Free Web NovelChapter 5: The Only Thing That Matters Is Whether You Survive or Not
The pods landed smoothly and opened a few minutes later.
Silas stepped outside with high expectations, only to freeze in place. Beside him, Darius wore the same stunned expression.
There was no academy. There were no towering walls, no grand buildings, and there was nothing but endless stretches of open land extending toward the horizon. Waiting nearby was a group of five teenagers and a man in his early thirties.
"Finally," the man said with a smile that immediately put Silas on guard. "We’ve been waiting for you two for days."
Silas exchanged a confused glance with Darius.
"Excuse me," Darius said. "We were told we were joining the Frontier Academy, but..."
"Oh? They didn’t tell you about the admission test?" The man raised an eyebrow. "That explains the looks on your faces."
The group approached, allowing Silas to study them more closely. Every one of them was an Enhancer.
"Let’s keep introductions brief," the man continued. "I’m Vaelous, your team leader during the test. These are your teammates. Brant is a Hunter. Selene and Leon are Mages. Cassian is a Tamer, and Lyra is a Buffer. What about you two?"
"I’m Darius Graves, a Hunter."
He pointed at Silas.
"And he’s Silas, a Buffer."
"Perfect." Vaelous nodded. "Two Hunters and two Buffers... That’s a good start."
Only now did Silas properly examine the group.
Vaelous looked refined despite the wilderness around him. His silver hair was neatly combed, coated by a faint translucent layer. He wore a light blue chestplate that matched his calm blue eyes. Everything about him suggested confidence and competence.
Selene stood quietly behind the others. Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail, creating a striking contrast with her pale skin. Combined with her icy blue eyes, she gave the impression of someone who judged everything before speaking... From a higher ground.
Lyra was her complete opposite. Her long blonde hair carried several silver strands, and her green eyes held a constant trace of nervousness. Freckles dotted her cheeks, and her shy smile somehow made her seem approachable despite the unfamiliar surroundings.
Brant looked as though he was preparing for a fight that hadn’t started yet. His fists remained clenched, his sharp black eyes constantly scanning the people around him. Though not particularly muscular, his square jaw and aggressive posture made him appear dangerous.
Cassian was thin and scholarly. Round glasses rested on his nose, and black ink stains marked the tips of his fingers.
Leon looked the most polished of the group. His bronze skin and golden-brown hair gave him a naturally striking appearance, while his composed posture suggested quiet confidence.
The team felt unusually balanced. As if it had been assembled for battle rather than an academy entrance exam.
"Let’s talk while we walk," Vaelous said, turning around. "The test begins the moment the team is assembled."
Silas still had countless questions, but everyone followed. Darius quickly took charge of the conversation, asking the questions Silas wanted answered anyway.
Before long, Silas learned that the others were no different from them. They were all newly awakened Enhancers who had received invitations from the academy. More importantly, none of them had been told anything about the admission test beforehand.
"The academy has its own way of filtering talent," Vaelous explained as he led them toward a massive valley. Far in the distance, a lone hill-like structure stood against the horizon.
"See that valley? That’s the border of the protective dome surrounding the kingdom. And that structure over there is one of the rune sites powering the dome."
He paused.
"As for our test..."
His gaze swept across the group. Something about those calm blue eyes made Silas uncomfortable.
"Our test?" Brant interrupted. "You’re taking it too?"
Vaelous grinned.
"That’s right."
The answer stunned everyone.
"I’m not a teacher, yet. I received an invitation to join the academy’s instructor circle. This mission is my evaluation."
The revelation completely changed the group’s perception of him. Silas took another look at Vaelous. Part of the man’s right hand was visible beneath his sleeve. The exposed skin was black and yellow, almost insect-like. One finger had transformed into a curved claw.
"Don’t look so shocked," Vaelous said with a chuckle. "I’m a C-Enhancer. I’m positive I’m more than qualified to keep you alive."
"A C-Enhancer..." Lyra whispered.
That meant he had already absorbed two cores and possessed multiple abilities. As a result of this revelation, everyone visibly relaxed. But Silas didn’t. He knew Vaelous was strong, but something about the man felt off. He couldn’t explain why.
"Back to business," Vaelous continued. "Our mission is simple: We protect that rune site for one week."
Nobody reacted immediately. Then the meaning sank in.
"We have to defend it?" Selene asked.
"Against monsters. Against hostile races. Against anything that comes close." Vaelous smiled. "For seven straight days."
The group fell silent. Even the girls looked pale.
"Relax," Vaelous said, sounding far too amused by their reaction. "You’re all Enhancers now. Stop acting like helpless civilians."
No one looked reassured. Yet, the march continued in silence. What had seemed like a short valley turned into hours of walking. The distant structure somehow remained far away, no matter how much ground they covered.
Only after leaving the valley did the environment abruptly change. It felt as though they had stepped through an invisible wall. The air smelled different, the atmosphere felt heavier, and even the surrounding landscape seemed more hostile.
"We’ve just left the protection of the dome," Vaelous explained.
He pulled out a triangular device and activated it. A holographic map appeared in front of the group.
"This is our current location."
The map displayed the surrounding terrain in remarkable detail.
"The strange distances you’re experiencing are caused by Mana Distortion. Large concentrations of mana can alter spatial perception."
As they continued walking, Vaelous pointed out nearby regions and potential dangers. Most of it blurred together in Silas’s mind until Vaelous highlighted one particular area.
"Stay away from this region."
The map zoomed in on a rocky zone southeast of their position.
"It’s the remains of an ancient volcano. The surface is unstable, and a serious fight could collapse the ground beneath you. Fall through, and you won’t be coming back."
The warning was enough to capture everyone’s attention. Fortunately, Vaelous ended the lesson shortly afterwards.
"We’re here."
Everyone looked up. The structure that had seemed like a hill from afar now towered before them. Up close, it resembled a massive cylindrical watchtower nearly fifty meters tall. A thick grey barrier surrounded it, concealing most of its details.
"This thing has a defensive shield?" Selene asked.
"It does," Vaelous replied. "The barrier allows humans through, but only with special access stones."
He sighed.
"The academy didn’t give us any."
"So we can’t even enter the thing we’re defending?" Brant asked.
"Correct."
The answer left everyone speechless. Vaelous simply walked toward the barrier, where eight backpacks had been left on the ground.
"Your supplies."
Each bag carried a name tag. Silas quickly found his. Inside were mana crystals, food, and enough water to last more than a week. But for Silas, there were no weapons, not even a knife. Clearly, the academy had prepared the supplies according to each person’s profession. Unfortunately, his known profession happened to be a Buffer.
Nearby, Brant was having the opposite experience. The Hunter kept pulling weapons from his backpack, one after another. He took out two swords and four knives, then a red leather belt lined with black throwing daggers.
Silas’s eyes immediately locked onto the belt. The moment he saw it, an idea formed in his mind.
"How about a trade?"
Brant looked up in confusion. Silas raised a mana crystal in one hand and pointed at the dagger belt with the other. freewebnøvel.com
"That belt and the daggers... In exchange for this."
Brant blinked in surprise.
"Seriously? You’re a Buffer. That crystal should be worth far more to you."
Silas shrugged.
"Mana won’t help much if something decides to tear my throat out. I need a weapon."
The explanation made enough sense. Brant glanced at the crystal before looking down at the belt. Truthfully, he hadn’t planned on using the throwing daggers anyway. The academy had already supplied him with more weapons than he needed.
"Fine by me."
The exchange happened immediately. Brant happily pocketed the mana crystal, while Silas fastened the red belt around his waist and tested the weight of one of the daggers. It felt surprisingly light.
A faint smile appeared on his face. For the first time since arriving, he felt slightly more prepared for whatever was coming.
The rest of the group continued sorting through their supplies. Hunters received weapons. While mages received Mana-enhancing gadgets and crystals. The Tamer received strange containers and specialised equipment for handling creatures, like saddles and whips.
The distribution made it obvious that the academy had researched each applicant beforehand. No one asked for something he didn’t get, like how Silas did.
"Finished?" Vaelous called out after a few minutes, and the group gathered around him.
"Good. Then it’s time for the most important lesson."
His relaxed expression faded. For the first time since meeting him, he looked serious.
"The academy doesn’t care if you’re talented."
Several brows rose.
"It doesn’t care if you’re geniuses. It doesn’t care how rare your abilities are. It doesn’t even care how strong you’ll become."
The seven youngsters listened carefully.
"The only thing that matters is whether you survive or not."
Silas frowned while Vaelous pointed toward the wilderness surrounding the rune site.
"Out there, nobody will save you. There are no city guards, no walls, no adults rushing in at the last moment."
His gaze swept across the group.
"If a monster rips your head off, you’re dead."
The blunt words sent a chill through the air. Even Brant stopped trying to look tough.
"The academy understands something most people don’t." Vaelous folded his arms. "Potential is worthless if the owner dies before reaching it."
Nobody spoke. The reality of the situation was finally sinking in. And Vaelous seemed satisfied by their expressions.
"Good. Now you’re starting to understand."
He pointed toward the towering rune site behind him.
"That structure is our responsibility for the next seven days."
Then he pointed toward the endless wilderness.
"And everything out there wants us to fail."
Silas tightened his grip around one of the newly acquired daggers.
’It seems I’m going to enjoy this.’
