Chapter 81: Entrance Exam (1)

Humans are fools.

When Ernest discovered the lands beyond the Blackhole, we should have stopped right there.

Paradise was not meant for humans.

But did we heed the warning?

No.

We explored.

We died.

We killed.

We even encountered the Gods, and that was our second grave mistake.

We foolishly opened portals to Paradise, unaware that they would lead to our downfall.

Yet, we still haven't learned.

Believe it or not

The price for our arrogance will be steep.

— Pasteur, in his book which was banner before its release "Paradise: A Blessing or a....?"

***

"Whoa..."

Levi stood before two massive black gates, surrounded by a seemingly endless queue of people. The gates were enormous—gigantic, made from a material Levi couldn't identify.

But one thing was clear - they were incredibly sturdy.

Flanking the gates on both sides were long, towering black walls that stretched as far as Levi could see. These walls weren't unguarded, above them, at regular intervals, massive machines stood watch, programmed to prevent any invader from entering.

This was a place countless people could only dream of setting foot in.

The Favored Ones Academy, the greatest educational institution in the world, which was established after the discovery of Paradise.

The Favored Ones Academy had 21 instructors, 7 head instructors, 3 guardians, 1 chancellor, and 1 dean.

And each of them had the authority to award a scholarship to one student. This meant the Academy accepted 40 scholarship students each year. It seemed like a large number, but not when compared to the 500 students who were admitted annually, and the 100,000 who applied for the entrance exam.

Of course, not all 100,000 students were present here—it was impossible to accommodate them all.

As a cutoff, only students at least at the Follower rank could take the test, eliminating more than three-quarters of the applicants.

Now, the remaining 25,000 students had gathered here for the next cutoff round. That's how Levi ended up in front of the massive gates.

As the queue moved, it was finally Levi's turn to enter.

"ID?"

The person sitting inside a small cabin, separated by a wall, asked Levi as his face appeared on the screen. Levi responded with the unique ID he had received when applying for the entrance examination.

As the staff member entered the ID into his device, Levi's detailed information popped up—his name, age, gender, date of birth, mercenary rank, and other basic details. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Levi was then allowed entry through a smaller gate attached to the massive black gates.

"You can pass. If you have any spatial rings, they'll be inspected further—please cooperate," the staff member said as Levi walked in.

As he passed through the gate, a red light scanned his entire body—likely to check for any dangerous items. Levi had brought nothing except the ring on his finger.

Unsurprisingly, another staff member approached him.

"Please hand over your spatial device—it will be returned to you after the examination," they instructed.

Levi nodded and handed over the rings. There were the ones that had once belonged to Fat Boy and the young master of the Malakani Family.

Thanks to the Mercenary Federation, he had gained access to both Kai's and Fat Boy's rings and he had even found many items inside them, but there was nothing he needed to hide.

He handed over both spatial rings, which contained all his artifacts and other belongings. Now, only his clothes and citizenship watch remained on him.

"You're in Section 469. Follow the instructions sent to your watch and proceed to the location," the staff member said, moving on to the next candidate.

Levi followed the instructions and headed toward his assigned section.

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Start of Volume 02 - The Favored Ones