## **Chapter 19: Entering the Ancient City **##
The atmosphere around the examination grounds of **Guide City** was dense with anticipation. Dozens of students in their academy uniforms stood ready for the annual combat test, the gateway through which dreams, futures, and destinies were determined. Among the restless crowd, **Riya Malhotra** cut a striking figure. Calm yet focused, she turned to glance briefly at **Yuvraj Chauhan**, then promptly dismissed him.
Her eyes settled instead on **Vivaan Sharma**.
"Vivaan, what school do you plan on attending after this?" she asked, her tone gentle but filled with a quiet confidence.
Vivaan replied with a small shake of his head. "I haven't decided yet."
Riya nodded thoughtfully. "That's the right approach. With your capability, you can get into any academy you want. No need to rush." Her gaze sharpened with determination. "I'll give this test my best. I hope my results aren't too far from yours."
She waved lightly before turning away, her ponytail swaying as she headed toward the staging area. From the moment she approached until the moment she left, she hadn't even acknowledged Yuvraj.
Yuvraj's face stiffened. The snub wasn't new, but it still stung. Yet this wasn't the place for him to unleash his irritation. Instead, he leaned slightly toward **Devansh Kapoor** and **Kabir Sinha**, muttering coldly, "People from small cities really have no horizons. What a waste of good looks—shame she doesn't have the brains or eyes to match."
Devansh remained expressionless, as if the comment didn't matter to him in the slightest. But Kabir — observant and perceptive — stole a curious glance at Vivaan. "I heard you used to be the number one genius of Guide High Institute," he said casually. "Looks like Riya thinks highly of you."
"It's just encouragement between fellow students," Vivaan replied calmly. "She's incredibly talented herself. Put her anywhere, and she'd still rank among the top cultivation geniuses."
Yuvraj immediately felt the undercurrent in Vivaan's words — a subtle rebuttal to his earlier insult. His lips twisted in disdain.
"If you were really that excellent," Yuvraj scoffed, "why do you need us to carry you?"
Vivaan didn't bother responding. Arguments with Yuvraj were meaningless. Kabir hadn't told Yuvraj the real reason Vivaan was here — only that a friend had asked him to bring a student into the test. Without knowing Vivaan's actual abilities, Yuvraj assumed the worst.
Before the tension escalated, Kabir cut in sharply. "Enough. Focus. We're about to enter."
Yuvraj swallowed the retort bubbling in his throat but made sure to shoot Vivaan a glare full of hostility.
---
### **Verification and Entry**
The examiners stood at several checkpoints, verifying candidates' identities and belongings. Groups of four came forward with their candidature passes, placing their fingers on the scanners. Digital displays flickered with their personal data, checking for restricted items or foul play.
Only after the machines confirmed everything did the gates of the **Guide Ancient City** open for them.
While many students maintained steady composure, their families were a different story. Parents stood outside the yellow warning line with pale faces, clutching each other's hands. Mothers trembled, fathers swallowed hard — eyes fixed on their children stepping into danger. Some looked close to fainting.
Vivaan and his team passed through the secured passageway and approached the entrance.
What awaited them was… mist.
The entire interior of the ancient city looked like a world swallowed by fog. Buildings, walls, paths — everything disappeared inside that dense blur.
"Quit staring and move!" barked one of the armed soldiers guarding the gate. "People behind you are waiting!"
Kabir nodded and stepped forward first. Devansh and Yuvraj followed closely. Vivaan took a final breath and crossed the threshold.
The moment he passed through, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His skin prickled with goosebumps. It felt as though space bent around him, twisting like a dream before abruptly snapping back into clarity.
His sight returned in an instant.
The mist vanished.
He now stood inside a sprawling ancient cityscape — stone-paved streets winding between rows of weathered buildings with blue tiles and crimson walls. Lanterns swayed gently under an unseen wind. Kabir, Devansh, and Yuvraj were only several steps ahead, waiting.
Scientists believed dimensional zones existed in an overlapping spatial dimension. Experiencing such a transition firsthand, Vivaan had to admit… it felt true.
Soon, many more students appeared behind him, each looking around with awestruck expressions. Even those who'd seen videos of the Guide Ancient City were stunned. The recordings never captured the oppressive antiquity that seemed to press down on time itself.
---
### **The Test Begins**
Once every candidate had entered, the examiner gathered them in the main courtyard. His voice echoed between the ancient walls as he repeated crucial safety rules, ranking criteria, and responsibilities.
Finally, he declared —
"—The combat test begins now!"
Instantly, students sprinted in all directions, racing down streets and alleys as though the city were a maze of opportunity.
Their goal was simple:
**Defeat as many Skeleton Soldiers as possible.**
Some students had another, greed-driven hope: dimensional crystals might drop during combat. And anything that dropped belonged solely to the student.
But the examiner had also warned them:
**After age sixteen, participants bore full responsibility for their own lives.
Even if death occurred, the Earth League would offer no compensation.**
The reality sent a shiver down many spines, but ambition outweighed fear.
---
### **Deeper Into the City**
Kabir and Devansh led the way. Vivaan followed behind, moving smoothly, while Yuvraj strutted ahead as though he owned the place.
Near the entrance, Skeleton Soldiers appeared frequently — but so did other teams. Students clogged the streets, fighting desperately for kills. Kabir didn't plan to waste time competing with them.
"Let's move deeper," he ordered.
They took the side lanes, bypassing crowded areas and heading straight toward the inner sections of the ancient city.
As they advanced, Skeleton Soldiers became more isolated. Those that appeared stood no chance. Devansh and Yuvraj cut them down with single clean strikes, their blades and fists tearing through bone like paper.
Each fallen Skeleton Soldier left behind a tiny bone fragment — no larger than a grain of rice. These fragments counted toward the team's score.
But the true hierarchy inside the team depended on:
**Dimensional crystals.**
Everyone wanted them, but nobody knew when they would drop.
Vivaan scanned his surroundings, feeling an eerie sense of déjà vu. This path… the corners… the spawn locations… Even the number of Skeleton Soldiers…
It was identical to his game.
Everything here mirrored the virtual map he'd spent countless hours exploring.
Does that mean… we'll encounter that Skeleton Horse Knight too?
His heart tightened at the possibility. But he dismissed the thought a moment later. That creature existed beyond the examination zone. No sane team would cross the boundary.
Or so he assumed.
But Yuvraj and Devansh marched straight forward. They reached the boundary markers — and stepped past them without hesitation.
Vivaan's eyes widened.
"Shouldn't we turn back?" he asked Kabir quietly. "We've already left the test area."
Before Kabir could reply, Yuvraj sneered back—
"The test area is tiny. The Skeleton Soldiers inside are too few. Even if we wiped them all out, what score would we get? If you're scared, you can stay here."
Kabir finally spoke, wearing his signature calm smile.
"Relax. We have full information on the Guide Ancient City. For the next ten to fifteen kilometers, there are only Skeleton Soldiers. No Legendary creatures. The exam zone is small because they want to avoid accidents. But if we want a high score, we need to keep going."
Vivaan swallowed hard.
Everything was unfolding exactly like the game.
And in the game…
Beyond this point lurked death.
---