The crowd around them suddenly erupted in turmoil! This situation seemed quite illogical to them.
John had faced the Boss in a one-on-one battle, employing a few clever tricks.
But how could someone of the gold-tier realistically challenge a Boss of the platinum-tier?
What dropped afterward wasn't seen by them, but the gem that appeared was clearly no ordinary item.
In this realm, how could Principal Sophia possibly claim to know nothing?
So, it was certain that the higher-ups were all aware and had deliberately paved the way for this individual named John.
They were all mere pawns!
Principal Sophia heard all the discussions outside, yet she chose to remain silent.
The other senior members had initially been very supportive of Principal Sophia's earlier plan, but now they were beginning to hesitate.
After all, the spectators below were all from noble families.
If they were truly provoked, Star Cluster Academy could face dire consequences! Although they were the finest students, they also faced more constraints!
Yet, before Principal Sophia could speak, Benedict took the lead.
"If anyone here has objections to the policies of Star Cluster Academy, you may now inform your families and withdraw," he declared.
"Each of our policies has been meticulously selected and is beyond reproach."
At these words, a silence fell over everyone.
Though they felt some measures were unfair, they dared not challenge Star Cluster Academy!
Withdrawing now meant forever losing the opportunity to enter the academy again.
Other institutes might be excellent, but Star Cluster Academy was ranked first for good reasons!
Principal Sophia noticed the way Benedict's mere sentence had subdued everyone, a spark of light flashing in her eyes.
It appeared this mentor was indeed a capable individual.
Such a talented person serving merely as a mentor, not a professor, seemed almost a waste.
Within the secret realm, everyone who had reached lv30 breathed a little easier.
Those who hadn't were desperately slaying monsters!
Now, scores seemed trivial to them; reaching lv30 within the limited time was all that mattered.
Only then would they qualify for the next round of testing, otherwise all talk was useless.
Isabella glanced at her own level and then at the leaderboard, a gleam crossing her eyes.
John's score was just too high.
Catching up in a short time seemed impossible; the best strategy might be to eliminate him!
But she was still unclear about what the second phase of the assessment entailed.
If she rashly killed John, how would she handle the consequences?
Star Cluster Academy had never before had a second phase in their assessments.
This was a first, and she could not act recklessly.
Amelia wiped the sweat from her forehead and sat down on a rock to rest for a bit.
She had already reached lv30 and was just training herself now.
She liked keeping herself in a state of tension, as it allowed her to perform at her best.
She glanced at the points leaderboard.
John's points hadn't changed since he killed the boss.
He must be resting now.
After all, taking down a platinum-tier boss wasn't easy.
Killing the boss must have drained all his energy.
As the countdown drew closer, those who had reached level 30 breathed a sigh of relief.
But those who realized they wouldn't reach the required level went completely berserk!
They attacked anyone they encountered!
Even if they couldn't kill their opponents, they tried to inflict as much damage as possible!
No one knew what the second phase of the assessment would entail, but starting it in perfect condition would be ideal!
However, these people no longer had that chance.
They refused to let others pass into the next phase unscathed.
If they couldn't succeed, they wouldn't let anyone else succeed either!
In the chaos, several lv30 players were ambushed and turned into white light, disappearing from the field.
Those below lv20 went on a rampage, attacking everyone they saw!
Those who had been ambushed sat in the audience, glaring indignantly at the families of their attackers.
Their own families were equally enraged.
Had it not been for the fact that they were still within Star Cluster Academy, a brawl would have surely broken out!
Yet verbal sparring was inevitable.
The scene was rife with sarcastic exchanges, each party throwing barbs but none daring to strike first, fearful of displeasing Star Cluster Academy.
Though their children had been eliminated this time, there were other children in their families! There would be other chances.
But being blacklisted by Star Cluster Academy would mean losing everything!
As the countdown timer neared zero, John leaned back against a large rock, leisurely sunbathing.
He had just scoured nearly the entire secret realm and found no second platinum-tier Boss.
Upon reflection, this made sense; after all, the realm wasn't particularly large.
The presence of two platinum-tier Bosses would undoubtedly cause major trouble, something the academy's leadership would not allow.
Although the area had descended into chaos with contestants attacking each other, they all instinctively backed away and watched him warily whenever they saw John.
This both amused and relieved John, sparing him much trouble.
If no one attacked him, he certainly wasn't going to seek out conflict himself.
Thus, a bizarre status quo took hold in the realm.
Wherever John went, even in the midst of fierce fighting, everyone would invariably step back, resuming their conflicts only after he had passed.
This scene brought a smirk to the faces of the academy's higher-ups.
They had not anticipated John playing such a role.The countdown was about to hit zero.
[Countdown has ended.]
[Those who have not reached level 30 will be automatically transported out of the realm.]
[Congratulations to those who have reached level 30. You will now proceed to the next phase of the assessment.]
[Teleportation will occur in 30 seconds. Please prepare yourselves.]
Those who hadn't reached lv30 were instantly turned into white light and transported out.
The leaderboard updated with the latest eliminations, showing that nearly 2000 people had been cut!
Including those lost to monster battles or skirmishes, the remaining contestants numbered just over 5000.
The eliminated participants were visibly disgruntled, while those who remained felt a mix of relief and anxiety.
Though the nature of the next assessment was unknown, at least they still had a chance.
After 30 seconds, everyone felt a dizzying sensation.
When the white light faded, they found themselves surrounded by many others.
Instinctively, everyone gripped their weapons tightly, eyeing their surroundings warily.
Why were they all teleported to one place? Was this going to be a battle royale until only one remained standing?
As they remained on guard, John noticed he was in a fortress-like square, surrounded by people.
Despite the collective wariness, everyone instinctively moved away from him when they saw him.
No one wanted to provoke the infamous killing machine!
This was the man who had soloed a platinum-tier boss and killed over 30 people with a single skill!
With both the highest points and level, he inspired fear and respect.
Who would be foolish enough to challenge him? The last person who tried was long gone!
[Congratulations on reaching the second round of the assessment.]
[For this round, you will be divided into three teams and placed in three different fortresses. Each fortress has enough supplies for all of you to survive for half a month.]
[Your objective: survive for half a month and repel the beast tide!] [Killing magical beasts will earn you points. The top 100 contestants with the highest points will pass the assessment!]
[Exceptional performances will earn extra points. We hope you enjoy the challenge!]
Wow!
Everyone was stunned.
They had assumed the second round would be another solo challenge, but it turned out to be a test of teamwork!
A beast tide? And for half a month?
Are they crazy?!
Everyone stared incredulously at the sky, thinking this had to be a joke.
But there was no response.
This silence confirmed that this was indeed the challenge set by the Academy's higher-ups.
The senior staff of the Academy watched the silver mirror with amused expressions.
"These kids probably didn't expect this to be a team-based assessment instead of solo combat."
"Principal, this is a brilliant move on your part."
Principal Sophia said nothing, only frowning slightly.
A peculiar expression crossed her doll-like face.
During the teleportation, she had sensed something off within the realm!