When Ryan opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was that the bourbon was gone from his system.Completely.His head felt clear.His vision was sharp.Even the bitter taste of alcohol had disappeared from his tongue as though he hadn’t drunk anything at all.Ryan rubbed a hand across his face.“I’m actually sober?”“Open the door!”The shout came from the far side of the room.Ryan turned toward it—And finally noticed where he was.He was standing inside an enormous stone hall surrounded by more than a hundred strangers.Some were still dressed in office clothes.A few were wearing pajamas.Almost everyone looked either confused or terrified.A muscular man near the far end of the hall was pounding on a massive wooden door.“Whoever you are, open this door right now!”Others quickly joined him, shouting demands of their own.Some tried calling the police, but none of their phones had a signal.Ryan checked his.Same problem.Stranger still, the digital clock on his screen

Gareth looked at her with a hint of approval.“Now that’s a much more useful question. The answer is yes. Potions, rituals, contracts, physical enhancement, and certain types of magic can extend a person’s lifespan. Those who reach a high enough level of power can even live far beyond the limits of ordinary humans.”The mood in the hall shifted.The fear was still there, but the idea of gaining additional years of life was difficult to ignore.Evelyn raised another question.“What about the Academy Credits and Merit Marks listed in our profiles?”“Credits are tied to your academic progress and graduation requirements. Merit Marks are Blackthorn’s primary currency.”Gareth paused briefly before continuing.“Weapons, artifacts, potions, magical materials, training facilities, even ordinary money from the outside world can be obtained as long as you have enough Merit Marks.”Ryan fell silent.A few hours ago, his biggest problem had been losing his job.Now, a mysterious academy was offe

A vast courtyard stretched outside.Hundreds of short creatures with grayish-green skin wandered across it.Their bodies were thin and hunched, with some wearing strips of rotting leather as makeshift armor.Dull red eyes and rows of sharp teeth made them far more disturbing than the goblins Ryan remembered from storybooks.At the far side of the courtyard, golden light formed a massive gateway.The Sanctuary Zone.Several candidates were already running toward it.Their mistake became obvious almost immediately.The moment the first group entered the courtyard, dozens of Blight Goblins that had been wandering aimlessly turned at the same time.The creatures were slow.But there were so many of them that the first group was surrounded within moments.A candidate screamed as his arm was torn open.Another fell after something bit into his leg.Seconds later, a swarm of goblins piled onto him.His body disappeared into fragments of light.Ryan knew they couldn’t truly die during this ex

A young woman hesitantly raised her hand.“I’m not going. There’s no penalty for failing the entrance exam, right? I’d rather wait here until time runs out.”Several others immediately agreed.Their fear was understandable.They had already watched dozens of candidates get torn apart alive.Knowing that death during this exam wouldn’t reduce their lifespan didn’t make the pain any less real.Ryan counted quickly.Out of twenty-six people, fourteen chose to stay inside the building.That left twelve.Marcus tapped the hilt of his sword confidently.“Twelve is enough. With my thirty-two attribute points and Evelyn being the strongest candidate here, ordinary Blight Goblins won’t be a problem.”Evelyn turned toward him.“The mandatory mission and killing five Blight Goblins shouldn’t be too difficult. The unknown factor is the Goblin Warlord.”Marcus frowned.“I haven’t even seen the Warlord. Maybe it’s somewhere else.”“No.”Ryan looked toward the courtyard.“If the mission target hasn’

Ryan ran with them for several meters before realizing something was wrong.The Blight Goblins that had been shambling slowly moments earlier suddenly picked up speed.More of them also began turning toward the group.“Stop running!” Ryan shouted. “Slow down!”Marcus stopped and turned around, clearly annoyed.“What’s your problem now?”“You’re pulling more goblins toward us.”Ryan pointed across the courtyard.“Watch their speed. When we walk, they move slowly. The moment we run, they speed up too.”Marcus gave a short laugh.“You want everyone to stop because of a guess?”“He’s right,” Evelyn cut in.Her wand was already raised in Marcus’s direction, though she hadn’t cast anything.“Blight Goblins were designed with low mobility. If candidates could simply run while the goblins remained slow, most people could circle around them and this exam would be meaningless.”She looked toward the creatures surrounding them.“Blackthorn made their speed adjust to our actions.”Several members