Chapter 211: College Selection

Words : 1087 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Chapter 211: College Selection After a few days of the new fermentation, the day finally arrived, bringing gentle morning sun. It streamed through tall glass panels lining the eastern wing of the Superpower Association’s central complex, casting a warm glow over the newly restored gardens. But no one was looking at the flowers. Everyone was inside. The auditorium doors had opened at 9 a.m. sharp. Students began filing in—quiet, composed, but still carrying the fatigue of everything they had been through. Some walked with a limp. Some had bandages. A few wore reinforced support gear under their uniforms. But all of them had passed. These were the survivors of the Forbidden Zone exam. The seats filled quickly. Each row is marked by district, then by school. Teachers stood along the edges, whispering quietly with officials. The cameras hadn’t gone live yet, but everyone knew they would. The world had already seen the chaos. Now they wanted to see what came after. At the far right side of the auditorium, near a slightly raised platform, Ethan sat with Evelyn and Everly beside him. The twins had chosen to wear matching black blazers with pale gray shirts underneath—subtle, professional, but still elegant. Their long platinum hair was tied up today, clean and neat. They didn’t say much, just stayed close, eyes calmly watching the stage. Ethan wore the standard academy suit. It fit well. Not tailored by fashion standards, but still sharp, practical, and clean. His collar was unbuttoned by one notch. Just enough to breathe. He hadn’t spoken much on the ride over. None of them had. It wasn’t tension. It was just because they did not have much to talk about this, and although they had seen things that normal people don’t see, the riot was something that the three of them were still getting over. But unlike others who had varying degrees of trauma, the three of them did not look like they had any aftereffects. However, they did not gloat about it, as this was something that could be considered a major event. For them, it was something they had never seen before, even though they knew it was fairly normal during actual conflicts with other forbidden zones. On stage, the officials began to gather. A wide table stretched across the platform, set just behind a tall podium with the Association’s crest carved into its surface. Gold and black, simple, but commanding. A hush spread through the room. Then the lights dimmed slightly, and the feed went live. Cameras clicked on across the space. Quiet red dots blinked from multiple corners. A soft tone played from the ceiling speakers. Not loud, but enough to signal the start. A tall man in a navy suit stepped up to the podium. He didn’t rush. Didn’t wave. Just placed his hands lightly on either side of the platform and waited for the feed confirmation. Then he spoke. "Good morning." His voice echoed clearly across the auditorium. "To all the students seated here today—congratulations." The speaker paused, scanning the massive hall. "This year’s candidate exam was meant to be a step forward. A challenge. But none of us expected what unfolded." He didn’t dramatize it. Just stated the truth. "A large-scale disturbance occurred inside Zone Twelve. What should’ve been a standard survival trial turned into something far more dangerous." No one in the hall moved. "But in the face of chaos, you endured. Many of you risked your lives for each other. Some of you led where even our observers could not." The room stayed quiet. "No training scenario, no simulation, no predictive model accounted for what happened in Zone Twelve. A beast riot, something that wasn’t contained in time, and is pretty unnatural given the peace we have for so long, which means that this was triggered by forces that want to harm us, and their real identity is still under investigation." That word—investigation—hung in the air for a second. "Yet despite that, the survival rate remained high. Injuries, yes. Trauma, certainly. But no total collapse. And that is a testament to the strength, adaptability, and courage of our youth." A quiet ripple passed through the room. Students didn’t cheer. They weren’t in the mood. But a few nodded. "In the coming weeks," the speaker continued, "our investigation units will work in coordination with the Internal Affairs Department and regional defense experts to better understand what occurred. In the meantime, allow me to acknowledge those who stepped up during the crisis." He glanced down at a small tablet in front of him. "In particular, certain student groups demonstrated coordination, leadership, and restraint far beyond their age bracket." He didn’t name names. But his eyes briefly flicked toward Ethan’s section. And that was enough. Whispers started immediately among the other students. Some glanced at Ethan. Others didn’t bother to hide their curiosity. A few recruiters seated at the very back, dressed in polished suits or academic robes, leaned forward just slightly. Their expressions were mostly neutral. Mostly. After the speech, the head stepped aside. Next came a brief briefing from the zone supervisor, who listed statistics—beast types, area scan anomalies, and student tracking data. None of it contradicted the main narrative, but the tone was cautious. They were being careful. Too careful. Beside Ethan, Evelyn leaned in slightly and whispered, "They’re trying to clean up the timeline." Everly nodded, her voice even softer. "Can’t risk panic. Especially if they think someone’s watching." They weren’t wrong. The broadcast cameras panned across the audience a few times. Faces flashed by. Some blurred intentionally. Others not. When the camera passed Ethan’s row, it lingered a half second longer. Enough for sharp eyes to notice. Sera Valcrest arrived midway through the third speaker’s address. She didn’t enter from the student side. She came in through a staff corridor, escorted by a quiet woman in a pale green robe. Sera looked tired. Not physically, but there was something in her expression. Her usually bright posture felt dimmed. She scanned the room once, then locked onto Ethan. When she reached him, she leaned in. Her whisper was almost too soft to catch. But Ethan heard it. "They found something buried near the third beacon. And it was a jammer, but we have no info about this in our database, which means that either the people behind this are the ones who created this, or...." Hearing this, Ethan’s brow furrowed. Meanwhile Sera didn’t say more as she knew this was not the right time.

Chapter 211: College Selection

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