Chapter 73: New Start

For a moment, no one moved.

The enormous number remained suspended above the testing pillar.

5,000 kilograms.

It was as though the entire square had forgotten how to breathe.

Then the silence shattered.

"Holy cow! Am I seeing things? Somebody tell me my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me!"

"Five thousand kilograms? That’s something only a peak Second Sequence expert can produce!"

"Are we sure this machine is functioning properly? How could anyone...?"

The questions erupted from every direction.

A young man dressed in luxurious clothes stared at the display with his eyes wide open, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

He wasn’t the only one.

Several other young Awakened from wealthy families looked equally stunned.

They had spent the past month throwing resources at their cultivation as though money were an unlimited resource.

Rare pills.

Precious treasures.

Expensive nutritional solutions.

Everything their families could obtain had been poured into them in an attempt to push their realms as high as possible before the academy’s admission.

And despite all that, most of them had barely managed to reach the peak of the First Sequence.

Only the most talented among them, supported by the best resources their families could acquire, had managed to break into the Second Sequence.

Even then, most had only just crossed the threshold.

As for the peak of the Second Sequence?

That was completely beyond their imagination.

No matter how many treasures they consumed, they couldn’t simply buy their way through the accumulated experience and combat ability required to reach such a level.

Yet the number floating above the testing machine told an entirely different story.

5,000 kilograms.

It was an almost absurd figure.

The young Awakened stared at it as though expecting the number to suddenly change.

But it didn’t.

"Five thousand kilograms..."

Jonathan’s voice was barely audible.

His jaw hung open as he stared at the display.

He had already sensed that Jackson was far from ordinary.

When he first observed Jackson’s aura, he had realized that the young man possessed an astonishing amount of magical power.

But even then, Jonathan hadn’t imagined this.

Five thousand kilograms.

That was not merely a little stronger than him.

It was an entirely different level.

Jonathan clenched his fists unconsciously.

For the first time since arriving at the academy, the confidence in his eyes wavered.

He was also at the peak of the First Sequence.

Yet the gap between their physical strength was so enormous that it was difficult to accept.

Nearby, Professor Niom’s expression had also changed.

The easygoing look that had remained on his face throughout the testing process had completely disappeared.

His eyes glimmered with shock as he stared at Jackson.

Then he looked at the testing machine.

Then back at Jackson.

He repeated the process several times, as if his eyes might have somehow deceived him.

They hadn’t.

The result was real.

It wasn’t that Golden Radiance Academy had never encountered someone capable of reaching the peak of the Second Sequence at such a young age.

Such geniuses did exist.

But they were exceedingly rare.

The last time someone of this caliber had appeared was already ten years ago.

And now, another one had appeared before him.

At sixteen years old.

Professor Niom quickly suppressed the shock in his heart.

He knew better than anyone that allowing the crowd to continue speculating would only create unnecessary chaos.

He took a deep breath and shouted.

"Silence!"

His voice exploded across the square like thunder.

The noisy crowd gradually quieted down.

"There is nothing wrong with the machine!"

Professor Niom’s gaze swept across the students.

"It’s as if Golden Radiance Academy has never accepted a new student who reached the peak of the Second Sequence before!"

A few people lowered their heads awkwardly.

Professor Niom’s expression became stern.

"All of you, stop making a fuss and maintain order!"

His words finally pulled everyone out of their stunned reverie.

The young Awakened began exchanging glances, but the previous uproar gradually subsided.

Even so, their gazes continued to drift toward Jackson.

Some were filled with shock.

Others with curiosity.

And a few with barely concealed competitiveness.

But there was one thing they could no longer deny.

The ordinary-looking young man who had stepped onto the platform had just become the most eye-catching person in the entire admission process.

The next moment, another student stepped onto the stage, following directly after Jackson.

Yet Jackson paid no attention to the commotion behind him.

The countless gazes, whispered conversations, and expressions of shock all seemed to have nothing to do with him.

His attention was focused entirely on the object he had just received.

It was a badge.

At first glance, it looked somewhat similar to the hunter badge issued by the Hunter Association. However, the design was noticeably different, carrying the emblem of Golden Radiance Academy at its center.

Jackson turned it over in his hand, examining it with mild curiosity.

Seeing his confusion, the staff member who had handed him the badge immediately stepped forward.

Unlike the indifferent attitude she had displayed toward many of the students before him, her tone was noticeably more respectful.

"Student Jackson, this badge will record your identity as a first-year student of Golden Radiance Academy. It will remain registered to you until you graduate from the academy."

She pointed toward the center of the badge.

"It will also serve as your primary means of communication with the academy. Through it, you can access the academy’s private virtual network, receive announcements, communicate with teachers and other students, and access various student services."

Jackson listened carefully.

He didn’t interrupt.

Instead, he committed every important detail to memory.

A private virtual network belonging to the academy...

That alone was probably worth exploring later.

While Jackson examined the badge, the admission process continued.

Students stepped onto the testing platform one after another.

Some passed.

Others failed.

Eventually, the enormous admission process began drawing to a close.

Out of the more than two thousand Awakened who had gathered in the square, only around five hundred had successfully gained admission.

The number was considerably lower than Jackson had expected.

It also made the academy’s selection criteria even more apparent.