Asher Princeton could no longer hide the smile on his face. What he had just watched was marvellous. Adam was more ridiculous than anything he could have anticipated.
The boy was far beyond anyone in the same realm as him. With how effortlessly he took down those three, Asher believed Adam was still holding back.
’Just how strong is he compared to his companions?’ Asher thought gleefully. ’It’s far greater than anyone I’ve encountered with a physical affinity.’
Looking around the observation room, he couldn’t help but smile more. The looks on the faces of the instructors and officials were priceless. How could they imagine elites losing to some nameless nobody?
Even he had had similar thoughts. But with where things stood, Adam was in a league of his own, his performance exceptional. Coupled with the level of intelligence he had shown on the written test, he was more than qualified to take the top spot.
’No...’ Asher inwardly shook his head. ’...the top spot belongs to him. But he might have gone a little overboard with his lesson there.’
Being from a powerful family himself, he understood how those people thought. They weren’t going to take that humiliation lightly. Retaliation would definitely come for the boy.
’Shielding him won’t be enough,’ the thought settled grimly. ’The entire structure of the academy is built with the elites in mind. And I can’t be with him all day, every day.’
"Sir. There’s a memo from the Board of Directors." One of the officials suddenly said, pulling Asher out of his thoughts.
The vice-principal furrowed his brows slightly, his thoughts racing. The Board of Directors rarely — if ever — got involved in the first-year evaluation process. For him to receive a memo right at this moment was rather telling.
"Bring it up on the display."
The official nodded and did as he was told. The text promptly came up, drawing everyone’s attention. Reading the memo did not surprise him in the least. The memo perfectly aligned with his thoughts.
[Due to overwhelming complaints reaching us from concerned parents, guardians, and stakeholders, the second trial is to be brought to an immediate close. Exposing the children to such extreme conditions can lead to lasting psychological and physical harm]
[Board of Directors]
’How convenient.’ Asher inwardly scoffed, his expression unreadable. ’You have no problem sending kids on dangerous missions, but this trial is suddenly too extreme. Why don’t you just tell it as it is?’
While he internally admonished the Board of Directors, the instructors and officials turned to him, awaiting his instructions. They were neither fools nor blind. They knew exactly what the memo was about. But would they openly criticize them?
The answer was an obvious no.
Asher let out a resigned sigh and passed his order, "Broadcast this to the applicants. Due to unforeseen issues arising within the wilderness, the second trial will be brought to a premature close. Be on standby and await transfer."
"Yes, sir."
’This is too obvious to be missed by anyone watching.’ The thought rose autonomously. ’Couldn’t they wait for an hour or two?’
Asher could not understand what those old geezers were thinking. What had transpired between Adam and the elite heirs should have been left for the kids themselves to figure out.
Blatantly getting involved was a clear violation of what the academy stood for. The North Star Academy was supposed to be a place where geniuses of the Federation were moulded for its benefit; a place for growth and evolution.
But this...
The vice-principal looked to his left and gestured for one of the officials to come over and said, "Discreetly reach out to applicant 1003’s parents and lead him to my temporary office."
The official swiftly nodded and got to work, clearly understanding the vice-principal’s intentions. Asher watched as the official exited the observation room before turning his attention back to the display.
"Begin putting their assessments together. There’s no time to waste."
"Yes, sir."
Back on the plain, Adam wondered if the hidden instructors would come for the unconscious three. With how heavy-handed he got with them, he doubted they were in the right state to continue the trial.
All three were bleeding from their lips and heads.
Standing amidst the cautious and aggressive gazes directed his way, Adam’s Unique Skill came alive. He hadn’t bothered searching for the hidden instructors throughout the trial. But since they refused to reveal themselves, he would have to call them out.
’No.’ Adam swiftly caught himself. ’That would give away another aspect of my abilities. I’ve already revealed too much as it is.’ He pushed the thought aside, looking in the direction of where the meat had fallen.
’It’s all gone.’
Adam closed his eyes and sighed, softly clenching his fists. He was once again amazed at how incredible his physique was. He could feel his stamina and Spark recovering at an astonishing rate.
Tanking Ryner’s lightning would have done some serious damage had it been anyone else. For Adam, on the other hand, his body’s durability and affinity made it feel agonising at most; the lightning not refined enough to injure him.
A sudden voice echoed across the plain at that moment. Adam opened his eyes and looked around, realising the voice was coming from all around.
[Attention, all applicants.Due to unforeseen issues arising within the wilderness, the second trial will be brought to a premature close. Be on standby and await transfer.]
Adam furrowed his brows thoughtfully. Was there a sudden death of an applicant somewhere? Did a feral beast go berserk? He was not entirely sure, but it worked in his favour. He was mentally exhausted and fed up with the stupid trial.
Stepping away from the unconscious and bleeding girl, he made his way towards the only pink-haired girl he knew. As he approached, the others stepped back, clearing a path for him.
The pink-haired girl was frozen in place with a thoughtful look on her face. And the way she looked at Adam felt different. There was this look in her eyes he could not properly place... like she was both cautious and anticipatory.
"You okay?" Adam asked the moment he got close. "You seem a bit out of it?"
"O-Oh, I’m fine." April quickly replied with a forced smile, her eyes darting around the watching applicants. "I’m just glad this godforsaken trial is coming to an end. But you... you’re more than I ever thought."
"Didn’t you think so before?" Adam asked, tilting his head with a knowing smirk.
"Don’t tease me, Adam." April rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "But I fear you might have gone a bit overboard with your thrashing."
At her words, Adam sighed. He understood what the girl meant. But that girl had pissed him off too much for him to just let it slide. And those two morons wouldn’t take a hint either.
"What’s done is done," Adam replied flatly, his gaze roaming. "As for what comes afterwards... Well, I leave it to the future me to handle. There’s no point dwelling on it."
As the last of his words settled, a flash of light swallowed him and everyone within the wilderness, returning them to the admission block. And like that, their supposed three-day Survival Trial came to an end.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter