Prologue: The Long-Awaited Entrance Test
The golden sun was plastered on the heavens as it glimmered with its lustrous light. The skies were ocean-blue as a group of fluffy silver clouds passed above the land, carried by the gust of wind. It was somewhat calm within the heavens, and the same could be said of the earth below it.
The scent of the sea breeze could be smelled through one's nose as the waves hitting the sandy beach echoed throughout the shore. The seawater glistened under radiant sunlight while the trees ruffled their branches and leaves. Amongst the broad sandy beach, a figure could be seen lying beside the shore, deep unconscious.
Sea gulls were around the figure lying on the sand, thinking it was some dead fish. But, unfortunately for the birds, it wasn't a dead fish. Instead, the figure was a young human lady, at least 16-year-old of age. She was somewhat beautiful, and her jet-black hair aided it.
Her name was Pandora Grimsworth, a candidate for the first-year student seat at the Saint Zero Academy. She entered the entrance exam test thinking it was a hard test that required her to fight other students her age.
She wasn't entirely wrong, but it was much more complicated than the guess.
Pandora slowly opened her eyelids, finding herself gazing toward the ocean-like skies. She furrowed her eyebrows as she felt the coarse and rough sand throughout her body. 'W-What happened?' Such was the first thought that emerged from her mind.
Confusion, distraught, and questions plagued her brain at the moment.
She steadily rose from her lying position and began to survey her surroundings. Pandora was on a broad sandy beach, and the entirety of the place seemingly resembled an island. With this thought, memories flooded her mind as she realized what had just happened to her.
"The test of the Saint Zero Academy... So that was what the cargo helicopters were for. The academy wanted to send the candidates to some private location for the test." Pandora wryly smiled upon her realization as they were far from the common sense she had already distorted.
"Well, this was within the contract clauses," Pandora quietly mumbled, as there was nothing she could do about it before the candidates could join the test. They had to sign contracts which were to avoid any annoying legal action. One could easily choose to join the test, and this circumstance was the result of their choice.
Pandora dully stood up and began stretching her pale limbs. She groaned upon straightening her body as she cleansed herself from the rough and coarse sand. Her clothes were wet, but it wasn't a problem, only a bit annoying. At any rate, the only thing Pandora had to do was find how the test could be completed with success.
"Being trapped on an island is heavily unheard of during my research regarding the entrance test of the academy. Maybe this was private. Or was this something that only emerged during this very school year?" Pandora couldn't help but silently question before shaking her head.
She needed to do something other than think about questions and theories that wouldn't help her in this situation. The island test location may be concerning the candidates' survivability. Which would mean that the instructors might be looking from afar.
Before Pandora could continue with what she was thinking, an enthusiastic voice echoed throughout the small island she found herself on.
*Since most of you have awoken, it is time to debrief what you should do in this test. I am somewhat sure that most of you would be confused and troubled, wondering how the hell you ended up on an island. But this will be the test location of the current year.*
*I won't say much about how to succeed in it, but let me give you the essential information you need to know from this test. This island is known as Division Typhon. And the division 4 test will be held here.*
*The test location is 20 kilometers in radius, and within this island would be locations that would tell you the information to succeed in the test. But finding it wouldn't be the only problem you would have to face. There are many more: your survival and the terrors within this island.*
*I assure you they will be the weakest terrors one could find. But even then, they aren't to be underestimated.*
*In any case, you could yell these words if you wanted to surrender.*
*I (name) will surrender.*
*Please utter such words if you think you are in immediate death.*
*Good luck on the test, fellow candidates!*
What came after the gleeful announcement was nothing more but silence.
Pandora couldn't help but chuckle after hearing it as she got thrown out of a cargo helicopter and had to swim toward the island. She remembered the hard times when trying to keep herself above the waterline. It wasn't a good experience, in her opinion.
"That was useful." Pandora stopped chuckling after a short while and calmly uttered. The information the voice gave was beneficial and gave her many things to think about. And from the looks of it, the academy seems to be not hiding its existence.
Pandora gazed towards the outlines of the boundless horizon, looking over the shadows from afar. They were imperium battleships anchored a couple of kilometers away from the island. That seems to be the place where the instructor was staying. And they were displaying their ships without a hint of hiding them.
"What they do has nothing to do with me."
"Let us concentrate on the test first." Pandora stopped looking over the horizon and turned her gaze toward the forest behind her. It was time for her to enter the island and probably fight against terrors and students alike. To be honest, while she was nervous, Pandora couldn't help but get excited.
This was her first action, a circumstance dangerous enough to freeze some people. She wanted to succeed in her first action. Of course, Pandora knew it would be challenging, but she wasn't willing to fail even then.