Admission Test-5

"Hahaha... look at that bastard! Let me tell you this... They would rather select a weak Transcendent than a Soulless guy like you!" Jimmy said with a serious face after finding his name on the list. His laughter echoed through the corridor, filled with both triumph and disdain.

What's more, Jimmy even acknowledged himself as a weak guy, his arrogance shining through despite his self-deprecation.

'Seriously, they let this guy pass but not me just because I'm Soulless...' Eli clicked his tongue inwardly, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief.

He decided he would deal with the dark elf woman later. For now, he was more interested in having breakfast with a beautiful lady.... That was more important to him!!

Eli called out to Ania, who nodded in understanding. She was about to leave with him when,

"Miss, where are you going with a beggar?" Jimmy asked, his face twisted in shock and disbelief. He couldn't believe a beautiful lady like Ania would walk away with someone like Eli, who he deemed far beneath her.

However, neither of them answered. Jimmy's lips twitched in annoyance as he grabbed Ania's wrist, his grip tight and insistent.

"Miss, I'm telling you, that guy must have used tricks on you... Look at him, he's clearly trying to take advantage of you!" he insisted, his voice growing louder with each word.

Ania's lips twitched in irritation. She tried to wriggle out of Jimmy's grasp, but he held on tightly, continuing his narcissistic rant, "I tell you, my father is a nobleman who works in the highest circles of society. You shouldn't waste your time with someone like him..."

"Let me go!" Ania said with an indifferent voice, her calm demeanour making Jimmy flinch in surprise. He reluctantly let go of her hand, his confidence momentarily shaken.

As Ania and Eli began to walk away again, Jimmy's lips trembled with rage. He was a noble's son, and yet some random receptionist, who worked full hours just to earn a few coins, dared to reject his offer. The humiliation was too much for him to bear.

His anger flared, and just as he was about to grab her hand again, Eli moved swiftly, catching Jimmy by the throat.

With an indifferent expression, Eli said, "We don't have any enmities, and yet you are trying to spoil my mood again... Do you think I am a pushover, brat?" His crimson eyes stared deadly at Jimmy, who now struggled to breathe.

To be honest, Eli was too annoyed by this brat and the examiner who had failed him. His patience was wearing thin.

He wanted to solve calmly without resorting to violence.

He wanted to calm down, yet this brat kept barking like a dog, pushing him further toward the edge.

"ggrrhhh!!"

Jimmy struggled to escape Eli's grasp, his face turning an alarming shade of red as his lungs ran out of air. Other participants stepped back, unwilling to interfere.

Just as his eyes began to roll back,

"What is happening here?" Suddenly, a familiar voice entered the scene, a commanding presence that immediately drew everyone's attention.

It was none other than Nova!

Eli clicked his tongue before throwing Jimmy down, releasing his grip just in time.

"Cough, cough!!" Jimmy coughed loudly as he breathed heavily, pointing at Eli and shouting, "He was the one who attacked me! He should be punished!"

Nova stared at Eli, then glanced at Jimmy before addressing the participants, "Those who have passed the first round need to move inside the stadium for the second round."

"B-But he--"

"Go inside!" Nova said with a stern face, her tone leaving no room for argument. Jimmy grumbled before walking inside, though he glared at Eli.

Eli sighed deeply, looking back only to find an empty space where Ania had been. He then looked at the counter area, seeing that Ania had returned to her job, her focus now on the tasks at hand.

'Fuck it!' Eli groaned internally. He had just lost his free meal ticket and the opportunity for a pleasant breakfast.

"You!" Nova suddenly pointed at Eli, her expression unreadable, "Come with me."

Eli groaned again, feeling the weight of the morning's events pressing down on him. Reluctantly, he followed the dark elf, his curiosity piqued despite his annoyance.

As they walked, Eli couldn't help but ask, "I thought you would pass me if I killed the monster?"

Nova didn't reply immediately. Instead, she guided him through the corridors to a room at the end of the hall. She pointed to the door and asked him to enter, her expression giving nothing away.

Upon entering the room, Eli saw an old man with white hair and a white beard, looking as if time had changed him too much, though his body was still as solid as a rock. The old man smiled warmly and gestured for Eli to sit down while Nova quietly left them alone.

"Do you know why you were brought here?" the old man asked.

"...No clue," Eli shrugged. How the hell would he know? First of all, he didn't even know who this old man was.

The old man said, "Well, simply put, it's the first time a Soulless person has tried to enter the academy... Of course, there were some back doors, but those were reserved for nobles."

'Oh, shit! This is getting interesting. Should I record this and blackmail him?' Eli pondered for a second but then realized he didn't even have money to buy a simple bottle of water, much less anything else. Thinking again, he realized he didn't even have the money to return home.

Reality hits him harder than realized!

'Oh, fuck! I need to do something about my situation!' Eli screamed internally. He had been somewhat confident that he would be selected, so he hadn't thought about losing. But now, the situation was turning dire.

"So I can't enter here even though I killed the monster?" Eli asked, trying to persuade the person before him, 'It seems he is important...' he thought.

The old man simply smiled and said, "It's not about you killing a monster or not... It's about you being Soulless. You are just a human—"

"And that 'just human' killed a 6-star rank beast that others wouldn't even be able to scratch," Eli said with a stern face, 'Yeah, fuck off, old man!' he thought.

The old man smiled even more broadly, "That's why I am... I AM allowing you to participate in the second round."

Hearing the emphasis on "I AM," Eli understood and, with a sly smile, asked, "What do you want in return?"

"Yeah, that's better, young man, straight to the point," the old man smiled before asking just one question, "Who are you?"

"... Pardon?" Eli was seriously confused.

If that's what the old man wanted in return, Eli wasn't sure whether the old man had lost his mind or what.

The old man simply smiled and said, "I just want to know who you are... A simple question!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere became tense, as if everything was frozen in fear.

'Gulp'

Even Eli gulped, feeling as if he were being looked down on by a predator ready to devour him.

Sweat appeared on his forehead. 'He is a monster...' Eli thought. Even though he couldn't sense the old man's power rank, Eli could feel an innate fear as a human who feel fear facing a monster. His instincts screamed at him that he was standing before a monster, a seasoned warrior far worse than any he had seen before.

The old man, observing Eli, couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. He had at least thought Eli would shout at him or even glare at him, considering that he, a Soulless, had been able to kill a monster.

'Looks like she won't be interested in him... what a wast---,' he thought and was just about to shoo Eli out when,

"Hehe..." Eli's lips curved into a smile as he stared back at the monster trying to press him. 'C-Come on, Eli! Don't let your emotions control you!' Eli screamed internally, yet,

"My name is Eli... Asher Eli," Eli said, staring into the old man's green eyes, "....and I love to hunt my predators!"

"!!!" The old man's lips curled into a smile. 'OHHHH!! What do we have here!!'