Elaria's POV
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Elaria Moonshade Lareth'Thalas, Princess of the Elven Dominion, stood beside a shattered boulder, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Abyss Dreadmaw.
A monstrous, aberrant nightmare born from the depths of the abyss. Scales harder than obsidian, jaws that could cleave boulders, and a miasma of chaotic energy that warped the very air around it.
The academy has deliberately choose this monster in this test to push the cadets to their absolute limit.
And yet—
That silver-haired human...
He fought it alone.
Her bow trembled slightly in her grip, not out of fear, but from sheer incredulity. How? How could a single person stand toe-to-toe with a beast like that? Even she, having broken through to Advance (Low) rank recently, couldn't do anything against it.
She had tried.
Alongside other candidates, many of whom were trained from the cradle in elite war families, they had mounted an offensive. And they had been decimated.
Only that man—no, that boy had stood his ground.
From the aura he was radiating he as also a Advance(low) rank. And from her knowledge only only prodigies of her generation has broken threw that rank.
She watched him fight not letting even a moment to slip by.
His silver hair billowing like a tempest. That easygoing smirk stretched across his face. That battle-maniac smile that sent chills down her spine.
He's enjoying this, she realized, eyes narrowing. The raw ecstasy in his expression wasn't just pride or arrogance. It was the thrill of battle. A kind she had only seen in warlords.
And he was a human, too. She never had a particular liking for humans—especially the men. The way most of them ogled her, a princess, as if she were a prize to be won. But this one…
This one has the audacity to talk back to her and letting her fall on the ground like she was a sack of potatoes.
He hadn't even looked at her. Not once.
But the fact remains that he had helper her and so she would also reply in kind.
As she began stepping forward, bow still in hand, intent on offering aid, a voice cut through the air like lightning itself:
"Don't interfere. This one's all mine."
Her breath hitched. The sheer command in his tone made her stop cold.
Elaria paused, studying him once more. His movements were no longer reckless or flamboyant. Every step, every parry, every dodge carried with it surgical precision.
Like he was already adapting to the monsters patterns just like the abyss dreadmaw that he was fighting.
And then there was his sword art.
It was unlike anything she had ever seen. And she was no stranger to sword arts. She had been raised amongst the finest swordmasters of her realm. But this one—this art seemed to bend reality. It flowed like water yet struck like thunder. His blade left afterimages, distortions, rips in the very fabric of space.
An Advance (Low) rank fighting a monster of Advance (Mid) rank head-on? And winning?
No. Dominating.
'Just Who the hell is this guy?' she thought, heart pounding.
---
Alex's POV
Alex Dragonheart stood atop the broken rock, sword crackling faintly with residual mana. He saw her—Elaria. She had stood up.
Tch. Sit down, princess.
He couldn't let her interfere.
So his voice rang out."Don't interfere princess this one's all mine."
This was his moment.
This was his declaration.
To Ethan.
To Alden.
To everyone watching the Zenith Academy Entrance Exam Broadcast.
He was not just some extra NPC in their world. He was not just a side character to be brushed aside.
He was Alex Dragonheart.
And he would make them remember that name.
The Abyss Dreadmaw roared, scales glowing a deep crimson. Its eyes turned feral. The air around it distorted.
Berserk State.
"Finally getting serious, huh?" Alex muttered, lips curling into a grin. "Good. So am I."
He twirled his sword once, then held it to the sky. Static surged around him. Sparks danced across his armor. His hair floated, lifted by an unseen charge.
Then he whispered:
"Lightning Resonance."
The world shifted.
The cave lit up with lightning. A booming lightning crack echoed across the cave. A bolt of lightning struck his sword, not from the sky—but from himself.
His blade glowed.
No. It became lightning.
His aura expanded like a tidal wave. Even through the broadcasting screen, the audience watching live gasped collectively.
In the control room of the exam arena, several instructors stood up.
"He can use resonance?!"
" I thought only prodigies like Alden has reached this level."
"That's supposed to be a very difficult technique!"
"What the hell is up with this generation.'
"Who is this kid?!"
---
The Abyss Dreadmaw charged.
Maw open.
Screeching a war cry that shattered nearby rocks.
Alex responded in kind.
He launched himself forward, his feet sparking with lightning. His movements were a blur. The air behind him boomed from displacement.
CLASH!
Their first impact sent shockwaves through the canyon. Rocks shattered. A crater formed beneath them.
The Dreadmaw whipped its tail. Alex ducked beneath it, delivering an upward slash that severed three of its crimson scales. The beast roared in agony.
Alex flipped mid-air, dodged a swipe, and drove his sword into the creature's flank. Lightning surged into its body, making it convulse.
"Come on! You're a mid-ranker, right?! Show me something spicy!"
The Dreadmaw spun and unleashed a torrent of dark mana. A breath attack that disintegrated anything in its path.
Alex raised his hand.
"Void Step!"
He vanished.
Reappearing above the Dreadmaw's head. His sword whistled down.
Phantom Rend!
Seven slashes in an instant. Each one leaving a blinding afterimage.
The creature screeched, now bleeding black ichor from its back.
---
Elaria shielded her eyes, the sheer pressure making her activate a shielding artifact.
The ground shook beneath her. Dust flew. The energy radiating from the fight was unreal.
It wasn't just a fight. It was a storm.
---
Back to Alex
The beast pounced. Alex didn't move.
He inhaled.
Then, he said: "Celestial Flow."
His body became fluid.
He glided under the beast's claws, spun around, and sliced across its legs. Then, he flipped backward, dodging another tail swipe.
"You're getting slower," he said casually, lightning flickering in his pupils.
The Abyss Dreadmaw roared and leapt for one final strike.
Now or never.
Alex crouched.
Lightning arced across his sword.
"Let me show you the storm."
Bladestorm Mirage!
A hundred slashes. A tornado of lightning and steel. The technique engulfed the beast, carving into it with furious grace.
With a final howl, the Abyss Dreadmaw collapsed.
Dead.
Eliminated from the exam.
His EVOband chimed with the notification of points.
But alex was not paying attention to that.
---
Silence.
Alex stood in the center of a crater, breathing heavily. His clothes were torn, and blood ran down his arms. He looked like death.
But he was smiling.
He staggered toward Elaria, that same cocky grin on his face.
"Did I look cool princess?" he asked, voice hoarse. "To Be honest, I think I overdid it at the end. Might have pulled something. Maybe a spleen. Do spleens pull?"
Elaria blinked once.
And then, in one swift motion, she raised her bow.
Thunk!
An arrow shot forward, whistling through the air.
Alex's eyes widened.
"Wait, what the he—"