Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Zayne and Francis did not rush toward the college entrance trial. Instead, they moved to the right, sweeping the area as they went.
"Zayne, just wait. I will not lose to you this time," Nia shot a glare at Zayne's retreating figure before charging off to the left.
In her view, being completely outpaced by Zayne in the novice dungeon had only happened because she had not taken it seriously. This time, she would not give him another chance. She chose the same approach, hunting monsters in the wild to level up.
With two overwhelming combatants clearing left and right, the happiest ones were the examinees who had rushed out alongside them.
The pressure on those students dropped sharply, and many could not help but look at Zayne and Nia with envy.
"There are still plenty of good people in this world."
They wasted no time and hurried toward the entrance of the college entrance trial.
[Party kill: Level 12 Goblin Lumberjack. Reward: 60 experience points.]
[Party kill: Level 11 River Hippo Warrior. Reward: 50 experience points.]
[Party kill: Level 13 Undead Archer. Reward: 70 experience points.]
Whenever they encountered monsters along the way, Zayne would slash out a few times, leaving the creature barely alive before moving on.
Francis followed closely behind, gradually syncing perfectly with him. Whenever Zayne crippled a monster, Francis would step in and finish it off with a single strike.
Under Zayne's lead, Francis's level rose rapidly, reaching level eight in no time.
"Zayne, I do not even need to say it anymore. From now on, you are my real big brother," Francis said excitedly.
At this pace, he would reach at least level twelve, maybe even thirteen, before sunset.
The entrance to the college entrance trial would remain open all day. As long as they arrived before nightfall, it would count.
"Do not celebrate too early. There are not many monsters near the city walls. We will have to go deeper," Zayne said after scanning the surroundings. The number of monsters had clearly dropped.
"But if we go deeper, we might run into level twenty or even level thirty monsters," Francis said, his face turning pale.
"Not a big deal. I can handle level twenty. If we see level thirty, we run."
With blade in hand, Zayne continued advancing into the wilderness.
Francis was not the only one who needed levels. Zayne needed them as well. His target was Supreme Academy.
Carrying his blade, Zayne gradually disappeared from the sight of the principals on the city walls.
"This is reckless. How can Zayne take Francis that deep?" Norton frowned. With Zayne's level, getting into Imperial Capital Academy was already guaranteed. What was he trying to do?
"Do not worry, Norton. Proctors have already formed a perimeter in that area. Nothing will happen," another principal said to reassure him.
"I hope so," Norton replied, his right eyelid twitching uncontrollably. For some reason, he had a bad feeling.
Along the way, Zayne continued farming as he walked. He did not even need to use other Forbidden Spells. With Sacrificial Blade Technique alone, monsters below level twenty were easy prey. At worst, it just took a few extra slashes.
Francis followed behind, reaping enormous benefits. Before Zayne even leveled up, Francis had already gained two levels, reaching level nine.
Just as they were about to push further ahead, a man wearing a proctor badge suddenly appeared and blocked their path.
"Do not leave the designated examination area. It is dangerous."
"We cannot go further?" Zayne frowned. "Fine."
As Zayne turned to change direction, he suddenly halted and looked at the proctor with a serious expression.
"Look behind you."
The proctor snorted coldly and did not even turn his head.
"Trying to trick me into turning around so you can slip out of the examination area? I am not that easy to fool. Let me guess, you have people waiting outside to help you grind levels. Give up that ridiculous idea. I have been a proctor for twenty years. No examinee has ever fooled me."
"No, seriously, turn around," Zayne urged anxiously.
"Nice try. I will not fall for it. Leave now, or I will rule you in violation and cancel your exami…"
Before the proctor could finish his sentence, a deep roar suddenly erupted from behind him.
His face changed. He had just begun to turn when a massive monster appeared at his back. A single claw strike sent the proctor flying like a cannonball, smashing him into the ground more than ten meters away. His fate was unclear.
The monster stood over four meters tall, its body encased in heavy armor, a massive spiked club clenched in its hands. Each step made the ground tremble.
"A level thirty three Goblin Champion," Francis said, his face deathly pale.
"That stubborn mule," Zayne muttered, black lines forming on his face. He had told the proctor to turn around several times, but the man refused to listen.
A level thirty three monster was beyond what Zayne could handle unless he fully unleashed his immortal body, which he could not risk.
"Francis, run. I will draw it away."
"No way. If we run, we run together," Francis said hurriedly.
"Stop talking. You are slower than me," Zayne said as he kicked Francis in the rear, sending him flying away.
Then Zayne slashed at the Goblin Champion. Starlight flared as the monster was instantly enraged and charged straight at him.
Zayne activated Swiftstep Waltz, but to avoid suspicion, he only sacrificed his appendix and a section of his large intestine, gaining triple agility.
Even so, he could not shake the Goblin Champion. The distance between them kept shrinking.
"Thunderfall!"
A blinding bolt of lightning suddenly erupted. The power of thunder condensed into a massive strike and slammed down on the Goblin Champion with destructive force.
The proctor struggled to his feet. His face was pale, but his eyes burned with resolve.
"Go. Run. Leave this to me. I will not let any examinee be harmed in front of my eyes."
As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed unconscious.
Zayne fell silent for a moment. "You really are a good person."
The proctor had already been heavily injured by the sneak attack. The fact that he could stand up and cast a spell at all was a testament to sheer willpower.
Fortunately, the proctor had already sent out a distress signal. Two more proctors soon rushed over.
"Examinees, stay back and avoid collateral damage," one of them called out.
"Got it," Zayne replied obediently and moved aside.
The two proctors immediately engaged the Goblin Champion. Under their combined assault, the monster had no chance to fight back and was completely suppressed.
One of the proctors swung his axe, slamming the Goblin Champion into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
At that moment, a sharp gleam flashed in Zayne's eyes. He sacrificed his heart and activated Swiftstep Waltz at tenfold power, rushing toward the unconscious proctor.
Using the dust cloud as cover, Zayne quickly stripped the proctor's uniform and put it on himself, then hung the proctor badge around his neck.
Next, he took out the Phantom Visage Astrachior had given him and placed it over his face.
The mask, thin as cicada wings, fit his features perfectly. Once it was on, Zayne transformed into a man in his thirties, complete with fine stubble along his jaw.
A brand new proctor had just appeared out of nowhere.
At that moment, the Goblin Champion struggled back to its feet. After taking a heavy axe blow, it swayed unsteadily, its armor shattered and its injuries severe.
"Wretched beast. How dare you disrupt the college entrance trial. I will not spare you. Gentlemen, allow me to assist."