Two weeks later,
Dex stood in front of the large iron gate towering high in the center of the capital city of the Velthara Kingdom.
The gate did not belong to Aetherion Academy, the academy itself was far away in the neutral territory between all kingdoms, but this gate was the entrance test location for the representatives of the Velthara Kingdom.
Above the gate, a large banner stretched with the writing.
AETHERION ACADEMY ENTRANCE TEST
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, watching the crowd calmly.
The journey 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 little uneasy.
But they insisted.
"This is an investment for your future" said Uncle Rold when sending him to the station. "If you pass, you'll be the pride of the family"
Dex didn't answer then, he only nodded slightly and boarded the carriage.
Now, standing among thousands of participants, he felt something strange in his chest.
Not nervousness.
Nor excitement.
Just, curiosity.
'Tens of thousands of people' he thought as he stared at the crowd. 'And only 50 will pass'
This competition was far tougher than he imagined.
---
"ATTENTION ALL PARTICIPANTS!"
A loud voice echoed from the direction of the big 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 crowd of thousands.
"My name is Instructor Varn" he said with a voice amplified by sound magic. "Starting now, all of you are participants in the Aetherion Academy entrance test for the Velthara Kingdom representatives"
He paused for a moment, letting silence blanket the field.
"There are 37,429 people who registered this year"
Whispers began to rise among the participants.
Some looked shocked, others looked desperate.
Varn continued in a cold tone.
"Only 50 people will be accepted"
A heavier silence enveloped the field.
"50 people from the Velthara Kingdom will join 950 other students from 19 other kingdoms around the world" Varn continued. "The total number of students at Aetherion Academy is 1000, and they will be divided into 10 classes"
He looked at the crowd with a sharp gaze.
"Aetherion Academy is not just a school, Its size rivals a small kingdom, its facilities are the best in the world, and its instructors are powerful experts in their respective fields, Those who pass will gain opportunities you will never find anywhere else."
Varn raised his staff.
"But to get there, you must go through three stages of tests that will eliminate almost all of you"
The whispers grew louder.
Varn slammed his staff down hard, the sound BRAK silencing everyone.
"The first stage, The Initial Elimination Test"
He pointed toward the large gate behind him.
"Beyond this gate, there is a 20-kilometer obstacle course through forests, rivers, and rocky terrain. You must reach the finish line within two hours"
He paused briefly.
"Only the fastest 1000 will proceed to the second stage"
The crowd erupted in loud murmurs, some even looked panicked.
"There are no rules" Varn continued coldly. "You may use your cards, you may trip others, you may do anything, as long as you reach the finish line within the given time"
He looked at the crowd with a sharp gaze.
"But remember, you will be watched, Killing is forbidden, Anyone who kills another participant will be permanently disqualified and handed over to the authorities"
Silence covered the field.
"Anyone who doesn't reach the finish in two hours, is disqualified"
Varn lowered his staff.
"Prepare yourselves, The test begins in ten minutes"
---
The crowd was so dense he was almost crushed, Around him, people were speaking in tense tones.
"37 thousand participants, and only 50 pass?"
"This is insane. The odds aren't even 0.2%"
"I've trained two years for this. I have to pass"
"My card is Rank C. That should be enough, right?"
A loud voice came from the front.
"GET READY!"
All participants tensed, their feet ready to sprint.
Thousands stood at the starting line, some nervous, some confident, others already looking hopeless before the test even began.
Dex stood in the middle of the crowd, staring at the large gate in front that slowly began to open.
Beyond the gate, a dark forest stretched wide, the obstacle course that would eliminate almost everyone here.
Instructor Varn raised his hand high.
Total silence blanketed the field.
Then he lowered it swiftly.
"BEGIN!"
Thousands of people ran at once, the sound of footsteps echoing like an earthquake.
The ground shook, Dust flew.
The crowd moved like a massive, unstoppable wave.
Card users of the summon type began summoning their respective beasts.
Giving them an edge in speed.
---
Dex shot forward, his legs moving fast but controlled, He didn't immediately push himself to full strength.
20 kilometers in two hours.
That meant he needed to maintain an average speed of about 10 kilometers per hour, not too fast, not too slow.
But the problem wasn't just speed,
The problem was the 37 thousand others running with him.
The crowd was so packed that Dex almost tripped several times.
People pushed each other, some even fell and were trampled by those behind.
Around him, cards began appearing with lights of various colors.
A young man ahead summoned his card, a large wolf appeared in green light, and he jumped onto its back, rushing forward, leaving the crowd behind.
[Swift Wolf]
Rank: C
Type: Summon]
To his right, a girl summoned a large bird flying low, lifting her and carrying her above the crowd through the air.
[Wind Hawk]
Rank: C
Type: Summon]
Dozens, even hundreds, of summon-type card users began calling their creatures — horses, wolves, birds, even strange beings Dex didn't recognize.
They all advanced faster than the main crowd, leaving thousands who relied only on their own legs behind.
Dex narrowed his eyes, observing the situation.
'Summon-type cards definitely have a huge advantage in tests like this' he thought.
'But—'
He looked ahead, at the dark, narrow forest path.
'That forest won't be easy for large beasts, They'll struggle in tight, obstacle-filled terrain'
Dex didn't panic, He didn't need to rush.
He only needed to reach the top 1000,
And for that, he had his own way.
Dex raised his right hand while still running.
Wind appeared, floating above his palm with a soft blue glow.
He imagined the wind gathering beneath his feet, not to lift him, but to push.
Gusts began forming around his legs, spinning like small vortices with every step.
Each time Dex's foot touched the ground, the wind burst lightly, WUSH propelling him forward with extra force.
His steps became lighter, faster, as if gravity around him had lessened.
But he had to focus — too much force, and he'd lose balance.
he thought while regulating his breathing and the wind's push. 'Don't waste stamina'
Around him, other participants used their cards in more spectacular ways.
A young man ran at insane speed, his body moving like a blur, leaving faint afterimages behind.
His card floated above his head.
[Lightning Step]
Rank: B
Type: Support
Each step sparked with small lightning CRACK! CRACK! pushing him forward with incredible force.
To the left, a girl ran while her hand touched the ground, a trail of ice forming beneath her feet, letting her glide like an ice skater, making others slip and fall.
[Frost Path]
Rank: C
Type: Support
Another young man used a fire card, each jump accompanied by a burst of flame under his feet, propelling him higher and farther.
[Flame Burst]
Rank: D
Type: Attack
Another girl used a gravity card, her body becoming lighter, almost floating with each stride.
[Light Body]
Rank: C
Type: Support
Thousands of card users displayed their creativity.
Some made springs under their shoes to leap farther.
Some used earth cards to create platforms lifting them past the crowd.
Some even used illusion cards to create shadow copies of themselves elsewhere, distracting others.
Dex observed it all while running steadily.
---
Five kilometers in, the crowd began to spread out.
The weak started falling behind, Those who pushed too hard began running out of breath,
including some who had wasted too much energy on flashy moves.
Dex kept a steady rhythm, his breathing controlled, the wind's boost around his feet consistent but not excessive.
The path entered the forest, large trees blocking sunlight, the ground uneven, roots jutting out everywhere.
Ahead, some summon users began to struggle. Their wolves and horses tripped over roots, birds couldn't fly freely due to the dense branches, and the rule forbidding flying above the forest.
Some were even forced to recall their summons and run on foot, but they had already wasted too much energy early on.
'Just as I thought' Dex mused while running.
A young man used the card [Shadow Step] to jump from shadow to shadow, easily avoiding roots and obstacles.
A girl used [Vine Swing], green vines sprouting from her hands, wrapping around branches, swinging her forward like an ape.
Another young man used [Earth Spike] to create small earth pillars that boosted him upward with every step.
Dex saw a gap between the trees, a narrow path slightly emptier than the main route.
He turned that way, then slightly increased the wind's push on his feet.
WUSH! WUSH! WUSH!
His body glided faster, weaving between trees with graceful movements.
He even used the wind to shift direction midair when jumping, avoiding roots without slowing down.
Some participants who saw him looked on with admiration.
"Good control!"
---
Ten kilometers.
Dex reached a small river they had to cross.
Some participants were forced to swim, soaked and shivering, others tried hopping from rock to rock but slipped and fell into the water.
A young man created an ice board over the water and surfed across it.
[Ice Surf]
Rank: C
Type: Support
A girl created a small bridge of earth rising from the riverbed.
[Earth Bridge]
Rank: D
Type: Support
As other participants followed across her bridge, she dispelled it just as she reached the end, causing those behind to fall into the current and be eliminated.
But the most impressive was a young man using [Flame Jet], fire blasting from his feet like rockets, shooting him across the river at high speed, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
However, most people with mobility cards were quickly taken out by attack-type users.
Dex stared at the river for a while, then stepped back a few paces.
He gathered wind under both feet — more than usual this time.
Then he sprinted toward the riverbank,
At the edge, he leapt, and the wind exploded beneath his feet.
WUUUUSH!
His body was launched high and far, soaring over the river like a bullet.
Midair, he used wind again to stabilize himself, ensuring a perfect landing.
He landed smoothly, absorbing the impact with his legs, then continued running without pause.
Dex crossed the finish line, his body almost collapsing but managing to stay upright with a small gust of wind to the side.
Instructor Varn stood there with a board in his hand.
"Number 183" he said flatly. "Passed"
Dex walked aside, leaning against a tree while catching his breath.
The Wind faded, returning into his chest.
His body was exhausted, sweat soaking him, but he had made it.
Ranked 183 out of more than 37 thousand participants.
One by one, others began arriving.