The battle had begun. Like Ran, every examinee was scrambling to find monsters to hunt. They had to gather as many points as possible within the limited time frame, all while avoiding death, as being killed would lead to disqualification.
In the colossal stadium, Gilbert summoned a transparent glass panel in the center, allowing the spectators to watch what was happening in the dungeon.
The transparent glass was a special magic created by Gilbert, enabling him to observe whoever and whatever was occurring inside the dungeon. This made it incredibly convenient for the audience to watch their loved ones.
Already, several students had been disqualified.
Theoder, disqualified.
Rana, disqualified.
Leo, disqualified.
....
...
The messages flashed across the screen as people screamed and cheered for their loved ones. Some parents were frustrated, their kids disqualified too soon. All in all, the crowd seemed to be having quite a bit of fun.
"Whoa... isn't that Lady Dawn Montello?"
Professor Mika, sitting just below Headmaster Gilbert and Thomas, exclaimed. Her voice caught the attention of the men beside her, and they turned to look at the screen showing Dawn Montello's progress.
She was no longer wearing the red noble dress she had worn during her battle with the giant in Runa Village. Instead, she wore a battle suit, a thick leather top covering her torso, paired with small shorts that allowed for agility.
Dawn was effortlessly killing goblins left and right with her aura-infused sword. The fights were one-sided, a complete slaughter. She was racking up points at a staggering pace.
"Lady Dawn… it seems she wants to enroll at the academy with a scholarship."
Thomas remarked, resting his hand on his chin.
"To think she's decided to take the exams shows how far she's willing to go to get stronger. A rare sight to see among noble children."
Professor Mika said with enthusiasm.
"Indeed, she's a promising child. I'm eager to see her true potential."
Gilbert added, his long white beard shaking as he gave a faint smile. Thomas couldn't quite read him at that moment. He simply turned his attention back to the screen, leaving the headmaster to his own thoughts.
Meanwhile, Dawn continued her rampage, cutting down goblins and hobgoblins with ease. Once she had cleared out all the smaller monsters, she focused her attention on a massive green giant. It must be the Goblin King.
"Compared to the one I fought in Runa, you're nothing."
She muttered as she leapt into the air. With a clean, precise cut, she severed the Goblin King's hand.
"Uagghhhhh!!!"
The Goblin King, in desperation, used summoning magic and conjured nearly thirty new minions containing goblins and hobgoblins alike. Dawn, however, was pleased by this turn of events. After all, it was more free points.
She immediately went to work, slaughtering the summoned monsters with ease and continuing to rack up points.
* * * * * * *
Gilbert's attention shifted to another contestant. This time, it was someone no one recognized.
She wore simple clothes, far too plain to be considered noble attire.
Her red hair was neatly styled in bangs, and her leather outfit was enough to protect her from lower to mid-tier monsters.
From outside, she was nothing special. Yet her movements were something else entirely. She was faster than Dawn Montello, cutting down everything in her path.
Whether it was monsters or examinees, she showed no mercy. Her face remained a blank poker mask, making it impossible to read her.
She drew her blade with a deadly precision for anything that moved.
Gilbert quickly scanned her records. Serena, a commoner from the Valmonth estate's vassal district. Raised as the only daughter in a small village called Arlam, not much was known about her.
The academy didn't delve deeply into the backgrounds of commoners, so all they had on her was a vague history.
But what intrigued Gilbert was her technique. It was a rare sight to see. Her weapon was a sickle-like blade attached to a sturdy chain which gave a unique design.
A Sicklefang, as it was called, was capable of slashing and trapping with brutal efficiency. The chain allowed for wide arcs or quick retraction, combining reach and speed in a single weapon.
Serena wielded it as if it were an extension of her own body, her movements graceful yet brutally efficient.
In just the first hour of the battle, she had already killed 10 examinees, 50 goblins, 35 hobgoblins, and 3 Goblin Kings. Gilbert's curiosity only grew.
_________
SLASH!!!
"Hey, Hana, this is getting boring. Don't you think? Why bother with this exam when we could just enter the academy without taking the entrance tests?"
A girl with blue hair, wearing glasses, spoke nonchalantly as she slashed a hobgoblin in half with her water-based blade.
"Shut up, Mana. We won't get stronger if you keep thinking like that. We shouldd take it as an opportunity."
Hana responded curtly, her tone cold.
"But—"
"No buts. Conversation over. Now let's move to the next target."
Hana interrupted, cutting off any further objection.
They were twin daughters of the prestigious Salieri household, a noble family on equal footing with the Bloodrunes. The Salieris specialized in magic and mana-infused weapons, rather than traditional swords and spears.
While searching for their next target in the seemingly endless dungeon, they stumbled upon someone who was laughing eerily. His sword emanated a blood-red aura.
He was a tall young man with black hair, dressed in a tattered robe soaked in dirt and blood. He was coming towards them with pure malice.
"Hey Mana, be serious."
Hana said, her voice sharp as she reached for her magic book.
He slid his fingers along the sword, infusing it with crimson mana. The he leaped forward and attacked with a vertical slash, sending a massive shockwave upon impact.
Mana blocked the attack with a water shield, her face drenched in sweat. Both sisters focused intently on the young man, preparing for his next move.
The sound of their intense battle drew the attention of everyone watching.
It was Hana and Mana from the Salieri family fighting a fierce battle with someone.
"Interesting!"
Gilbert said with a faint smile. His tone seemed almost amused, though Thomas, standing beside him, almost chocked himself from that statement.
Gilbert, interested? Him? What was so special about this young man that caught the headmaster's attention so quickly?