Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

VIP Box...

The last to arrive among all those to be inside the VIP box all through the Royal Academy entrance exams, was Tanya Haron who while arriving later than everyone else in the VIP box was still time conscious enough to arrive before the Exams began.

Which meant she was in the box by the time everyone who had stood up in a show of respect for the Empress was back on their seat.

No one deserved any apology from Tanya due to her tardiness, or more accurately, no one required an apology from Tanya other than her mother, the Empress.

Harlyn eyed her daughter with a slight frown while Tanya bowed, 

"Mother, I'm sorry I'm late" she said.

Arriving after the Empress could only be regarded as tardiness and a mark of disrespect for her authority.

Harlyn sighed, not looking to make too much of a big deal out of it. Not because Tanya was her daughter, but because she saw no point in doing so,

"Why can't you be a bit more like Elsa? She knew how important it was to arrive before me. Even when I taught you both, she always seemed more considerate of me than you.

And as you are my daughter, I have to say, I am disappointed." The empress said.

Ignoring the suddenly smug look on Elsa's face, Tanya bowed once again to show how sorry she was.

Only when she had taken her seat did she take the time to frown at Elsa.

"Elsa" the empress then called and Elsa stood up to bow, 

"Yes, your majesty" she said.

"Let us begin" the Empress said to which Elsa bowed once again as she said, 

"As you command" 

Then she straightened up and imbued her voice which Cosmic energy to make it boom louder, however, she concentrated the enhanced voice into the Runic device in her hand so that it broadcast the voice to those outside the VIP box and didn't become a nuisance to those within.

"Welcome everyone to another Entrance Exam into the most prestigious training ground, Sect, Academy or whichever name you choose to call it, in the entire Haron continent.

Here, only the best of the best will be allowed to participate.

Will be allowed the chance to join the Royal Academy and receive cultivation knowledge unlike any they have ever seen or experienced in the various parts of the Continent they have originated from." 

Elsa paused and let the applauds ring loud before she continued, 

"Now, the first part of the Exams will be taking part in a rundown district. A remote location whose residents have long abandoned in the Imperial city. Far away from the Vicinity of this Coliseum."

(Since the Imperial city, despite having the size of a Duchy, is called a city, its subdivisions are hence called Districts as opposed to cities. So a different district in the Imperial city is like saying a different city in any Duchy)

"Our Examinees have all been escorted via Teleportation circles to the location and have been camped in as well as protected by a large scale powerful Array Dome which we are quite confident none of them will be able to break through..."

As soon as she said this, large screens appeared on different ends of the coliseum showing picture clear broadcasts of the district the examinees had been thrust in and the image stopped long enough for many to spot a Blue-eyed young man standing side by side with a golden-eyed lady with long calf-length hair.

...

In the Rundown District...

Hal and all other examinees could hear Elsa's voice loud and clear as the device in her hand not only broadcasted her voice to all those in the coliseum but also transmitted it into the District.

He and Melinda had spent last night together after reuniting in the Imperial city and it was only in the morning that they both received messages telling them to move to the rendezvous point where they were picked up or 'escorted' as Elsa had out it to the Teleportation Circles that brought them here.

Teleportation circles that practically vanished, not to be activated again upon their arrival.

With the sheer number of examinees and the immense size of the location (the rundown district) they were in that quite matched the size of Sapphire city, not to mention the fact that every single examinee was not dropped in the same location, other than Melinda, there was so far no one Hal recognized among the hundreds they were with in their area of the forest.

However, he could sense Nicole among those in the location which was not surprising as she definitely had the strength to attempt the exam.

What did surprise him though was sensing Valerie here.

What he had thought improbable seemed to be actually coming true and Hal was stunned.

He shook himself out of his shock soon enough though.

After all, why bother himself when he was almost sure to meet Valerie and probably understand what was going on soon enough.

Elsa's voice continued, 

"Wherever you are, there is sure to be a building right in front of you marked with a green rune. Walk into the building and strap on any of the devices you find inside onto your wrist..." She commanded.

Hal, Melinda, and the others with them walked into the building while all about the location, other examinees did the same.

The device looked like a modern wristwatch, although it did not tell the time and its straps were metallic. Sealing with an eerie grating sound that sounded quite final.

Almost as though they were never to be taken off.

"Those devices are meant to keep track of your vitals. Any intentions of killing your opponents or maiming them more than required will be sensed by the devices and they will send incapacitating pulses throughout your entire body.

You are here to be admitted into an academy and while overwhelming strength, as well as a readiness to kill to achieve greatness, is encouraged against our enemies, you are not allowed to kill any of your fellow examinees as they could very well be of help to the Empire in the future.

Also, the devices will always be flashing green when your vitals are at their peak, any dip in your overall wellbeing and they go down in the order of colors blue, orange, and finally red.

When they are red, it means you are out. 

Even if you swallow a recovery pill after, the results will remain the same.

The moral of all this; Do not let your devices go red."

Hal and Melinda shared a look and shrugged simultaneously as though to say 'Big deal'.

Maybe they should have been taking this more seriously, a thought that many who caught their expression in the broadcast were quick to have, but it was hard to be bothered when you were as confident in your fighting buddy as this two were in each other.

And then Elsa dropped the bomb that more than slightly changed their mindset going into the exams, 

"You will be required to form groups of a minimum of four and a maximum of Ten after which you will link up your devices.

Oh, and lest I forget to mention... if the device of a single member of your group goes red, the devices of everyone else in that group go red as well.

Everyone in that group fails"