The large room quieted as the elderly principal finished his speech. He stepped aside, and a tall, sharp-featured man with black hair, walked onto the platform. His presence was immediate, tall and composed, with an air of unapproachable authority.
His dark, piercing gaze scanned the room, each candidate feeling the weight of his stare. There was no mistaking the gravity of the situation; this man was not here to encourage. He was here to challenge.
Dressed in a sleek, black uniform adorned with the Hunter High Academy emblem on his chest, the instructor stood silently for a moment, letting his cold, calculating demeanor settle into the room.
He was a striking figure his sharp features were complemented by a strong jawline, and his black hair was neatly trimmed, giving him the look of a predator on the hunt.
There was a calm, unspoken power in his posture, one that made it clear he didn't need to speak to command attention. But he did anyway.
"I am Instructor Kaelen Everhart." he said, his voice deep and authoritative, cutting through the silence. "Welcome, candidates, to the first stage of the entrance exam for Hunter High Academy."
His tone was measured, deliberate, as if each word was chosen to elicit the maximum effect. "This stage will test not only your combat skills but your resourcefulness, endurance, and determination. Survival is the key. The trial you are about to face is called the Survival Trial."
The room filled with murmurs of excitement and unease, but Instructor Everhart raised his hand, cutting through the noise like a blade. The crowd fell silent at once, their attention snapped back to him.
"The rules?" He paused, a small, almost imperceptible smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "There are none."
The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. Nervous whispers spread like wildfire, and a few candidates exchanged uncertain glances. What did he mean? No rules?
"You will each be transported to a wilderness island teeming with real monsters." he continued, his voice laced with a hint of dark amusement. "Your objective is simple: retrieve one of the hidden badges scattered across the island."
"There are no restrictions on how you achieve this. Steal from others, form alliances, or work alone. I don't care." He leaned forward slightly, his eyes scanning the crowd as if measuring each candidate. "All that matters is you return within 24 hours with a badge in hand."
The instructor's gaze swept across the room, noting the flicker of concern in some faces and the fire in others.
His eyes softened ever so slightly, though his voice remained unwavering. "The island will test your limits. It is vast, unpredictable, and dangerous. The monsters you'll encounter are not there to play nice."
"Some will attack without hesitation. Others will defend their territory fiercely. And let me be clear, while we've ensured that no creature is beyond your capabilities, survival is not guaranteed for the weak."
A ripple of tension spread throughout the room. Some candidates visibly gulped, their hands tightening into fists, while others stood straighter, their determination palpable. A few were clearly shaken, but many had already steeled themselves for the challenge ahead.
Instructor Everhart paused, letting the weight of his words settle. His piercing gaze locked onto each candidate, scrutinizing them as if measuring their resolve. Then, he spoke again, his voice growing even colder, harder.
"As for monitoring." he continued, raising his left hand, which now flickered with a glowing, mechanical eye embedded in his skin. The lens whirred with the sound of an activating camera.
"That's my job. I'll see everything you do. Every move, every action, every failure. If you think you can hide from me, think again." His smirk deepened as he scanned the room. "And if you're wondering whether I'll intervene if things get messy... don't count on it."
He turned slightly, the cold aura around him intensifying. "The trial begins the moment you step through the portal artifact. The moment you arrive, your survival clock starts ticking."
"You have 24 hours to secure a badge and make your way to the extraction point. Fail to do so, and you're out. Your chances of reapplying? Zero."
Instructor Everhart let the finality of his words linger in the air, then took a step back, his posture commanding and unwavering.
He straightened his uniform and glanced at the massive blue portals that now shimmered across the room, the result of the instructors' efforts to activate the portal artifacts, which were finally complete.
A swirling, unstable energy cast an eerie light across the hall, making the candidates' faces appear as if they were all standing on the precipice of something far greater than they anticipated.
The swirling portals shimmered and hummed with anticipation, as though waiting for the participants to cross into the unknown.
"Step through when you're ready." Instructor Everhart said, his tone now devoid of emotion. "Your survival begins now."
The candidates exchanged one final look with each other, their nerves and excitement coiling in their chests.
Then, with a collective breath, they began to step forward, each one preparing to face the trial ahead.
The instructor's cold gaze followed them, a silent observer to the first of many challenges they would face at Hunter High Academy.
As Hugo stood near the edge of the room, his arms crossed, he watched candidates stepping into the glowing portals one by one. The air buzzed with tension, the hum of the swirling blue light filling the vast chamber and mingling with the hushed murmur of voices.
He let his eyes drift across the room, taking in the diversity of the crowd. The candidates varied in size, shape, and race, each carrying their own unique energy.
Then Hugo saw an tall, dark-skinned (light brown skin) elf passed by, his movements precise and deliberate. His red hair, tied neatly into a ponytail, swayed slightly as he walked. He didn't glance at anyone, his focus entirely on the portal ahead. As if he was impatient.
Hugo's attention shifted to a lanky blonde leaning casually against the far wall, his orange eyes flicking between the candidates. The easygoing smirk on his face stood out in the otherwise tense atmosphere, as if he found the situation more entertaining than intimidating despite looking like a scrawny guy in physique.
Near the center of the crowd stood a silver-haired boy, shorter than most, with bright cyan-colored eyes. His expression was calm as he adjusted his gloves, his demeanor almost detached from the noise around him, as he hold a gun.
Toward the edge of the room, a girl with silvery-green hair moved quietly, her steps barely audible. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze fixed on the portals without any sign of hesitation.
Nearby, a crimson-haired girl stretched her arms, her amber eyes scanning the room with her noticeable tall height, as the dragon-like tail swaying gently from behind. Her posture was confident as she shifted her weight, her expression serious but composed.
Hugo noticed a petite girl with soft pink hair and bear-like ears standing by the wall. She stretched lazily and let out a small yawn, her relaxed posture contrasting with the focused intensity around her.
Hugo shook his head, letting his gaze drop. He didn't have time to dwell on anyone else's actions or demeanor.
His focus had to be on himself and the trial ahead. Whatever these candidates brought to the table was their business; his priority was surviving and passing.
Turning toward the nearest portal, Hugo took a deep breath and stepped forward. The hum of the energy grew louder with each step, the swirling blue light casting shifting shadows across his face.
As soon as his foot crossed the glowing threshold, he felt a sudden pull, like being yanked through an unseen current.
The room dissolved into a blur of blue and white light, the sensation disorienting but fleeting. When the world settled, Hugo found himself standing in a completely different environment.
The air was heavy and humid, carrying the distinct, earthy scent of vegetation. Towering trees surrounded him on all sides, their thick canopies blocking most of the sunlight and casting long shadows over the forest floor.
The distant sound of growls and screeches echoed faintly through the jungle, each noise making Hugo's pulse quicken.
He took a steadying breath, his gaze sweeping across the dense greenery. The terrain was uneven, with tangled roots snaking across the ground and jagged rocks jutting out in irregular intervals. Every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs put him on edge, his body tense and ready to react.
"This is it..." he muttered under his breath, adjusting his footing as he began to move forward.
The dense underbrush crunched softly beneath his steps as he ventured deeper into the jungle. The trial had begun, and there was no turning back.
Continue..