Two weeks later,
Dex stood in front of the towering iron gate in the center of the capital city of the Velthara Kingdom.
The gate didn't belong to the Aetherion Academy, the academy itself was far away in the neutral territory between all kingdoms, but this gate was the test location for the Velthara Kingdom representatives.
Above the gate, a large banner stretched with the words.
AETHERION ACADEMY ENTRANCE EXAM
VELTHARA KINGDOM REPRESENTATIVE
Thousands of people filled the wide field in front of the gate, Not hundreds, but thousands.
The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see, filling every corner of the field.
Dex stood among them, looking at the crowd calmly.
The trip from Lumiran to the capital took three days, Aunt Mera and Uncle Rold even rented a special carriage for him, something that made Dex feel a bit guilty.
But they insisted.
"This is an investment for your future" Uncle Rold said when sending him off at the station. "If you pass, you'll be the pride of the family"
Dex didn't answer at that time, He only nodded slightly and got on the carriage.
Now, standing among these thousands of participants, he felt something strange in his chest.
Not nervousness.
Not excitement either.
Just, curiosity.
'Tens of thousands of people' he thought while looking at the crowd. 'And only 50 will pass'
This competition was far tougher than he had imagined.
---
"ATTENTION ALL PARTICIPANTS!"
A loud voice echoed from the large stage in front of the gate.
Dex turned, Instructor Varn stood on the stage with several other supervisors, holding a wooden staff in his hand.
His face was stern as usual, his gaze scanning the thousands of people.
"My name is Instructor Varn" he said, his voice amplified by sound magic. "Starting now, all of you are participants of the Aetherion Academy entrance exam for the Velthara Kingdom representatives"
He paused for a moment, letting silence settle over the field.
"There are 37,429 people registered this year"
Whispers began to break out among the participants.
Some looked shocked, others already looked hopeless.
Varn continued in a cold tone.
"Only 50 people will be accepted"
An even heavier silence blanketed the field.
"50 people from the Velthara Kingdom will join 950 other students from the 19 other kingdoms around the world" Varn continued. "Aetherion Academy has a total of 1000 students, and they will be divided into 10 classes"
He looked at the crowd with sharp eyes.
"Aetherion Academy is not just a school, Its size rivals that of a small kingdom, its facilities are the best in the world, and its instructors are extremely powerful experts in their respective fields, Those who pass will receive opportunities you will never get anywhere else."
Varn raised his staff.
"But to reach that point, you must pass three stages of tests that will eliminate almost all of you"
The whispers grew louder.
Varn slammed his staff down, BRAK, silencing everyone.
"First stage, Initial Elimination Test"
He pointed toward the large gate behind him.
"Beyond this gate, there is a 20-kilometer obstacle route through forests, rivers, and rocky terrain. You must reach the finish line within two hours"
He paused.
"Only the fastest 1000 people will advance to the second stage"
The crowd burst into loud murmurs, some people even looked panicked.
"There are no rules" Varn continued coldly. "You may use your cards, you may trip other participants, you may do anything, as long as you reach the finish line within the allotted time"
He stared at the crowd sharply.
"But remember, you will be watched, Killing is strictly forbidden, Anyone who kills another participant will be disqualified for life and handed over to authorities"
Silence washed over the field.
"Anyone who fails to reach within two hours, is disqualified"
Varn lowered his staff.
"Prepare yourselves, The test begins in ten minutes"
---
The crowd was so dense he was nearly pushed aside, Around him, people spoke in tense voices.
"37 thousand participants, and only 50 pass?"
"This is insane. The odds aren't even 0.2%"
"I trained for two years for this. I must pass"
"My card is Rank C. That should be enough, right?"
A loud voice sounded from the front.
"GET READY!"
All participants tensed, feet positioned to sprint.
Thousands stood at the starting line, some nervous, some confident, some already looking hopeless before the test even began.
Dex stood in the middle of the crowd, staring at the massive gate in front as it slowly opened.
Beyond the gate, a dark forest stretched wide, the obstacle course that would eliminate nearly everyone here.
Instructor Varn raised his hand high.
Total silence fell over the field.
Then he lowered it swiftly.
"START!"
Thousands of people ran at once, the sound of footsteps echoing like an earthquake.
The ground trembled, dust rose.
The crowd moved like an unstoppable wave.
Users of summon-type cards began summoning their beasts.
Giving them a huge advantage in speed.
---
Dex shot forward, his legs moving fast but controlled, He didn't push himself at full force immediately.
20 kilometers in two hours.
Meaning he had to maintain an average pace of around 10 kilometers per hour, not too fast, not too slow.
But the real problem wasn't the speed, The problem was the 37 thousand other people running with him.
The crowd was so dense Dex almost tripped several times.
People were pushing, some even fell and were trampled by those behind them.
Around him, cards began appearing in different colors.
A young man in front summoned his card, a large wolf appearing with green light, and he immediately leapt onto its back, speeding ahead of the crowd.
[Swift Wolf]
Rank: C
Type: Summon]
On the right, a girl summoned a large bird flying low, lifting her and carrying her above the crowd.
[Wind Hawk]
Rank: C
Type: Summon]
Dozens, even hundreds, of summon-type card users summoned their beasts — horses, wolves, birds, even strange creatures Dex didn't recognize.
They all sped ahead, leaving behind thousands who relied purely on their own legs.
Dex narrowed his eyes, observing.
'Summon-type cards have a huge advantage in tests like this' he thought.
'But'
He looked ahead, the dark and narrow forest path.
'The forest won't be easy for large beasts, They'll struggle on narrow terrain full of obstacles'
Dex didn't panic, He didn't need to rush.
He only needed to get into the top 1000, And for that, he had his own way.
Dex raised his right hand while running.
Wind appeared, floating above his palm with a soft blue glow.
He imagined the wind gathering under his feet, not to lift him, but to push.
A breeze began forming around his feet, swirling like small vortices with each step.
Every time Dex's foot touched the ground, the wind burst slightly, WUSH pushing him forward with extra force.
His steps grew lighter, faster, as if gravity weakened around him.
But he had to stay focused, too much force and he would lose balance.
he thought as he regulated his breathing and the wind bursts. 'Don't waste stamina'
Around him, other participants used their cards in far more spectacular ways.
A young man sprinting at insane speed, his body moving like a blur, leaving faint afterimages behind him.
His card floated above his head.
[Lightning Step]
Rank: B
Type: Support
Each step accompanied by tiny lightning bursts, CRACK! CRACK! pushing him forward with incredible speed.
On the left, a girl ran with her hand touching the ground, a trail of ice forming beneath her feet, letting her glide like an ice skater, knocking down those around her.
[Frost Path]
Rank: C
Type: Support
There was also a young man using a fire card, each jump boosted by small bursts of fire under his feet.
[Flame Burst]
Rank: D
Type: Attack
Another girl used a gravity card, her body lighter, almost floating with each step.
[Light Body]
Rank: C
Type: Support
Thousands of card users showed their creativity.
Some created springs under their shoes to leap farther.
Some used earth cards to make platforms that lifted them above the crowd.
Some even used illusion cards to create fake selves elsewhere, distracting others.
Dex observed all of them while running.
---
Five kilometers in, the crowd began to thin.
The weak were falling behind, Those who pushed too hard early were running out of breath, including some card users who wasted too much energy at the start.
Dex still ran with a steady rhythm, breath controlled, the wind at his feet consistent but not excessive.
The path entered the forest, large trees blocking sunlight, the ground uneven, roots jutting everywhere.
Ahead, some summon users struggled, Wolves and horses tripping on roots, birds unable to fly freely due to dense branches, and rules forbidding flying above the forest.
Some were forced to recall their summons and run on foot, but they had already burned too much energy earlier.
'As expected' Dex thought.
A young man used [Shadow Step] jumping from shadow to shadow, easily avoiding roots.
A girl used [Vine Swing], green vines emerging from her hands, wrapping around branches, swinging her forward like an orangutan.
Another young man used [Earth Spike] creating small earth pillars that pushed him upward with each step.
Dex spotted a gap between trees, a narrow path with fewer people.
He turned there, then increased the wind at his feet.
WUSH! WUSH! WUSH!
His body slid faster, weaving between trees gracefully.
He even used wind to redirect his body mid-air when jumping, like changing direction while airborne, avoiding large roots without slowing.
Some participants stared at him in awe.
"Good control!"
---
Ten kilometers.
Dex reached a small river they had to cross.
Some participants had to swim, soaked and freezing, Others tried hopping across stones but slipped and fell.
One young man made an ice board and surfed across.
[Ice Surf]
Rank: C
Type: Support
A girl formed a small earth bridge rising from the riverbed.
[Earth Bridge]
Rank: D
Type: Support
As participants crossed her bridge, she dispersed it right as she reached the end, sending several behind her tumbling into the strong currents and eliminated.
But the most impressive was a young man using [Flame Jet] fire blasting from his feet like rockets, propelling him across the water at high speed, leaving smoke trails.
However, most movement-type card users were quickly eliminated by attack-type card users.
Dex stared at the river briefly, then took a few steps back.
He gathered wind beneath both feet — more than usual.
Then he sprinted toward the riverbank, At the very edge, he jumped, and the wind exploded beneath his feet.
WUUUUSH!
His body shot into the air, soaring far across the river like a projectile.
In mid-air, he used wind again to stabilize himself, ensuring a perfect landing on the other side.
He landed smoothly, legs absorbing the impact, then continued running without stopping.
Dex crossed the finish line, his body almost collapsing, but he steadied himself with a small burst of wind at his side.
Instructor Varn stood there with a board in hand.
"Number 183" he said flatly. "Passed"
Dex walked aside, leaning on a tree to steady his gasping breath.
The Wind disappeared, returning into his chest.
His body exhausted, sweat soaking him completely, but he had succeeded.
Rank 183 out of more than 37 thousand participants.
One by one, other participants began to arrive.