The day of the City-Wide Mock Exam arrived with a fanfare of sirens and holographic fireworks.
The venue was the Central Colosseum, a massive dome structure in District 1 capable of holding 50,000 spectators. Today, it was packed. Scouts from universities, military recruiters, and corporate sponsors filled the VIP boxes, their eyes scanning the throngs of students below like eagles hunting for prey.
In the center of the arena stood the Spirit Pagoda.
It was a tiered tower, a relic from the early days of the Revival, modified with modern tech. Each floor contained an artificial environment teeming with "Cyber-Beasts"—constructs of metal and bio-matter infused with violent Qi.
The Rules:
Every student starts on Floor 1.Defeating beasts earns points.Climbing a floor earns a multiplier.If your HP shielding drops to zero, you are ejected.
Jiang Chen stood in the waiting area for Sky-River Academy. He wore the standard tactical bodysuit provided by the organizers, but on his back, strapped tight, was the battered guitar case.
"Hey, look at that guy," a student from a rival school snickered. "Is he going to serenade the monsters to death?"
"Sky-River Academy has really fallen off," another laughed. "Bringing a musical instrument to a combat exam? Trash."
Jiang Chen ignored them. He was scanning the crowd.
He saw Wang Teng. The bully had recovered from his knockout, likely thanks to expensive healing pods. He stood next to a taller, sharper-looking young man.
Wang Lie. Wang Teng's older brother.
Cultivation: Qi Gathering Realm (1st Stage).
Wang Lie was currently looking at Jiang Chen. He didn't look angry. He looked bored. He drew a finger across his throat, winked, and turned away.
"He's going to hunt me inside," Jiang Chen realized. The exam zone was a free-fire area. Killing was prohibited, but "accidents" happened. Breaking a few limbs was considered standard competition.
"Jiang Chen."
A voice came from beside him. Lin Qingxue stood there, adjusting her gauntlets. She looked calm, an island of ice in a sea of nervous teenagers.
"You brought a heavy weapon," she noted, eyeing the guitar case. "Risky. Speed is usually better for the lower floors."
"I like heavy," Jiang Chen shrugged. "It's simple."
"Be careful," she lowered her voice. "I heard Wang Lie paid off a few students from Iron-Fist High. They're going to try to gang up on you on Floor 1 to force an early exit."
"Let them come," Jiang Chen said. He wasn't being arrogant. He touched the case. Inside was 300kg of cold iron and a thirst for violence.
"ATTENTION ALL CANDIDATES!"
The voice of the Chief Examiner boomed from the speakers.
"The Spirit Pagoda is opening. You have 4 hours. Begin!"
The massive blast doors at the base of the tower groaned open. A wave of cold, synthetic air rushed out.
"Charge!"
Thousands of students roared and surged forward like a tidal wave.
Jiang Chen moved with the crowd, but he kept to the edge. As soon as he crossed the threshold into the Pagoda, the world shifted.
Floor 1: The Jungle.
It was a vast, holographic rainforest. The trees were made of synthetic polymer, and the humid air smelled of ozone.
Rustle.
Immediately, red eyes lit up in the bushes.
[Enemy Detected: Cyber-Wolf (Level 3)]
A pack of mechanical wolves, their jaws lined with serrated vibranium teeth, lunged at the students.
"Ahhh!"
"Formation! Defensive formation!"
Chaos erupted. Students screamed as the wolves tore into their energy shields.
Jiang Chen stood calm in the chaos. A wolf lunged at his throat.
He didn't open the guitar case. He simply swung the case itself.
WHAM!
The reinforced lead case, combined with the 300kg sword inside and Jiang Chen's Steel Bone strength, acted like a wrecking ball.
The wolf was smashed out of the air. It didn't just break; it crumpled. Metal sparked, gears flew, and the construct lay twitching on the ground.
[Points +10]
"Too weak," Jiang Chen muttered.
He started running. Not away from the wolves, but deeper into the jungle. He needed to get to Floor 2 quickly. The mob of students here was too dense; he couldn't fight freely.
"There he is! The guitar guy!"
Five students jumped out from behind a cluster of synth-trees. They wore the uniforms of Iron-Fist High. They were big, bulky, and grinning maliciously.
"Wang Lie sends his regards," the leader, a bald boy with brass knuckles, sneered. "Drop your shield and quit, or we break your legs."
Jiang Chen stopped. He looked at the five of them. They were all Body Tempering 4th Stage. Stronger than average, but compared to the horrors in his head?
They were cute.
Jiang Chen reached over his shoulder. He unclicked the latches of the guitar case.
Click. Click.
The case fell open. The black, jagged slab of the Cold-Iron Heavy Sword thudded into the mud.
The laughter of the Iron-Fist students died.
"That's... that's a sword?" one of them stammered. "It looks like a tombstone."
Jiang Chen gripped the handle. He dragged the tip through the dirt.
"Wang Lie paid you?" Jiang Chen asked. "Hope he paid you enough to cover dental reconstruction."
"Get him!" the leader roared, charging with a glowing fist.
Jiang Chen didn't use fancy footwork. He stepped forward and swung.
Horizontal Sweep.
The blade cut through the air with a terrifying WHOOSH.
The leader tried to block with his brass knuckles.
CLANG!
CRACK!
The brass knuckles shattered. The force of the 300kg sword transmitted through the boy's arms, dislocating both his shoulders instantly. He was launched sideways like a baseball, crashing into a tree and triggering his emergency eject shield.
[Eliminated.]
The other four froze. They looked at their leader, who was currently a groaning heap of pixels fading away, then at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen lifted the sword onto his shoulder. The black metal seemed to absorb the light in the jungle.
"Next?"
"Run!"
The four bullies scrambled, fleeing into the bushes faster than the wolves.
Jiang Chen shook his head. He resheathed the sword (it was easier to carry in the case when running) and headed for the central staircase.
Floor 2: The Ruined City.
Floor 2 was harder. The gravity here was 1.5x normal. The enemies were Cyber-Apes (Level 5).
Jiang Chen saw students struggling here. Wang Teng was here, fighting a group of apes with his Iron Palm. He saw Jiang Chen arrive and scowled, but he was too busy to engage.
Jiang Chen ignored him. He plowed through the apes, using the case as a battering ram again. He was aiming for efficiency.
Points: 540 (Rank: 312)
"Still too low," Jiang Chen checked his watch. "I need to reach Floor 3 to catch up to the elites."
He reached the stairs to Floor 3. But there was a gatekeeper.
Standing in front of the stairs was a massive Cyber-Bear, easily 10 feet tall. Level 6 Boss.
A group of students was trying to fight it and failing.
"Move," a cold voice commanded.
A figure in white shot past Jiang Chen. It was Wang Lie.
Wang Lie moved with incredible speed. His body was coated in a faint, shimmering light—Qi Projection, the mark of the Qi Gathering Realm.
He drew a sleek, silver longsword.
Flash.
He dashed past the bear. A second later, a thin red line appeared on the bear's metallic neck. The head slid off.
[Boss Defeated by Wang Lie.]
The students cheered. Wang Lie flicked the oil off his blade. He turned slowly and looked straight at Jiang Chen, who was standing at the back of the crowd.
Wang Lie smiled. It was a predator's smile.
"You made it past the trash on Floor 1," Wang Lie called out, his voice amplified by Qi so everyone could hear. "Not bad. Come up to Floor 3, Jiang Chen. Let's see if you survive the Lava Zone."
He turned and walked up the stairs.
The crowd murmured. Everyone looked at Jiang Chen. Was he crazy enough to follow? Floor 3 was dangerous enough without a Qi Gathering expert hunting you.
Jiang Chen watched Wang Lie disappear.
He tightened the strap of his case.
"Lava Zone," Jiang Chen whispered. "Good. The heat will help temper my bones."
He began to walk up the stairs.
"He's going up!"
"Is he suicidal?"
Jiang Chen didn't care. In his head, the system pinged.
[Quest Detected: Defeat the Hunter.]
[Reward: High-Grade Spirit Stone.]
Jiang Chen licked his lips. A Spirit Stone? That was exactly what he needed to re-enter the Grave for a long session.
"Wang Lie," Jiang Chen muttered, his eyes burning with cold fire. "You're not the hunter. You're the loot box."