The Return of Godkin

Chapter 203: Zero score

Lily remained silent, head lowered. She had already given Ray her reason. There was nothing more she wanted to say.

Trying to smooth things over, Ray stepped forward. "I'm sorry. This is our fault. Lily is exhausted right now and isn't thinking clearly. Teacher Giselle, can we still continue the exam?"

Giselle let out a long sigh. "Your exam should have ended here, but you'll be allowed to continue. I've already informed Teacher, and hopefully he can calm Seraphina down. Come with me."

She turned sharply and led them deeper into the school building.

"The fifth trial will test your talent," Giselle said as they walked. "More specifically, your secondary profession."

Raziel brightened immediately. "Teacher, how many points did we get for the fourth trial?"

Giselle shot him a cold look. "Zero points. All of you. Zero."

"What?" Raziel nearly jumped. "Zero points? Isn't that too harsh? Even if we weren't perfect, shouldn't we get something? Or is Central Academy really that biased? Is this because we offended Seraphina?"

Giselle's gaze hardened. "Within Central Academy, the Sea God's Pavilion makes the rules. If Seraphina says you get zero points, then you get zero points. No one can dispute it. Not even another elder. And since you've already lost these points, even if you perform brilliantly later, entering the inner court will be extremely difficult." Her eyes shifted to Lily. "Do you understand the consequences of acting on impulse now?"

Lily said nothing and continued following Ray in silence.

They soon arrived at another chamber, similar in size to the previous one but filled with rows of tables. Tools and materials of all kinds were scattered across them, creating a chaotic yet purposeful scene.

Ray's eyes lit up instantly. Among the tables, he spotted one clearly meant for blacksmithing.

His excitement barely lasted a second.

Seated behind the examiner's table was a familiar figure. Seraphina.

She sneered the moment their eyes met.

"Seraphina…" Giselle faltered, unsure how to continue.

Seraphina snorted. "For the fifth trial, all of you score zero points."

Anger flared in Lily's eyes, but before she could move, Ray stepped in front of her, gripping her wrist firmly. At the same time, he shot Raziel a warning glance, stopping him from speaking.

This was Central Academy. Seraphina was on her own turf. Arguing here would only make things worse.

"Elder, isn't this going a bit too far…" Giselle said helplessly. This woman's reputation as an eccentric was well-known, but this level of pettiness was still unexpected.

The elderly woman's lips curled slightly. "Don't say I didn't give you any face. If they perform well in the remaining trials, they can still enter the inner court. If they can't, then they can go back to wherever they came from."

Another zero.

Ray's heart sank. This was already the fifth trial. Losing twenty potential points was devastating. How many trials were left? And what exactly was the passing score?

When Lily shifted restlessly behind him, Ray tightened his grip, silently urging her to stay calm. As captain, he couldn't afford to let emotions ruin their future. No matter how unfair it felt, he had to endure it.

Giselle stood frozen for a long moment, her expression conflicted.

She knew the rules well. The entrance exam consisted of ten trials, each worth up to ten points. Sixty points were required to enter the outer court, while the inner court demanded at least eighty-five.

In most exam cycles, only one or two truly exceptional individuals managed to qualify for the inner court.

Now, class zero had already lost twenty points.

That meant there was no room for error. From this point onward, they would have to perform almost flawlessly in every remaining trial.

And those trials were far from easy.

Central Academy's entrance exam tested everything, not just combat ability. Even though they had shone in the first three trials, there was no guarantee the rest would favor them.

Giselle said nothing more. There was no point in scolding Lily now. What was done was done.

All that remained… was to move forward.

The elderly woman swept out of the chamber, the heavy door slamming shut behind her with a sharp echo that lingered in the corridor. None of those inside noticed the faint curve of satisfaction that lifted the corners of her lips once she was alone.

"Heh," she muttered under her breath, her steps light and unhurried. "That old fossil Zhuo Shi must be hopping mad by now. Serves him right." Her thoughts drifted back to the four youths, and especially to the girl who had dared to reject her so outright.

"Those brats aren't bad. A little more pressure will only harden them." She snorted softly, eyes narrowing with amusement. "As for that Lily… since you dared to refuse me today, there'll come a time when you come knocking on my door yourself."

With her hands clasped behind her back, the elderly woman vanished down the corridor, her figure soon swallowed by the depths of Central Academy.

*

Still carrying a mixture of grievance and simmering indignation, Class Zero was led to the site of the sixth trial.

The moment they arrived, all four of them froze.

This trial was… strange. Ridiculously so. It tested their capacity not for combat, talent, or mental fortitude, but for something far more mundane.

Eating.

Before each examinee sat a massive silver tray, and piled high upon each tray was a mountain of steamed buns. Snow-white, plump, and steaming faintly, they looked almost absurd in their quantity.

A sign stood off to the side, clearly listing the rules. Fifteen buns constituted a passing score. For every additional five buns eaten, one extra point would be awarded.

However, there was a strict restriction: soul power circulation was forbidden. They were to rely entirely on their physical bodies and their stomachs.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Violetta and Raziel slowly turned their heads, their gazes settling on Ray in perfect unison.

Something stirred beneath Ray's composed exterior. He turned to Giselle and asked politely, "Teacher, are we allowed to help each other eat in this trial?"

Giselle was still in a foul mood and answered curtly, "If you can eat enough to score full marks, then you're free to help the others."

The trial was bizarre, but when viewed through Central Academy's lens, it made a twisted kind of sense. This was not a test of appetite, but of willpower.

For an ordinary teenager, fifteen steamed buns were already an overwhelming amount. Without soul power to assist digestion, most examinees would hit their physical limit long before reaching a high score.

It was a trial that forced participants to push past discomfort, nausea, and the instinctive refusal of the body.

Medical staff were present, of course. Soul masters possessed sturdier physiques than ordinary people, but overeating could still cause serious illness if left unchecked. This innocent-looking trial was a devil in disguise, dragging examinees into a private hell where every bite felt like torture.

Unfortunately for the examiners, today's group contained an anomaly.

"Thank you, Teacher," Ray said earnestly, his eyes already fixed on the buns before him.

To him, this trial felt as if it had been designed specifically with his name on it.

He reached out, grabbing two buns in each hand.

They were soft and springy, warm to the touch, and their mild aroma sent a fierce rumble through his stomach. Despite Lily having given him food earlier in the morning, it had barely taken the edge off his hunger.

Coupled with the blood essence he had expended during the previous trials, he was ravenous.

The sight of so much food felt almost unreal, like a blessing descending from the heavens.

Ray devoured each bun in three quick bites. Before anyone could react, four buns were already gone.

Seeing that Ray could eat on their behalf, Raziel immediately relaxed. He leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head, looking as though he were enjoying a leisurely afternoon.

Violetta was more sensible, choosing to sit cross-legged and meditate quietly. Lily alone picked up a bun, eating slowly as she stayed beside Ray.

Giselle frowned, her brows knitting together. "Why aren't you two starting?" she asked sharply.

"You have thirty minutes," she continued. "However many buns you've eaten when time is up will determine your score."

Raziel grinned, unbothered. "Teacher, just wait and see."

In the short exchange of words, another four buns disappeared into Ray's stomach. He let out a soft sigh, patting his abdomen lightly. The uncomfortable hollowness inside him eased almost immediately.

Ray's appetite was the result of necessity. His bloodline consumed enormous amounts of energy, and his digestion was correspondingly powerful. His stomach could handle nearly ten times what an ordinary person's could.

Those buns barely lingered long enough to be felt before being broken down into nutrients.

Mistaking his speed for recklessness, Giselle said, "Slow down. Speed doesn't matter as long as you eat enough. If you rush, your digestion will—"

She stopped mid-sentence.