Dex leaned against the trunk of a large tree, staring at the giant ranking board mounted in the center of the field.
The board was made of a massive crystal emitting a blue light, displaying the names and ranks of the 1000 participants who passed the first stage.
FIRST STAGE RANKINGS – INITIAL ELIMINATION TEST
1. Rose Hasford - 00:47:23
2. Sean Malacon - 00:48:15
3. Ethan Tribas - 00:49:02
4. Arthur Ireon - 00:49:34
5. Agatha Cirus - 00:50:11
...
Ranks 1 to 10 were mostly children of Dukes or Marquesses.
Ranks 11 to 50, children of Counts or Viscounts.
Ranks 51 to 100, a mix of minor nobles and a few talented commoners.
Although those names sounded unfamiliar to Dex, he knew their strength differences were enormous. Probably.
Those ranked 1–100 were on a different level from the start. Acceleration skills had an advantage in this stage, but for nobles like them, that was easy.
Trained by the best teachers since childhood. Given unlimited resources,
And most importantly, they possessed more than one card.
In this world, a person could have a maximum of 10 power cards in their lifetime.
The first card was gained at the age of 18, the Soul Resonance, the main card directly connected to one's soul.
But additional cards could be obtained in various ways: buying them from others, exploring dungeons, and fighting in the Galaxyum Arena.
Dex had also noticed earlier that even though they fought each other, those nobles still placed at the top compared to everyone else.
Dex was simply lucky that his power card was an element and not a pure skill.
Elemental cards like [Wind], [Flame], [Ice], or [Lightning] had advantages, they were flexible.
"I congratulate those of you who have passed the first stage"
The voice came from the sky, amplified by acoustic magic until it echoed everywhere. It wasn't Instructor Varn's voice, this one was older, more authoritative, with a timbre like rolling thunder across the horizon.
Thousands of heads looked up at once.
"The second stage will be held in 2 days, Please return to the lodgings prepared by the Academy"
The voice faded like a dying wind, leaving a brief silence before the crowd erupted into joyful cheers. Some participants hugged, some cried in relief, others jumped in excitement.
As everyone was busy celebrating, a massive magic circle appeared beneath their feet.
The light grew brighter, the magic circle engulfing them all.
Dex closed his eyes.
A strange sensation touched his skin, like falling and flying at the same time, shifting gravity, air pressing from every direction. It lasted only seconds but felt like his entire body was compressed into the smallest shape.
Dex opened his eyes after the blinding light faded, he had arrived before the gate of an enormous mansion.
Around him, about a hundred other participants stood with the same expression of awe, mouths open and eyes wide.
"Woah"
"As expected of the best Academy in the world"
Hundreds admired the magic and the grand lodging.
Slowly, the crowd began moving toward the now-open gate, revealing a white marble pathway leading to the main entrance, leaving Dex who walked in the opposite direction.
***
'Haaaa'
He breathed in the evening air, intending to take a short walk.
Dex remembered the first time he met Ronan, the old man who saved his life when he lay dying in the ruins of his village. He remembered the first time he arrived at Lumiran, with a battered body and a heart even more shattered.
When he was beaten by guards and lost his money.
Back then, he had decided to become stronger, but after training endlessly, all of it made him feel hollow.
After becoming stronger, then what?
Would he keep getting stronger just for recognition? Was that enough?
Once again, he had lost his purpose. For now, Dex simply followed the direction fate carried him.
Dex walked without knowing where, the night was beautiful with thousands of stars in the sky, the capital still bustling even after dark.
His feet carried him aimlessly through the lively streets, merchants closing and opening stalls, children running home, lanterns being lit one by one.
Dex kept walking, his mind drifting. He walked without knowing where he was going.
When he realized it, he had reached a place completely opposite of where he came from. No grand buildings, no bright lights, no laughter, only the silence of the night.
Dex looked around. The area had an unpleasant smell, the odor of wet soil mixed with something more rotten, piles of garbage, unattended waste, and the smell of unwashed human bodies.
People slept on dirty ground, the few buildings there were nearly collapsing.
"So even in the capital, a place like this exists"
Dex intended to leave, but a hand grabbed his shirt.
Dex looked back, a child wearing ragged clothes, a thin hand gripping Dex's shirt with dirty fingers, eyes filled with sadness as she held her stomach.
The child said nothing. She only stared at Dex with pleading eyes, her other hand clutching her rumbling stomach.
But his reflex was faster than his empathy.
"Let go" he said flatly,
jerking the child's hand away harshly, making her fall.
"Niaa"
Before Dex could react, to apologize or simply leave, a loud voice echoed from the darkness.
A boy who looked much taller ran toward Dex.
He stopped right in front of Dex, spreading both arms wide to shield the girl lying on the ground, his posture clearly protective.
"Don't hurt her!" he shouted, his voice trembling. "Nia didn't mean to bother you! She's just hungry! Please, don't…"
"I won't hurt her" Dex said flatly, with no emotion at all.
Dex looked at the two of them, children who were starving, filthy, almost dying, and felt nothing.
No pity.
No urge to help.
No sympathy.
Dex stopped, but didn't turn around.
"Please, help us…" the boy's voice cracked. "We haven't eaten in three days my sister is sick please… anything"
"Then go ahead and die" Dex said, smiling slightly.
'They'll die someday anyway. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. It's not my problem. I have my own problems' Dex whispered inwardly, justifying his actions.