CHAPTER 43: EX 43. DOUBLE DIFFICULTY

Rebecca stood tall, arms behind her back, her cold blue eyes sweeping across the crowd of cadets gathered before her like a hawk gauging prey. The air was still and tense, as if the very atmosphere was waiting for her words.

Her voice crisp and sharp, sliced through the silence like a blade.

"I’m sure all of you know why the selection is held."

She paused deliberately, letting the weight of her words hang in the air. Her gaze swept across the crowd like a silent challenge.

"But if you don’t..." she continued, her tone turning colder, "that’s already the beginning of your failure."

A ripple of unease passed through the crowd. Some cadets visibly gulped. Even among the nobles, anxious glances were exchanged as she continued.

"Now, for the rules. First of all there are 4,567 cadets present today."

"But only 500 will be accepted into the Attack Military."

Gasps erupted across the arena.

A stunned silence followed, then a wave of murmurs as the cadets struggled to process the reality.

"What?!"

"This is half of last year’s limit!"

"T-There’s no way I’ll make it..."

"Tch. I thought it would be lower," an obnoxious noble sneered, arms folded smugly. "Looks like this year’s selection is easier than I thought."

Leon remained silent.

Elizabeth, standing beside him, furrowed her brows.

"Why would they reduce the number of accepted cadets?" she asked in a low tone. "Wouldn’t that weaken the overall strength of the Attack Branch?"

Leon shook his head.

"No... The Federation wouldn’t make a decision that reckless. The only logical explanation is—" he paused, eyes narrowing, "—the difficulty of the selection has increased. Significantly."

Elizabeth’s eyes widened with a sudden flash of realization.

"So they’re going for quality over quantity."

Leon nodded slowly.

"Exactly. It’s just a guess but it’s the only one that makes sense. After all " he glanced up toward Rebecca again, "a weapon is smaller than a fortress. But if it’s powerfull enough—"

"—it can bring down the fortress," Elizabeth finished.

Meanwhile, Rebecca stood still, watching the rising panic ripple through the cadets like a predator watching prey scatter.

Then, with terrifying calm, she released a controlled wave of her aura.

BOOM.

The pressure slammed into the crowd, instantly silencing the chaos. No one screamed, no one moved—they simply froze under the sheer weight of her presence.

Rebecca’s voice rang out again icy and absolute.

"Now that you’re quiet the smart ones among you—which, I know, is a very small number—must have already realized why the quota was cut."

Her voice echoed in the hush.

"The reason is simple: the Federation only wants those who are strong enough. The rest—"

She swept her gaze across them like a blade.

"—can be left behind."

The truth hit them like a hammer. This selection wasn’t like the years before.

This wasn’t about filling ranks.

This was about survival.

And the selection... had only just begun.

****

Rebecca’s voice rang out once more, calm and unwavering, but beneath it was an unmistakable chill.

"This year’s selection... will be survival-based."

A murmur passed through the crowd.

"The longer you survive," she continued, "the higher you’ll rank. But don’t think this means you’ll just be camping and stargazing in the wild."

Her eyes scanned their faces with a cold gleam.

"No... that’s far from it. Because in this selection you will be facing the demon’s most destructive creations—demonic beasts."

A sudden tension gripped the arena. No one laughed. No one dared to.

Demonic beasts.

This were monstrosities born from the twisted union of demons and the native creatures of the Blue Planet.

They weren’t just wild animals or rampaging monsters—they were aberrations soaked in malice. Leon knew them well. These were the creatures stationed trial-takers would face on the borders. They were Ruthless, Unforgiving and Deadly.

Rebecca’s voice cut through the silence again.

"The time limit is three days. Every hour you survive earns you 10 points. And if you make it to the end... you’ll receive a bonus of 100 points."

"But," she added, her tone dropping slightly, "the selection zone will be filled with demonic beasts ranging from F-rank to D-rank."

The shock was immediate. Some cadets’ faces paled. Panic bubbled again beneath the surface. Not everyone here was like Leon—most lacked the tiered skills or high-grade weapons needed to survive encounters with stronger enemies.

Rebecca let them sit in the fear for a moment before continuing.

"You don’t have to kill anything stronger than you. If you wish, avoid them and take down what you can handle."

A few cadets let out audible sighs of relief. There was still hope. Strategy, stealth, and caution might be enough to survive.

But then—

"However..." she said, voice sharper now, "there’s one more way to earn points."

Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He already had a feeling where this was going.

Rebecca confirmed it a moment later.

"You may also gain points by eliminating other cadets—and taking every point they’ve earned."

The air shifted as silence turned to suspicion and panic gave way to hostility.

Within seconds, cadets instinctively took a step back from one another, space growing between what were once allies, friends and classmates.

Now, they were targets.

Leon remained still, thinking carefully.

’Strange... for the Federation to promote this kind of infighting. Weren’t they always pushing unity?’ But after thinking it over he understood what the Federation aimed for.

’This isn’t just a trial. It’s a forge. A way to hammer away the weak and temper the strong. They’re forcing us to face more than just monsters—they’re testing if we can handle betrayal, suspicion, and blood spilled by human hands. After all... demons aren’t the only threat anymore.’

He clenched a fist loosely by his side.

’With the rise of demon worshippers, this kind of preparation makes sense. The Federation isn’t just creating soldiers anymore. They’re breeding warriors ready to kill or die—against beast, demon or man.’

Rebecca gave the cadets one last cold look.

"That is all. If you have questions... figure them out yourselves."

She paused just long enough for her words to sink in.

Then—

"Let the selection... begin."

The arena pulsed. As a blinding light erupted from the ground, sweeping up in waves, illuminating the stunned faces of every cadet.

And then, one by one—

They vanished.

Swallowed by the light.

Leaving the arena empty... except for Rebecca.

She stared at the space they had occupied, lips curling into a small, knowing smile.

And then—

She too vanished.

...

...

...

A/N: We weren’t able to reach 80 golden tickets but because of the support you guys have been showing. I decided to do the mass release regardless. Hope you guys enjoy

...

...

...