Aruma froze. He never expected that the man he had always respected—the mysterious figure who had once saved him—was actually the Headmaster of Eternals Academy.
At the top of the Colosseum, in front of the audience and participants, the man stood tall. He waved his hand, greeting everyone with natural authority. He was Yong—the man Aruma trusted deeply in his heart.
Aruma stared at him without blinking. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the sudden rapid beating of his heart.
He remained silent, listening closely to Yong's speech. His voice was strong and charismatic, filling the entire arena—a voice admired by all in the Kingdom of Elysiumrion.
After Yong finished his long, passionate speech, the speakers echoed once more:
"Thanks to Mr. Yong. Next, we will hear the speech from the Vice Headmaster of Eternals Academy. Welcome—Mr. Jamir."
A man sitting beside Yong rose from his seat. He was Jamir—the man Aruma had met during his registration at Eternals Academy.
Aruma observed him calmly. He wasn't surprised at all. From the beginning, he had sensed that the man held an important position at the Academy.
Yet, Aruma still pondered something strange: Why hadn't his instincts reacted to Yong? His senses had been trained since childhood to detect presence, danger—even power.
After Mr. Jamir delivered his short but concise speech, other important figures began to take the stage one by one—King of the Kingdom of Elysiumrion, influential businessmen, even some investors—each giving their remarks.
Aruma started to lose focus. One speech after another sounded increasingly boring in his ears—words that had once inspired him now felt like meaningless noise.
He shifted his gaze from the top of the Colosseum and began observing his surroundings. Hundreds of other participants stood with various expressions. Some listened eagerly, some were asleep, and some looked extremely nervous.
A few of them seemed unusual. Aruma just watched them silently.
His gaze landed on a participant he recognized—the one he had met earlier in the waiting room. The participant leaned against the Colosseum wall, alone, still gripping the sheathed samurai sword by his side.
Not far from there, Aruma saw Rey—the nephew of the shop owner who sold delicious food. Rey was chatting with another participant who looked rather intimidating.
The man was tall, over two meters, muscular, with long shoulder-length hair. Despite his frightening appearance, the two seemed to converse comfortably.
But then, Aruma's attention shifted again.
On the other side of the arena, a group of female participants had gathered around someone. They appeared to be approaching another male participant—a young man with pale blond hair and glasses, surrounded by girls because of his handsome looks.
Although he seemed to be avoiding them with a faint smile, the girls continued to hover around him.
Aruma also noticed someone familiar. He saw the girl he had saved when he first arrived in the city.
She stood not far from him—alone, with a worried expression. Aruma actually wanted to approach her and ask something—but the intention quickly faded.
"Attention!"
A loud, commanding voice echoed from the speakers, silencing the entire Colosseum.
"All participants, please pay attention to the test briefing!"
Suddenly, dozens of magical screens appeared in the air, floating around the Colosseum.
They were rectangular, glowing blue, visible from every angle, whether from the participants in the middle or the spectators in the upper stands.
These were dual-sided projection magic screens—high-level magical technology developed by the Academy's graduate mages.
The previously quiet Colosseum was now filled with murmurs and awe-struck cheers.
All participants now focused intently on the screens.
"For the first test…"
The speakers echoed again:
"…you will undergo a survival test. You will be sent to an uninhabited island and must survive there for a full eight hours."
Whispers spread among the participants. Some looked anxious—while others appeared excited.
On the main stage, Yong looked relaxed. He chatted with Jamir, a faint smile forming at the corners of his lips.
"I'm sure… this will be very interesting," Yong said enthusiastically.
Jamir then asked him, "What have you prepared for the island?"
Yong responded with a surprised expression,
"I didn't prepare anything. In fact, I just learned about this."
Jamir fell silent, thinking. "Who organized this test?" he asked.
Meanwhile, Yong remained cheerful, his behavior childlike.
Jamir continued pondering, glancing at Aruma standing in the middle of the crowd—his aura cold and calm.
The speakers sounded again:
"This first test is an elimination round."
"If you fail… your journey at Eternals Academy will end here."
Participants' reactions varied. Some grinned with excitement, some grew more anxious, while others began showing off confidently to those around them.
Yet, Aruma remained completely calm—as if he had faced such situations before and found them trivial.
Glowing magical bracelets began appearing one by one, floating in the air.
They shot toward the participants' wrists—in an instant, everyone was equipped with a pair of golden bracelets tightly secured around their arms.
Then, a strong female voice from the speakers shifted to a sweeter tone, echoing throughout the Colosseum,
She continued speaking playfully but clearly.
"All participants are now equipped with a pair of magical bracelets on both wrists."
"If you wish to surrender… cross your hands. The system will immediately evacuate you back to the Colosseum."
The atmosphere grew tense again.
"But remember—doing so means your journey ends here."
Her voice turned serious again, emphasizing the weight of her words.
Some participants began to feel nervous once more.
"You will be transported in a countdown: one minute."
One of the magical screens above the Colosseum displayed large numbers and a timer below:
[800 PARTICIPANTS — 08:00]
Meanwhile, the other screens began showing different sides of the island.
All participants readied themselves, standing straight in their positions. Some closed their eyes. Some clenched their fists tightly. Others stood still, expressionless.
While everyone was prepared, Aruma's gaze remained fixed on the magical bracelet wrapped around his wrist.
Suddenly—blue light fell from the sky, striking each participant one by one.
"KRAZZZHH!""KRAZZZHH!""KRAZZZHH!"The sound of blue lightning thundered through the air.
One by one, the participants vanished in bursts of light—teleported randomly to various points across the large island.
Each location consisted of five participants. Whether they would form teams or become obstacles to one another—no one knew. No one knew if they would choose to cooperate or split up.
Above the arena, the magical screens began changing. The countdown timer started ticking, and the screens began highlighting participants scattered across the island.
The spectators gasped—then cheered again in excitement.
—
Elsewhere on the island… Aruma appeared in the midst of a dense forest shrouded in light mist. He landed at the base of a steep cliff. Around him, four other participants appeared not far away, each arriving within close proximity.
Three of them were young girls, and the last was an aristocratic young man—his arrogant, narcissistic attitude impossible to ignore.
Realizing he was grouped only with the girls, the young aristocrat immediately stepped forward with exaggerated grace, bowing deeply.
One hand pressed to his chest, the other extended forward—offering them to take his hand.
"Do not be afraid, ladies."
"As long as you stay by my side, I guarantee your safety and success in this test!" He said, a smug, confident smile accompanying his words.
Aruma, observing the young aristocrat's behavior, clearly looked annoyed.
As one of the girls reached out to shake the aristocrat's hand—Aruma instinctively raised his head.
"SRAKKK—!"
The sound of a sudden slash echoed.
Suddenly, an orc fell from above. The aristocrat's head was immediately severed—his decapitated head rolled toward the girls.
They screamed in terror, collapsing in shock.
The enraged orc raised his axe and swung it violently toward the screaming girls.
To be continued…