The dining hall buzzed with quiet tension.
Some candidates wore faint smiles relieved, proud, maybe even hopeful. Others cursed under their breath, bitter at the outcome. A few sat in silent despair, their eyes hollow, knowing they had come close… but not close enough.
Out of the original 175 candidates, only 50 had passed.
The numbers spoke for themselves. The criteria were brutal. The tests unforgiving. And this was only the second phase.
As the candidates moved to eat, the atmosphere shifted. For many, this was the end of their journey. The sound of clinking trays mixed with murmured farewells "Good luck," "Wish you the best," "Better luck next time." Some hugged. Others avoided eye contact. Most just wanted to disappear quietly.
Kalen and his group sat together, subdued but steady. They had made it through. But the weight of what came next hung heavy in the air.
Then the doors opened.
Sergeant Drake entered with a few officers behind him. Instantly, every eye turned toward him. The room fell silent.
He scanned the crowd, then stepped forward, voice clear and commanding.
"First of all congratulations to those who passed. You survived two days of pain, confusion, and my charming personality. But don't get cocky."
A few chuckles rippled through the room. Drake's expression didn't change.
"Passing this test doesn't make you an awakener. It doesn't mean you've started your cultivation journey. It just means you're not completely hopeless."
He paced slowly, letting his words sink in.
"The road ahead is long. Harder than anything you've faced in these two days. If you think this was tough, then you're not ready. Cultivation isn't a straight path. It's a climb with traps, storms, and cliffs that don't care how determined you are."
He turned to face the rest of the room.
"And for those who didn't pass don't be disappointed. You still have a chance. Train. Improve. Come back next year. The Tower doesn't close its doors to effort."
He paused, then added with a shrug, "Of course, if you've got family with status or money, you can try other routes. Hire someone in the high warrior realm. Buy an awakening core from the Association if you can afford it. But for most of you, the Tower is the only way."
His voice softened slightly.
"So when you go home, think hard. Review your options. Decide what kind of future you want. The Tower is open to all but only those who fight for it earn their place."
He glanced at his datapad, then looked back up.
"I won't talk much more. Those who passed report here tomorrow at 9 AM. You'll learn what comes next. Everyone else you're free to leave in the morning. If you need to contact someone, go to the information center. If you need a pickup, they'll help arrange it."
He turned toward the exit, then paused with a grin.
"And work hard. Maybe one day, one of you will take my job. Then I can finally eat and sleep in peace."
Laughter broke the tension. A few candidates smiled. Others just nodded.
While the candidates slept bodies aching, minds dulled by exhaustion the gears of the Tower continued to turn.
In a secure meeting room beneath the main hall, Sergeant Drake stood alongside the Commander and the Head Scientist, a stern woman known simply as Doctor Elen. The room was quiet, lit by soft blue panels and the glow of a large screen displaying the compiled results of the two-day trial.
The Commander leaned forward, reviewing the data sent to his device. "Fifty passed," he murmured. "Out of one seventy-five. Brutal… but necessary."
Drake nodded. "This year's criteria were tighter. The higher-ups wants to filter promising talents."
The Commander tapped the screen, pulling up the top ten candidates. "Hmm. Some promising ones this time."
He scanned the list, eyes narrowing. "Three from the Wu family. That old weapon foggy's grandson made it in. The other two are clearly tied to him."
Drake smirked. "That boy's got fire. And a temper. Classic Wu blood."
The Commander continued. "Two from the Market Association. And one from the Le Chamber of Commerce… strange. Why send him here instead of training directly at the chamber's ground?"
Drake shrugged. "Could be related to the situation in the wild zones. Or the secret realm. That old man from the chamber vanished six months ago—no reports, no sightings. Maybe he wanted his son to build ties with others his age. Le family's always played the long game."
Doctor Elen spoke for the first time. "They've kept humanity first during major events. That's why they're tolerated. As long as no grave crimes surface, they'll keep their position."
The Commander nodded. "You may be right."
He scrolled further. "Two from the Tang family, Sector Three. And two Ashford kids… they must've come with their uncle to deliver the medicine we requested. Probably staying at the Ashford estate. Makes sense to send them together."
Drake leaned against the wall. "Smart move. Let them bond early. If they have the aptitude, those relationships will matter later."
Then the Commander paused.
"And the last one… Kalen. From Hope Orphanage."
Drake's eyes flicked up. "Max's boy."
The Commander raised an eyebrow. "So he trained by that old ghost?"
Drake nodded. "Max doesn't take in just anyone. If he raised this kid, there's something there."
The Commander glanced at Drake. "You're from that place too, aren't you?"
Drake gave a half-smile. "Long time ago."
Doctor Elen leaned forward. "This year's test was harsher than usual. Why the change?"
Drake looked at the Commander, eyes expectant.
The Commander hesitated, then spoke quietly. "Don't leak this outside. It'll be public soon enough."
He tapped the screen, pulling up a classified report.
"You all know about the Great Change twenty years ago. The monsters that came then those were just foot soldiers. We can handle them now. But the stronger ones… they're still inside the realms. Only the first-generation cultivators can fight them. And we don't know what else is waiting."
He paused, voice grim.
"Because the Sanctuaries are safe, some people have grown lazy. Gained authority, but when it comes to face danger or provide support they stay back, this people are the reason as things become difficult for ordinary cultivaters. That why we are monitoring them. In few years there will be a blood bath and if they proven guilty oh boy not only they but there family will be paying the price as well."
The Commander stood with arms folded, gaze fixed on the glowing data panel. His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.
"From now on, we'll harden the passing criteria," he said. "We need to filter for promise not just endurance. The ones who make it through must be worth the investment."
Drake nodded. "Makes sense. Resources are limited. Monster cores, blood, body parts everything comes from the wild sectors. And only elite teams or high-level cultivators can survive those expeditions. We can't afford to waste supplies on those who won't last."
The Commander continued, "Exactly. By increasing the difficulty early and offering proper guidance and resources, we give the promising ones a real chance. A chance to survive what's coming."
He tapped the screen again, pulling up a map of the realms fractured zones marked in red, blue, and black.
"The most dangerous part of the realms isn't the monsters," he said. "It's the environment. Chaotic. Unstable. Sometimes it floods like a sea. Sometimes it burns temperatures reaching 700°C. Other times, it freezes to -100°C. And that's just the beginning."
Drake exhaled. "Those are the basic realms. The middle and high-level ones… they're worse. But we can't do much about it. When someone awakens, their body needs time to adapt. Most can't handle it. But those who can even for a short time gain immense benefits."
Dr. Elen stepped forward, her tone clinical but intrigued. "That's because the first thing that changes during awakening is the blood. Its code. The structure shifts, allowing it to absorb the ambient energy the same energy that permeates the realms."
She brought up a diagram of blood cells under different conditions.
"Our research shows that monster blood can absorb this energy naturally. That's why their blood remains vibrant long after death. But once the energy fades, it becomes inert just blood."
She turned to the others. "Normal humans can't absorb this energy. Their life force is limited. But awakeners… their blood begins to adapt. And as cultivators break through stages, their blood evolves further absorbing higher-quality energy, strengthening their bodies, extending their vitality."
Drake leaned in. "So the blood itself becomes a conduit. A living engine."
"Exactly," Elen said. "And the stronger the blood code, the greater the potential."
The Commander nodded slowly. "That's why we need to be selective. The ones who pass now… they're not just survivors. They're seeds. And if nurtured right, they might become the shield humanity needs."
He paused, then added quietly, "Because what's coming… won't be stopped by numbers. Only by strength."