Chapter 31: The Will to Change
Raelis watched as the boy strode past them, sinking his feet into the shallow lake. He approached the first Step and stood on it.
Nothing happened, as expected. After all, the first 10 Steps were merely an introduction.
The boy reached the 10th Step with ease, yet once he raised his foot to go for the 11th Step, he suddenly faltered.
He didn’t fail right away, but it was almost as if his balance was thrown off.
Even so, the boy brushed it off, stepping onto the 11th, then the 12th and 13th. But when he finally reached the 14th Step, his legs began to tremble.
It was clear he was struggling, and yet, to pass the exam, they only needed to cross 25 Steps.
The boy barely made it to the 16th Step before collapsing into the shallow lake, unconscious.
"Failed," Arius announced as he flicked his fingers, teleporting the boy away.
Just like that, someone’s dreams were crushed. All because they failed a single simple-looking exam.
But the reality of it was much deeper.
The glowing white tree evaluated the will of those walking on the Steps. The ones who failed early were considered weak-willed, so they were naturally culled.
But the ones who walked past the 25th Step were candidates who had the bare minimum to be nurtured by the academy.