Awakening: I Became a Legendary Spirit Summoner-Chapter 34 - : End of the Entrance Examination, The Leaderboard

[Teleporting you all to the lobby...]

[The leaderboard and additional information will be revealed there.]

The third trial had finally ended.

As the system's message appeared, Karl felt his body getting lighter.

His vision blurred for just a moment before he was pulled away from the battlefield.

He was being teleported, along with everyone else who had participated in the trial.

'Phew.'

Karl exhaled, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

He had done well, better than expected.

Not only had he killed a ridiculous amount of monsters, but he had also leveled up significantly and gathered a solid number of spirits.

For him, this trial had been a complete success.

As for the spirits that fought alongside him, they should have gained some sort of experience too.

At least, that's what he assumed.

He wasn't sure if spirits could grow stronger in the same way humans did, or if they were bound to a fixed strength from the moment they were summoned.

But... he couldn't forget what happened during the battle.

The [Frenzied Rabbit] had repeated his movements almost perfectly.

Mimicking his attacks and adapting mid-fight.

And when it had finally struck the boss down, its attack had been stronger than anything it had done before.

That had to mean something.

'Maybe they can improve over time...' Karl thought, rubbing his chin.

He needed a way to test this theory.

If he got accepted into [Starlight Academy], he would have access to the best training facilities in the world.

That would be the perfect opportunity to find out if his spirits could be trained, just like human awakeners.

But that was for later.

Right now, he needed to focus.

...

A rush of cool air hit his face as his vision returned to normal.

Karl found himself standing in a massive circular room, open to the night sky.

The atmosphere was calm, almost serene, but unlike when he first arrived at the [Entrance Examination], this time, only those who had taken the [Nightmare Trial] were here.

There weren't that many of them.

"Karl!"

A familiar voice called out from behind, and he didn't even have to turn to know who it was.

Celeste.

"Sup," Karl greeted casually, glancing over his shoulder.

Celeste grinned as she approached, her eyes immediately darting around, "Where's Frappy?"

Karl sighed, "He—"

"SHE."

"...She's in the space made for her," he corrected, rolling his eyes.

Celeste nodded, satisfied.

Karl, however, found himself thinking about something else.

He only had a handful of spirits right now, but maybe it was time to start giving them actual names instead of just referring to them by their types.

That said... there were two issues with that.

First, if he ever unlocked too many spirits, it would be exhausting trying to keep up with all the names.

And second... spirits could die.

It wasn't like naming them would magically make them immortal.

If anything, it would just make things harder when they were eventually lost.

Karl wasn't the sentimental type.

He knew better than to get too attached.

It might seem ruthless, but in a world like this, being sentimental wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Oh, that's good." Celeste stretched her arms, looking around, "Well, I hope we get accepted."

Karl glanced at her, "Nervous?"

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"A little," she admitted, her usual confidence slipping just a bit, "The spots are limited, and we're not just competing against the people here."

"Awakeners from other empires, plus the ones that got special invitations... it's gonna be tough."

Karl was about to agree, but before he could say a word, a blinding light erupted in the sky.

"Huh?"

The entire room was bathed in a strange glow as three massive figures appeared above them.

They weren't human.

Towering, ethereal beings, their glowing eyes gazed down at the participants with a chilling indifference.

They radiated power, absolute power, so much so that Karl instinctively tensed up.

"These are..." Karl muttered.

"...Powerhouses," Celeste finished for him, her voice low, cautious, "Be careful."

The air grew heavy.

Everyone had gone silent, their bodies stiff with wariness.

These beings were no ordinary examiners.

And then, a voice echoed through the space.

[Congratulations to all of those who passed the third trial in its Nightmare Difficulty while remaining alive.]

[You will be allowed to see the leaderboard shortly, and from there, be able to see the invitations you have received.]

[We wish you luck.]

The moment the announcement ended, the figures vanished.

Gone, just like that.

The tension lingered for a second longer before...

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Panels materialized before every participant, revealing their results.

Karl's eyes locked onto his own score:

[Karl Bloodborne: 1,036 Points]

That meant... removing the 100 points he got from the boss, he had killed a little over 300 monsters.

No wonder he had leveled up so much.

But then came the real moment of truth.

[Trial Leaderboard:]

[1. Sylas Crowell: 1,533 Points]

[2. Morgan Laval: 1,348 Points]

[3. Darius Blackthorn: 1,312 Points]

[4. Celeste Frost: 1,284 Points]

[5. Eira Stormbane: 1,197 Points]

[6. Louis Heaven: 1,106 Points]

[7. Oliver Aldric: 1,051 Points]

[8. Karl Bloodborne: 1,036 Points]

[9. Matthias Evren: 1,021 Points]

[10. Reynard Kessler: 1,006 Points]

The list continued beyond the top ten, but that didn't matter.

Karl exhaled, he had made it to rank 8.

Even though he had only used a handful of his spirits, he had still secured a high position.

The top contenders must have moved around constantly, hunting down monsters instead of holding a position like he did.

He didn't know their exact strategies, but whatever they did, it worked.

Still, he was confident now.

"Good job!" Celeste beamed, practically bouncing in place, "We did it!"

"Well... we can't know for sure yet," Karl said.

"No!" Celeste shook her head, "I can't speak for the others, but the top ten? Guaranteed a spot!"

Karl raised a brow, "You sure?"

"One hundred percent."

And just as she said that.

Ding!

Another notification popped up.

[The invitations from the academies have been sent to you.]

[Make your choice.]

Karl took a deep breath before opening his panel.

And then, at the very top of the list, he saw...

[Congratulations! You have been invited to join "Starlight Academy"!]

A small grin formed on his lips.

He had done it.

Several dozen other academies had also sent invitations, all trying to recruit high-potential awakeners, but Karl barely paid attention to them.

His focus was solely on the one that mattered.

Celeste was checking hers too, practically glowing with excitement.

Karl, meanwhile, opened the [Starlight Academy] invitation to read it in full.

[Karl Bloodborne, you have been invited to join Starlight Academy.]

[Only a set number of spots open each year across the world to recruit the strongest potential individuals at your age.]

[The fact that you received this invitation proves your strength, and we would love to have you in our academy.]

[Do you wish to accept our invitation?]

[Yes] [No]

Two simple choices.

It made things easier as a participant could directly accept with no unnecessary procedures.

Just one click, and he would officially be a part of [Starlight Academy].

Karl didn't hesitate.

He pressed [Yes] immediately.

And yet, in his excitement, he completely overlooked the small, crimson text at the bottom of the panel.

A simple message, almost hidden beneath everything else.

[Warning: You will bleed and suffer, but it will all be worth it. At least, we hope so.]