Leo didn't make it past the front door of the castle dorms. He stumbled inside the closest room his own and collapsed onto the luxurious mattress, not even bothering to shed his tattered, wolf-bloodied clothes. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
The next morning, the door burst open. Lysander, his only friend and a fellow low-ranking noble, stood in the doorway, pale with worry.
"Theron! By the heavens, where have you been? You vanished two months ago! I searched the forest edge, I told the guards… " Lysander stopped, noticing the grime and the terrifying stillness of the prince.
Leo only mumbled, his voice thick with sleep that carried the weight of a decade. "Just… want to sleep more. Years of night watch finally over."
Lysander stared, bewildered by the cryptic words, then snapped back to reality. "Get up! Now! We don't have time for your usual naps. The Heavenly Knight Academy entrance exam starts in an hour! We have to go now!"
Leo sighed, the deep, tired sigh of a man who had seen too many sunrises from a battlefield. He hauled himself up. The aches and pains were gone, replaced by the familiar, coiled strength of Level 37.
The Academy grounds were a sight of magnificent chaos. Five hundred hopeful students, most dressed in fine leather or bright, customized armor, buzzed with nervous energy. The noise was deafening a blend of ambition, fear, and low-level magical energy crackling in the air.
"Look at them," Lysander whispered, his hands shaking slightly as they walked toward the main gathering area. "This is it, Theron. Our life's aim. We can't miss this chance."
Leo simply adjusted the old belt hiding his Ring of the Forgotten and the massive, sheathed greatsword. "It's just an exam," he replied, his voice flat. His casual tone, bordering on carelessness, made Lysander gasp. For the original Theron, this exam was everything. For Leo, it was a formality.
Then, the crowds began to part. A wave of awe and sudden silence rippled across the square as the special students arrived. The Duke's fierce daughter, Lady Lyra, entered, her silver armor gleaming. Following her was Prince Julian, looking bored but powerful. And then, the true focus of attention: Princess Serena, the Crown Princess, walked in, radiating confidence and status.
The chatter exploded again, students craning their necks, desperate to witness true power.
Suddenly, a booming voice, heavy with a strong, stabilizing aura, cut through the noise. Headmaster Lord Valerant stood on a high platform, an imposing figure of a Grandmaster Knight.
"Silence!"
The entire courtyard instantly fell silent, the Headmaster's power physically pressing down on the crowd.
"Welcome, students, to the test that will define your future," the Headmaster announced, his voice ringing like a struck bell. "The reward for success is a unique set of High-Grade Adamantine Armor, a legendary Blade, and a Pure Mana Core. The reward for failure is simply a return to the life you deserve."
He raised his hand. "The First Round is the Trial of Valor. It is a survival and combat exercise within a manufactured Portal Domain. Your task is simple: enter, fight the beasts and demons within, and gain points."
He tapped a metallic band on his wrist. "Every student has been given a Safety Bracelet. If your life is truly in danger, or if your strength gives out, the bracelet will activate, teleporting you immediately back to this hall. You will, however, be eliminated from the exam."
The Headmaster paused, letting the fear sink in.
"Good luck. Try your best."
The ground opened, and a swirling purple Portal appeared. Five hundred students, a mixture of terrified and eager, rushed through the entrance.
Inside the Domain, the landscape was a rough, misty forest. Most students immediately formed groups or rushed into the trees to find their first kills.
Leo, however, calmly walked to the base of a tall, thick tree. He sank down, leaning against the bark.
Ten years of non-stop combat taught me that wasting energy is the biggest mistake, he thought, yawning slightly. Let the weak thin themselves out. I'll wait until the last few days. He closed his eyes, instantly finding the calm focus of a predator resting.
He didn't rest for long. A shadow fell over him.
He opened his eyes to find Princess Serena standing over him, flanked by two armed guards. She wore a look of cool arrogance, clearly sizing up the weakest-looking participant a grimy, exhausted noble prince as an easy target.
"Well, well. If it isn't Prince Theron Valerius," Serena sneered, her voice carrying a sharp edge of dismissal. "Hiding already? Such a predictable display of courage. Since you're just a deserter, hand over your points bracelet. It's better used by someone who actually intends to fight."
Leo blinked, his expression utterly blank. "I don't have any points," he said simply. "And I don't want to fight for points."
Serena's eyebrows shot up in annoyance. Her guard checked his point tally bracelet, which glowed a dull zero.
"Pathetic," Serena scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "He truly has nothing. You are lucky, Theron. I have no time to waste on zero-value targets. Get lost."
Leo's body was suddenly a blur.
In a move that defied logic and speed, he vanished from his seated position and instantly materialized right behind Princess Serena. His body moved faster than her eyes could track.
She gasped, her face going white with pure terror, the sudden appearance of a monster-level threat inches from her throat shocking her core.
Leo leaned in, his voice a low, cold whisper that cut through her shock like ice.
"No, Princess," he said. "You are the one who is lucky."
Then, just as abruptly, he vanished again, reappearing back in his original spot by the tree. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
The Princess stumbled backward into one of her guards, her breath ragged. She looked wildly from the empty space to the casually resting prince, her face a mask of shock, disbelief, and a fear she had never known. The spoiled noble she thought she was targeting was now the most terrifying thing in the domain.
Leo's message was sent. Now, he could finally rest.