The College Entrance Examination was one of the biggest events of the year across Westhaven Province.
For students, it represented years of hard work.
For their families, it was the moment that would determine the direction of their children’s futures.
Because of its importance, the government took extraordinary measures to protect the candidates.
A month before the examination, cities across the province began enforcing strict nighttime noise restrictions.
Even wealthy residential communities sometimes hired specialized Sound-type Ability Users.
Once nine o’clock arrived, these Ability Users would activate their powers and isolate entire neighborhoods from outside noise, allowing students to rest without disturbance.
But on the actual day of the examination, security was even tighter.
Major roads were placed under traffic control.
Armed soldiers patrolled important intersections.
Teams of Ability Users were stationed throughout the city to deal with unexpected incidents.
Because of these arrangements, the forty-plus buses carrying the Combat Examination candidates moved through Redhaven City without encountering a single traffic problem.
Within a short time, they arrived at the military district on the outskirts of the city.
The buses eventually entered a massive open area.
One after another, the students stepped down.
The atmosphere immediately became serious.
Soldiers stood around the perimeter.
One soldier was stationed approximately every three meters, each holding a firearm and standing perfectly straight.
Their expressions were cold and disciplined.
There was no doubt that anyone who tried to force their way through the security line would be met with overwhelming firepower.
At the far end of the open area stood a temporary military platform.
Behind it was a massive section surrounded by reinforced fencing and barbed wire.
Beyond the fence…
Was a ruined town.
The abandoned buildings stretched into the distance.
Broken roads were covered with weeds.
Collapsed houses stood like skeletons beneath the morning sky.
The entire area was enormous.
It was impossible to see where the ruins ended.
And somewhere among those ruins…
Something moved.
Dark silhouettes occasionally flashed between the buildings.
Then came the sounds.
Growls.
Hisses.
Roars.
The students standing outside the fence instinctively became tense.
“That’s our examination site…”
“Oh my God!
Was that a horned beast?”
“A Horned Rhino?”
“No way.”
“The exam can’t be that difficult this year, right?”
Whispers spread rapidly through the crowd.
Kael stood among the candidates and looked toward the ruined town.
His expression remained calm.
The ruined settlement had once been known as Grayridge Town.
Decades earlier, it had been a small settlement under the jurisdiction of Redhaven City.
Then a massive Beast Tide swept through the region.
The town was overrun.
Buildings were destroyed.
Thousands of lives were lost.
Eventually, the military managed to reclaim the area.
But by then, the settlement had already been reduced to ruins.
Rebuilding it would have required enormous resources, while the surrounding area offered little economic value.
So the military turned the abandoned town into a permanent training ground.
And once every year, it became something else.
The site of the Combat College Entrance Examination.
Of course, the Ferocious Beasts placed inside the town weren’t chosen randomly.
The military controlled the population carefully.
The examination committee of Westhaven Province determined which species would be used each year.
Every major city within the province followed the same arrangement.
That ensured the examination remained fair.
Students from different cities faced comparable challenges.
The species and strength of the Ferocious Beasts directly determined the difficulty of the examination.
Normally, the outer region contained relatively common non-ranked beasts.
Creatures such as Shadow Cats and Ironhide Boars were frequently used.
But occasionally, more dangerous species appeared.
Horned Rhinos.
Bladeclaw Tigers.
When such creatures appeared near the outer regions, the difficulty of the examination increased dramatically.
So did the death rate.
That was why several students became visibly pale when they spotted the enormous silhouette of a Horned Rhino beyond the fence.
“Why are you panicking over a Horned Rhino?”
A sharp voice suddenly rang through the crowd.
“If you can’t even handle a beast like that, then what are you going to do after entering an Ability University?”
The surrounding students turned angrily toward the speaker.
Then they froze.
The person standing there was a young man wearing a light-blue combat suit.
He carried a long sword.
His appearance was handsome, but there was something particularly sharp about him.
His posture resembled that of a trained swordsman.
His eyes were especially intimidating.
They were sharp and focused, almost like the eyes of an eagle preparing to strike.
Several students who had been ready to argue immediately closed their mouths.
Kael noticed the strange reaction.
He turned toward the tall student standing beside him.
“Who is that?”
The student carried a large blade and a shield.
Kael knew him.
Liam Carter.
Liam had awakened a C-rank Enhancement ability called Titan Form.
When activated, his body could grow to more than twice its normal size.
His strength increased dramatically along with his physical transformation.
Among the students in Class Five, Liam was one of Kael’s better friends.
Only Evan Hayes was closer to him.
Liam glanced toward the swordsman.
“Who else could it be?”
He lowered his voice.
“That’s Ethan Blake from Rivergate First High School.”
Kael raised an eyebrow.
“So that’s him.”
He had heard the name before.
Rivergate First High School was considered the strongest high school in the entire Redhaven City region.
Its educational resources were far superior to those of ordinary schools.
Its instructors included genuine Ability Users.
The school also regularly arranged practical combat training against Ferocious Beasts.
Its students were therefore much more experienced than the average high school candidate.
Almost every year, most of the top ten candidates in the Redhaven City Combat Examination came from First High School.
And Ethan Blake was one of their strongest students.
His awakened ability was an B-rank Elemental ability called Wind Spirit Gale.
Once activated, it allowed him to condense razor-sharp blades of wind.
It also reduced the resistance of the air around his body, significantly increasing his movement and attack speed.
Among the awakened abilities known in Redhaven City, Wind Spirit Gale was considered one of the most powerful.
But that wasn’t the only reason Ethan was famous.
He had already broken through the Awakener stage.
He was a genuine Tier One Ability User.
Before the examination even began, he was already considered one of the leading candidates for the city’s highest Combat Examination score.
Among the students, he had even earned a nickname:
The Gale Sword.
With that kind of strength, ordinary candidates naturally didn’t want to provoke him.
“Excellent.”
A middle-aged man standing among the officials watched Ethan with approval.
He was the principal of Rivergate First High School.
“That’s exactly the attitude a swordsman should have.”
“Fearless.”
“Confident.”
“Unwilling to back down.”
He nodded with satisfaction.
But the conversations among the students soon stopped.
A middle-aged military officer stepped onto the temporary platform.
He was tall and broad-shouldered.
A long scar ran down the right side of his face.
He stood there without saying a word.
Then his eyes swept across the crowd.
The students immediately became silent.
The oppressive feeling that spread through the area was almost physical.
If Ethan Blake’s gaze gave people the feeling of being watched by a predator…
This man’s gaze was different.
It felt like standing directly in front of a Ferocious Beast.
Several students instinctively swallowed.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Tier Two at minimum.”
He could feel the tremendous pressure radiating from the officer.
Perhaps even stronger.
The officer stepped forward.
His voice immediately echoed across the enormous open area.
He didn’t need a microphone.
Every student could hear him clearly.
“I am General Marcus Hale, the chief commander of this year’s Redhaven City Combat College Entrance Examination.”
His expression was stern.
“Before the examination begins, I will repeat the rules and safety instructions.”
The students listened carefully.
“The examination will begin at 9:00 a.m.
sharp.”
“It will end at 9:00 p.m.”
“You will have a total of twelve hours.”
General Hale pointed toward the ruined town behind him.
“The examination area is the abandoned settlement behind me.”
“Just as in previous years, the settlement has been divided into four regions.”
“The Outer Region.”
“The Middle Region.”
“The Core Region.”
“And the Inner Region.”
His voice became heavier.
“The Outer Region contains only non-ranked Ferocious Beasts.”
“The Middle Region contains peak non-ranked beasts and Tier One Ferocious Beasts.”
“The Core Region contains Tier One Ferocious Beasts and stronger creatures.”
“And the Inner Region…”
He paused.
“…contains High-Tier One and Tier Two Ferocious Beasts.”
The crowd became noticeably quieter.
Kael listened carefully.
The four regions were essentially four levels of difficulty.
The Outer Region was suitable for weaker candidates.
The Middle Region was more dangerous.
The Core Region was reserved for powerful students.
And the Inner Region…
That was where the true monsters were.
Kael couldn’t help smiling.
“It’s basically like a mathematics examination.”
“The early questions are easy.”
“The middle questions require ability.”
“The final questions are designed to separate the geniuses from everyone else.”
The Inner Region was the equivalent of the final question on an impossibly difficult examination.
Only the strongest candidates would dare attempt it.
Kael looked toward the ruined town.
Before obtaining Purple Sky Thunder, he would have considered the Outer Region his limit.
But now?
He had absolute confidence in entering the Core Region.
And perhaps…
Even the Inner Region.
General Hale continued.
“Your score will depend on the number and strength of the Ferocious Beasts you kill.”
“Different species provide different amounts of points.”
“The stronger the beast, the higher the score.”
“But remember this.”
His voice became extremely serious.
“You must know your own limits.”
“Choose an area appropriate for your strength.”
“Do not enter a dangerous region simply because you want a higher score.”
“Your life is more important than your ranking.”
The students nodded solemnly.
General Hale raised his right hand.
“Now, we will distribute your examination equipment.”
Several squads of soldiers immediately moved forward.
At the same time, a large military truck approached from the side.
It stopped beside the platform.
The rear cargo doors opened.
Inside were hundreds of identical black tactical backpacks.
The soldiers began distributing them to the candidates.
Soon, every student had received one.
Kael opened his backpack.
Inside were three important items.
The first was a smart watch.
It would automatically record the Ferocious Beasts each candidate killed.
It would identify their species, calculate their corresponding points, and transmit the information to the examination system.
The watch also contained a digital map of Grayridge Town.
Candidates could use it to determine their location inside the examination area.
The second item was a set of compressed energy bars.
There were three.
Each could quickly restore a portion of the user’s physical energy after prolonged combat.
The final item was the most important.
A small silver-white metallic sphere.
A Safety Sphere.
Kael picked it up and examined it carefully.
Once activated, the device would generate a powerful electrical barrier around the user.
Ordinary Ferocious Beasts would be unable to break through it.
However, there was one major catch.
The moment a candidate activated the Safety Sphere…
Their examination was immediately terminated.
It was a life-saving device.
Not a way to continue fighting.
Kael attached the smart watch to his wrist.
He placed the three energy bars inside his tactical backpack.
Then he secured the backpack to his back.
Finally, he attached the Safety Sphere to his waist.
Everything was ready.
Around him, the other candidates were doing the same.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked excited.
A few were already discussing which region they planned to enter.
Kael remained quiet.
His gaze slowly moved toward the ruined town.
The buildings beyond the fence seemed silent.
But he knew better.
Hundreds of Ferocious Beasts were waiting inside.
Soon, the gates would open.
And once they did…
Every candidate would be on their own.
Kael’s hand lightly touched the shaft of the Obsidian Spear.
The weapon felt familiar.
Comfortable.
Reliable.
He could already imagine the feeling of Purple Sky Thunder surging through it.
But even with the Safety Sphere around his waist, there was no such thing as absolute safety.
A Ferocious Beast could attack in an instant.
A single mistake could determine life or death.
There might not even be enough time to activate the Safety Sphere.
That was the brutal reality of the Combat Examination.
Once the battle began, every second mattered.
And Kael Veyron was ready.