Survival Test

"The results are out! The results are out!"

While walking through the vast garden of the city chief's castle, sightseeing and eating some fresh strawberries, Vince heard someone shout.

The written test had taken two hours, and right after the test, the examiner told the examinees that the results would be out in about two hours.

Most of the examinees didn't leave the castle grounds, eager to know their results. The castle had also prepared a banquet for the examinees in a separate hall, which was convenient for Vince as he was quite hungry after the test, so like the majority of the examinees, he waited for the result in the castle.

He hadn't seen Raine the whole time, and he guessed she was busy. After all, she was one of the presiding officers of the entry exam and had other official duties as well.

Fiona, who was eating a chocolate muffin, flew above Vince's head with the muffin between her paws as he headed into the castle.

In the castle's receiving hall, there was a large board where the test results were posted. All the examinees flocked to the board, hoping to find their names so they could advance to the next round, which was scheduled for the next day.

With so many people crowding around the board, Vince decided to stand back, letting them check first instead of pushing his way into the crowd.

He was still standing there when he felt an arm on his shoulder.

He looked over and met the wide smile of the crazy kid.

Lexus was tall, but a few centimeters shorter than Vince.

"You don't have to go there. I've already seen the results, and your name is on the list. Job well done."

Vince had expected to pass. He had studied the materials Raine had given him, not just memorizing the concepts but also understanding each one.

What he hadn't expected was how friendly Lexus was acting. Max had warned him about the kid.

"I didn't expect you to do so well! You ranked third," Lexus continued talking to him.

Vince shrugged off Lexus's arm from his shoulder.

"Thanks for informing me."

Though he knew he would pass, Vince was surprised to rank third among the highest scorers.

While his photographic memory made it easy to memorize information, the written test included situational questions that required thinking from the perspective of a city guardian. He knew there were parts where he got confused and couldn't find the best solution to the given problem.

"I'm not among the top scorers, but I'm still happy I passed! The next rounds will surely be easier and more exciting!" Lexus's eyes brimmed with enthusiasm. "I can't wait for the combat test and get myself a worthy opponent!"

"If we both pass the final test, how about a duel?"

Vince looked at Lexus, his forehead slightly creased.

Then he chuckled softly.

"Maybe I'll give it a try. Let's see."

After Lexus left the hall with his usual playful demeanor, Fiona flew in front of Vince's face.

"Will you really duel that kid, Master Vince? I'm telling you, Lexus Blythe is a crazy boy who loves reckless fighting. I don't think associating with a troublemaker like him is a good idea."

Vince didn't respond, only smirking as he walked toward the board.

By now, half of the examinees had left the hall, and he could get through the crowd. He still wanted to see the list himself instead of relying on Lexus's words.

A few moments later, Vince found his name.

He was indeed among the top scorers on the written test.

He ranked third, and the person who ranked first was... Maximilian Oberde.

Vince didn't know Max's surname, but he had a feeling it was her. She seemed strong both mentally and physically.

He wasn't envious. He wasn't aiming for the top spot. With everyone knowing he was Raine's chosen mate during the Selection, if he ranked first, people would assume Raine had helped him.

Raine had helped him in many ways, but cheating wasn't one of them. She never gave him hints about the test questions or how the survival and combat tests would go.

He was competing fair and square.

* * *

Second day of the entry exam.

In the garden of the city chief's castle, the city chief and the rest of the judging panel sat at a long table filled with food and drinks. Raine sat beside the city chief, and several city guardians were also present in the area.

The number of participants in the entry exam had been easily cut in half after the written test, and now the qualifiers for the second round were gathered in the garden, waiting for the survival test to begin.

"Brace yourselves, dear participants!" Kirk Ludzegar, the city chief's aide, announced. "The second part of the entry exam, the survival test, will begin in a couple of minutes! Are you ready?"

A young man wearing the cape and crest of the city guardians stood beside Kirk.

He raised his hands to chest level, and two black holes with swirling vortexes appeared on his palms. The holes flew to either side of him, growing larger and larger until they were big enough for a person to pass through.

Vince looked at the black holes and realized the young man had just created portals.

"These are the portals to the venue for the survival test. Once you enter, you will need to navigate through dangerous terrain. All you have to do is keep heading north, cross the next mountain, and descend the other side where the exit portals will be waiting. You have six hours to complete this task. As you can see here, there is a clock and an hourglass," Kirk said, pointing at the table next to him.

"You must return before the last grains of sand leave the upper part of the hourglass, which indicates that six hours have passed, or else you won't qualify for the next round."