Supreme Lord: I can extract everything! Chapter 4 Final Exam (II)

Michael’s chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged gasps.

Dozens of lacerations were etched haphazardly across his frame, while crimson droplets slid down the length of his slender longsword.

Though only a few minutes had passed since he tackled the first two questions of the trial, Michael was already reaching his limit.

High above, more Emactyls manifested in the air, their piercing screeches echoing as they circled him like vultures. Their purpose was to harass and pin him down; a deliberate complication of the examination.

He fought to steady his mind amidst the turmoil, searching for the most precise answers. This final test was designed to evaluate a student's stamina, combat prowess, willpower, analytical skills, and mental agility under pressure. The combination of these metrics would produce a final score, establishing the baseline potential of every graduate.

Standing out was the only way to rise above the masses and make a mark in the government's university entrance exams. It was the gate to the world of true adults—the realm where Lords, Adventurers, and powerful organizations dictated the future.

'The question "What is a War Rune?" isn't hard to answer, but since it accounts for 60% of this section's written score, I need to provide a comprehensive response,' Michael mused. He reached for his crystal watch to pull up a digital notepad.

A holographic interface flickered into existence before him. He began jotting down notes, a necessary tactic as the diving Emactyls made it nearly impossible to maintain a clear train of thought.

Over the next ten minutes, Michael dispatched ten of the creatures. By then, he had finished outlining the essential facts regarding the War Rune.

Looking over his bullet points, Michael felt a sense of pride, knowing he could now expand them into a sophisticated formal answer.

[– A War Rune manifests at age 18, though it does not appear for every sentient being.

–Those possessing a War Rune share a direct link to the Origin Expanse and may enter that realm at will.

–Every War Rune contains an isolated storage dimension. The capacity of this space expands as the War Rune’s Tier increases.

–The War Rune serves as a gateway to the soul.

–Upon manifestation, the link must be ratified by the Will of the Origin Expanse. Failure to enter the Origin Expanse within one week causes the connection to atrophy until the War Rune vanishes entirely.

–Known as "Limit-breakers," War Runes allow a person to perceive and harness the energy found within the Origin Expanse. This allows one to grow in power and transcend the constraints of a mortal human. While Origin energy tempers the War Rune, the Rune in turn strengthens and refines both the physical body and the mind.]

Michael deleted a few points that strayed too far from the specific question asked.

He spent some time refining the structure, adding nuances and removing fluff until he had a response that truly demonstrated his deep understanding of the topic.

Those small devils, the Emactyls, persisted in their harassment, but he continued to polish his points to ensure his written score would be top-tier.

He suspected their numbers would only swell and that the trial would grow increasingly complex.

With no other choice, he pressed onward toward the mountain peak.

The journey required Michael to slay more beasts while fielding additional inquiries. Luckily, many of the questions focused on logic and practical application rather than rote memorization.

[A newly summoned Lord commands his subjects to hunt monsters outside the safety of the barrier. How many Low Tier-0 Monsters (10) must be slain by these subjects for the Lord's War Rune to be saturated and ready for Tier advancement?]

Michael nodded slightly as he dodged a flurry of attacks. It looked like a trick question, but the logic was straightforward.

'A new Lord’s summons start with a Neutral Link of Loyalty. Such a link typically transfers only 1% of energy. Therefore, a Low Tier-0 Monster would only yield 0.1 energy...'

Calculating math while sharp teeth tore into his shoulder was hardly ideal. The pain of flesh being ripped away was agonizing, yet he had to endure.

He pushed through, providing his answers while hacking any Emactyl that ventured too close into bloody pieces.

By the time he finished the subsequent questions, Michael’s body was a map of nearly a hundred wounds. His shoulder was the worst of it; deep gouges had exposed the bone to the freezing mountain air.

He was well aware this was a simulated reality, yet the agony felt disturbingly authentic.

[Summary Question – The Dawn of the Great Origin Era]

There was no specific prompt, only the clear directive to summarize the inception of the Great Origin Era.

"Let’s see..." Michael started, then paused.

He wondered which historical milestone would net him the most points. Should he focus on the first successful colonization of a distant star system? The first contact with alien species 563 years ago? Perhaps the emergence of the Origin Expanse 511 years ago, or the rise of the first Lord a year later?

As he deliberated, he noticed his projected form was beginning to fail under the relentless assault of the swarming Emactyls.

He began his recitation.

"The Great Origin Era was inaugurated by..."

After speaking for ten minutes, Michael finished and squeezed his eyes shut. Vertigo washed over him, and his legs felt like lead.

Suddenly, the burning pain in his shoulder vanished. Startled, he looked around.

The illusion had dissolved, leaving him standing in the center of the examination room. Though he was drenched in cold sweat and breathing heavily, his body was completely uninjured.

"It's... finally over..." he whispered, patting his chest and arms to confirm that the wounds were gone.

[Congratulations, Student Michael Fang. The final examination is complete. Your results will be processed shortly. You will receive a notification within the week after all Golden Sun province students have finished their testing. Thank you for your participation!]

The sword in his hand flickered out of existence, and he spotted his backpack sitting in the corner.

"Sure. Have fun putting my classmates through that. Don't go easy on them!" Michael quipped with a touch of bitterness. To his surprise, the monotone system voice replied.

[I do not show favoritism. My primary directive is absolute fairness!]

"It was a joke... never mind," Michael sighed, too drained to explain sarcasm to a machine.

He was mentally fried, and a dull ache lingered in his shoulder. In fact, every spot where he had been maimed in the simulation felt tender, particularly the shoulder where the flesh had been "missing."

'Is my brain still processing the phantom pain? If it's this vivid... what happens if someone actually dies in there?' He shuddered, his imagination conjuring grim scenarios.

'Whatever. I've done enough to pass. I'm done with this place.'

Michael decided to ignore the lingering soreness. He just wanted to go home and think about that strange dream he’d had. It was burned into his memory, a persistent distraction that left him feeling deeply unsettled.

There was no point in returning to the classroom now.

However, as he moved to exit the chamber, he ran into an unexpected obstacle.

A woman with a fierce, commanding presence stood by the door, her eyes locked onto him with unmasked intensity.

Michael gave a small, instinctive bow, intimidated by the sheer pressure she radiated.

'A beautiful, dangerous-looking stranger... that's never a good sign.'

He tried to slip past her, but the woman took his gesture as an opening.

"How are you holding up, kiddo?" she asked, her voice clear and resonant.

'Kiddo? Do I really look that young?' Michael wanted to snap back, but he held his tongue, offering only a faint, tired smile.

"I probably did well enough to graduate, but that's about it. I'm not aiming for the elite universities or famous academies, so it doesn't matter much. It’s not like they could offer me anything useful anyway," he said, before realizing he was rambling and cutting himself off.

He squinted at the fierce beauty, who was now smiling back with a strange sparkle in her eyes.

'She's doing something. Is this an Artifact's influence, or perhaps her Soultrait?'

"Don't be so modest, kiddo. I’m here because I want you to consider the Saphirelake Military Academy. You should take their entrance exam. If you pass, you'll have far more leverage when the military inevitably drafts all Lords and Adventurers," she said casually. Despite her breezy tone, the weight of her words hit Michael like a hammer.

A total stranger was handing him an invitation out of the blue?

His mind raced, filled with growing suspicion.

'A military draft? But we aren't at war... right?'

'...Saphirelake Military Academy... that's a major institution in... wait, where is it?' Michael shook his head, literally slapping his own cheeks to focus. The location wasn't the issue.

'Why tell me about a draft? And who the hell is she?'

Something felt incredibly off. But when he tried to voice his doubts, something seemed to block his words.

"My grades won't be high enough for Saphirelake, even if I wanted to go," he managed to say instead.

The woman’s grin grew wider. "Your score should be plenty. And if you manage something extraordinary as a new Lord in the Origin Expanse, I can personally assist you!"

"But why would you do that?" he finally blurted out, breaking through the mental haze.

Michael was certain he had just snapped some sort of spell. Instead of being annoyed, the woman’s smile became so radiant it was almost blinding.

"I knew I had a good feeling about you," she whispered, stepping into his personal space before declaring loudly,

"I like you, kiddo!"

Michael immediately scrambled backward, a single thought echoing in his mind.

'...This woman is absolutely out of her mind!'