At the center of the beautiful futuristic city stood a massive coliseum, large enough to rival two mega football stadiums combined.
The late morning sun blazed fiercely over the enormous structure, which was already packed with citizens eager to witness the next generation of hunters who would take part in the Heartland Nation Hunter Academy entrance exam.
Excited chatter spread across the stands as people discussed the nation’s current affairs and the future that now rested on the shoulders of the youths standing nervously in the middle of the wide field.
"So many people," Marlon muttered as he scanned the countless spectators. "There should be at least two hundred thousand people in here."
Around him stood the other trainees from the preliminary training camp, their expressions ranging from nervous — like Ashton and Logan beside him — to confident, like Drever and the Whitlock sisters.
"There are too many people... I can’t even tell if my family’s here or not," Logan muttered, rubbing his palms together.
Ashton nodded quickly. "Yeah, me too." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel~fire~net
"Come on, guys, who cares about family?" Marlon said, turning to them with a small grin. "Just take the exam, pass, get admitted into the academy, and focus on getting stronger."
"That’s easy for you to say, Marlon."
"Yeah," Logan added, frowning. "You actually have the strength to be confident."
"Don’t worry," Marlon replied calmly. "The academy won’t throw anything we can’t handle. The challenges will match our level."
"Good morning, beautiful and handsome people of Heartland!"
The loud, energetic voice boomed across the stadium, instantly silencing the crowd.
Floating high above the center of the coliseum was a gigantic man, easily over twelve feet tall. He wore flashy, tight-fitting clothes that looked ready to burst against his broad, muscular body.
His tanned skin gleamed under the sunlight, and his bald head shone almost as bright, leaving only a thick mustache to dominate his face.
"Look, Dad! It’s Gigaman!"
"Gigaman’s the commentator this year? No way! I knew the exam would be interesting when they shifted the date at the last minute!"
"Gigaman! Flex those muscles for me! I’m almost there—Ahhh!"
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, showering the massive figure with praise and admiration. Clearly, he was a beloved hunter.
Gigaman grinned proudly at the sea of faces and flexed his enormous arms, almost tearing through his flashy outfit.
The cheers grew even louder as he acknowledged his fans — mostly muscle enthusiasts and a few women who adored big men.
When the noise finally calmed, his smile faded, and his tone shifted into something serious as he began to speak.
"This year’s exam will be unlike any we’ve held in decades. It will be tougher, sharper, and only those with real potential as hunters will earn their place in the Heartland Hunter Academy."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd at his words.
Usually, the exam consisted of four major challenges — the Talent Evaluation, the Written Test, the Group Survival Challenge, and the Duels.
"This year," Gigaman continued, his voice echoing like thunder, "only a single challenge will determine our future hunters!"
"What?! Only one challenge?"
Gasps spread through the stands. Even the trainees stared wide-eyed, stunned by the announcement.
Drever’s confident face hardened into a small frown — the exam was clearly going to be tougher than expected.
Marlon brimming smile crumbled. The challenge had been reduced to just one?
His heartbeat hastened — What if they’ve decided to only hold written test with even more challenging questions? He would definitely fail.
"Oh, please," he whispered under his breath, closing his eyes tightly to pray. "Let it be something that tests strength."
Meanwhile, the spectators broke into loud chatter again, questioning what kind of test would take place.
"The challenge this time around is unlike anything we’ve ever used before," Gigaman’s booming voice continued. "It’s a new testing method developed by the top researchers of the Five Great Nations combined — a method that not only tests survival in the harshest situations but also prevents death at a certain level!"
The stadium went silent again, everyone processing his words in shock.
"A new testing method? From the Five Great Nations?"
"I can’t even imagine what it’ll be."
"Will it be as thrilling as the usual survival challenge or duels?"
"My son’s participating this year... I just hope it’s easier to pass."
The trainees at the center shared mixed emotions — curiosity, worry, excitement.
Those confident in written exams looked disappointed, while those hoping for strength-based trials — like Marlon — felt a flicker of hope.
Still, none of them truly knew what awaited them.
"Vice President, are you sure this will work?"
At a hidden VIP platform high above the coliseum, a beautiful middle-aged woman turned to the red-haired man seated beside her.
The man — Norian Sterling, Vice President of the Heartland Hunter Association and one of the Twenty Guardians of Heartland Nation — observed the gathering below with a cold expression, his sharp eyes unmoving.
He didn’t respond immediately. After a few seconds, his deep voice finally broke the silence.
"The Ace Technology integrates the challenges and environments of countless F-rank, Fang-level, and FF-rank, Blood-level danger zones. Its ability to assess strength and survival instincts is unmatched. As for its capacity to prevent death..." He paused briefly, his tone flat and unreadable. "...there hasn’t been much testing done on that."
The secretary’s throat tightened as she swallowed nervously.
If that part hadn’t been fully tested... wouldn’t that mean many trainees might die?
She wondered what might have actually taken place that night that brought about such an abrupt change in everything.
The hunter association that once pampered the young generations are now pushing them to take challenges that might even lead to their death.
Sorry for the delayed updates for the past three days.
For my wrongdoing, I’ll try to update 2-4 Chapters daily this week, so there would be no THIRD WEEK CHALLENGE
Still — Do not stop voting! Gracias.