.
And he was standing directly in front of us.
Even I struggled to process it.
Because unlike the nobles, the professors, or the Guardians…
This existence existed on an entirely different level.
No.
Different laws entirely.
Aetherion’s golden eyes slowly moved across the arena afterward, observing the surviving candidates silently.
When his gaze briefly crossed mine, an unnatural chill ran through my entire body.
Not fear exactly.
Awareness.
The overwhelming certainty that if this being wished it, I would disappear before even understanding what happened.
And somehow…
A small smile appeared on his face.
Then the pressure vanished instantly.
The entire arena collectively exhaled at once.
“Among twenty thousand participants,” Aetherion continued calmly, “one thousand stand before me now.
You fought.
Survived.
Evolved.
Some of you displayed talent worthy of admiration.”
His gaze slowly shifted across several candidates afterward.
The surviving S Ranks.
Including us.
“But strength alone does not define a warrior.”
Golden mana spread across the arena once more while enormous magical formations appeared beneath the battlefield itself.
“Before the entrance examination officially concludes…”
The stadium erupted instantly the moment countless combat arenas rose from the ground.
“You will fight once more.”
Kael immediately grinned.
“There it is.”
Aetherion raised one hand calmly while the formations stabilized across the stadium.
“All remaining candidates shall participate in final duels.
Standard participants will fight in one versus one combat.”
Then the God’s gaze shifted toward the surviving S Ranks.
“As for those recognized as exceptional…”
The magical formations at the center of the stadium expanded into far larger battlefields.
“You shall fight together.”
Murmurs exploded throughout the crowd instantly.
Aetherion’s voice remained perfectly calm.
“The S Ranks will participate in three-way elimination battles.”
Even Kael blinked beside me.
“…Okay, that sounds insane.”
Honestly?
He wasn’t wrong.
The announcement transformed the atmosphere inside the arena almost instantly.
What had started as celebration slowly became tension once more as thousands of surviving candidates stared toward the combat fields rising from the center of the stadium.
The spectators, meanwhile, looked ecstatic.
After watching twenty thousand participants enter the examination only to see one thousand survive, nobody wanted the spectacle to end now.
Kael cracked his neck beside me while grinning like a complete psychopath.
“Okay, I officially love this Academy.”
“You almost died multiple times already,” Faelyn replied.
“Exactly.
Peak entertainment.”
Even Lyra smiled faintly at that while the professors and academy staff reorganized the enormous arena below.
Unlike the chaos of the Battle Royale, the final phase looked far more structured now.
One massive battlefield remained at the center of the stadium while magical barriers surrounded it from every direction.
Then the professor standing beside Aetherion amplified his voice through mana once more.
“The final combat phase will proceed through individual matches.”
Immediately, several magical screens appeared above the arena displaying brackets and candidate names.
“These battles are not elimination rounds.”
That instantly caused visible relief among many participants.
“Victory or defeat will not affect your admission into Aetherion Academy.
All surviving candidates have already earned their place here.”
The tension eased slightly afterward.
“These final duels exist for one purpose only…”
The professor’s gaze slowly moved across the remaining candidates.
“To demonstrate your strength.”
The crowd erupted immediately afterward.
Of course they loved the idea.
After surviving the Battle Royale, every participant now had the opportunity to display their abilities directly before the Academy, the professors, the kingdoms watching from the stands…
And Aetherion himself.
“Furthermore,” the professor continued calmly, “all combat arenas are connected to stabilized Pocket Dimensions.
Death remains impossible.”
Kael immediately looked relieved.
“Perfect.
That means I can fully commit to terrible decisions.”
“You were going to do that anyway,” Lyra answered.
“Correct.”
Meanwhile, my attention had already shifted toward the remaining S Ranks gathered across the arena.
For the first time since the examination began, all of them stood visible together instead of scattered throughout the Battle Royale.
Some remained surrounded by allies while others stood completely alone beneath the pressure of their own mana.
And immediately…
I understood why the Academy intended to save them for last.
One candidate caught my attention first: a silver-haired swordsman calmly resting a black katana across one shoulder while space itself distorted faintly around him every time he moved.
Another stood covered in crimson scars, massive gauntlets wrapped around both arms while pure physical mana pressure radiated from him like an explosion waiting to happen.
Then there was the woman surrounded by floating light sigils rotating slowly around her body.
Noble posture.
Cold expression.
Powerful enough that nearby candidates unconsciously avoided standing too close to her.
Strong.
Very strong.
For the first time since the Battle Royale ended, genuine excitement slowly replaced exhaustion inside me.
“You’re doing it again,” Lyra whispered beside me.
I glanced toward her.
“Doing what?”
“That face.”
“What face?”
“The one where you start looking terrifying because you’re excited to fight.”
Kael immediately pointed at her dramatically.
“YES.
THAT FACE.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You absolutely do,” Faelyn replied.
Even Varkas looked faintly amused now.
Far above the arena, Aetherion continued observing the stadium silently beneath the golden sky while countless magical formations stabilized around the battlefield below.
Even now, Authority of Knowledge still returned nothing but incomprehensible symbols every time I tried analyzing him.
?????
Nothing else.
No explanation.
No information.
Only absolute impossibility.
And somehow…
That fascinated me almost as much as the coming fights.
Then the professor spoke once more.
“The standard duels will begin shortly.
The S Rank exhibition battles shall conclude today’s entrance examination.”
Immediately, the entire stadium erupted louder than before.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
The strongest candidates would fight last.
As the main event.
Kael slowly grinned afterward while looking toward the central arena.
“Well… looks like you’re the finale.”
Honestly?
That sounded perfectly fine to me.