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Extra's Abyss-Chapter 36: Entrance Exam[1]
Chapter 36 - Entrance Exam[1]
5th August 1648, Ether City.
In the bustling train station, numerous people were walking around, entering their platform or exiting the station.
Noctis walked out of his train, noticing the large crowd rushing around along with several guards who were maintaining the order here.
Navigating through the bustling crowd, Noctis skillfully maneuvered his way towards the exit, deftly squeezing past the throngs of people. Noctis insisted on traveling alone, which is why no one was with him when he arrived at the Ether city alone.
Noctis scanned the area before he pulled out his mobile, opening the notification he received earlier.
Clara: Where are you?
Clara: Did you arrive at the station yet or not?
Quickly typing out a reassuring message to Clara, Noctis stopped a cab that was just about to leave.
"Excuse me, there seems to be an empty seat. Can I come along?" He asked the cab driver, who looked at the person beside him.
In the passenger seat sat a black-haired boy of the same age as him, his dark blue eyes glancing at him.
Looking back, he saw a long, black-haired girl staring at her mobile, letting out giggles to herself. He noticed the resemblance between them; they were twins.
Noctis asked politely, "U-Uhm Can I tag along with you guys?" He was already running late, and he could see there were no free cabs currently.
After a brief moment of observation, the black-haired boy nodded in agreement, "Sure thing, mate."
"Also, you should probably let me sit at the front, and you sit with your sister at the back." Noctis quickly reminded him.
The boy let out a sigh before groaning quietly; he quickly got off and entered the back seat.
Noctis sat in the front seat as he nodded to the driver to move, turning his head back.
He could see them quarreling with each other; they were competing for more space even though they had more than enough space. He coughed softly, attempting to catch the twins' attention amidst their little quarrel.
"Thanks for letting me tag along. I am Noctis, by the way." In response to Noctis, the twins halted their conversation and turned to look at him.
"No need to thank us; we all are here for the entrance exam anyway." The girl spoke first with a soft voice, her sky-blue eyes staring at him.
Her brother spoke next, "What do you mean, us? I was the one who let him! Forget about this girl. I am Ivan. Nice to meet you."
"Does it even matter?, Oh, I am Zoe. Nice to meet you." She spoke cheerfully to him while her brother was staring at her with disbelief on his face.
"So, where are you guys from, if you don't mind saying?" He glanced at them both.
"We both are from Sethown City; it's in the southern region. What about you?" Ivan answered him.
"I am from the Stellar City in the Northern Region," Noctis scratched his head.
"Oh, the stellar city, I heard it was a beautiful place." Zoe spoke excitedly, her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward to ask more about the city.
Pushing his sister aside, "What University at aimi—", he got cut off as Zoe pushed him back.
And then they began to fight with each other in the back seat, chuckling at their sibling bond. Noctis pulled up their status as he looked ahead.
[Status]
Name: Zoe
Rank: E
Resonance Elements: Zephyr (A)
Unique Skills: None
[Status]
Name: Ivan
Rank: E
Resonance Elements: Gravos (A)
Unique Skills: None
Noctis closed the window while he thought of the twins. 'These two were not in the game, or it could be that I haven't encountered them, but that's unlikely as I have already played the game several times.'
'With the talent they have, both of them can get into the Ethereon University, yet there was no mention of them.'
He ignored the loud noises from the outside, continuing to ponder over it: 'Not to mention with new people like this popping out, there are likely going to be more of them soon.'
His thoughts were interrupted, as he noticed that they had arrived at his destination; the car had stopped at the entrance of a luxurious apartment with several floors.
Noctis tapped his watch, sending the money to the cab driver as he got out of the car.
He looked at the surprised expression of the twins staring wide at the apartment behind him, and letting out a nervous chuckle, he waved his hands towards them before he walked away. "It was nice talking to both of you, Ivan, Zoe. Let's meet again at the university. See you guys later."
It took both of them a few minutes to come to their senses; they remained silent, as if pondering something, while the cab driver continued driving.
As he entered through the doorway, Noctis marveled at the intricately decorated hall, elegant furnishings, and soothing ambiance. He heard a voice from his side.
"Done admiring, we should get going now; the others are waiting." Turning around, Noctis saw Ethan waiting near the elevator with a small smile on his face.
Noctis greeted him, walking towards him as the door opened. Entering the elevator?" he asked. "How long have you guys been here for?"
"Not that long; it's been like a few hours since we arrived. you ready for the exam?" Ethan leaned against the wall as he looked ahead.
Noctis laughed dryly. "Still a little nervous, first time, I guess, but it's fine. I am more than prepared for it!"
"Good," Ethan nodded as they approached the floor where others were present. Walking out, he led Noctis to the second door on the right side and knocked once.
Noctis heard footsteps as a blond girl opened the door for them and stood aside, letting them in.
Trisha stared at Noctis as she puffed out her cheeks. "You're late, Nox; you kept us waiting!"
"My bad, I set the wrong alarm last night and woke up a little later." Stepping into the living hall, Noctis noticed Rain sitting upside down on a sofa, with his head resting on the floor and his legs playfully dangling in the air.
Rain, noticing him, waved his hand. "Yo," Noctis waved his hand back.
Looking around, he saw Clara and Lena were sitting outside chatting and laughing.
Noctis smiled at them before taking a seat on the empty couch and relaxing on it.
'The exam would begin tomorrow, starting with the theory part. After a day's break, the practical exam would commence'.
The registration had already been done a few days ago. The requirement this year was that only those who have reached the E- rank are eligible to register for the entrance exam.
According to the date released by the ERA, this year there are around ten thousand students who had successfully registered themselves.
Only a thousand students will be able to enter the top five universities; the remaining students will need to enter other private universities.
Each university has their minimum rank requirement to enter. For Ethereon University, only those who Ranked top 250 are qualified.
And Ethereon University admits 120 students each year, so Noctis would need to aim above the top 150 rank to be on the safe side.