After running away from Reynard, Alex was now sprinting across the glimmering corridors of Zenith Academy, his breath steady despite his hurried pace. The towering glass walls of the academy reflected the twilight sky—soft blue merging into gold as the day transitioned.
He finally slowed as he approached the Virtual Combat Testing Zone, the massive dome-shaped facility that shimmered with layered mana fields. The same place where he had once given his entrance exam—the memories of that day still faintly clear in his mind.
'So this is where it's all going to happen again,' he thought, his expression calm yet sharp.
Just then, the familiar monotone voice of his system echoed inside his mind.
[ Host, you do realize that you've already spent all of your Cosmic Essence when you fought Lilith earlier, correct? ]
Alex's footsteps froze mid-stride. A faint twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.
