Raven's POV
Inside the Virtual Gate — Ten Minutes After the Exam Began
"Is that all?"
Raven sheathed his katana with a quiet motion. Since this was still the early stage of the exam, he had no intention of letting anyone notice the ring on his finger.
"Rank 980… huh."
His gaze flicked to his watch—six points so far. All from hunting monsters.
"Let's find another target."
His figure vanished without a sound.
"Acceleration… double speed."
Over the past two days, he had learned to regulate the output—enhancing or suppressing his body at will.
Not only that…
Among the candidates, he was close to untouchable.
"Let's hunt."
He flickered through the chaotic forest, appearing and disappearing between the trees like a ghost.
A few minutes later, after his mana reserves dropped by roughly five percent, he stopped atop a branch.
A roar echoed through the forest.
Raven's lips curved slightly.
"My first real prey."
But he didn't drop his guard.
"Perception."
With the activation of his Eye of Truth and sensory trait, the world unfolded inside his mind like a map.
A massive presence. Violent. Heavy.
He didn't hesitate.
"Acceleration."
He launched forward.
Moments later, it appeared before him—
A bear.
Nearly three meters tall. Towering. Overwhelming.
Compared to it, Raven's 167 cm frame looked insignificant.
"Heh… let's test this."
He didn't care.
He was the one who survived inside a serpent's stomach.
"Spread."
Silver flames ignited along the blade of his katana. Frost spread beneath his feet as the temperature dropped sharply.
"Reverse."
In an instant, the cold turned to heat. The ice evaporated as flames surged.
"Acceleration."
He appeared before the bear.
It hadn't even noticed him.
ROAR—
It raised its claw.
Too slow.
—Slash.
The limb was severed cleanly.
A beat of silence—
Then a deafening howl of pain.
The bear staggered back, clutching the stump as silver flames spread across its massive body.
It roared, thrashing wildly, trying to extinguish the fire.
It failed.
Raven watched with silver eyes. Unmoved.
"Reverse."
The flames froze.
In an instant, the inferno became ice.
The bear was sealed—its eyes wide, its black fur charred beneath the frozen shell.
"Acceleration… double."
A whisper.
Then—
He vanished.
He reappeared in front of it, lowering his stance before launching upward.
"Cut."
The ice shattered.
Its remaining claw fell.
No resistance.
"Thank you for cooperating in my little experiment."
A faint smile.
Raven raised his hand.
The ice melted.
Water dripped from the beast's body…
But its life had already burned away within the silver flames.
That was his power.
Flame… or something else entirely.
"…Doesn't matter."
He sheathed his blade.
This wasn't the time to think.
"Let's gather more points… then find Renée."
The bear dissolved into streams of data.
"Acceleration."
He disappeared once more.
...
Adel Everheit's POV
"What the hell is wrong with these monsters?!"
Adel ran beside Leon, both of them breathing heavily.
"I don't know—just run!" Leon shot back.
"Why don't I have four legs?!" Adel yelled in frustration.
"Idiots… idiots…"
The distant cawing of crows almost sounded like laughter—but neither of them cared.
Survival came first.
Pride later.
After more than twenty minutes of nonstop running, they collapsed onto the ground.
"B… b… damn…" Adel gasped, barely able to breathe.
"That… white-haired guy… is a demon…" Leon muttered.
"Pathetic."
A cold voice cut through the air behind them.
Both froze.
A chill crawled up their spines.
"KYAA—!"
Adel screamed and jumped onto Leon.
"…This is… somewhat inappropriate."
The voice again.
"W-who…?" Leon tried to lift his head.
"Does it matter?"
A shadow dropped from above.
Light footsteps.
He landed in front of them.
Black hair. Pale skin. A face that bordered on flawless.
But none of that mattered.
It was his eyes—
Cold. Silver. Empty.
"Focus."
Both Adel and Leon slapped themselves at the same time.
"For a guy like you… it's a waste you're not a woman," Adel said, forcing composure.
Raven looked at him.
"Do you want to be eliminated?"
His voice was ice.
And then—
It spread.
Not power.
Not pressure.
Something else.
An invisible weight.
Adel swallowed.
Leon stiffened.
"…This feeling…" Leon muttered, his voice tight. "It's close to that white-haired guy's… but…"
Adel narrowed his eyes.
"It's worse."
"…Not stronger," he added slowly.
"But more dangerous."
Their instincts screamed.
...
Raven's POV
Half an hour into the exam, his rank had risen to 380.
As he stood atop a branch, he spotted two familiar faces.
Not personally—
But from the story.
And just as expected…
They were annoying.
"…What a way to start."
It was the first time someone had said it was a shame he wasn't a woman.
Still—
What they said next caught his attention.
"The white-haired one… and Abraham?"
"Klein, probably…"
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Is he insane?" Leon asked.
"Probably… but with that face, he can get away with it," Adel replied.
Raven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I forgot about these two idiots."