Chapter 35: Category Determination Exams at the Academy (12).
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The boy standing in front of him, that was him.
He often seemed emotionless, to the point that everyone believed that he was truly devoid of them.
What was his dream, to be able to survive until now, what was his motivation for living?
Did he even have one in the first place?
As the closest person to this red-eyed boy in front of him, he was curious.
He had long known that the red-eyed boy wouldn't respond if he didn't want to, he was completely self-reliant.
Unlike others who formed teams and groups in order to survive and become stronger, he was alone with no support from anyone.
However, the red-eyed boy had reached the top, from the beginning alone, and until the end, he had done it alone.
He couldn't help but wonder.
Such a person, what is his motivation to keep going?
"…I have one"
His voice did not shake even a little. He answered the injured boy's question with his blank tone.
"...so then"
Whatever it is, perhaps you can handle it with your own hands one day.
Even without completing his words, his emotions had already reached him.
Srying!
Srying!
A black blade emerged from within the red-eyed boy's hand.
"Is that all?"
In response to his words, the injured boy nodded calmly.
He had so much he wanted to say, but in the end, there was nothing left to say.
Whether a person succeeded or lost, at the end of his life, none of it mattered.
Just as the sun rises at the break of dawn, its light comes and dissipates the darkness of the fleeting night.
Like the darkness of the night disappearing into a new morning.
When the road ends, whether to win or lose, a person will have no joy or distress left.
That was the cruelty and joy of living in the world.
Number Two, in this place, his name was something like that.
He lived his life in constant struggle in search of achieving his dream, yet he failed.
He had nothing left with him, no relatives or enemies.
There was no witness to his last moments except a boy holding a black blade in front of him.
Was there any remorse left?
The injured boy laughed, as if the one who was going to die was someone else, not him.
He had no remorse, not even a little.
He did not feel sorry for himself, his survival until now had been at the expense of other people's lives.
No one in this world was innocent.
Man kills animals to eat, animals prey on each other, the big fish eats the small fish, and the small fish eats the shrimp.
This is nature, this is the world, there is no innocence.
Do you kill just because you want to survive?
Humans kill rabbits for food.
Are they pure and innocent?
None of them were.
The law of nature is that the strongest will survive, not the innocent.
Everyone will kill to survive, and at some point, they will be the ones who die.
If one kills, one must be prepared to be killed!
In this cruel world, everything revolved around survival.
Everyone has the right to live, and everyone has the right to kill to survive.
Yet, none of them are innocent!
No one in the world is innocent!
This is the absolute truth!
Number Two laughed lightly, remembering another cold truth in this brutal environment.
He was not sorry for what he had done, because he was doing it for survival.
Everyone has their own way of living, however, only the strongest survive to make ends meet.
He had been pursuing his goal to the very end.
Why would he have any regrets?
He had already done what he could.
There was nothing more to say?
In fact, there was only one thing left, and that would solve the deepest questions of his life.
A friend.
He was curious.
Such an unemotional and indifferent person, such a person who killed everyone here without even batting an eyelid.
Did he know that word?
He wasn't upset about what he had done, if their places had been swapped, he would have done the same thing, in fact.
Thinking impartially, it made sense for Red-Eyes to act this way, it was for survival.
Even so, he didn't justify his actions, because he was right.
Losers lose everything.
But he was the one who won… did he have anything in the first place?
Farewell words are always few, but they carry a lot of meaning.
"Goodbye," he raised his hand that was extended across the blade, as he said in a calm voice.
The injured boy looked at him for a moment, before closing his eyes.
Even if he did not achieve his goal, which was disappointing, at least his life was not completely devoid of color.
Even if this person did not consider him of the same status, he was the closest to him.
What did the red-eyed boy consider to be important to him?
Did the boy consider him important in his eyes?
"… Yes, goodbye, my only friend"
Fulfill your dream, spread your wings, like a flying eagle, roaming the world freely.
" Rest in peace, the closest person I have ever known "
The injured boy, widened his eyes for a short while, upon hearing those words.
He didn't expect this, but still, his body relaxed, and he closed his eyes in relief.
Although the loser ends up with empty hands, it seemed that he didn't really lose in the end.
The boy closed his eyes to the world, and that was in the hands of his only friend.
How sad would he be?
Stabbed!
As he closed his eyes, lying across the white ground, a black blade entered the boy's heart.
After hearing the red-eyed boy's words, a slight smile entered Number Two's face.
The boy died, and a happy smile appeared on his face.
In the end, really… really, he had no regrets left in life.
He had been looking for excitement all his life, somehow, dying at the hands of his friend was interesting in its own way too.
The boy was born into a poor family, and out of desperation and helplessness, his parents sold him to an unknown merchant.
The boy was sold in a deal to this organization when he was three years old.
What followed was a life in which he struggled until his last day.
His parents' blurry faces and some memories of the outside world, that was his only connection to the world.
He loved the interesting lifestyle, and always lived looking for excitement.
In this generation among his peers, he ranked second and led many other children in this organization.
The first spark of rebellion in the organization and the leader of that campaign.
They all died while making their last effort to get out.
The leader, with a smile on his face, was the last one to live among his group.
That was number two, that was the eccentric and exciting boy.
A black blade pierced his exhausted body, in the end, as he took his last breath, he died happily.
For the red-eyed boy, that was his first friend.
The world is often unforgiving.
No matter the reason or the difference of opinions, the result was the same.
His closest friend and the last remnants of his humanity.
He ended up being his own killer.
The red-eyed boy stood there in silence for a long time.
Was he crying?
That was unbearable.
He shook the blood off his blade, and put it back in his hand.
He looked at the smiling boy for one last moment, then turned around.
He walked away with inaudible steps.
At the end of the road, there was a person who looked like the young boy.
With black hair and red eyes, what looked like a more mature version of the boy stood, waiting for the young boy to arrive.
His cold, emotionless eyes carried the vicissitudes of life and its experiences.
If the young boy's eyes were like a pool of blood, the elder's eyes were like the vast sea.
No matter how deep you search, you will never find the end, and you will drown in the sea forever.
The elder version smiled gently at the young boy, "Do you feel like crying or regretting it?" "
The contrast between the two was obvious.
Unlike his younger self, the elder had the ability to show expressions on his face.
He extended his hand towards the boy, and the younger took it, the two walked holding hands in the white void.
This environment would have caused distraction and confusion to the mind, but the two did not look like that.
They had already been used to the place for a long time.
In his empty voice, the younger replied, "Nothing."
Although there was a bit of strangeness, even discomfort, that was all.
Crying, it was something one felt when feeling deeply sad.
His only friend had died in his arms.
It might seem cruel, but it was the best he could do for him.
Clear despair was better than false hope.
If he had actually known the truth of the place, he would have been even more broken.
Not only him, but everyone here, would have fallen into a fit of madness.
Their fate in this place was nothing more than to become consumables.
Of course, that was one of his secondary intentions, the young boy had eliminated them for a deeper reason.
After all, one must step on someone else to ascend.
It was that simple, for the boy to ascend higher and carry out his plans, he had cleared the obstacles out of his way.
Even if it meant his friend dying in his hands, he would do it.
That was his so-called "little kindness left for anyone in this world."
Dying while pursuing his ambition, this had left Number Two to die without regret.
Was the red-eyed boy sad about what he had done?
To him… he had lost the ability to do so long ago.
"Even if I go back in time to the same situation every time, the answer is always the same."
The younger continued, holding his older self's hand.
"Well, you're right." The teenage boy had a mysterious smile as he answered.
"Regretting what one did means losing," the younger said.
Guessing his words, the older continued, "In this world, there is no place for losing."
"Whether in the past or the present."
"Whether in the future, the only answer I can give is simple." The two voices began to overlap across space.
"In this world, winning is everything."
In sync, the two said.
In the white void, the corpse of a young child and a young teenager could be seen.
A soundless environment.
The only sound that could be heard was the footsteps of two people.
Leaving behind a field of blood and corpses.
As they held each other's hands, in stark silence.
They walked through eternity.
Until they could no longer be seen.
____
____
In the infirmary, Leon woke up.
He had a dream about an ancient past.
His expression was not confused, and he remained indifferent.
Emotions did not betray his face or heart.
He was completely calm, and did not feel panic.
His past and his life.
He had already come to terms with it, he had no regrets or sorrow for the scars of his life.
In the end, one must, at some point, come to terms with oneself and overcome one's past.
" The past is an extension of the present and the future, there is no point in staying stuck in it forever ." He thought to himself, rubbing his eyes.
He looked around, clearly the only one here besides Logan who had not yet woken up.
"… Number two huh." He had a wry smile on his face, as he examined his body.
There didn't seem to be a problem with the vital organs, and no problem could be seen with the flow of qi through the body.
He wasn't worried about his internal injuries being exposed by the paramedics, when he hit his abdomen with his hand, he destroyed the remnants of magic spread throughout his body.
The internal injury was of two types: those affecting the vital organs, and those affecting the energy paths in the body.
Since he wanted to affect his talent, he hit his body and left some remnants of magic energy on the pressure points in his body.
That would normally lead to death.
But with his vast experience, not to mention being the best at controlling and sensing magical energy, Leon had succeeded.
Thus, when he injured his body, he wiped out the remaining energy residue and injured himself.
Thus, when he was examined for various reasons, only the chaos of his damaged body's entrails would be noticed.
"Since the Nightmare Call is activated on its own, it means that someone tried to enter my core of essence." He thought to himself for a moment, while guessing.
The dream he had, of course, was caused by the Nightmare Call.
In cases where he was unprepared or unaware, when an attempt was made to enter his magic energy core—called the core of essence—the Nightmare Call would automatically activate to prevent people from entering.
This was to prevent searching his memories or sensing his level.
But in this case where he wanted to prove his little talent, he had manipulated his mana core.
Therefore, even if someone broke through the simple defenses he had set up for the Nightmare Call, only a C-grade talent would receive them.
Naturally, he wouldn't accept to injure himself so easily without any guarantees.
He did some breathing exercises to make sure he was fully recovered and stretched his body before getting up.
It took him about five minutes to finish.
" Apparently, they're very busy, since no one has done anything yet "
He heightened his senses to observe the outside, and only sensed familiar auras.
There was no flow that would befit someone so strong and unfamiliar.
This further confirmed that their injuries had been dealt with completely.
It was impossible to leave a critically injured person alone.
" There probably wouldn't be an interrogation, if there were, rules like that wouldn't have been established, like everything is allowed except cheating or killing "
Leon could infer several things from that.
That means, there had been murders in the past, or something like that.
He wasn't even a little worried about being disqualified, since he had only fatally wounded himself.
Even if his score on the first test was cut, it was still half of thirty minutes.
That was enough to be accepted.
Leon remembered entering the bets that were held secretly the day before the test.
He eliminated everyone who had bet on losing them himself, under the pretext of fighting Logan.
He showed enough unconsciousness and madness that everyone thought he wasn't sane.
It wouldn't be suspected that his act was done "intentionally" because of this.
Leon had placed many bets through his own informant.
This was because it was forbidden for students taking the test to participate in bets themselves.
At the beginning of the test, he had put malicious intentions in the mind of one of the examinees to start the fight.
Malicious Intentions was one of Leon's many techniques, an ability that amplified a person's deep and malicious intentions.
As long as he showed hostility and harbored it towards someone, he would lose his inhibitions and attack them.
Since the test was based on enduring negative thoughts and pressuring the soul, no one would suspect Leon.
Not to mention, this ability left no traces, it fed on negative emotions.
In this world, there were all sorts of strange and diverse methods and abilities, it was not strange that there were methods that fed on emotions, although they were not common.
Anyway, when he threw the spark into a tree, it eventually traveled towards the forest and the spark became a fire.
He secretly pushed those who remained sane towards the factions that the other students had created by ruling his own environment alone.
He took advantage of his conflict with the boy Logan and eliminated all those who deserved to be eliminated—in fact, those who bet on their loss, and left those who deserved to stay.
His deep wound and the struggle of will with Logan would leave a deep impression and ignite the will of others.
Even if they didn't want to ignite like the others, if the majority did, the rest would do the same, driven by the group's consciousness.
Apart from everything, his biggest gain was due to his bet on himself.
After showing his overwhelming strength, everyone firmly believed that Leon would definitely take the lead.
His strength became the reason why no one believed that he wouldn't lose on purpose, it was because of his deep resentment that he showed on the day he received his punishment!
In the past two days, his demeanor had been so cold, he even allowed some to see him training hard in public, that would solidify their impression.
Who would have thought that he would lose after only thirty minutes?
Naturally, many people were angry, they lost their money as a result of their bet on Leon!
He bet on getting a Class C talent and won the jackpot and wouldn't receive any doubts at first because he didn't do it on his own.
Even if he was doubted, what did it matter? There was no evidence to support that!
There would be resentment and people would direct their anger towards Leon, because they had pinned their hopes on him from the beginning.
He would have given them blind eyes and deaf ears in response to their anger.
Now you have to go and receive the reward for your hard work, right?
What does your anger have to do with me? But don't worry, your money will be safe in my pocket.
Hehe.
Leon laughed coldly, and prepared to go.
Of course, before that, he had to do something first.
"I know you're awake, get up." After warming up his body, Leon said without turning around.
"…I wanted to sleep more." Logan's voice was yawning, and he got up from his seat.
This boy was beautiful in Leon's eyes, and if it weren't for him, how would his plan work so smoothly?
It's always great when the pawn comes by itself to exploit him, there was no need for him to even look, the piece came to him by itself.
Thank you, you bastard nobleman!
Because of Leon's strange looks at him, Logan felt uncomfortable, but he quickly stood up and spoke.
"Leon… what are you going to do from now on?"
Leon had already expected his question, if he didn't want something from him, he would have left long ago without waiting for Leon to finish warming up.
Making him take the initiative first confirmed it.
"What am I going to do from now on? You have to figure it out yourself." Leon laughed lightly.
Saying words like that, he had a deep meaning.
You want to know what I'm going to do? Hahaha, you're free to follow me and do it.
Or maybe not, I won't stop you, kid.
Leon took off the hospital clothes he was wearing, while looking for his school uniform.
'…. This! ' Logan widened his eyes at the sight of his body.
He wasn't impressed, he wasn't abnormal to feel such disgusting emotions!
Awe was the most specific word.
Leon's body was solid, it seemed as impenetrable as steel, with deep scars across his arms.
But what was terrifying were the marks of injuries on his body.
There were injuries that looked like the person had been in a den of hyenas trying to eat his flesh!
Although the two had been healed, his somewhat scarred body had not disappeared.
They were old wounds that gave the impression of how brutal one had been.
This was the body of a warrior who had fought countless battles!
How could this be true!
The two were the same age, so how did he get these wounds?
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that he had not been injured in a day or two.
Logan shook slightly, Leon's previous words and the impression from his body intertwined together.
He couldn't help but recall the time he had been chasing Leon.
A shiver ran through his body.
If he had accidentally hurt Leon… he might have died a death worse than a dog.
These were not rash thoughts, Logan had experience in conflicts and intrigues, not to mention he had developed an instinct to sense the strength of others.
The sense of danger he felt from Leon… was immeasurable.
After the shiver, Logan's body shook slightly.
Was he afraid?
It would be a lie to say no, but what overshadowed the fear was excitement!
He felt it immediately, since Leon said to follow him, wouldn't he do something interesting?
From his words, he didn't harbor resentment for being followed, and allowed him to do whatever he wanted now.
If that was true, as someone who satisfied his curiosity and desire to see interesting things, how could he refuse?
Naturally, there was no room for refusal!
Logan didn't think any further, and replied with a laughing voice, "Okay!"
It only took him a few breaths to think about it.
When Logan replied, Leon had already started putting on his school uniform.
"Here, heal your remaining body paths and boost your energy, I'll need you at your full strength."
Leon threw a small box towards Logan.
Inside the box were small-sized pills.
Logan immediately knew what they were.
He looked at him with wide eyes.
Leon laughed lightly as he put on his uniform completely, looked at himself in the window mirror, and nodded his head in satisfaction.
"If you want to see what's interesting, follow me to the second test." He walked outside as Logan was left alone with his thoughts.
Leon looked at the clock in his hand, while calculating in his mind.
Judging by how long he had slept so far, the second test should start in an hour or so.
He had time to withdraw his winnings now.
With a feeling of elation, Leon walked towards his waiting group with light steps.
According to his memories, the second test was supposed to be a three-round battle under different circumstances.
The third was a three-day, three-night hunt.
Unlike the first test, the second and third tests were known to everyone.
Since half of his points would be deducted, there was a need to adjust his performance a bit.
'The second test… I wonder who the unlucky person I'll meet is? '
Hahaha!
Ominous laughter echoed through the hall and corridors.
Unlike what a normal person would think.
The low performance and poor results that Leon thought about, and that others thought about.
They were never the same.
He had never been normal, not in the past or present.
And most likely, he wouldn't be normal in the future.
Number Two… He was the first friend the boy had ever had.
Perhaps because of him, Leon felt curious about the world.
There were many forks in the road, arriving at this academy at this age.
The academy was just a stopover, and yet, he couldn't help but wonder.
What would he live and what moments would he experience here?
As the rainwater evaporates and the earth dries up, it falls again.
What kind of relationships would be built and destroyed?
A distant past that he had never forgotten, a life and tragedies that he had promised himself not to forget and that flashed through his eyes.
From the beginning to the end, his heart didn't waver even a little.
If he hadn't lived this kind of life, what would his way of thinking be, and what would the life they aspired to be like?
Sometimes, such thoughts would come to the boy's mind.
The motive was just curiosity, he naturally didn't hate his past or anything like that.
Even if there are tragedies in the world, there will be a time when a person will move forward and not look back.
That is what is called acceptance.
A creature's acceptance of its flaws and shortcomings will lead to a broader view of the world.
When seeing the world with transparent eyes, without fog or lies, one will have new opportunities.
A new world to explore will lie before one's eyes.
In fact, what changed at that time was not the world, but one's perception of it.
That is what is called growth.
The blank white paper that the boy had been observing for so long began to fill with pictures as he matured.
For the red-eyed boy, the different experiences in his life were what he wanted to taste, what he wanted to understand.
Exploring the world that was gray, and making the empty album full of pictures, and memories.
Perseverance and struggle, keeping a brave smile.
Crazy, extreme, smart, fearless.
Flying to the sky, like an eagle without limits.
He was the boy who struggled to live in the world, he was the boy who wanted to fly higher.
This was the boy who called himself Leon.