Zane lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his small, cluttered room. The moonlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, casting eerie shadows on the walls. His heart pounded as if it wanted to escape his chest, and his mind raced with a thousand thoughts. The soft ticking of the clock on his bedside table felt deafening in the silence of the night. He turned to look at it: 2:45 AM.
The room, usually a sanctuary for him, felt suffocating. Posters of legendary hunters adorned the walls, their fearless expressions now seemed to mock his anxiety. His gear was neatly packed and ready by the door, a silent reminder of the impending challenge. The anxiety gnawed at him, twisting his stomach into knots.
Zane clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing. His eyes, wide and restless, darted around the room as if seeking some kind of reassurance. Tomorrow was the entrance exam for the Hunter Academy—a critical step toward his dream. But what if he failed? What if he wasn't good enough? The fear of the unknown was paralyzing.
His thoughts were a tangled mess. He remembered the stories of past exams—how each year the practical test changed. Last year, it was a hunting test where participants had to kill the most monsters within a given time. What would it be this year? The uncertainty only added to his anxiety. He was overwhelmed by the enormity of it all, the first significant step toward his future. This was more than an exam; it was the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed in his mind, cutting through the chaos of his thoughts.
"Don't overthink, kid. Who do you think is guiding you?" Alagor said.
Zane's eyes widened, and he instantly sat up on his bed, his breath hitching. Alagor could feel his emotions and said, "Don't tense up, kid," in a calm tone, though his voice was heavy and authoritative.
Zane was silent, shocked. This had never happened before. Alagor usually came to him in his dreams if he had something important to say, but now he was casually talking to him while he was awake.
"Can you hear me?" Zane asked in his mind.
"Yes," Alagor replied.
"You can talk to me like this?" Zane asked.
"Yes, I can," Alagor replied.
"Then why didn't you do it before?"
"I didn't feel like it," Alagor said nonchalantly.
Zane sighed. "So, you suddenly started talking to me because you have something you want to say, right?"
"Of course. Why would I bother to talk to you? Me, the great Monster King," Alagor said, always taking the opportunity to praise himself.
Zane still couldn't get used to this. Alagor always praised himself whenever he got the chance.
"You have improved greatly, but not enough to handle the Monster King. You can't even fight B-rank monsters now," Alagor continued.
(Zane had explained how the ranking works in monsters in one of his dreams and learned that Monster Kings are far more powerful than S-rank monsters. This knowledge made him fearful; if S-rank monsters were so powerful, how much more powerful would a Monster King be?)
"But don't worry, you have me with you. You have absorbed my aura, but this is not even one percent of my power. Your body can't handle more than this. You need to make your body more sturdy and adapt to my power."
Alagor continued to talk, explaining about himself and how great he was, like an old man in the neighborhood boasting about his youthful exploits. Zane began to feel sleepy.
"One last thing: I am giving you one of my abilities for tomorrow, so that you can reach the top rank. As a Monster King, I can't accept anything less than the top position. But don't use it hastily. You have no control over it, so using it without experience will do more harm than good. Oh, I didn't tell you what the ability is. It is…" Alagor paused in his long speech as he got no response. He found Zane asleep, unaware that Alagor had given him something.
Alagor sighed, seeing Zane asleep so comfortably. "Humans are really unpredictable," he said.
Zane was sleeping soundly, unaware of what Alagor had said to him in the last moments and of the ability that Alagor had given him.
The next day, the sun rose, and the noise from outside—the cars and people—started to come. Zane was still asleep soundly. Suddenly, his mother, Sarah, barged into his room like a storm and woke him up by pulling off his blanket.
"Zane!" Sarah exclaimed. "You were sleeping like a log! Do you have any idea what time it is? Get up, the exam is today!"
Zane's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Oh no, I overslept!"
He jumped out of bed, quickly getting dressed. Sarah watched him with a mix of concern and amusement. "You really need to work on your morning routine," she teased.
Zane, now fully awake and dressed, grabbed his gear and his exam letter and rushed out.
"Good luck, Zane! I know you'll do great!" his mother called as he left home.
He made his way to the exam site, the Hunter Academy's grand hall. The atmosphere was electric, with hundreds of hopeful candidates, all brimming with nervous energy.
As he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of the academy's head instructor, a stern-looking man with a scar running down his face. He stood on a raised platform, addressing the crowd.
"Welcome, candidates, to the Hunter Academy," the head instructor announced. "First, you have to take the written exam, and after that, we will announce the practical test."
Everyone started to move. There were many students taking the exam. The instructor checked the exam letters and confirmed the identities of the students, guiding them to the exam hall and the rooms where they had to sit.
The exam hall was vast, filled with rows of desks neatly arranged. The walls were lined with banners showcasing the academy's history and achievements. The air was thick with anticipation, and the sound of shuffling feet echoed throughout the room as candidates found their seats.
Zane took a deep breath as he sat down at his designated desk. The exam paper was already placed in front of him, its crisp pages untouched. He glanced around the room, seeing the determined faces of his peers. The tension was palpable, and he could feel his own anxiety rising.
The instructor's voice cut through the silence. "You have one hour to complete the written exam. Begin."
Zane flipped open the exam paper and scanned the questions. There were 50 multiple-choice questions and 5 short-answer questions, covering a range of topics from monster biology to strategy and ethics in hunting.
His mind raced as he tackled the questions, one by one. Some were straightforward, testing basic knowledge he had studied extensively. Others were more challenging, requiring critical thinking and application of concepts.
The atmosphere in the room was intense. The sound of pencils scratching against paper was almost hypnotic. Zane could hear the occasional sigh or the rustling of paper as someone turned a page. He tried to focus, blocking out the distractions and keeping his mind clear.
Zane's heart pounded with each question he answered. He knew that every point counted, and he couldn't afford to make careless mistakes. The short-answer questions were particularly daunting, requiring detailed explanations and well-thought-out responses.
Time seemed to fly by, and before he knew it, the instructor announced that there were only ten minutes left. Zane quickly reviewed his answers, making sure he hadn't missed anything. His hand trembled slightly as he wrote, the weight of the exam pressing down on him.
Finally, the instructor called time. "Pencils down, everyone. Your written exams are now over. We will collect your papers and announce the results shortly. Please remain seated."
Zane put down his pencil, feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty. He had done his best, but he couldn't shake the nagging doubt in the back of his mind. Had he done enough to pass?
As the instructors collected the exam papers, the room buzzed with quiet conversations. Some candidates looked confident, while others appeared as anxious as Zane felt. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
After what felt like an eternity, the head instructor returned to the platform. "Thank you for your patience. The written exam results have been tallied. Those who passed will move on to the practical test, which will be announced shortly."
The instructor began reading out names, and Zane's heart pounded harder with each one. Finally, his name was called. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He had made it through the first hurdle.
The candidates who passed the written exam were instructed to gather in the main hall for the announcement of the practical test. Zane joined the group, feeling a renewed sense of determination. This was it—the moment he had been preparing for. He was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.