Alex stepped out of the private chamber. His breathing was steady, but his blood was still roaring. Even after such a prolonged battle, his body felt light, energized, almost euphoric. The combat simulation had pushed him to his limits, and instead of draining him, it had only sharpened his hunger.
Right now, he wanted one thing.
To show off.
The moment he lifted his gaze, his steps slowed.
The vast battleground was packed.
Roughly fifteen hundred students stood scattered across the open space, forming clusters of nervous chatter and barely concealed excitement. Their gazes naturally drifted toward him the instant he appeared, whispers spreading like ripples on water.
Among these fifteen hundred, only half would remain standing after today.
Alex's excitement cooled slightly. A faint chill crawled up his spine, sharp enough to make him pause.
Something was wrong.
"What's going on?" he muttered under his breath.
Without hesitation, he expanded his mental domain.
Invisible waves of perception surged outward, sweeping across the battleground. He filtered emotions, intentions, and spiritual fluctuations with practiced ease. It did not take long to locate the source.
It was a pair of cold eyes.
It cut through the crowd and locked onto him with frightening precision.
Alex followed the sensation and met her eyes.
Anna Celestus.
She stood calmly among the students, her posture composed, her expression serene. Yet her eyes were anything but calm. They carried an icy intensity that made the air around her feel heavier.
Alex frowned inwardly.
"What does she want?"
He searched her expression for clues but found none. Whatever her thoughts were, she was not planning to share them. After a brief moment, he withdrew his mental domain and pushed the matter aside.
If she wanted something, she would make it known.
As Alex walked further onto the field, the instructor overseeing the session turned toward him. The man's eyes lingered on Alex for a moment before a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"You've been training hard, it seems," the instructor said. "How was the combat simulation experience?"
Alex's lips curved upward instantly. "It was incredible. Honestly, I think I'm already addicted to it."
Then, with barely concealed eagerness, he added, "If I want to keep using the private chamber after today, how much would it cost?"
The instructor chuckled softly. "Inside the institution, everything runs on credit points. Federation coins are useless here. To reserve a private chamber in the virtual battleground, the cost is one hundred points per hour."
Alex's enthusiasm dipped slightly, but before he could react, the instructor continued.
"However, as a Grade Zero elite of the alliance, you receive an eighty percent discount on all institutional services. That brings the cost down to twenty points per hour for you."
Alex's eyes lit up.
Twenty points.
That price was absurdly generous.
This alone was enough to make him look at the alliance in a far more favorable light. They were not just recruiting talent. They were actively nurturing it.
Before Alex could respond, another voice chimed in.
"Sir," Rey said, stepping forward with a charming smile that bordered on fawning, "are discounts limited to graded elites of the alliance, or are there other ways to earn them?"
Unlike Alex, Rey had not joined any faction. He stood here as a representative of his own family.
Though his family was a Saint-level family with wealth beyond measure, that wealth meant nothing inside the academy. Credit points ruled everything here.
The emperor families had an advantage only because older members were already established within the institution and could support the younger generation.
Rey did not have that luxury.
The instructor glanced at him, then nodded. "There are other ways. The academy has ten towers, each dedicated to a different purpose. If you manage to rank in the top ten of any tower, you will receive various benefits, including discounts."
A sly smile crept onto his face. "The higher your rank, the greater the reward."
Rey's eyes burned with excitement.
As long as there was a path forward, he would walk it, no matter how steep.
"Any more questions?" the instructor asked, scanning the crowd. "If not, we'll begin. After this combat session, you'll be allowed to use the virtual battleground for free for one hour. Tomorrow, we proceed to the third phase."
A low murmur spread through the students.
Soon, cards were distributed.
Each student received a number. Those who drew the same number would face each other in one-on-one combat.
Before the drawing could finish, Rey's voice rang out once more.
"Sir," he shouted, barely containing himself, "can we challenge someone of our own choosing?"
The fire in his eyes was unmistakable.
The instructor looked at him with a flat, lifeless expression, as though he had expected this exact question.
"You five," he said calmly, "are not allowed to compete against each other in this phase."
The words hit Rey like a bucket of cold water.
His fighting spirit deflated instantly.
"Tch. Whatever," Rey muttered after a moment, forcing himself to recover. "Then let's just get this over with. I want to challenge Alex Moriarty."
Alex could not help but smile wryly.
These geniuses were all the same. They always sought validation through comparison with the strongest available opponent.
"Alright," the instructor said, ignoring the tension. "The numbers have been distributed. Check your cards. Those with matching numbers will be assigned to the same arena."
Students opened their cards one by one.
Silent prayers filled the air.
Please, not Alex.
Soon, seven hundred and fifty arenas materialized across the virtual battleground. Each arena housed exactly two participants, isolated by shimmering barriers.
Alex stared around him in genuine awe.
The scale was staggering.
"This place is insane," he muttered.
Then he turned to face his opponent.
She was a young woman from a Monarch-level family. Her cultivation was decent, her stance disciplined.
But she was not looking at him with hostility.
She was staring at him with naked fanaticism.
Her eyes sparkled as though she had just met her lifelong hero.
"Sir Alex," she said breathlessly, clasping her hands together. "Would you be kind enough to give me a hug? I'll forfeit immediately."
Alex froze.
"What?"
His brain short-circuited.
This was the first time a girl had ever asked him something like that.
Kate had hugged him before, but those were casual, sisterly gestures. This was different. The desire radiating from this girl was so intense it felt almost physical.
Their exchange echoed through the battleground.
The reaction was immediate.
Other female students stopped fighting entirely and turned to stare at Alex's arena.
"You shameless bitch," someone yelled. "Say something like that again and I'll break your legs once we're out!"
Jealousy burned openly now.
That girl stood alone with Alex in the arena. To them, it was a dream situation.
Anna watched the scene unfold, her expression darkening.
Her gaze on the girl turned venomous.
"Perhaps I should marry her off to one of my servants," she muttered.
An icy aura burst from her body.
Her opponent sensed it instantly.
Without hesitation, the boy forfeited and fled the arena, terror etched across his face. Something about Anna felt deeply wrong.
Even Anna herself did not fully understand why she was so furious.
"I'm sorry," Alex said politely, bowing his head slightly. "I can't do that."
His heart was racing.
The tension across the battleground finally eased.
The girls reluctantly returned their focus to their own battles.
Alex wiped a bit of sweat from his brow.
"So this is what it feels like to be called a ladykiller," he muttered.
The disappointed girl smiled weakly before forfeiting anyway.
The second phase ended swiftly after that.
When it was over, only seven hundred and fifty students remained.
"Those who won may stay and continue training in the virtual battleground," the instructor announced. "Those who lost, please leave."
Half the crowd departed with frustration and regret, while the victors buzzed with excitement.
Alex was about to re-enter a simulation chamber when a familiar shout rang out.
"Alex Moriarty! Fight me!"
Rey appeared before him, a black spear strapped across his back, his fighting intent blazing.
"Now?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why waste the time you have? Go train. You can challenge me later."
Rey hesitated, then nodded.
"Then promise me," he said seriously. "The first thing you'll do after entering the academy is fight me."
Alex chuckled.
"Alright," he said. "It's a promise."
Then he vanished into the simulation chamber, leaving Rey grinning fiercely behind him.