Chapter 138: Chapter138-The Assessment Begins
Chapter 138: Chapter138-The Assessment Begins
Everyone listened in silence, not a single person spoke.
John's gaze flickered.
The assessment at Star Cluster Academy was indeed extraordinary, openly allowing the seizure of other participants' points.
This essentially encouraged a form of combat among the candidates.
No wonder the academy managed to cultivate so many geniuses.
However, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it.
As expected, after a brief pause to let everyone digest the information, Benedict's gaze turned icy as he announced, "The only difference this year from previous ones is that Star Cluster Academy will only admit the top 100 scorers. The rest will be eliminated."
This statement plunged the entire sports field into silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
Then, the crowd erupted into an uproar.
An audience member expressed disbelief, "This must be a joke, right? Only admitting one hundred students, when there are over ten thousand people participating in the assessment!"
A powerful figure was stunned, "The number of students this year at Star Cluster Academy is already higher than in previous years, and the overall quality of the candidates has also significantly improved from last year.
Under normal circumstances, they would be increasing the number of admissions, not limiting it to only a hundred?"
A student despaired, "Out of ten thousand people, only one hundred will be selected? Does that mean 99% of us will be eliminated?"
Another student lamented, "I barely passed the preliminary test, hoping to make a push in the assessment. But now, before it even starts, it feels like us at the bottom are already being filtered out."
Yet another student voiced their anger, "Isn't Star Cluster Academy supposed to treat everyone equally? Then why set such an assessment criterion?!"
The sudden revelation of the rigorous and highly selective nature of the assessment sent shockwaves through the participants and the audience alike, highlighting the intense competition and high stakes involved in securing a place at the prestigious academy.
...
The sports field was engulfed in tumultuous noise, as if the clamor alone could lift the entire stadium off the ground.
Yet, Benedict's demeanor remained utterly calm, silently observing the scene.
An invisible aura emanated from him, gradually quelling the noise as time passed.
Despite the eventual quiet, frustration and confusion still marred some students' faces.
Benedict waited patiently until the over ten thousand participants had fully quieted down before he spoke again.
"Star Cluster Academy has never had a rule about treating everyone equally. On the contrary, the spirit of Star Cluster Academy has always been about competition. The old headmaster's famous saying meant that mediocrity arises from being content with one's class, while a true genius can shine bright regardless of their class."
His gaze swept over the crowd as he continued coldly, "Star Cluster Academy has no place for mediocrity. Even the first chancellor, at the very establishment of Star Cluster Academy, segregated those students unwilling to strive into a different class. If anyone has a problem with that, you can withdraw from the assessment now to save time."
Upon hearing Benedict's words, silence enveloped everyone.
John's eyes, however, sparkled with interest.
He had heard a similar sentiment from Victor.
The essence of Victor's words closely matched Benedict's: Star Cluster Academy is willing to accept students with lesser talents, but not those devoid of merit.
Upon hearing Benedict's words, Geoffrey and the others felt invigorated.
Although they were admitting fewer students this year, among them were a few promising talents.
These individuals would stand out as geniuses anywhere in the Imperial Capital.
They were eager to see how these students would perform in the upcoming assessment.
Sophia merely hummed softly in response, making no grand gesture.
With a delicate flick of her finger through the air, the space in front of the over ten thousand candidates in the sports field began to warp.
Shortly after, a magnificent and enormous silver mirror slowly materialized before everyone's eyes.
Through this giant mirror, one could see vast forests and rolling mountains.
John curiously observed the silver mirror in front of him, sensing an oddly familiar aura emanating from it.
After a moment of thought, he realized this silver mirror must be Sophia's key of realm, similar to his Bloodthirsty Blade, essential for accessing the Crimson Realm.
However, unlike Sophia's domain, the Crimson Realm was likely a level higher than the domain within the silver mirror.
Upon reaching the sage-tier, an awakener can obtain a domain where their power is significantly enhanced.
The Divine Realm is an upgraded version of these domains.
Regrettably, John's strength was too weak to control the Crimson Realm as of yet.
He understood such things could not be rushed and required patience and time.
Before John could ponder any further, Benedict's voice echoed throughout the entire sports field.
He announced loudly, "The Stellar Assessment officially begins now.
All candidates participating in the assessment, enter the dungeon immediately to start!"
As Benedict's voice faded, everyone in the sports field, including Benedict himself, was enveloped in a silver-white light.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
Before they could even react, figures began disappearing from their spots.
In just a few breaths' time, the tens of thousands of people in the sports field, Benedict included, vanished without a trace, leaving no one behind.
Then, the giant silver mirror started to shimmer.
Pieces of smaller silver mirrors materialized out of thin air, floating in front of every spectator.
These mirrors appeared to be miniature versions of the large silver mirror in the sports field, displaying the same world they initially saw.
Simultaneously, ripples like water waves spread across the large silver mirror's surface.
Once the ripples faded, the scene within the mirror disappeared, replaced by a leaderboard.
This list displayed the names of every candidate participating in the assessment.
Currently, zeros followed everyone's names, likely indicating a ranking leaderboard for tallying points.
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