[A/N –

Thank you so much for the Golden Tickets, support, and love all week, this is my thank you before I start causing trouble in the plot.

This week? Things get very interesting. Lines will be crossed, expectations will be shattered, and I've been itching to drop what's coming next.

Since we're here, let's make it fun:

50 Golden Tickets = 2 bonus chapters

50 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter

Every 500 coins spent on gifts = 3 bonus chapters

You push, I write. Simple deal.

Now sit tight, because I'm about to cook.]

‐‐‐

Raze checked his bracelet again: 2,134 points.

The number was respectable, proof of sustained effort and systematic clearing. But respectable wasn't enough, not when he knew the caliber of people attending Elmbridge Academy. The game had featured dozens of exceptional characters, prodigies whose capabilities transcended normal cultivation progression through talent, resources, or sheer determination.

He needed more points. Needed to establish himself firmly in the upper rankings before this examination concluded.

"Time to push harder," he said to Bephe, who'd been resting after their latest engagement. "We've got less than an hour. Let's make it count."

The prehistoric predator expanded to full combat size, clearly ready despite the sustained hunting they'd already completed.

They moved deeper into Master rank territory, seeking concentrated groups rather than scattered individuals. The point accumulation was faster when facing multiple threats simultaneously, risk balanced against reward in calculation that favored aggressive advancement.

Three Master Mid rank beasts emerged from dense undergrowth, clearly working together to defend their shared territory. Raze engaged immediately, katana flowing through forms that had become instinctive through months of practice. Combat Reflex showed him attack vectors, Void Step let him reposition between strikes, and Bephe's overwhelming presence created chaos that prevented coordinated counterattacks.

The fight was intense but brief, three corpses joining the hundreds already scattered across this pocket dimension.

Points climbed. 2,584. 2,734. 2,889.

Raze pressed forward, hunting with singular focus that blocked out everything except immediate threats and point accumulation. His mana reserves were solid, stamina holding despite extended combat, mind sharp from adrenaline that hadn't faded despite the constant violence.

Another pack. Another engagement. Another cluster of points added to the steadily climbing total.

3,012 points.

The forest opened into clearing, a natural arena formed where several game trails converged. And standing in the center, clearly waiting rather than hunting, was Prince Lucien of Astoria.

The Prince's blonde hair was disheveled now, his expensive clothes showing signs of combat despite their enchanted durability. His sword was drawn, noble blade gleaming with barely contained mana. His bracelet showed 1,432 points, a respectable total but significantly lower than what Raze had accumulated.

Recognition flashed between them immediately. The engagement ceremony, Fedora's hand claimed by commoner instead of noble suitor, weeks of simmering resentment given opportunity for expression.

"Dragonheart," Lucien said, voice carrying satisfaction despite the circumstances. "I was hoping I'd find you before time ran out."

Raze stopped ten meters away, Bephe at his side radiating prehistoric menace. His expression remained perfectly neutral, poker face that revealed nothing about his thoughts or intentions.

"Prince Lucien," he replied evenly. "You've been hunting delegates instead of beasts."

"Why waste time on animals when taking your points serves multiple purposes?" The Prince's smile was ugly. "Half your total transferred to me, plus the satisfaction of putting you in your place. Seems efficient."

"Assuming you can actually manage that."

"Oh, I'll manage it." Lucien settled into a combat stance, sword positioned for explosive assault. "You're Master Low rank, same as me. But I've had a decade of royal instruction, weapons forged by master craftsmen, resources you couldn't dream of accessing. This will be educational for you."

Raze said nothing, simply shifting his weight slightly while his hand rested on his katana's hilt. His expression never changed, bored neutrality that suggested this conversation was mildly tedious rather than threatening.

The lack of reaction seemed to infuriate Lucien more than any verbal counterattack could have.

"Nothing to say? No desperate pleading or clever banter?" The Prince's voice rose slightly. "You're about to lose everything you've accumulated, get eliminated from this examination, and you just stand there looking bored?"

"Should I be worried?" Raze's tone was genuinely curious, like he was asking about weather rather than imminent combat. "You're Master Low rank. I've been killing Master rank beasts for the past hour. What exactly makes you different from them?"

Lucien's face twisted with rage. "I'll show you the difference between noble training and lucky peasant!"

He charged, Master Low cultivation flooding his body as an enchanted sword swept toward Raze's throat in a strike that would decapitate if it landed.

Raze's response was almost casual. Void Step displaced him three meters to the left, the Prince's blade cutting through empty air where he'd been standing. His own katana cleared its sheath in a smooth draw cut that opened Lucien's sword arm from wrist to elbow, a precise strike that severed tendons and rendered the limb useless.

Lucien screamed, more from shock than pain initially. His sword clattered to the ground, fingers no longer responding to commands from the brain.

"That's the difference," Raze said quietly, poker face never shifting. "I don't waste movement on displays or intimidation. Every action serves a purpose."

The Prince tried to respond, tried to mount a counterattack with his off hand or cultivation techniques. But Raze was already moving, Scarlet Leap closing distance before defensive measures could activate. His katana's pommel struck Lucien's solar plexus with precisely calibrated force, enough to knock the wind out completely without causing permanent damage.

Lucien collapsed to his knees, gasping for air that wouldn't come. His cultivation tried to respond but found itself disrupted by the strike's placement, mana circulation interrupted through targeted trauma.

Raze's final strike was almost gentle, katana's flat blade tapping the Prince's temple with just enough force to trigger the bracelet's emergency extraction protocol.

Golden light erupted around Lucien's body, teleportation magic activating to remove him from the examination before lethal damage could occur.

The Prince vanished, expression frozen in disbelief that this had happened so quickly, so easily, so completely one-sided.

Silence filled the clearing.

Raze sheathed his katana smoothly, checking his bracelet: 3,728 points. Half of Lucien's total had transferred as promised, bonus for forced extraction of another delegate.

"Well," he said to Bephe. "That was educational."

The prehistoric predator rumbled what might have been amusement.

Raze turned away from the now empty clearing, resuming his hunt with the same neutral expression he'd maintained throughout the entire encounter. The Prince had been an obstacle and opportunity combined, both addressed with efficient brutality that wasted no time on theatrical displays or emotional satisfaction.

There was still time. Still points to accumulate before this examination concluded.

He moved deeper into the forest, leaving the clearing behind without backward glance.

‐‐‐

In the observation chamber, absolute silence had descended after Raze's fight with Prince Lucien concluded.

Dean Cortez was the first to speak, voice carrying disbelief despite his decades of experience. "Did he just... was that really..."

"He destroyed a prince of Astoria in under thirty seconds," Dean Laurent finished. "Complete domination. The Prince never had a chance to mount an effective offense."

"That shouldn't be possible," Dean Winters said, reviewing the footage again. "They're the same rank. Lucien had better equipment, comparable training, and genuine combat experience. By all reasonable metrics that fight should have been competitive."

"But it wasn't," Sariah said quietly, her ancient eyes fixed on the screen showing Raze resuming his hunt like nothing significant had occurred. "The boy fought with precision that transcended his apparent rank. Every movement served purpose, no wasted motion or energy. That's mastery beyond his years."

"His expression never changed," Dean Laurent observed. "Complete emotional control throughout. He wasn't angry or excited or even particularly interested. Just... executing necessary actions to remove obstacle."

The leaderboard updated as Raze's point transfer processed:

1. Gareth Valorian - 3,847 points

2. Raze Dragonheart - 3,728 points

3. Seraphine Lumis - 3,241 points

4. Blossom Karnstein - 3,156 points

5. Aurora Weiss - 2,987 points

6. Kira Steelheart - 2,654 points

7. Lyra Astoria - 2,432 points

8. Fedora Westia - 2,198 points

9. Caleb Alvarian - 2,087 points

10. Ellen Nightingale - 2,003 points

"Princess Lyra entered the rankings after her brother's elimination," Dean Cortez noted. "She's been hunting efficiently while he was apparently stalking delegates."

"The Dragonheart boy jumped to second," Dean Winters added. "His point total suggests he's been maintaining consistent accumulation throughout, not chasing high-value targets but systematically clearing territory."

Sariah continued watching Raze's screen, observing how he moved with the same controlled efficiency he'd shown against the Prince. No celebration of victory, no acknowledgment that he'd just eliminated a royal competitor from another kingdom. Just continued focus on the task at hand.

"Interesting," she murmured again, that particular tone making the Deans exchange glances.

Their Headmaster only used that word for prospects who genuinely intrigued her, whose potential suggested they might reshape expectations about what their generation could achieve.

And the Westia Count had definitely earned that designation.

‐‐‐

Raze felt the shift before any announcement came. The ambient mana in the pocket dimension changed quality, pressure that suggested whatever magic sustained this space was preparing to collapse or transform.

His bracelet vibrated, displaying a message: EXAMINATION CONCLUDING. PREPARE FOR EXTRACTION.

He stopped moving, Bephe shrinking back to dog size beside him. Around them, the forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for whatever came next.

Final point total: 3,728.

Respectable number. Solid second place behind Gareth Valorian's incredible total, but comfortably ahead of everyone else who'd been competing.

Golden light began spreading across the sky, an artificial sunset that marked the pocket dimension's approaching dissolution.

Then Headmaster Sariah's voice echoed across every environment simultaneously, reaching all delegates regardless of their location:

"Well done, delegates of the fifteen kingdoms. You have demonstrated capability worthy of Elmbridge Academy. Your performance will be reviewed, your rankings finalized, and your placement determined accordingly. Prepare for extraction."

The golden light intensified, growing brighter until vision itself became difficult.

"You will now be returned to the Academy courtyard. Rest, recover, and await further instruction."

Reality bent around Raze, a familiar sensation of teleportation magic pulling him through space. The forest dissolved, replaced by disorienting moment of transit where up and down lost meaning entirely.

Then solidity returned with jarring suddenness.

He materialized in the Academy courtyard alongside hundreds of other delegates, all of them appearing simultaneously in coordinated extraction. The massive space was suddenly filled with exhausted warriors, bloodied clothing, weapons still drawn, expressions ranging from triumphant to devastated depending on their individual experiences.

The screens overhead showed final rankings, numbers frozen now that the examination had concluded:

FINAL RANKINGS - CULLING GAMES

1. Gareth Valorian (Elmbridge) - 3,847 points

2. Raze Dragonheart (Westia) - 3,728 points

3. Seraphine Lumis (Valtor) - 3,241 points

4. Blossom Karnstein (Cindral) - 3,156 points

5. Aurora Weiss (Silverpeak) - 2,987 points

6. Kira Steelheart (Aeloria) - 2,654 points

7. Lyra Astoria (Astoria) - 2,432 points

8. Fedora Westia (Westia) - 2,198 points

9. Caleb Alvarian (Northrend) - 2,087 points

10. Ellen Nightingale (Duskhaven) - 2,003 points

Raze scanned the courtyard, finding Fedora almost immediately. She was searching for him as well, relief flooding her expression when their eyes met. Slith coiled around her shoulders, the serpent looking tired but satisfied.

Darius appeared nearby, spear still in hand despite examination's conclusion. The warrior looked exhausted but pleased, clearly satisfied with his performance even if he'd fallen just outside top ten rankings.

Other Westia delegates were gathering naturally, forming clusters around Raze without conscious coordination. They'd submitted to his leadership before the examination began, and apparently that dynamic persisted now that it had concluded.

Across the courtyard, Raze spotted the three exceptional female delegates whose performances had dominated the rankings. Aurora Weiss with her white hair and ice blue eyes, standing perfectly composed despite obvious exhaustion. Blossom Karnstein crackling with residual lightning, violet eyes scanning the crowd with predatory awareness. Seraphine Lumis glowing faintly with light that seemed reluctant to fully dissipate, silver-white hair catching illumination beautifully.

All three were watching him, recognition clear in their expressions. They'd seen the rankings, knew he'd placed second through a combination of systematic hunting and that brutal elimination of Prince Lucien.

Speaking of which, Lucien himself stood with Astoria's delegation, arm bandaged and expression murderous despite his sister's attempts at conversation. The humiliation of being eliminated so quickly, so completely, so publicly was clearly eating at him.

His sister Lyra, by contrast, looked thoughtful rather than angry. She was watching Raze with an assessment that suggested tactical calculation rather than emotional reaction.

Headmaster Sariah appeared on the steps again, commanding attention through simple presence. The courtyard quieted immediately, four hundred fifty exhausted delegates recognizing their examination had truly concluded.

"You have completed the Culling Games," she announced. "Your performance exceeded expectations across multiple metrics. The top performers demonstrated capability that honors both their kingdoms and their own dedication to excellence."

She gestured to the hovering screens showing final rankings.

"These ten delegates achieved exceptional results through various strategies and capabilities. However, all four hundred fifty of you earned your place here through your kingdoms' selection processes. The rankings determine initial placement and resource allocation, but your ultimate success at this Academy will be determined by how you grow from this foundation."

Sariah's ancient eyes swept across the assembled youth.

"Rest tonight. Recover your strength. Tomorrow, your formal instruction begins. Dormitory assignments will be posted within the hour, organized by performance tier and specialization. You are dismissed."

The golden light that had filled the pocket dimension erupted again, this time washing over the entire courtyard in a wave of healing energy. Raze felt his minor injuries fade, exhaustion lifting slightly as whatever magic Sariah had deployed accelerated natural recovery.

Around him, delegates were reacting similarly, grateful sighs and relaxing postures suggesting the healing effect was widespread and effective.

Bephe pressed against his leg, the prehistoric predator clearly ready for actual food and rest rather than constant combat.

"Well," Raze said to no one in particular. "That was quite the entrance examination."

The Academy's first test was complete. Now the real challenge would begin.

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