Freshman Assessment

June 29

Glory City, Twentieth Ring

Xin Yang and the students from Wu City stood before the city, unable to keep themselves from marveling at it!

"Is this a world-class university?"

Even on the outskirts of Glory City, the students could not help but feel reverence!

Clang... clang... clang

The students heard waves of bells ringing from within the city!

Though they did not understand what the bells meant.

But!

When they saw pedestrians on the road removing their hats and observing a moment of silence toward the city, they seemed to understand something!

Those bells seemed to be funeral bells.

Before the crowd could listen further, Xin Yang suddenly heard a vehicle pull up behind them.

The Wu City students all turned around.

They saw a black coach bus,

With a flag planted on it.

The flag bore the two large words: Wu City.

Click

The bus door opened.

A woman in professional attire stepped down.

She wore a black formal suit and carried herself with graceful poise.

She gave off an efficient, capable air.

"Students of Wu City, I am your reception teacher."

"Next, I will lead everyone to their respective dormitories."

"For the next few days, please purchase your own daily necessities. On July 1, all students are to gather at Glory Square."

"You will undergo the freshman assessment!"

"Don't just stand there, get on the bus first." The woman spoke gently.

Everyone followed the woman onto the coach bus.

At that moment, the bells within the school still had not stopped.

The woman stood at attention inside the bus.

Everyone followed suit.

A few minutes later.

The salute ended.

Before anyone could ask, the woman explained:

"Those bells represent the warriors who died in the Eerie World. Whenever they ring, it means another ten thousand soldiers have fallen in the Eerie World."

After that,

Under the woman's guidance, Xin Yang and the others completed all the necessary procedures.

"Please make sure to take the freshman trial assessment on the morning of July 1 seriously."

Freshman assessment?

Xin Yang thought it was probably an entrance examination for the university!

Just as everyone began to relax, perhaps noticing the students' indifference, the woman's voice rang out beside Xin Yang again.

"Students, do not underestimate this freshman assessment. The higher your ranking, the more generous your reward. I advise you to give it your all. Moreover, the freshman assessment will affect your class placement and Disaster Ranking."

Xin Yang's eyes instantly lit up at those words.

Once rewards were mentioned, he had no choice but to take it seriously.

Although Glory University provided substantial subsidies, who would not want to earn more rewards?

Xin Yang was not like those children of wealthy families, able to spend freely.

Night...

Xin Yang returned to the house assigned to him.

He leaped onto the bed.

"Brother, what do you think about the freshman assessment?"

"Just take first place..."

That was because there could only be one first place in a competition.

Xin Yang was speechless. He did not continue chatting with his brother.

He washed up, got into bed, and went to sleep.

July 1

Glory Square was packed with people.

Dozens of enormous electronic screens stood before Glory Square.

Each electronic screen appeared to be several hundred meters in length and width.

Following the location his reception teacher had sent through ChatLink yesterday,

Xin Yang arrived at the designated spot.

Nine o'clock.

A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who looked like an old-school official, stepped onto the freshman podium.

"Students, I'll keep this brief."

"I am Zhao Dawen, Vice Chancellor of Glory University."

"There are around forty-seven million freshmen this year."

"About ten million students are currently gathered at Glory Square."

"Each of the other three assembly sites has ten million students as well."

"And your trial assessment location is Gate 108."

"Next, all students, please proceed to the assessment site according to the instructions sent by your reception teachers through ChatLink."

"The most important thing is, students, do not rush and do not cause a stampede. Every year during the freshman assessment, several thousand students lose their chance to take the assessment due to stampedes."

Two hours later,

Xin Yang finally arrived at his destination.

Xin Yang had never experienced rush hour in his previous life, but today he finally got a taste of it.

That was only thanks to Glory City's extensive transportation network, with all kinds of maglev train tracks in the sky, underground, and on the ground.

Otherwise, a freshman assessment alone might have caused an impenetrable traffic jam.

Xin Yang was stunned by the sight before him.

A colossal gate towered into the sky, blotting out the sun!

Beyond the gate lay a boundless black hole that seemed ready to devour anyone who entered.

The red 108 on the gate inspired awe.

Upon reaching the gate, a group of well-equipped soldiers conducted routine inspections on the students.

They then issued each student a ring.

"Students, this ring is called the Eerie-Slaying Ring. It can record the number of Eeries you kill."

"In three days, the ring will bring you back."

"Of course, please remember one thing: reality is not a novel. Anything can happen within an Eerie Gate. When you are in danger, no one can come save you. The only ones who can save you are yourselves."

After hearing this, the students around them began clamoring to leave, unwilling to take the assessment.

"Silence!"

The soldiers roared.

"If anyone wishes to withdraw from the assessment, you will lose your qualification to attend university. You can only go home, choose an ordinary profession, and live an unremarkable life."

"We humans of the Eerie Continent are all soldiers. If everyone were like you, fearing death and being too afraid to enter Eerie Gates, then the Eerie Continent would have been destroyed long ago."

Upon hearing that.

The students stopped making a fuss.

They began lining up and entering the gate one after another...

After entering the gate...

Xin Yang felt as though he had arrived in another world.

Endless mountain ranges stretched before him, rising and falling like a giant dragon lying dormant upon the earth.

Most bizarre of all, the sun in the sky was blue.

"Where is this?"

"Is this an Eerie Gate?"

"Students, how about the twenty-odd of us find somewhere nearby and lie low for three days?"

"Should we enter the mountains?"

"Let's go into the mountains. Our assessment is to kill Eeries!"

Around twenty people had been assigned to this area alongside Xin Yang. They discussed heatedly nearby.

As soon as those words fell, everyone wore different expressions. They looked at one another, hesitating for a moment.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Xin Yang took the first step.

Unlike the others, he did not look around indecisively. He firmly walked his own path.

Seeing Xin Yang's back, everyone's expressions shifted slightly.

"Who's that?"

"Don't know."

Afterward, the others began following him into the mountains as well. After all, there was nothing at the foot of the mountain.

People tended to follow the crowd.

Once most people entered the mountains, the remaining few naturally did not dare stay outside.