Every student on the training ground was buzzing with anticipation and excitement. The noise was low but constant—whispers, nervous laughs, the clink of weapons and armor as candidates shifted their weight from foot to foot.
Athena stood at the front like a calm eye in the center of a storm.
"The rules of that magical space are simple," Athena said. "The area I am sending you to will be a mix of a large forest and a large city."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"The examination will be a battle royale between all students present here," she continued. "It will be held in a special magical space, and the top forty students with the highest scores will be allotted to the special class. The rest will be allotted according to their ranks."
She let the words sink in.
A moment later, a student hesitantly raised his hand.
"Do we… have to kill the other students to eliminate them?" he asked.
