Back in the sunlit stadium, the mood was one of stunned, collective disbelief. For the past several hours, the spectators had been watching the name 'Levi Borne' sit unmovingly at the top of the leaderboard.
At first, they were simply curious. A few had even suspected that there was a glitch in the system.
How could the boy with the trash-tier F-rank talent possibly be leading the pack?
Some of the more disbelieving students began to discuss amongst each other what the problem was and how he mutated have possibly gotten such high points.
"He must be cheating somehow!"
"Yes, you must be right!"
"Perhaps he found a nest of Rank 1 creatures and is farming them endlessly. Those pitiful creatures!"
"What a wicked guy!"
Then, the main holographic image, which had been showcasing the flashy battles of other talented students such as Gerald and Rosè, suddenly switched its focus to the current points leader.
The image that filled the colossal hologram was of a dense, crazy and blood-soaked battlefield.
What the spectators saw next silenced every single doubts in their mind and replaced it with shock.
Levi was like a meat grinding machine.
He moved through a pack of five Rank 4 'Armored Rock Apes,' like a manic.
The Armored Rock Apes are known for their incredible strength and stone-like skin, but Levi was cutting through them with ease.
He wasn't even using any powerful techniques.
He was simply using his physical strength.
Swinging left to right, slashing through them like a rotor.
"Roar!"
One of the apes, roared in fury, it's massive stone arm punched out at Levi's face in a furious manner.
If this attack could meet a regular fighter, it would undoubtedly turn them into a pancake.
However, Levi didn't bother to dodge.
The air around his hand exploded as he checked his fist and suddenly punched out.
"BOOM!"
The two fists collided and the void shook.
Visible shockwave of compressed air erupted, destroying the surrounding grass!
The spectators watched in horror as the Armored Rock Ape's entire arm, from the fist to the shoulder, exploded to meat paste.
"ROOOAR!"
The beast let out an angry roar before Levi's cleaver, moved casually in an arc separating its head from its shoulders.
He didn't stop. His legs moved and his body flowed as he attacked the next ape.
The dimensional beasts, which would have been a life-or-death challenge for the entire recruits, were easily dispatched by Levi now.
A single, clean slash was all it took to kill a Rank 4 beast.
At this time, a Rank 5 'Iron-Tusked Boar' charged him, its tusks glowing with a metallic light as it moved like a tank, destroying the trees before it.
But its attack was meet with two impossibly fast slashes that collided into it.
By the time the charging Iron-Tusk Boar's velocity had stopped, its sudddnly collapsed to the ground and then divided into three pieces.
The second and third-year students in the stands, who had come to watch the first year fumble hard, were now leaning forward, their expression serious. They knew they were witnessing the emergence of a true, monstrous genius from the first year.
Jasmine's beautiful face was leaned slightly in surprise. Then she turned to Cain Reddington, a teasing tone in her voice as she spoke.
"That's the boy who crippled your brother. Right now, his strength is improving at a rapid pace. Are you sure you'll be able to get your revenge?"
Cain didn't say a word, his face was expressionless, but the slight tightening of his jaw and the cold light that flickered in his eyes, said something else.
Jasmine knew he was incredibly angry and snickered on the inside. She was ready to watch the show.
The spectacle reached its peak when Levi encountered a crazy Rank 6 creature, a 'Four-Armed Shadow Panda.'
This beast was know for its speed and incredible strength. Even beast at the same level could barely surpass it in speed. It's arms were incredibly sharp and its four arms, crazy fast.
This was a monster that even a second-year elite wouldn't dare to take in lightly.
"Whoosh!"
The panda body banishes like a fading shadow as it appeared before Levi, its four arms striking from impossible angles simultaneously.
For the first time since the trial began, Levi was forced to get serious.
"Finally, a decent warm-up," Levi grinned as he clenched his blade tightly.
The panda's claws turned into 16 streaks of lines that struck in crisscross manner, wanting to slash him to numerous pieces.
Instead of retreating, Levi flew forwards.
"Boom!"
He turned into a straight blur as he charged with insane speed.
He activated his `Inferno Slash`, and his cleaver was instantly engulfed in roaring, orange flames.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
In a single, breathtaking moment, he parried all 16 attacks, the sound of his flaming blade meeting the panda's claws a rapid-fire series of metallic explosions.
Shockwaves of fire and force erupted outwards, incinerating the surrounding grass and cracking the very ground beneath them.
The panda, its claws glowing red-hot from the impacts, was sent staggering backwards, its eyes wide with shock.
It had actually been suppressed in a contest of strength and speed.
Before the beast could recover its footing, Levi appeared before it.
He didn't give it a chance to counter. His flaming cleaver became a blur, a vortex of fire and steel that cleaved at the Rank 6 monster.
The spectators could only watch as afterimages of the blade filled the screen, each one accompanied by the sound of shattering bone and the spray of black-and-white fur.
The final strike was a clean, upward slash that sliced through the panda's neck, sending its head flying high into the air, its face still frozen in a look of enraged disbelief.
The stadium was silent. The weakest had not only become the strongest; he had become a monster.
On the high table, the Seventh Elder let out a booming, hearty laugh that shook the entire platform.
"Hahahaha! Little Red, it looks like you're going to lose that treasure of yours! This boy is a monster! A complete monster!"
Sub-Dean Scarlet didn't reply, but the slight furrow in her brow indicated that she, too, was beginning to doubt the outcome of her wager.
Instructor Pearson, who had been allowed to place a small, personal bet by the Seventh Elder, was practically vibrating with a mixture of pride and shock. The weakest of his students, the one he had pitied and worried for, had managed to become the most dazzling star of the entire examination. His teachings had not been in vain!
Unaware of the stir he had caused, Levi continued his relentless killing spree, his point total reaching a number that was simply insurmountable for any other recruit.