Chapter 38: Chapter 38: A Secret Realm that Tests the Darkness of Human Nature
Before anyone could ask further, Zhong Jing began to explain on his own initiative:
"This is a pattern that happens every year, isn't it? In the early stages of the exam, everyone is desperately hunting and collecting Divine Cores. But since our assessment is based on rankings, no matter how many Divine Cores a student gathers, they don't know how they compare to others. This breeds suspicion. As the exam progresses, a large number of students begin to fight and plunder each other."
"Of course, this is all part of Old Man Cain's twisted design, probably to see what choices the students make under these circumstances."
As he spoke, Zhong Jing took a sip from his cup, giving Cain a sidelong glance. In Zhong Jing's view, such a test that delves into the darkness of human nature was in poor taste.
However, Cain didn't react at all, sitting calmly with a cheerful smile as he listened to Zhong Jing's words. Seeing Cain's indifference, Zhong Jing shrugged and continued:
"But this time, things are different because of Liam. He's created a significant 'catalyst effect.'"
"He killed Liu Peng right at the start of the exam, in front of everyone, sending a clear message—this guy is absurdly strong, possibly the strongest of all. So, when students start collecting Divine Cores, they can't help but consider the fact that under normal circumstances, no one can surpass him."
"Those who see themselves as strong but not as strong as Liam will quickly realize that conventional methods won't beat him, so they'll resort to plundering sooner. And those who see themselves as weak will start seeking teams to avoid being robbed."
"Furthermore, many will think: if he's the biggest threat, why not band together to take him down and seize his Divine Cores?"
"Add to that the fact that some students already harbored resentment towards Liam, and they're likely fanning the flames of hostility."
"So what I'm saying is, even though the exam has only been going for ten hours, he's already been targeted."
As he spoke, Zhong Jing reached out and enlarged several screens, bringing them to the forefront for the evaluators to see.
"Here, two groups have already merged, planning to start looting."
"And here, they're very close to Liam's location; they've clearly detected his position."
"This student seems to have a mental-type ability. He formed a team right from the start, focusing on tracking rather than fighting, and it's clear he's been locking onto Liam's location."
...
One by one, the videos were magnified and brought forward, corroborating Zhong Jing's words.
The evaluators fell silent, knowing Zhong Jing was right. Meanwhile, even Li Qi, who had been repeatedly humiliated by Liam's performance, couldn't help but quietly clench her fists in joy.
She had been waiting for this moment. She knew that Liam's overwhelming display of power would make him a target. She had stayed to witness his downfall, and now it seemed that moment was near.
Raising her head, she glared at Liam's image on the screen, her eyes filled with hateful anticipation. Watching him effortlessly slay creatures and quickly collect Divine Cores, she eagerly awaited his downfall.
The evaluators remained silent for a while until Zhong Jing finally broke the tension. Turning to the now-worried Sophia, he said:
"Ice Goddess, he's not going to take first place in this situation. It's not his fault; your confidence in him is understandable. If anyone's to blame, it's your academy's dean for coming up with these exam rules."
Leaning back, he addressed Cain:
"Superhumans are going to face terrifying threats in the future. What we need is unity. I've always wondered, what's the positive purpose of a test that encourages scheming and eventually leads to infighting?"
Cain didn't respond to Zhong Jing's criticism. He simply stared at the screens showing the ongoing exam, his eyes calm as he said, "Just keep watching."
"Just keep watching..."
...
Twelve hours had passed.
The intense fighting had started to wear on Liam. Even for a superhuman, twelve hours of nonstop battle and travel were a significant challenge.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Liam noticed the sky beginning to brighten again and decided to sit down on the spot. He planned to use the next three hours for rest.
Typically, students would rest during the night, but Liam didn't need to worry about that. He could rest whenever he was tired. Now, he could fully activate the Voices of All Things to gather information about the creatures in the secret realm.
He had already defeated several of the sand-like creatures on his own, but none had yielded as many Divine Cores as the first one. Realizing that the first creature was among the stronger entities in this realm, Liam decided that instead of running around aimlessly, he would find the biggest "monster" in the secret realm.
Now, he was ready to rest and use the Voices of All Things to locate that creature.
...
A few hours later.
"Is this the place?"
In the distance, a seven-member team came to a halt at a chaotic site littered with metal fragments.
"This is clearly a battle site, and the energy feels right," one of the team members said, kneeling to examine the soil.
The team leader, the first to speak, gritted his teeth and continued:
"Damn it! This guy's a monster, isn't he? We've already found two places where he single-handedly dealt with these things. Just what is his real power level? How could a student possess this kind of strength?"
"This guy... is too strong. He's completely unbalancing the exam!"
"How many Divine Cores does he have now? He's probably got the most points, right?"
"I don't know, but I feel like the seven of us combined don't have as many as he does!"
"With that kind of power... he's probably going to take first place in this exam."
As the team marveled at Liam's strength, a woman with her eyes closed and fingers pressed to her forehead suddenly spoke:
"He's moving! He's on the move."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone