"Shit, we're late! Wake up!"
A loud thump echoed as Roran hit the floor, shoved out of his bunk bed by his panicked roommate.
He blinked, trying to process the abrupt wake-up call. His mind was still foggy from sleep.
"It's 8:30!" Hank yelled, frantically pulling on the cheap combat boots they had bought at the market.
Roran stared at him, stunned into silence. Then, as the words registered, his confusion turned into a surge of anger. "You woke me up to tell me the time!?"
Hank froze, disbelief written across his face. "Dude, today's the entrance examination!"
Roran's heart skipped a beat as his face drained of color. "Shit!" he cursed, scrambling to his feet. Panic flooded him as he rushed to the bathroom, which was barely a meter away in their cramped room. He splashed cold water on his face, hands trembling as he hastily washed up.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" he growled, his voice tight with anxiety.
Hank snorted, pulling on his boots with a cold retort. "Apologies, but fuck you!" He combed his hair, shot Roran a smirk, and opened the door. "Bye."
Roran's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait! Just a second!"
But Hank was already gone, leaving Roran fuming in his wake. "That bastard!" he muttered, quickly putting on the first shirt he found and his only pair of dirty blue trousers. He didn't bother combing his hair as he grabbed his official student coat of identification and ran out the door.
---
It had been 50 years since the emergence of arc energy, a phenomenon that fundamentally altered the world. People and beasts alike had absorbed this mysterious energy, unlocking powers known as Talents. Animals mutated into terrifying beasts, while humans gained the ability to manipulate their cells, generating intense heat, cold, and other extraordinary abilities.
---
Within a massive coliseum, thousands of recruits filled the seats, their expressions grave as they watched the ten stages below. Each stage was a 500-meter-wide arena, enclosed by thick, tempered steel cages. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the sounds of battle and the stench of blood.
The students on the stages were locked in life-and-death struggles against mutant beasts, creatures that had grown to monstrous sizes after absorbing arc energy. The smallest stood at two meters tall, while the largest towered at seven feet, radiating raw ferocity.
At this stage in their training, each student had activated at least 60 percent of their cells, granting them superhuman speed, strength, and intelligence. The instructors had assured them that facing ordinary mutant beasts shouldn't be hard. But as the battles unfolded, there was a clear distinction that theory and reality were worlds apart.
The first round of battle ended with three students dead, four grievously injured, and only three emerging victorious with minor wounds. The survivors were pale with the shock of what they had just endured.
Servants quickly moved in, rearranging the stages for the next round of combat.
A robotic voice boomed throughout the stadium, announcing the next group of examinees.
"No. 100471!"
"No. 100472!"
"No. 100473!"...
"No. 100480!"
Nine students immediately stood up, both male and female, their faces a mix of fear and determination. They rushed to the stages, their ID numbers glowing overhead. Two among them wore calm expressions, their confidence bordering on arrogance.
But the tenth student was nowhere to be seen.
"No. 100480!" the robotic voice repeated, louder this time. The stadium fell silent, tension thick in the air.
"No. 100480!"
Still, the student did not appear.
In Stage 5, a sneer curled on Jake's lips. "Don't tell me he ran away?"
Jake, one of the top first-year students, had always disliked Roran and wasted no opportunity to mock him.
Another student murmured, "Everyone knows the consequence of missing the examination is instant death. He's not that stupid."
"That's true," another replied. "Even escaping isn't possible. The implanted remote chip will instantly kill him once he's a hundred meters away from the college."
The murmurs spread like wildfire, filling the stadium with hushed whispers and growing unease.
"Silence!"
The command struck like thunder, silencing the entire coliseum.
"Shit! Roran's done for!" Hank muttered, his expression grim as he glanced at the speaker.
She was seated at the high table with the other instructors, but her presence was impossible to ignore. Demoness Selina, the head instructor, was a figure of both fear and awe. Known for her monstrous power and ruthlessness, she treated the students as disposable assets, killing those she deemed defective without hesitation.
Selina's appearance was as striking as her reputation. She wore a skin-tight blazer that accentuated her curves, her long legs strong and straight. Her black hair framed her face, and her crimson eyes gleamed dangerously. Yet, despite her beauty, no one dared look directly at her.
At that moment, the stifling silence was broken by a pale, dark-haired youth. "I-I'm here."
Roran staggered into the arena, drenched in sweat, his face pale as he panted heavily. It was unclear if his exhaustion was from fear or the desperate run to the coliseum.
Selina's lips curled into a cold smile as she observed him. "You are here?"
Her voice, soft and melodic, echoed through the arena like a haunting symphony. Roran looked up, his eyes widening as he met her gaze. Despite his fear, he couldn't help but marvel at her beauty, a dangerous, captivating beauty that he had secretly coveted for a long time.
"Roran, right?" Selina's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
He nodded frantically, his heart racing. "Y-yes!"
Selina tilted her head slightly, her black hair cascading to the side. Her crimson eyes narrowed, studying him with an almost predatory interest. "You came 23 minutes late to the exam. Don't you think you deserve punishment?"
Roran's blood ran cold. "Y-yes, ma'am!" he stammered, almost unconsciously.
A sudden, intense wave of pressure filled the arena, suffocating in its sheer force. The other instructors exchanged uneasy glances, recognizing the immense power Selina was displaying.
Roran barely had time to process the danger before a searing heat slammed into him.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
His scream pierced the silence as he was blasted into his assigned stage, his entire body consumed by agonizing pain. His skin blistered and burned under the assault, the intensity of the heat overwhelming his senses.
The spectators watched in horrified silence, their faces pale. No one doubted that the Demoness had meant to kill him, to make him suffer before his inevitable death at the hands of the mutant beast.
"Release the beasts," Selina commanded, her voice sweet, but laced with cruelty.
The stages closed, trapping the students inside. The ground shook as the walls of each arena opened, revealing the hulking forms of ten mutant beasts. The creatures thumped out of their enclosures, each one more monstrous than the last, ready for the next round of life-and-death combat.
At the high table, Selina's eyes narrowed as she focused on Arena 10.
A male voice, smooth and mocking, broke the tension. "That kid is still alive? Interesting. Seems like your fire isn't as grand as the rumors say."
The speaker was a devilishly handsome instructor seated beside her, a smirk playing on his lips.
Selina gave him a side long glance, her crimson eyes glinting with disdain. "Release two more mutant beasts in Arena 10." Her voice was calm, almost playful, but the command was absolute.
If she wanted someone dead, who dared to stop her?