Azrael looked at the familiar face of the young man with golden hair— though slightly different, it still bore a striking resemblance to the person he once knew.
’After seeing so many familiar people in this world, I had expected them to be here as well... but to think I would meet one of them so soon.’
Azrael’s eyes briefly flashed with complex emotions as he gazed at the golden haired youth. He recalled what had happened in the past, and a guilty look appeared on his face.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions and shook his head.
’No need to feel guilty over what I did in the past. I just need to make everything perfect this time.’
He looked at the golden haired youth for a few more seconds before finally turning his gaze away.
Time passed, and soon, half an hour had gone by since the sound of the bell echoed throughout the arena.
At this moment, a powerful wave swept across the entire stadium, instantly silencing all conversation.
Despite the presence of over ten million people, the entire arena fell into a pin drop silence.
Suddenly, a woman wearing a knee-length black pencil skirt, a white blouse, and a black jacket appeared on the stadium’s massive screen.
The woman wore reading glasses, her brown hair was tied in a bun, and her green eyes held a serious, no-nonsense look.
The woman scanned the crowd of young people through the screen as if she could truly see each of them.
After looking at everyone for a few seconds, she finally opened her mouth to speak.
"I assume all of you are already aware of the rules, so I will just mention a few that are especially important," Said Mira, the vice principal of Slayers Academy.
"First of all, make sure you have your Eonrift Entrance Token in hand. If you don’t have a token, go to the counters at the side of the stadium and get one as soon as possible. You can get a token of Easy level for free. As for Medium level and above, you will need to purchase them using Cosmic Energy Stones..." She paused for a brief moment, then added.
"Of course, you can only buy tokens up to Nightmare Level—and Nightmare Levels are limited in number. As for Hell-level tokens, they are incredibly rare and can’t be distributed casually."
No one seemed surprised by Mira’s words, and no one moved from their place as everyone who had come was already prepared, having acquired their token beforehand.
Mira continued without pause.
"Second, choose a token according to your actual capability. For Easy, Medium, and Hard levels, even if you die during the trial, you won’t truly die and will simply be thrown out of the trial ground. But if you carry a Nightmare or Hell-level token, then death in the trial ground of Eonrift means true death. So make sure the token you are using matches your level."
This time, the expressions on several faces shifted. After hesitating for a moment, a few participants quickly rushed toward the counters at the side of the stadium to exchange their tokens to lower ones.
Mira paid them no mind and continued.
"Third, inside the trial grounds of Eonrift, you can’t use any artifacts or props. You are only allowed to use weapons and armor— and even then, the weapons and armor you use must be below Class Level. Anything higher will be rendered useless by the Rules of Eonrift. Even most of the technological devices are ineffective inside and only a few exceptions can be used."
Azrael already knew about this, but he wasn’t worried as he had the Fallen Star— a Soul Armament.
Since Fallen Star is a Soul Armament, it is considered part of his soul, and he can use it freely within the trial ground of Eonrift.
As for armor, Ashara had given him the best set available for those below Class Level. The armor was manufactured by the Thorne Family and is well known among people who have yet to reach Class Level.
He was wearing the armor beneath his clothes, and thanks to its slim design, he looked as if he were just wearing regular clothing and nothing else.
Mira went on to explain a few more rules and after ten minutes, she finally concluded.
"All right, that’s all I have to say. Once you complete your trial and believe you have what it takes to join the Slayers Academy, you can register for the entrance exam. If you pass, you will be able to enter one of the finest academies in this world."
As soon as Mira finished her words, Azrael sensed a burst of powerful energy fluctuations erupting from the opposite side of the stadium and saw a tiny dot on the horizon—like a miniature black hole— rapidly expanding.
In just a few minutes, the small dot grew into a massive space rift, nearly five kilometers wide, hovering several hundred meters above the ground.
"Is that the entrance to Eonrift?" Azrael muttered under his breath and with a thought, he put away the hell level token and took out the Despair Level one from his inventory, holding it in his hand
At this moment, a ripple radiated from the gigantic space rift and swept through the stadium.
As the ripple made contact with those holding an entrance token, their bodies began to glow faintly.
The tokens in their hands burst into radiant light, and one after another, their figures vanished from the stadium.
Azrael stood silently at the back of the stadium, watching people disappear one by one as the ripple quickly approached his position.
’It’s finally time...’ He thought as he glanced at the golden haired youth briefly before closing his eyes.
The inky black Despair Level Token he held erupted in a black glow that carried a sinister aura and enveloped his entire body.
Azrael felt as if his body was being sucked into a black hole— and the next moment, in a blinding flash of black light, his figure vanished completely.