บท 19: Once again, I must praise father
This was the importance of the mind.
A weak mind wouldn't be capable of bearing the pressure of this enlightening platform.
In fact, it wasn't unusual; rather, it was quite common for someone to die when an uncomplex mind underwent the process of opening its mind's eye.
A complex mind...
It was just a fancy way to say that someone had intelligence, knowledge, and high learning ability.
This is why the final exam ranking system serves as an indicator of one's talent as a stellar fighter.
Yet, there were cases where these so-called uncomplex minds also opened their mind's eye.
Interestingly, they were battle maniacs of some sorts or had other special dispositions and personas.
In all, the ranking system for the final exams wasn't an absolutely accurate indicator.
Andrew tried to shut his mouth.
This act though, only made the pain even more unbearable.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that he felt his teeth cracking under the pressure.
Sometimes, he groaned and screamed so loudly that it made Melissa's mind blank.
His skin became redder whilst his heart thumped faster.
Pain, agony, torment.
They almost always meant the same thing, but at this time, for Andrew, they felt like differing stages of suffering that he slowly reached.
The pain morphed into a higher layer, becoming an agony that threatened to tear at his soul, and this agony transcended itself, metamorphosing into torment that attempted to shatter his mind.
The death of the mind was the truest form of death.
He didn't know when, but finally, he felt a release.
Whether it was death or not, he couldn't say, but eventually, the suffering came to an end.
His body listlessly slumped to the ground as Aren turned off the machinery.
"Congratulations are in order, Parkinson, he lasted all fifteen minutes. From this, we can conclude that he may need as few as five sessions and no more than nine before he'll open his mind's eye and become your fifth stellar genius."
Aren was all smiles as he turned to Melissa.
The girl shuddered when sensing his gaze, turning to Andrew who had his body taken away by a group of white-coated individuals.
"Don't worry too much. Fifteen minutes is the limit, but if you're going to die before that, I'll stop it. As for Andrew, with some sleep, he'll be great again." Aren casually commented, his eyes practically glowing with glee towards her.
One could only spend a maximum of fifteen minutes on the enlightening platform each day.
At least, thereafter, one would either be completely unconscious or be left in a state no different than that of a zombie, so sleeping after using the enlightening platform was recommended.
It was also due to this reason that the two instructors decided it was ideal for Melissa and Andrew to step onto the enlightening platform at this hour, so that by the morning, they'd have recovered and would also be one session closer to opening their mind's eye.
Melissa's determination wavered only for a moment.
Clenching her small fists, she stepped toward the stairs leading to the platform, stepping onto the enlightening platform with powerful intent visible in her eyes.
Following Andrew's actions, she assumed a meditative posture and calmed her mind.
When seeing the change in her vitals, Aren smiled, activating the enlightening platform.
Three minutes later, Melissa exited with the help of several white-coated individuals.
Parkinson glanced at Rolan, who then turned to the group, "Some simple rules, no loitering around the military zone from the hours of eleven in the night to four in the morning. No baby making is allowed, no killing either, both, when caught, will result in expulsion unless your stellar fighters, some leeway can be found if I'm being honest. And-!"
Before he could continue, Parkinson covered his mouth and said, "No killing, even if you're a stellar fighter, killing another student, especially another stellar fighter, is definite expulsion."
'Oh, so just murdering a stellar fighter is a no-no, understood.' Seth inwardly grinned.
There were certain things that could not be asked, but getting your doubts answered before you could ask them is always a great feeling.
The group soon left the enlightenment tower and made their way back to their respective dorms.
In fact, there were multiple dorms for both the males and females.
The dorm overseen by Elissa had thirty rooms, but these thirty dorms were solely for the male students in the top thirty in the rankings, as was the rooms within the dorm where Catharina and Melissa inhabited.
As one's rank dropped, they were sent into dorms that held sixty students in thirty rooms.
An even lower ranking would see students in even smaller rooms, sharing said smaller rooms with two more students.
A single dorm would fit fifty such rooms, with a single room having three students within it.
Hence students would be spurred on to raise their rankings and acquire better living conditions.
Simply put, one thing couldn't ignite the determination needed for a student to endure the pain of the enlightening platform, so the higher one's rank, the more benefits one would find.
On their way back to their respective dorms, Anon separated from the group without saying anything.
Catharina noticed this and was about to approach him, but Seth was quicker.
As if the duo had previously made some arrangement, he followed Anon in a natural manner.
They headed toward another building.
Once stepping onto the metallic floor within, a robotic voice reverberated throughout the building, "St. Hope's high school's Anon, rank 1, St. Hope's high school's Seth Constantin, rank 5."
A woman with black hair tied in a bun approached them.
She was adorned in black form fitting clothing with a sheathed sword strapped to her waist.
"Rank 1, Rank 5, you can refer to me as Lyla, so tell me, what brings you two here on the first night?"
She flashed a bright smile at Seth.
Although Anon was ranked first, Seth would naturally be a stellar fighter soon, maybe in a few days.
As for rank 1, even if he was chosen as a potential genius right now, it wasn't even confirmed that he was one.
There was the chance that he would leave the official camp after it ended without even becoming a stellar fighter.
"I don't know, ask rank 1." Seth emotionlessly said, turning his gaze to Anon.
He couldn't care for this woman whatsoever.
"You're the one who decided to follow me," Anon turned to him.
"Did I say that the reason I'm here has anything to do with you?"
"No, but I'm intrigued why Anon chose to enter the hall of combat rather than going to sleep." Seth replied.
Both exchanged words in a passive-aggressive manner.
Ignoring Lyla's existence, more accurately, it was as if she hadn't appeared in the first place, more than ignoring, she didn't exist.
They had already toured the place with Rolan and Parkinson, so it wasn't a surprise that they knew where to go.
Ascending a fleet of stairs, they appeared in a hallway with doors on either side.
There were numbers displayed on the doors, red meant that it was occupied and green meant otherwise.
Surprisingly, there were several occupied doors.
"The fire of hope burns in their hearts."
Seth chuckled.
"Even as mere guards, instructors, researchers, organizers, chefs, guides, maids, and butlers… they all diligently and relentlessly attempt to alter their fates."
Although it was difficult even for the geniuses of the camp of ten thousand to become stellar fighters in the three months that the official camp ran for, humans naturally awakened at the ages of thirty to thirty-three, so there were many who were given false hope later in their lives.
Whilst Seth mocked them aloud, Anon saw it from another angle.
It wasn't their fault.
Instilled in them from birth were fictional stories of characters altering their fate.
In a way, no one was at fault except for the creator of this society and all that came with it.
'Commendable, father.' Anon inwardly praised.
ของขวัญ
-- ได้รับของขวัญแล้ว สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง