Will of the Battlefield

Behind the academy complex, thousands of aspirants from different backgrounds gathered. This was the academy’s testing grounds.

The sun had barely crossed noon’s scorching angle when the first trial began.

The venue where the tests took place itself resembled a military fortress more than an examination center.

Towering stone walls surrounded dozens of testing arenas, training fields, and obstacle courses.

At the highest platform overlooking everything sat ten individuals.

The judges.

Representatives of the kingdom’s Top Ten Academies.

Each possessed qualities that immediately set them apart from an average person.

Some had a refined scholarly aura, while others seemed to have outlived countless battlefields.

A few sat silently, their mere presence enough to make instructors nervous.

These were people capable of deciding futures.

Every year, countless talents entered the examinations.

Only a handful earned the right to enter the capital’s Top Ten.

The true elite, the cream of the crop.

Far below, several thousand martial candidates stood assembled.

Among them stood Thane. The giant teenager looked around curiously.

John Prada had informed him beforehand.

There would be three trials.

He knew each trial failed a large number of candidates. As a result, only a very small number of aspirants survived long enough to undergo the third.

At the time, Thane hadn’t paid much attention. Now he finally understood why. The competition was ridiculous.

A bald instructor stepped forward onto a raised platform.

His voice boomed across the field. "Welcome to the First Trial!"

The crowd immediately quieted.

"This examination is called the Body Trial." His gaze swept across the candidates.

"We are not testing blessings, which none of you currently have. We are neither testing how pretty you look, nor are we testing family backgrounds."

His voice hardened. "We are testing you."

The instructor pointed toward the massive testing grounds behind him.

"Strength. Endurance. Stamina. Pain tolerance.

These are the foundations of every warrior. If your body cannot endure... you have no right to pursue the martial path."

The crowd grew serious. Even Thane straightened slightly.

"The trial consists of four stages."

A murmur spread.

The instructor ignored it. "Fail one stage, you are eliminated."

His words echoed through the field.

The rules were clear, no second chances, no excuses.

With that, the trial finally begun.

The first stage was Raw Strength.

Thousands of candidates were directed toward an enormous yard.

Massive stone pillars stood arranged in rows, each pillar differing in size.

At the center stood an enormous crystal measuring device connected to the pillars through glowing runes.

The bald instructor raised his voice. "Each candidate will strike a testing pillar.

The crystal will evaluate the force produced. Minimum qualification score is fifty."

The crowd immediately became nervous. One by one, candidates stepped forward. A muscular youth punched a pillar.

BOOM!

The crystal flashed 63.

"Pass," the judge said.

The youth sighed in relief.

The next candidate scored forty-eight.

Immediate elimination. The process continued.

Scores varied wildly.

Thirty.

Seventy.

Forty.

Eighty.

The judges watched quietly from above.

Hours passed and finally the number was called. "Number 774."

Thane stepped forward. Instantly, hundreds of eyes landed on him.

The giant teenager approached the testing pillar. Even the instructors looked interested.

One of the judges leaned forward slightly. "He has a big physique."

"Let’s see if he can back it up," said another judge.

Thane examined the pillar, then scratched his head.

The instructor frowned. "Candidate?"

Thane raised a hand. "Can I use both hands?"

Silence. Several candidates blinked.

The instructor sighed. "No."

Thane seemed disappointed.

The judge spoke again. "One strike."

"Okay." The giant nodded.

Then he drew back his fist.

His movement appeared casual, as if it were his daily routine. And then—

BOOOOOOM!

The pillar exploded with sound. The shockwave blasted dust across the testing field.

The crystal flashed violently, numbers began climbing.

100, 101, 102, 103.

They continued rising. Several instructors stood up.

The number finally stopped.

312.

The entire courtyard went silent. The judge from the Third Academy nearly dropped his tea. "What?"

The bald instructor stared.

Several candidates looked horrified. Three hundred twelve?

That was absurd.

Most candidates celebrated reaching seventy. A few exceptional talents crossed one hundred.

This giant had reached three hundred twelve with a casual punch.

Thane looked up. "Is that good?"

The instructor stared at him. "...Pass."

Thane nodded happily. "Easy peasy." And walked away.

The crowd watched him leave as if he were some kind of monster.

They were unaware of the man’s background. He swung hammers all his childhood.

The second stage began immediately, the test of Endurance.

This trial was held inside a circular arena. Thousands of candidates filled the field.

At its center stood dozens of rune pillars. The judges themselves became interested enough to explain this stage.

A white-haired judge stood. "The pillars will release blessing pressure. A pressure only the blessed can exert."

The crowd became nervous. Young teenagers looked at each other.

The judge continued. "The pressure will gradually increase. Remain standing. Those who collapse are eliminated."

As those words ended, the runes activated.

Immediately, a heavy force descended upon the arena.

Many candidates frowned. The pressure felt like carrying invisible weights.

Thane blinked. It felt strange.

Like someone had put a blanket on his shoulders.

Minutes passed. The pressure increased.

Candidates began sweating. Some dropped to one knee. Others gritted their teeth.

The judges remained expressionless. The pressure rose again, then again, then again.

Hundreds collapsed as instructors moved through the crowd, dragging unconscious participants away.

The arena rapidly emptied, but Thane remained standing.

Looking confused, the pressure felt slightly heavier now.

Like carrying a sack of potatoes. Nearby candidates looked miserable.

One youth was crying.

Another appeared ready to vomit.

Thane glanced around. "Was it supposed to be difficult?"

The pressure increased once more.

BOOM.

Half the remaining candidates fell instantly. Only several hundred remained.

The judges began paying attention.

Especially to a giant teenager standing casually among the survivors.

One judge frowned. "Increase it."

And the operator obeyed. These were runes created by blessed and technology of the Bentram Kingdom.

The pressure doubled and soon after, grunts and cries echoed in the vicinity.

Candidates screamed. Dozens collapsed.

Thane tilted his head. That one felt noticeable.

He began to sweat a little. His knees felt the pressure pinning him down. Yet he stood.

The judges exchanged looks. The white-haired judge narrowed his eyes. "Interesting."

Another increase.

Eventually, only fifty candidates remained. All were sweating heavily. Except Thane, there were only a few beads of sweat on his forehead.

Thane wiped them with his sleeve as he yawned.

A judge almost laughed. "He yawned, that crazy bastard."

Another rubbed his forehead. "What kind of body does that boy possess?"

Finally, the judges ended the stage. The survivors collapsed from relief.

Thane looked disappointed. "Finished already?"

Several nearby candidates wanted to strangle him.