Chapter 34 – Entrance Examination
The next morning...
A deep bell echoed throughout the Celestial Academy.
DONG...
DONG...
DONG...
The sound spread across the floating continent before disappearing into the clouds.
Students poured out of every building.
Some flew through the air.
Others rode spirit beasts.
Groups hurried toward the center of the Academy.
Marcus yawned as he stepped out of the residence assigned to Dawn Guild.
"I haven’t even had breakfast."
Ryan adjusted his bow over his shoulder.
"Your first thought before an entrance exam is food?"
Marcus looked offended.
"You can’t fight on an empty stomach."
Sophia walked past them.
"You can’t fight after eating too much either."
Marcus opened his mouth to argue but closed it after seeing Elena trying not to laugh.
The twins stepped outside.
Their appearances immediately attracted attention.
Azrael had folded his Eclipse Wings into his body, leaving only the faint silver-black crest on his back. His Eclipse Halo had also faded into an invisible state at his command.
Seraphina had done the same.
Although their halos and wings were hidden...
Their auras had fundamentally changed.
Every powerful student who looked at them instinctively felt something unusual.
Not threatening.
Simply... ancient.
The Headmaster waited outside.
"Follow me."
No one questioned him.
They walked through enormous marble streets lined with statues.
Every statue represented a legendary graduate of the Academy.
Some had twelve angelic wings.
Others resembled dragons.
There were Titans taller than mountains.
Spirit Kings surrounded by floating moons.
Machine Sovereigns forged from living metal.
Marcus stared.
"Those are graduates?"
The Headmaster nodded.
"Most."
Ryan frowned.
"What do you mean, ’most’?"
The old man smiled mysteriously.
"Some never graduated."
"They became professors first."
Everyone fell silent.
Soon...
The group arrived at an enormous arena.
It was larger than an entire city.
Floating islands surrounded the central platform.
Millions of seats extended into the distance.
Students from countless races filled the arena.
Dragons.
Phoenix descendants.
Giants.
Beastkin.
Fairies.
Angels.
Demons.
Even races the twins had never imagined.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement.
A booming voice echoed across the stadium.
"Welcome..."
"...to the Entrance Examination!"
Thunderous cheers erupted.
The Headmaster slowly rose into the sky.
Only then did the twins realize...
He was today’s examiner.
"I am Headmaster Orion."
"My duty today..."
"...is to determine whether any of you deserve to call yourselves students of the Celestial Academy."
His voice spread effortlessly across the arena.
"Many of you come from noble families."
"Many possess ancient bloodlines."
"Some have conquered kingdoms."
He paused.
"None of that matters here."
The entire stadium fell silent.
"In this Academy..."
"...only your own strength has value."
The crowd erupted into applause.
A massive crystal descended from the heavens.
It was nearly two hundred meters tall.
Golden runes floated around its surface.
The System appeared.
Entrance Examination
Stage One:
Potential Assessment
Participants:
12,684
Qualified:
Unknown
Marcus blinked.
"...Twelve thousand?"
Ryan sighed.
"This school really is ridiculous."
Headmaster Orion continued.
"The Potential Crystal does not measure current strength."
"It measures..."
"...future possibility."
"Touch the crystal."
"Nothing more."
Students immediately lined up.
The first participant was a young man with two flaming wings.
He confidently placed his hand against the crystal.
The crystal glowed faintly.
Potential Grade:
B
The young man smiled proudly.
The professors simply nodded.
The second participant approached.
Potential:
A
Third.
Potential:
C
Fourth.
Potential:
A+
Hours passed.
Only a handful reached S Rank.
Whenever one appeared...
The arena erupted into cheers.
Marcus crossed his arms.
"I don’t like waiting."
Sophia looked toward the crystal.
"It’s observing more than talent."
"It’s looking at destiny."
Eventually...
Valeria stepped forward.
The crowd immediately became excited.
"Rank Two!"
"She’s from the Crimson Abyss Clan!"
"She’ll definitely reach SS."
Valeria placed her hand against the crystal.
For a brief moment...
Nothing happened.
Then...
Crimson light exploded into the sky.
The crystal produced countless ancient symbols.
Potential Grade:
SS
The crowd roared.
Valeria smiled proudly before looking directly toward Azrael.
The challenge in her eyes was unmistakable.
A few candidates later...
Lucian approached.
The arena quieted.
The Student Council President calmly touched the crystal.
Golden light spread across its surface.
Unlike Valeria’s violent energy...
His power was stable.
Majestic.
Potential Grade:
SS+
Even the professors applauded.
Marcus whistled.
"He really is strong."
Finally...
Headmaster Orion spoke.
"Azrael Ashbourne."
The arena instantly fell silent.
Thousands of eyes turned toward him.
Azrael calmly walked forward.
His footsteps echoed across the platform.
As he approached the crystal...
It began vibrating.
He hadn’t even touched it.
Professor after professor stood.
One elderly dragon narrowed his eyes.
"...Interesting."
The crystal continued shaking.
Azrael slowly placed one hand upon it.
Silence.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Then...
Nothing.
The crystal remained dark.
The audience looked confused.
Marcus scratched his head.
"Did it break?"
Ryan frowned.
"That’s impossible."
Suddenly—
A single silver rune appeared.
Then another.
Then hundreds.
Then millions.
The crystal no longer glowed.
It transformed.
Its golden surface became silver and black.
Ancient runes spread across the entire arena.
The sky itself darkened.
Every Halo within the stadium trembled.
Even Lucian’s expression changed.
The System blared.
Error...
Unknown Evolution Detected.
Searching Universal Evolution Archive...
Match Found.
Race:
Aetherion.
Authority Level...
Beyond Examination Parameters.
The crystal cracked.
Professors immediately stood.
"What?"
"It can’t withstand him?"
Headmaster Orion’s calm expression finally changed.
For the first time since the twins had met him...
He looked genuinely shocked.
The crystal released one final pulse.
Instead of displaying a grade...
It displayed a single sentence.
Potential Cannot Be Measured.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Then...
The crystal exploded into harmless particles of light.
No one spoke.
Not even Valeria.
Azrael slowly withdrew his hand.
"...Was that supposed to happen?"
Headmaster Orion looked at the shattered remains of the Academy’s most precious artifact.
Then...
He laughed.
Not quietly.
Not politely.
He laughed so loudly that the entire arena echoed.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"I knew it."
"The Academy..."
"...has finally welcomed a true anomaly."
The professors looked at one another.
Several were still too stunned to move.
One thing had become certain.
The twins were no longer simply talented newcomers.
They were variables that even the oldest systems in existence had failed to calculate.
And the examination...
Had only just begun.