The Appearance of a Strange Studen

The moment Zoah woke up inside the crumbling structure, he immediately resumed his search for a way out of the area. Unlike the other examinees who had to fight and compete for points, Zoah had quickly passed the challenge by defeating one of the two strongest monsters in the zone. However, things were not so simple—there were still those who wanted to steal the points he now possessed. Even so, Zoah felt confident in facing them, for his ability had been rated by Zeke as one of the rarest and most powerful.

The scene shifted to Zeke’s office. He sat in silence, eyes fixed on the small screen glowing through a haze of cigarette smoke. On it was a report on a special experimental ability—one believed to be the embodiment of war, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

“Although I’m not certain yet… kid, you really are a special case. If you truly are as great as this, once the truth comes out, I’ll probably have no end of trouble…” Zeke muttered under his breath.

Back on the battlefield, Zoah moved through the ruined streets without encountering a soul. But that did not last—waves of monsters appeared one after another, attacking him. With his combat skill and the power of his sword, Zoah cut them down easily, earning a few more points. Yet compared to the massive sum he’d gained from slaying the alpha beast, these points were insignificant.

“It’s like comparing a worker’s salary to that of a CEO,” Zoah chuckled softly.

As he continued clearing his path, Zoah had already begun to understand the mechanics of his ability. At present, he had only unlocked a quarter of the sword’s power. Each weapon had its own unique skills, and the number of abilities it held depended on the weapon itself—not the wielder. That meant there were weak weapons, but also those of overwhelming power.

“If I meet someone with a strong weapon, I might just make them my partner for life…” Zoah murmured, glancing at the sword in his hand.

Although he had yet to acquire any new weapons, this sword was by no means inferior. One slash from it could cut a high-level monster clean in half. This was only the early stage of the test, yet starting with such strength made it clear that Zoah was no ordinary contender. Thinking back to his battle with Crow, if not for this sword’s power, he might have been defeated early on.

Suddenly, Zoah froze. Ahead, a young man was calmly approaching, a small dagger in hand. Instinctively, Zoah stepped back into a defensive stance.

“Don’t scare me like that. Taking my points won’t be easy,” Zoah said cautiously.

He observed his opponent—slim build, average height, carrying only a dagger, and wearing clothes with nowhere to hide another weapon. If there had been something concealed, those light trousers wouldn’t be fluttering so freely. After several seconds of tense silence, the stranger finally spoke:

“I have no ill intentions. I just want to propose a partnership.”

Zoah remained wary.

“Why choose me and not someone else?”

The stranger replied evenly:

“Because you’re strong enough for me to trust.”

“Have we met before?” Zoah asked suspiciously.

The young man dropped the dagger to the ground and introduced himself. His name was Akk, one of the rare few in this world without an ability. He had come here with a group of friends, but they were now being hunted by a terrifying monster. Akk’s goal was to find someone strong enough to fight alongside him, to help his group survive and complete the test. He pulled out a phone, its screen showing his personal point total—he had already earned enough to pass the exam. That meant he had no reason to steal points from Zoah.

What caught Zoah’s attention most was Akk’s eyes—a calm, experienced gaze, as if he had endured countless nightmares. Even in the midst of such a brutal exam, Akk showed no fear. Finally, Zoah lowered his guard and agreed to the alliance.

The two sat down to exchange information. Akk explained that his group had originally consisted of four: himself, a girl named Cecilia, and two young men named Ken and Cid. They had divided the points evenly among themselves. But then, another group of examinees appeared and stole their points through brute force. Akk’s group withdrew to a quieter area, fighting with all their might. Lacking any ability, Akk could only hide behind the protection of his friends.

In their most desperate moment, another group appeared and aided Akk’s team against the thieves. However, just as the tide was turning in their favor, a mysterious figure showed up—black crow wings stretching from his back—and Zoah immediately recognized him as the Crow he had fought before. Crow ordered a strange man to attack the support group, then flew away.

Akk’s group and their allies fought fiercely, but it became clear the thieves were merely luring them to a specific location. When they reached a ruined square, the thieves collapsed the exit, trapping them inside with a terrifying monster.

By sheer luck, Akk was shoved out to find help. More than half of those inside had already been killed, and the survivors were desperately holding their ground.

After hearing this, Zoah agreed without hesitation to help Akk. Yet he couldn’t help but notice how unhurried Akk seemed. Even with his friends close to death, the young man maintained an unnervingly calm demeanor.

Far away, Crow stood atop a tall building, holding a trembling girl by the wrist, suspending her over the void.

“Don’t think you can take me down with you. I can fly, remember?” he said with a cold smirk.

The girl sobbed, breath trembling.

“I… I surrender… please, let me go. Why are you doing this?”

“Close your eyes. It’ll be less frightening that way,” he murmured, almost like a lullaby.

“Let me count to three… One—”

He let go instantly.

Her body plummeted, striking the ground with a sickening thud, leaving a crimson pool in her wake. Crow turned away, ordering his subordinates to investigate Akk’s group.

Meanwhile, Zoah and Akk were making their way toward the monster’s lair. Along the way, Akk explained that it was the very intersection where the academy’s strongest forces clashed. Zoah might face Crow again there. But Crow was not the only threat—there was also Kleith.

Kleith was a blond-haired young man, impeccably dressed in a long white coat. His weapon was a massive greatsword, an heirloom of his family. Though he possessed no special ability, Kleith could summon a floating entity to attack and defend him—a power not to be underestimated.

Amazed at how much Akk knew, Zoah asked:

“How do you know all this? We’ve been here less than a day.”

Akk shrugged.

“In a place this ruthless, gathering information is the key to survival.”

Zoah couldn’t argue. In a world where strength reigned supreme, those who held knowledge could be even more dangerous than those with brute force.

As they talked, a blade suddenly flew straight at Zoah. He reacted instantly, cutting it down midair before scanning the surroundings. A neatly dressed black-haired man stepped forward, retrieved his sword, and grinned.

“Good reflexes. I thought you’d take the hit.”

Zoah immediately readied himself for battle. In the tense moment, Akk leaned close and whispered:

“Go for it! This guy’s no match for you.”