Levi opened his eyes slowly, his vision swimming with confusion.
The world around him seed distorted—overlapping like ti had fragnted into separate fras.
Valerius who was sitting idle the last ti he saw, was now moving toward him with urgency.
Valerius' lips moved, but no sound reached Levi's ears.
The purple energy swirling around Levi crackled like a storm. The intensity of it made it hard to focus. He blinked, trying to shake off the strange sensation.
Valerius appeared in several places at once—so standing, so stepping forward, others still watching. It was as if Levi were seeing multiple tilines converge in one mont.
His head throbbed painfully.
The weight of his Lunacy pressed hard against his mind, making it difficult to hold on. The more he tried to focus, the more his surroundings slipped away. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else.
Levi glanced around, his dizziness intensifying. He saw the others—students and even the assistant instructor, Orion—on their knees, struggling for so reason.
So lay unconscious, their bodies limp and lifeless.
'What… happened?' Levi's thoughts were sluggish, unable to keep up with what he was seeing. The last thing he rembered was sitting, focusing on the power of his Lunacy.
But now—this?
Before Levi could fully grasp the change, a sudden blow struck the back of his head. Pain exploded, and his vision darkened. For a brief second, everything slowed.
He saw Valerius—only one version of him this ti…
And then, nothing.
His eyes rolled back, and his consciousness slipped away.
***
Being hailed as the best academy in the world, The Favored Ones Academy had strict assessnt rules for incoming freshn.
There were no reference or favor systems - all students had to et specific conditions to enter.
While heirs of prominent Sanctuaries and families typically avoided the Academy, as their family support was superior to what the academy could provide them, this was not the case for smaller or fallen families.
Many from such backgrounds aspired to enter the Academy, but the path to enter the academy was fraught with challenges.
First, they had to pass all five assessnts and rank within the top 460 among lakhs of students who applied to join the academy.
Or alternatively, they could attract an instructor's attention to secure a scholarship.
Both options were incredibly difficult, and all they could hope for was to get lucky while performing their best.
Now, regarding the five assessnts, there was a certain pattern to how they unfolded. The first assessnt varied each year, relying entirely on the instructor's whims.
Whether they chose candidates blindly or imposed so bizarre test, no one would dare question them. That was simply the nature of the Academy.
It was definitely not fair, but when had anything in life been fair?
After passing the first round, the students faced a simulated monster in the second round, followed by a spar against fellow students in the third. Currently, one such assessnt was taking place.
In the small arena, a girl stood, her heart pounding as she stared down a grotesque creature.
Its body twisted and warped, the sinewy neck of a crocodile lding with the muscular fra of a horse. The creature's scaled skin glistened under the artificial lights, and its dark, nacing eyes fixed on her with primal hunger. She could almost hear its hot, heavy breath as it prepared to charge.
Though the girl knew it was just a simulation, the sight was incredibly disturbing. She wondered if such a monster truly existed or if it was rely a fignt of the instructors' twisted imaginations.
Nevertheless, taking a deep breath, she centered herself.
The familiar stance she had practiced thousands of ti, provided her a comfort amidst the horror. Her left leg slid back instinctively, grounding her, while her right leg bent slightly, poised for action.
Her one hand rested on the hilt of her sword, while the other was on its sheath. She felt the weight of her blade - it was perfect.
If Levi were here, he would recognize this style instantly.
It was the sa technique that the blue-haired girl he had been tead up with in Paradise had used. But this girl didn't have blue hair, but white.
Her stark white hair was tied back in a ponytail that swayed with her movents.
With a deafening roar, the creature lunged, muscles rippling beneath its scaly skin. It closed the distance in an instant, powerful legs propelling it forward with terrifying speed.
The girl's instincts kicked in as she executed a swift sidestep, feeling the rush of wind as the creature barreled past her. Instead of striking, she focused on her footing, channeling her energy into the next mont.
In a split second, she vanished from sight, her form a re whisper in the air. The arena blurred around her, and her senses heightened, adrenaline coursing through her veins.
A second later, she reappeared behind the creature, seemingly defying the laws of reality. Her sword slid effortlessly back into its sheath, awaiting her command.
Before the creature could register her movent, she had unleashed her attack. A red line sliced vertically through the creature's body.
As her motion completed, she slid her sword back into its sheath with a satisfying click.
At the sa ti, the creature split apart, and blood—or rather, the simulation of blood—gushed forth, painting the arena in vivid red.
Silently, she glanced toward one end of the arena, where an instructor observed her with satisfied eyes, a hint of approval gleaming in their gaze.
---***---
Lore Snippet 12 - Credits
After the first cataclysm, the world changed dramatically, leading to the collapse of many countries. The old currency system beca unusable, creating chaos in the economy, society, and the environnt. To adapt to these new realities, the five unions ca together to create a single digital currency known asCredits.
This new system aid to make trade easier and more reliable across the globe. While implenting Credits was challenging, and so minor currencies still exist in certain areas, the five unions ultimately succeeded in making Credits the primary currency on Earth.
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