They finally arrived at the bus station.
First, they took a bus to new Mongolia, then another bus to the area closest to Gobi Altai, after which they would have to take another taxi to reach the academy.
Luckily, they had done their research beforehand, otherwise, they would have wasted even more time.
They boarded the bus.
Milly sat next to Deebt, and Heri sat next to Sam.
Deebt decided to take a break this time and get some sleep, the trip was going to take a long time again, about six to seven hours or more.
The bus wheels started turning after a short while, the road was smooth and comfortable.
Deebt slept peacefully.
Milly looked at him with a smile.
…
In an ordinary office with a heavy aura and a solemn atmosphere, Jazz sat in one of the chairs, looking at principal Ayur Tab.
"What's up, principal? You called me in during my training." Jazz said in a calm tone.
"Deebt left today, right?" the principal asked.
"Yes, he'll have been gone for hours. Unfortunately, I didn't get to say goodbye." Jazz said with a self deprecating tone.
"What do you think? Will he succeed?" The principal furrowed his brows, he looked worried.
"Yes, he'll succeed. You know, principal, about the 'true limits' you explained it to my brother earlier, he told me about it. But I've never felt it myself. What do you think that means?" asked Jazz.
"I know he's more talented than you and me, that's what worries me." the principal explained his position.
Over the past three months, the principal had been mentoring Sam, Deebt, and sometimes Jazz, it had benefited them greatly, which was why he was worried.
He wasn't worried about Sam, nor about Jazz, but about Deebt, who had only started training in the last three months.
"Principal, don't worry. He'll be fine." Jazz said confidently.
"I see, I suppose we have to trust him." A slight look of relief appeared on the principal's face.
Jazz looked at the principal and let his mind wander for a moment.
'Ayur Tab, your character is truly admirable, but I hope that in this life you won't sacrifice yourself again.' A slight smile appeared at the corners of Jazz's lips.
"You may go, Jazz."
Jazz left the office, the principal looked at the spot where Jazz had been sitting.
Jazz still gave him a sense of danger, but despite all that, the concern he showed toward his brother Sam and his few true friends was genuine.
"I wonder what Jazz is hiding."
The principal felt that there was a big secret behind Jazz, but he couldn't figure it out.
…
The first bus arrived and transferred its passengers to the second bus, the journey continued for a long time.
The trip was smooth, but tiring.
Deebt hadn't been used to sitting much over the past three months.
Milly fell asleep on his shoulder, she looked absolutely beautiful.
Two hours later, the bus arrived at the closest point to Gobi Altai, and everyone got off the bus.
Deebt went to a taxi and arranged for it to take them to the academy.
They didn't have far to go to reach their destination.
…
Mountains covered the horizon, some peaks were covered in snow.
In front of the mountain range stretched an endless desert, the vast, massive sand dunes seemed to go on forever.
Deebt gazed at this wondrous scene, Milly, Heri, and Sam were all amazed by this contrasting landscape.
They had researched the location before coming to sunrise, seen photos of it, and understood the harshness and beauty of the place, but seeing it firsthand evoked a different sense of awe and admiration.
'What are humans in the face of nature? Aren't we just insects?' Deebt didn't hide his thoughts.
Deebt tended to downplay his own importance, yet this was precisely why he was so realistic and cautious in life.
The taxi dropped them off at this spot and pointed to the path they would have to continue on foot, and if they're lucky, they'll find someone willing to rent them some camels to get there.
Deebt didn't expect this, he thought the taxi would take them straight to the academy, but instead, it had only taken them to the nearest point.
All of this was because the academy refused any modern means of transportation.
"There's no solution for us, let's get moving." Deebt spoke sarcastically, then pulled his sword from the cloth sheathing it and fastened it to his waist.
Sam did the same, pulling out a chain and fastening it to his waist.
Milly had no weapons, while Heri had taken some long needles and hidden a few in her sleeves.
The road the taxi had pointed to was not a modern one, rather, it resembled an old overland route.
They began their journey toward the academy, there wasn't much time left before the sun set completely.
From a distance, it seemed as though they had no destination, the gravel and scattered mountain rocks stretched out in every direction, but everyone could see that they had to reach a distant mountain pass and circle around it, from there, they would have reached the eastern side of the academy.
The academy lay nestled among the mountains to the north, where the mountains stretched along the northern horizon and spread westward in a long chain resembling a line separating the desert from the rest of the world.
In front of the academy, the desert stretched southward and along the eastern side, there was a central line separating the mountains from the desert.
A line filled with stubborn greenery, small trees and hardy plants that refused to yield to the harsh environment.
Deebt and his companions continued walking cautiously.
True, they were close to the academy, but who said they were safe just because of that proximity?
Bandits, cunning foxes roaming deserts, mountains, and forests, were a danger found everywhere in the world.
Just because the government extended its influence over an entire continent didn't mean there wouldn't be people crossing the lines the government had drawn, the so-called laws.
Fortunately, they continued on their way without any trouble for over an hour.
Signs of fatigue began to show on Milly and Heri, while Deebt and Sam seemed unfazed.
The red and orange streaks of the setting sun covered the sky and reflected off the white mountain peaks, it was a breathtaking, enchanting sight.
Another half hour later, they rounded the small mountain's end, and before them lay an unbelievable sight of human resilience and conquest.
Resilience in the face of nature and the conquest of nature.
The academy was carved into the mountains and stretched deep into them.
This was evident, and then the academy loomed over the vast desert, as if looking down with disdain upon the vast, barren world.
The academy of the sunrise was distinguished by this harsh location, situated in the heart of the Gobi Altai region.
It is true that the region has changed over the past 200 years, but it has retained its grandeur.
A large wall surrounded an area of desert and the small patch of green land separating the mountains from the desert.
There were some buildings inside, but no one was allowed to enter.
Outside the wall stood a row of three story buildings, hotels and restaurants belonging to the sunrise academy.
This was one of the ways the sunrise academy made money.
…
Deebt sat in a small room, they had rented a room for each of them.
Although it was a week before the exam began, many people had already gathered here, if they hadn't come now, they would have had to sleep outside.
"Haaa."
Deebt relaxed on the bed, his priority now was rest, everyone was tired.
So they agreed to meet tomorrow morning after resting.
And so…
A week passed, today was the day of the exam.
The exam was held for just one day, and thousands of people had gathered here from all thirteen cities on the continent.
Everyone who came here had been registered in advance.
The students were divided into seven groups, which would enter in order.
Each group consisted of perhaps thousands or hundreds of students and would be supervised by hundreds of professors.
Information about each group and its schedule was sent out the night before the exam.
Deebt was in the fourth group, while Sam, Milly, and Heri were in the sixth.
They were separated.
It was now the fourth group's turn, and their time was between noon and 2:00 p.m..
Each group had two hours, the exam had started at 6:00 a.m. and would continue until 8:00 p.m.
…
The massive gate swallowed up thousands of students, yet it still didn't seem full, an endless crowd.
Those who failed the exam from the first group were dismissed halfway through the second group's time, and so it went for every group, but the successful ones never left.
Deebt entered after saying goodbye to Milly and the others.
They seemed worried about him, after all, he had only started training three months ago.
Deebt entered, and then the students were divided into smaller groups.
The interior of the academy wasn't anything special, but looking at the side carved into the mountains, it was majestic, the very foundation of the academy.
This open space, surrounded by cliffs, was filled with ancient battlefields scattered everywhere and some buildings.
Deebt went to the spot indicated by the instructors scattered throughout the area.
He followed the line, what he noticed was that everyone was entering a room carved into the rock separately, and no one came out after entering.
But the speed with which they entered revealed why each group took only two hours, not a single second was ever wasted.
In this room, the first and second tests would take place, where talent and knowledge would be demonstrated, and the data would be evaluated alongside the effort by the supervisor inside the room.
It was finally Deebt's turn, he entered the room.
There were four other doors inside the room, one of the instructors motioned for him to enter the third door.
After walking through a small passageway about three meters long, he reached a spacious room
It was like a cave but spacious, there was no interior design, neither luxurious nor elegant, just a wall of mountain rock with small holes in it through which lights illuminated the room.
Deebt looked ahead and saw a tall man standing there, wearing a gray suit and a blue tie, radiating an overwhelming aura.
"Listen, kid. As soon as you touch this, your 'status' and 'information' will appear before me. If you don't want that, you can give me your reason, and I'll see if I agree or not."
Then the man tossed something to Deebt.
Deebt hadn't spoken to him at all, but the moment he touched the small, pitted stone ball, which looked like a piece of Swiss cheese, he felt exposed.
[Name: Deebt Jacks.]
[Age: 17.]
[Health: Full.]
[Strength: 19.]
[Stamina: 17.]
[Agility: 19.]
[Speed: 14.]
[Intelligence: 25.]
[Number of Lines: 0.]
[Talent: Night.]
[Ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Weapon: Wrong step.]
The supervisor looked at all the information in front of him and was surprised to see Deebt's talent, it was Night.
A rare talent in the world.
But the information didn't match his talent, it even seemed as though the effort he'd put in had only just begun.
"Hey, kid, how long have you been training?" the man asked firmly.
"Just the last three months."
"Why?" the man asked in surprise.
"I didn't want to be a 'conqueror', I wanted to be an employee, but I changed my mind." Deebt explained his situation without holding anything back.
"Alright, you can go. The third test is waiting for you."
The man gestured toward the door behind him.
Deebt stepped forward, not looking back.
It only took about three minutes, that was extremely fast.
Deebt continued down the corridor for about three minutes before entering another area, this time, it was a large arena.
In front of him was another door, and another supervisor was standing there.
On the left side of the large arena, there were cages carved into the rock.
The cage doors opened, and three hungry beasts emerged.
The beasts pounced on Deebt almost simultaneously.
They were massive wolves, nearly two meters long and as big as bears, they were ferocious beasts.
"Depth and Eyes?" Deebt assessed the monsters before him.
The wolf in the middle was slightly larger than the other two, with red eyes and a savage build.
The monsters were divided into seven tiers: Eyes, Depth, Predation, Light, Gravity, Life, and Death.
The giant wolf attacked Deebt, its massive paw was about to strike Deebt's chest directly.
Whoosh.
Deebt ducked quickly, then retreated even faster.
The other wolf on his right lunged at his feet with its fangs, Deebt retreated even faster.
He wasn't faster than these wolves, but he tried to make every step count, he didn't want to waste a single moment.
Because if he suffered a serious injury and was on the verge of death, and the supervisor protected him, he would automatically fail, even if he passed the first and second tests.
Clack.
The sheath of Deebt's sword fell to the ground, he had finally drawn his sword.
This was the first real life or death battle of his life, a true fight.
It was true that his fights with Jazz always ended in defeat or a draw, but they had been useful, because Jazz had attacked him with a murderous intent.
"Haaah, huff."
With steady, calm breaths, Deebt retreated while simultaneously parrying the endless attacks from the ferocious, starving wolves.
Although wolves are intelligent, the wolves in front of him were driven by hunger.
So the wolves' attacks sometimes overlapped, allowing him to retreat and counterattack effectively.
One of the wolves attacked him, inflicting a superficial wound on his chest, followed by another on his right foot and yet another on his arm.
Blood covered his body.
Deebt looked around, the area was open, with no barriers except for fighting through trickery and hiding, the only way to win was through direct combat.
Deebt looked further and quickly retreated to a niche in the wall, it was the cage that had held the three beasts at the start.
The two iron bars fell to the ground as the door to the massive cage swung open.
Deebt saw a corner inside the cage, approached it, and turned his back to the wall.
This was the best option now.
'This way, they won't surround me.'
Deebt attacked, swinging his sword toward the giant claws aimed at his head.
Crack, clang.
His sword collided with the giant wolf's terrifying claws.
Having thus defended himself from being crushed, Deebt felt he was at a disadvantage, so he began analyzing the wolves' attacks and trying to anticipate them.
He also began planning the best attacks in his mind, trying to find a weak spot that could inflict significant damage on the wolves.
The giant wolf's paw retreated slightly.
At that moment, the other two wolves attacked simultaneously, giving Deebt no respite, they even forced the giant wolf to retreat.
But…
Just as they were about to fully close in on him, Deebt lowered his body and moved forward quickly.
Bam.
The two wolves crashed into the rock wall, while Deebt struck the giant wolf's body in a vital area, just below its ribcage.
The stomach and intestines were a vital weak point shared by nearly all animals.
Slaaash.
Deebt sliced straight through the wolf's stomach.
Oooowww.
At that very moment, the wolf let out a powerful howl and retaliated, striking him with force from behind.
Deebt was flung out of the cage and slammed hard into the ground.
Blood poured from every wound on his body, but Deebt stood up, though he was in a pitiful state.
The two wolves retreated at the howl of the enraged wolf.
Deebt looked at the scene, the wolf's wound was deep, but his rage had caused the other two wolves to retreat, and even if only for a short time, that was enough.
Deebt smiled, his teeth and face covered in blood.
He gripped the sword firmly.
He attacked the wounded wolf directly.
Unlike in a fair fight, Deebt was cunning, halfway between them, he swung his sword with all his might at the giant wolf's eye.
Swoosh, thud.
The wolf didn't expect this. It tried to defend itself by raising its right paw, but… it was too late.
The sword pierced the wolf's eye and reached its brain.
Bam.
The giant wolf's corpse fell to the ground.
Deebt continued running straight toward the corpse, drew his sword, and turned toward the remaining two wolves.
Under the pressure of the chaos caused by the death of the largest wolf among them, one of the wolves tried to retreat, tucking its tail between its hind legs.
"So the wolf has become a dog, huh? Hahahaha." Deebt smiled maniacally.
He attacked the wolf that had tried to retreat, raised his sword high, and sliced the wolf's neck in a "/" shape.
Its head fell to the ground.
Then Deebt turned to the last wolf, despite the confusion, the wolf was attacking him.
But unfortunately, Deebt was ready, and he struck vertically at the wolf's mouth as it lunged toward him.
Swoosh.
Deebt sliced through the upper half of the wolf's skull, and it fell lifeless to the ground.
Deebt stood firmly, using his sword as a support to steady himself.
"Haah, haah, huff."
Deebt was breathing with greater difficulty, but steadily regained his normal breathing.
His body was covered in wounds, he had wasted more than fifteen minutes here.
The supervisor in charge of the third test stood there, staring in astonishment.
These wolves had been prepared based on the information provided by the supervisor in charge of the first and second tests.
It had been a quick process, but the supervisors were highly efficient, making use of every second.
The supervisor looked at the boy in front of him, he was covered in blood and was now standing only by leaning on his sword.
'Frightening. This boy's potential is terrifying, and his mind even more so.' the supervisor thought before finally speaking.
"You may proceed to the fourth test, boy."
"Alright." replied Deebt coldly.
But before leaving, he bent down to the corpses of the wolves and sliced through their spines down to their spinal cord.
He extracted three lines, wrapped them in cloth, and placed them in his sword sheath.
Deebt slung the sheath over his waist and gripped his sword firmly, then headed for the door behind the supervisor.
It took him about four minutes to walk down the long corridor to reach the next testing room.
It was another vast space, another arena.
This time, without a cage, a man who appeared to be in his fifties stood in the middle of the arena, holding an axe.
"Attack, young man." the man said confidently.
The aura surrounding him was overwhelming, Deebt could feel it.
Then he gripped his sword tightly.
The fourth test, winning didn't matter, and losing didn't matter.
This was more of an evaluation of the student and his skills.
The academy gathered information about the students during this test, allowing them to create tailored training methods for each one.
Deebt placed the sheath on the ground, then attacked quickly.
His body ached, but he pressed on nonetheless.
J Martin's training, the principal's guidance, and his fights with Jazz and Sam had been far more painful and exhausting.
Deebt attacked with the intention of surviving, in his eyes, the supervisor wasn't just a supervisor, he was an enemy intent on killing him.
Deebt was going to die, the pressure the man was exerting was terrifying and suffocating.
Deebt lowered his sword slightly, then attacked in a "\" shape toward the man's chest.
The man stepped back calmly, as if strolling through a garden, enjoying its beauty.
"Try harder, young man. A few monsters have only drained you." The man smiled as he parried with his axe and retreated smoothly.