"You may now enter the illusion world," the exam coordinator announced, his voice carrying across the field with unmistakable authority. "This world was modeled after the infamous Forest of Death. You'll each be teleported to a random point in the forest. Within it, various monsters of differing ranks roam freely. Each monster you kill will grant you points based on its difficulty. These points will determine your ranking."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. The tension was rising, and even the confident ones were beginning to fidget slightly.
"Your final ranking will greatly influence which university accepts you. The higher you rank, the better your chances of admission into elite academies. So hunt—hunt as if your future depends on it. Because it does."
He let the silence stretch a moment before continuing.
"That's not all. You can also gain points by eliminating other competitors." A collective gasp followed that statement, though none were truly surprised.
