36 Challengers

All the proud men of heaven first focused their attention on Rafeal, hoping that "rightful number one" would set an example for them.

"..."

Rafeal looked away silently.

'Is this joke? I don't even want to get close to that sharp sword that contained the terrifying aura of nightmares and is soaked in the blood of a nightmare monster more powerful than him, let alone actively hold it.'

Seeing that Rafeal was indifferent, there was a commotion in the student seats.

Finally, several students sitting in the front row stood up one after another.

Wearing Astral Academy uniforms, they strode up to the podium with upright figures and the arrogance and confidence they had cultivated since childhood.

The front leader, with arrogance to the bone, said,

"I am fourth in the overall ranking of this entrance examination. Since Master Louis is unwilling to take action and generously leave us with the opportunity to show off, then I will not be polite."

"I am very pleased. I look forward to your performance."

Astr smiled, making his classmate's face turn slightly red, and his tit-for-tat arrogance unconsciously diminished.

"This is how we, Astral, aspire to learn from one another and elevate ourselves."

Principal Gabriel said it righteously. He rubbed his hands impatiently, took two steps back to give up on the "stage", and snapped his fingers. The glass display cabinet opened in response.

Suddenly, A terrifying evil energy spurted out, carrying a pungent smell. The pressure gradually spread to the podium, like a large pool of thick paint flowing out.

On the podium, when the student faced this evil spirit, their hair stood up almost immediately, and their nerves twitched and started issuing warnings.

"Please."

Astr made a gesture. Although his face was pale, his calm smile seemed unaffected.

"Gulp"

The leading student swallowed his saliva, tried his best to ignore the resistance of the cells in his body, clenched his fists, and stepped forward. With every step he took, his instincts warned him.

It was as if what he was approaching was not an ordinary sword but something indescribable. He finally stood in front of the sword.

As he approached, he realised that the sword wasn't originally red; instead, it was coated layer by layer, making it impossible to clean off.

'Run away! Run away! Run away!' He was screaming deep in his heart. Slowly,  cold and clammy fear crawled up his back.

"What's wrong? Get it quickly." Some students in the audience shouted and urged

Seeing that the student ranked fourth in the overall ranking was still making no move, they even booed.

As for Astral's principal, Mr. Gabriel Hamlet, he held his chin up with a smile and let it go as if he were watching a good show.

Amid the urging, the student became a little anxious and started thinking.

'It is just a sword? That sick man can pick it up; how could I not be able to pick it up?' He glanced at Astr secretly.

When he caught a glimpse of Astr's white and slender wrists exposed from his cuffs, his eyes gradually became firm.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand with all his strength and grabbed the hilt of the sword. When his palm touched the tough leather, a bone-chilling chill shot up like a snake in an instant, freezing his blood vessels inch by inch.

In a daze, the student who ranked fourth overall saw a crystal-clear white snowflake flipping and floating down in front of his eyes.

'...Snow?' He raised his head in confusion and found heavy snow falling from the dark night. A pale yellow moon with a human face was grinning strangely at him, spreading a dizzying light.

"——Hey! Wake up"

A sudden shout awakened the fourth-ranking student's consciousness. His shoulders were shaken violently, making him dizzy.

"Stop, cough!" When he opened his mouth, he realised that his voice was terribly hoarse. "Stop shaking me."

The classmate who woke him up stopped shaking. Judging from his expression, he still felt a little regretful.

The first challenger stood up and looked around in confusion, only to find that he had fallen to the ground at some point.

"I...what happened to me?"

"After you grabbed the sword, you fell straight to the ground; not even for a second were you able to hold it."

The student who woke him up said it pitifully.

'I-I was in a coma? However, I was clearly awake; I clearly saw a nightmare world.'

After realising a certain possibility, his face turned pale.

Just by holding the hilt of the sword, he actually passed through the gap between reality and nightmare and peered into the weird and twisted world.

Even if it was only for a moment, it still left an indelible impression on the first student's mind, like a knife cutting through a stone slab.

"In the realm of nightmares, where fear and madness reign, death becomes a coveted luxury. Did Rafeal and Astr manage to return to reality, alive and intact, after their harrowing experience in such a world?"

The students glanced at the white-haired boy sitting in the wheelchair, his eyes showing surprise, implying unwillingness and admiration.

'...No matter which one of them played the main role, they can come back alive without going crazy. It is enough to be called the first in history.'

After a while, the first challenger slumped his shoulders, got up from the ground, patted himself, walked towards Astr, and smiled helplessly.

"I admit defeat, Mr. Serene. I can't hold this sword."

As soon as this statement came out, the audience suddenly burst into boos, mixed with conversations of surprise and confusion.

'This is the student ranked fourth overall,'

'He admitted defeat so quickly? '

'That sword...is it really that magical?'

Astr took the fourth place's extended hand and chuckled: "I'm looking forward to meeting you in class, Mr. Macul."

"Oh! You remember my name."

In fourth place in the entrance exam, Macul's face immediately turned red with excitement.

Looking into Astr's icy blue eyes, he couldn't help scratching his head in embarrassment and sighed in his heart.

'Astr and Rafeal are not the same at all. Although they are talented, but Astr is very approachable, kind, and gentle. Moreover, he looks very cute.'

"Ahem fuck"

When Astr let go of his hand, Macul actually felt a trace of unfulfilled interest.

"You can't do it, buddy, because you are weak."

The next challenger patted Macul on the shoulder and said it jokingly.

Macul glanced at him with an unclear look and smiled slightly.

"Come on, you are better than me."

"Of course! I will have to hold on for five seconds no matter what.

Having spoken, the second student seized the sword's hilt, and his eyes immediately clouded with confusion and bewilderment.

With just a "dong" sound, his body fell straight onto the podium.

'Not even a second.'

Upon waking up, he appeared pale, uttered no words, and stumbled down the stage, nearly tripping on the steps in a rather embarrassing manner.

Up to the fifth challenger, all have been paragons of virtue. The jeers in the audience finally quieted, and the students' mocking smiles transformed into solemn and bewildered expressions. Something seems amiss.