Lance let out a heavy sigh, jogging to catch up with the mass of test subjects.

  Beside him, Marcus looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. The veteran was rendered completely speechless.

  Pay for damages? Was the kid delusional? The Profession Guild dreamed of finding monsters who could scrap [Gravity Sensor Targets] with a single punch. To the high brass—who possessed wealth that rivaled nations—a few tens of thousands of Credits wasn't even pocket change; it was a rounding error.

  Once the final candidate boarded the aerospace carrier, the massive dome above the docking bay groaned, sliding heavily apart.

  HUMMMM—!

  Low-frequency resonance vibrated through the hull as the anti-gravity engines ignited. The leviathan, large enough to hold ten thousand souls, slowly detached from its berth. The moment it cleared the Profession Guild tower, the carrier's shields flared with a torrential surge of [Mana Energy].

  BOOM!

  With a deafening roar, the colossal ship tore through the sky like a silver blade, piercing the clouds and punching straight into the starry expanse.

  The vessel pushed its engines to the red line. In minutes, they were clocking millions of kilometers per hour.

  Ten minutes later, the deceleration sequence began. They descended toward a lush, verdant satellite orbiting near Planet Silvermoon.

  This was the Silvermoon System's Void Planet X-10.

  Its diameter mirrored that of the recorded Mother Planet, making it significantly smaller than Silvermoon itself. Within the system, ten such planets bore the "Void" classification.

  Every single one was a hellscape overrun by Void Beasts.

  Void Beasts. The nightmare humanity discovered only after stepping into the Great Cosmic Era.

  Centuries ago, deep-space telescopes spotted planets teeming with extraterrestrial life. Civilization rejoiced. It took seven hundred years of technological agony to build the first warp-capable starships. But when the long voyage ended, they didn't find friends. They found an apocalypse.

  The planets belonged to the Void Beasts. The runts of the litter could shred heavy infantry like wet paper. The titans stood hundreds of meters tall, packing enough raw power to shatter mountains.

  The first wave of pioneers was wiped out. A total loss.

  It wasn't until the technological singularity—and the excavation of "Genetic Evolution" and "Mana Cultivation" systems from ancient ruins—that humanity stood a chance. After thousands of years of bloody expansion, they finally carved out a breathing space from the jaws of the Void.

  As humanity spread, a horrifying truth emerged: Void Beasts were the cockroaches of the universe. They adapted to any extreme environment, infested every star system, and their numbers defied logic.

  Fortunately, ten thousand years of development gave humanity star-killing weapons and the Legendary Grand Marshals—beings capable of tearing the void with their bare hands. The great suppression began.

  Lance's home, Planet Silvermoon, was a "young" territory, a Void nest pacified only seven centuries ago. The native beasts were mostly corralled into the Wilderness Hunting Zone, far from the cities. Their numbers were less than one percent of their peak, yet they still outnumbered the human population ten to one.

  To protect the cities, the core mission of every registered Professional was the extermination of these monsters.

  But today's destination, Void Planet X-10, was different. It was a savage, untamed frontier. Silvermoon City hadn't even secured its own backyard fully, let alone this hellhole.

  "Dammit! The exam is on X-10?"

  "What happened to the Hunting Zone? Although X-10 is considered weak for a Void Planet, we're just potential Awakened! This is suicide!"

  "We're going to die down there!"

  "I protest! This violates regulations!"

  Through the viewports, the twisted, primeval jungle below sent waves of terror through the cabin. The several hundred candidates were on the verge of a riot.

  Listening to the panic, Lance realized the difficulty hadn't just spiked; it had gone vertical.

  The Wilderness Hunting Zone was a nursery—swept clean of high-level threats. But here? A Tier 3 [Gold Rank] or even a Tier 4 monster rivalling a [Grandmaster] could be lurking behind any tree.

  For a bunch of [Apprentice Warriors], this was a meat grinder.

  "SILENCE!"

  Director Raymond snorted, unleashing a crushing wave of [Battle Aura].

  The pressure slammed into the students, suffocating them.

  Internally, Raymond was just as bewildered. He’d reported Lance's monstrous talent to the President Alistair, expecting praise. Instead, he got an order to change the exam site. Even as a [Silver Rank], treading on this planet made him sweat. A Tier 2, 5-Star Elite Void Beast could end him, let alone a Lord-class entity.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  But the President's commands were absolute. He had to execute them.

  As the suffocating pressure lifted, the noisy complaints vanished, replaced by fearful silence.

  Raymond's icy gaze swept the room.

  "The passing criteria have changed. You are no longer required to kill five Tier 1 Void Beasts. Your objective is... survival. Exist on this planet for twenty-four hours, and you pass, regardless of kill count."

  "Furthermore, we are dropping you in a sector with low Void energy signatures."

  "Anyone who wants to quit, stay on the ship and forfeit your qualification! And I must remind you—top performers will receive additional Federal stipends!"

  The atmosphere in the cabin shifted instantly. The despair morphed into cautious optimism.

  Survive one day? No kill quota?

  And it was a low-threat zone drop.

  Eyes lit up with calculation. If they just found a hole and hid for twenty-four hours, their odds of passing might actually be higher than fighting for their lives in the Hunting Zone.

  "So... if we want to evacuate early? We don't need to stay the full day to pass the basic requirement, right?"

  In the dead silence, Lance’s voice cut through the air. He had promised his sister, Lillian, that he would be home for dinner tonight. As for the threat of death?

  Sorry, but for someone holding the [SSS-Rank Talent: Undying God-Body], "death" was a concept so distant it was practically theoretical.

  His question, however, left the surrounding examinees stupefied.

  In a hellhole like this, surviving is already a miracle, and this guy is asking about handing in his test early?

  "If you hunt five [Bronze Rank] Void Beasts and bring back their [Void Cores], you will meet the criteria for early completion," Director Raymond said. He paused, momentarily stunned, before looking at Lance’s calm face and explaining patiently, "However, even if you finish early, you must wait here for twenty-four hours until the carrier returns to extract the survivors."

  Raymond added, "If you truly have the energy to spare, hunt as many as you can. I guarantee the Guild's bonus rewards will exceed your imagination."

  Lance sighed internally. Looks like I'm stuck on this rock for a full day regardless.

  Since that's the case, I might as well farm some cores, Lance thought. If I can flip them for a few million Credits, Lillian's [Alchemy Potions] for the next semester are secured.

  BOOM... RUMBLE!

  As they spoke, the aerospace carrier touched down heavily, kicking up massive plumes of dust and debris.

  HISS—!

  The alloy bay doors slid open. A heatwave carrying the pungent scent of sulfur slammed into them.

  "Everyone, disembark and scatter immediately! The noise from the landing is a dinner bell for nearby predators. If you don't want to die, get your asses into the jungle! Don't expect to survive sitting on the landing pad!" Director Raymond’s roar echoed through the cabin.

  The rookies' faces turned ashen. The majority screamed and sprinted out the doors, diving frantically into the dense forest. But about thirty percent were paralyzed by fear, curling up in the corners of the cargo hold, refusing to move—even if it meant forfeiting their chance to become a Professional forever.

  Lance walked down the ramp with steady, measured steps.

  WHOOSH—!

  The moment the last candidate hit the dirt, the carrier’s engines flared with blinding blue light. It shot skyward, disappearing into the lead-gray clouds in seconds.

  "Everyone! Listen to me! We need to stick together! Our only chance is to form a group!" a burly, muscular student shouted, waving his arms.

  Many shaken candidates were tempted, instinctively moving toward him.

  "Hmph. Stupid civilian thinking."

  Nearby, Julian scoffed, halting their movement. "Void Beasts have highly developed olfactory and thermal sensors. The more people you have, the stronger the bio-signal. Grouping up in a place like this is like lighting a flare in the dark. You'll just die faster."

  His arrogant lecture hit them like a bucket of ice water. They froze.

  "This young master has no time to play survival house with you lot. Later, trash." Julian glanced at the crowd with contempt, tapped his toes against the ground, and shot forward like an arrow leaving the string.

  "ROAR—!!!"

  But the shadow of death moved faster than Julian.

  A blood-curdling beast roar exploded in their ears. An instant later, a pitch-black blur—over three meters tall and five meters long—erupted from behind a boulder, carrying a nauseating gust of wind and rot.

  The sudden ambush locked everyone in place.

  The black shadow moved like lightning, intercepting Julian while he was still mid-air, attempting to show off his agility.

  SNAP!

  Blood sprayed violently against the sky.

  Julian didn't even have time to scream. He was bitten clean in half at the waist. With the sickening sound of grinding bone, the genius of the First Royal Preparatory Academy was physically divided.

  The shadow landed heavily. It was the apex predator of this zone—a [Bronze Rank · Peak: Shadow Stalker].

  It raised its hideous head and, like it was swallowing a snack, gulped down Julian's still-twitching upper body in one go.

  The scene drained the blood from the faces of every remaining candidate.

  Dead? Julian, the recognized genius of Silvermoon City, was eaten alive less than a minute after disembarking?

  "Dammit... It's a Peak Bronze Shadow Stalker! RUN!"

  Someone finally identified the horror and let out a desperate shriek. The crowd shattered, everyone running for their lives in random directions.

  "Grr..."

  The Shadow Stalker watched the fleeing "ants" coldly, a flicker of mockery in its eyes. In its perception, these fragile creatures couldn't escape its hunting range.

  Its gaze locked onto a single target who was standing perfectly still, seemingly "scared stupid."

  BOOM!

  The Shadow Stalker’s limbs fired. The ground cratered beneath its paws as its body transformed into a twisted black blur. Jaws unhinged, razor-sharp teeth aimed straight for the unmoving boy—Lance.

  Just as the foul-smelling maw was about to snap shut, Lance moved.

  He didn't retreat. Instead, facing the beast that was barreling toward him like a truck, he tapped the ground and defied physics, vaulting several meters into the air.

  [Kinetic Acceleration: Spiral Heavy Kick]!

  Lance's right leg whipped through the air, generating a visible white sonic cone. Carrying tons of kinetic force, his heel smashed precisely into the side of the Shadow Stalker's skull.

  CRACK-BOOM!!!

  A heavy, muffled sound like a heavy artillery shell detonating echoed across the wasteland.

  The Shadow Stalker’s skull—hard as alloy—exploded like a ripe watermelon. Brain matter and blood showered the air. The massive beast was sent flying like a kite with a cut string, tumbling over ten meters before smashing into a pile of rocks. It didn't twitch. Instant death.

  "Tsk. So many frantic prey, and you had to pick me." Lance landed lightly, a faint, indifferent smirk curling his lips.

  The fleeing candidates heard the commotion and instinctively looked back.

  That single glance caused their pupils to tremble violently, their expressions freezing in absolute horror.

  "D-Dead? That Shadow Stalker is dead?"

  "How is that possible! That's a Peak Bronze monster! Even official [Bronze Rank] Professionals need a team to raid one..."

  "Was that beast sick? How did it die from one kick?"

  "It's that kid again... Who the hell is he?!"

  Whispers and shouts erupted, but Lance ignored them completely. He walked straight to the Shadow Stalker's corpse and drew the standard-issue [Alloy Warblade] from his waist.

  It was mass-produced garbage given out on the carrier. Rough craftsmanship, the kind of thing you wouldn't bother picking up off the street. Its only value was probably covering the 1,000 Credit registration fee.

  The moment his fingers brushed the hilt, a system prompt refreshed on his retina:

  [System Alert]: External Equipment Detected: [Common Grade Alloy Warblade]

  [Analysis in progress... 754 Logical Exploits found!]

  [Do you wish to execute "War Art Reconstruction" to repair equipment defects?]