Sam watched as a man dressed in a red Japanese yukata, adorned with a majestic image of a lion-like beast, took the stage.
"I am the principal of the Hero Academy, Agor Leonidas," he announced.
"First of all, I want to say congratulations on successfully awakening. Secondly, not all of you will make it to the academy, so I suggest any useless brats who don't have the guts to scram now."
The expressions of the awakeners changed; they hadn't expected the principal of the prestigious Hero Academy to speak so bluntly, especially not in front of the five great clan leaders and the Hero King.
"He never changes, does he?" the Hero King remarked, shaking his head in acceptance.
"If he did, he wouldn't be himself," Alden Blackwood, the captain of the Crimson Blade Squad, said with a sigh from behind him.
Principal Leonidas snorted in annoyance as he observed that no one was moving from their place.
He had hoped to intimidate the weak-willed into leaving.
"Very well, you asked for it. Your first test starts right now," he declared.
Silence prevailed for a few seconds before every single awakener felt a formidable presence emanating from the principal and pressing down on them.
The awakeners began to wonder when the test would start or even what the test entailed.
Suddenly, it felt as if a mountain of weight had been placed on their backs.
"What the...?" Sam felt the crushing pressure on his back, his neck, his head, and in every part of his joints.
He suddenly became acutely aware of his breathing, his heartbeat, his blood running through his veins, and even his hair standing on end.
It wasn't just him; every single awakener who had come to take the entrance exam felt this overwhelming force.
"This is your first test," Principal Leonidas said. "Try to hold on to your consciousness as much as possible and try not to puke. I would hate to have to clean it up afterward." He increased the pressure even more, making it impossible for anyone to even partially stand.
As minutes passed, the pressure only seemed to increase further.
It had only been ten minutes, but for the awakeners, it felt like an eternity.
The test area was filled with the sounds of strained breathing and suppressed groans as each awakener fought to remain conscious under the immense pressure.
At one point, one of the awakeners couldn't handle the pressure and collapsed, unconscious.
This triggered a chain reaction; one by one, dozens of awakeners began to fall to the ground, unable to withstand the overwhelming force.
This greatly affected the mentality of the remaining awakeners, both positively and negatively.
Some feared they might soon fall and be eliminated, while others gloated, feeling confident because they were still standing strong.
"I don't think the test is over just yet," Sam said, his tone grim.
He was someone who always expected the worst, and he felt that the test seemed too easy so far, contradicting what his grandfather had told him about the difficulty of this year's trials.
And he was right.
With a wave of his hand, Agor Leonidas summoned six elders from the academy, who stood three on each side of him.
"The real test begins now," Agor said with a grin.
"Isn't this too much?" Just as Sam thought of something absurd, it began to come true.
The six newly arrived elders started to release their pressure.
Like waves of the sea, the pressure began to fill the air, surging like a boiling tunnel rushed with heat.
The awakeners began to feel the temperature rising rapidly; the second level of the first test was just that intense.
Previously, only a dozen awakeners had fallen, but now almost fifty collapsed to the ground, their faces red, some even bleeding from their noses.
"This is too much," Sam struggled. He was already on the ground, using his hands and knees for support.
He was among the few who were faring better than others.
[Your soul power is increasing]
"W-What?" Sam saw the notification but couldn't understand why his soul power was increasing.
He wasn't in any state to research it because the level of pressure showed no signs of relenting.
"Fuck this shit," Yami Kusanagi punched the ground in frustration.
He glanced at a boy with dark black hair and blue eyes, noticing him holding on strong.
Isabella Lancaster, Yuki Asuna, and the other nobles were not in great shape either.
They desperately wanted to resist, but the pressure was overwhelming.
It was only Sam who seemed to be doing relatively well, even though he was on all fours and sweating profusely.
[Your soul power is increasing]
[Your soul power is increasing]
[Your soul power is increasing]
As time passed, it had been almost an hour. The system repeatedly informed him that his soul power was increasing, yet not a single point had been added to his Soul Power attribute.
However, he did feel that handling the pressure became easier.
As his soul power increased, he could definitely feel his resistance increasing, his mind becoming clearer, his senses sharpening.
Yes, clearer, not stronger. There was a difference.
[Your soul power is increasing]
[Soul Power Stat Increased: +1]
[Perception Stat Increased: +1]
Sam felt his mind elate. He could feel the effect of the pressure reducing rapidly.
He felt as if he could even stand up under this pressure.
"Oh, interesting," Agor, who had noticed Sam standing up, grinned mysteriously.
He raised his hands, signaling the others to stop releasing their pressure, allowing the tension in the air to dissipate.
This relief enabled the candidates to breathe properly again.
The test was over. Out of the three hundred candidates, about fifty had lost consciousness and were consequently eliminated from the exam.
Those who remained conscious were not in great shape.
While they bore no physical injuries, they were mentally exhausted, sweating profusely, and their faces were flushed red.
They lay on the ground, utterly drained of strength.
Some of the more powerful candidates, like Yuki, Isabella, and other noble children, were struggling and barely standing.
And then there was Sam, standing with unsteady breathing but otherwise appearing perfectly fine.
At that moment, all eyes were on him. From the academy officials to the noble clan leaders and the other awakeners, everyone was watching him intently.
"How the hell is he standing after all that?" one of the awakeners couldn't contain his frustration and blurted out.
"He's the one who caused that abominable phenomenon during the awakening ceremony," another replied.
Yami's face was contorted with anger, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead. He punched the ground in fury.
"Damn this bastard," he muttered through clenched teeth.