Extra's Ascent

Aldrich couldn't help but ask, curious if they had secured first place in the competition.

However, his question was answered not by words, but by a subtle gesture from Trevor who nudged him and motioned for him to look to his right, ahead.

There, beneath the shade of a tree, was the golden-haired boy, Dante.

He lay leisurely, completely at ease, as if he had all the time in the world, his body unscathed and flawless.

"Dante! I should have known!" Aldrich muttered to himself, a mixture of recognition and resignation washing over him.

No surprises there, really. It was as expected.

Just as it was in the story, Dante had been the first to arrive. It had always been that way.

"This test turned out to favour those with artefacts, it seems," Aldrich mused quietly, his eyes flicking to Fiona's waist where her sword rested.

From it, he could sense a faint, pulsing glow—clear evidence that it was an artefact.

Artefacts, unlike ordinary weapons, were imbued with mana, making them more resilient in combat and vastly more efficient in terms of power return.

They also held enough mana within them to penetrate the toughest defences, like the Kraken's armoured hide.

Artefacts were ranked by their mana capacity, from Epic to Rare, Legendary, and finally, Mythic.

The stronger the artefact, the more formidable its user.

Epic artefacts were the weakest, and Mythic artefacts could even pierce the defences of a catastrophe-ranked walker.

Dante's weapon, a rare-tier artefact, would be enough to see him through the early chapters of the story.

As the tale progressed, his weapon would eventually be replaced by something even more powerful.

Fiona, too, wielded a rare artefact, which explained why her weapon was the only one that could wound the Kraken.

While Trevor's, carrying around a normal sword, unfortunately, couldn't even leave a scratch.

It was clear now: artefacts were a game-changer.

And for Aldrich's team, Fiona's presence was a relief, given how much they had relied on the sword's power.

Not many would be as lucky as they were as, regardless of the rank, artefacts are not easy to come by anywhere.

It took a small fortune to obtain one, and maintaining them was no less expensive.

The rarity and value of these artefacts made them coveted items in a world where strength could mean the difference between life and death.

And the ones with access to small fortunes they could easily squander without a thought are none other than the bigshots in Upstate.

"We passed. That's all that matters," Aldrich said, his voice steady.

Worries about who came in first or second seemed trivial in the grand scheme of things.

No matter what, Dante Pendragon would always remain the protagonist of Arthdal Chronicle.

He was designed to be strong from the start, and his strength would only grow over time.

Aldrich's name, on the other hand, was nothing but an afterthought—an extra, a minor character who would never stand on the same level as the main protagonist.

There was an undeniable gap between them.

And so, the competition was never truly between them.

Even if it had been, Aldrich, Trevor, and Fiona combined wouldn't have stood a chance against Dante.

Dante was a force of nature—already a pinnacle of strength that others could only dream of reaching.

He embodied the perfect model of what others would strive to become.

His presence in the academy was enough to make others question their potential—how many would look at him and wonder, Could I ever be that strong?

But the truth was simple: it wasn't about what was fair or not.

It was about the story's design, one where Dante was always meant to be the shining star.

"We did good, guys. We took down a predator-ranked walker and walked away victorious. Not many can pull off that kind of feat," Aldrich added with a satisfied grin.

And he was right.

Two hours after Aldrich's team had arrived on the island, more candidates began to reach the shore, having completed the same test.

They looked worse for wear—battered and exhausted, some even more so than Aldrich and his team.

As time went on, more and more candidates arrived, and the scene became increasingly chaotic.

Those who followed Aldrich's group were in even worse shape, their energy drained by the brutal test.

One thing became clear: while a minor of the groups appeared in four of five man team, the majority had come in larger groups.

Five-person teams were the most common, with one four-man group making an appearance.

Only Aldrich's group consisted of three—an odd number when faced with such an overwhelming challenge.

Bottomline is, no one dared to go in alone.

Taking on a Kraken was too dangerous to risk without backup, so the groups were formed.

As the hours passed and the time limit drew near, the number of candidates on the shore continued to rise, but not enough to account for the numbers they started with.

By the time the deadline arrived, about half of the original candidates had been whittled down.

The final tally of survivors was much lower than expected.

'To think that only half made it through!' Aldrich thought.

In the original novel, more candidates had made it in.

But that was only because they had faced a beta walker, not a predator.

Given the intensity of the test, having even half the candidates survive was impressive.

It proved that Eldora Institute truly did only accept the best capable of taking on unexpected situations and coming out alive.

When the time ran out, the remaining candidates gathered together in a tired, haphazard group.

Many of them were barely able to stand.

And then, as if on cue, the two officials, Dion and Stella, emerged from the thick trees, stepping onto the shore with smug expressions.

Their appearance immediately caught the attention of the exhausted candidates, who quickly gathered in an organized formation before them, ready to be addressed.

"Before anything else, let me be the first to say congratulations to all of you," Stella said, her voice carrying authority. "You are now official students of Eldora Institute. You are recognized as first years and will be accorded the same respect as those who have already been admitted."

For many of the candidates, the words hit like a wave.

Some were overcome with emotion, tears welling up in their eyes.

Their struggle, and the sacrifices they had made to get here, all came rushing forward at that moment.

Many had spent years trying to pass the test, failing repeatedly before finally making it.

Others had poured everything they had into this single opportunity, swearing that it would be their last attempt if they failed.

It wasn't just a test—it was their last hope.

For some, the relief was palpable.

After so much loss, so much pain, they had made it.

But there were others, too, whose pride was evident.

This was their first attempt, and they had made it through without breaking a sweat.

They could hold their heads high, knowing that they had proven themselves worthy.

As for Aldrich, he couldn't help but reflect on the bigger picture.

This was only the first step in a long journey.

The road ahead was filled with challenges, and passing this test was just a minor accomplishment compared to what lay beyond.

For now though, this was enough.