I have a sovereign soul

As the students prepared for their university entrance exams, all the courses they were supposed to take had long been completed. These final 150 days were primarily dedicated to filling knowledge gaps and conducting various practice tests.

Every week, on a specific morning, a highly important simulated exam was held.

Under the impatient urging of the teachers, Scott took a deep breath and stepped into his assigned "exam room." As the door closed behind him, the entire world shut out.

> "Even though I haven't received personal guidance from the Needle King, I still have to take the Top Ten Universities' exam. If I give it my all, what do I have to be afraid of?"

Scott clenched his fist tightly.

---

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

A holographic display lit up on one of the exam room's inner walls, displaying a ticking countdown. At that moment, the exam timer had begun.

When it reached zero, an emotionless voice—as deep as an ancient well—echoed in the room:

> "The exam has begun. Prepare yourself, student!"

In response, thousands of mysterious runes carved into the walls of the exam chamber erupted simultaneously.

Scott barely had time to react before the scene before him flashed—the world around him twisted and transformed. In an instant, he found himself standing in the middle of a vast, barren wasteland, dyed a deep reddish-brown.

The ground burned with intense heat, sending tingling sensations through his feet. The air was thick, nearly suffocating, as if a damp towel had been wrapped around his entire body, impossible to shake off.

From time to time, hot gusts of wind blew past, carrying a pungent mix of blood and decay.

From all directions, eerie whispers and distant wolf-like howls echoed.

It felt real in every way—as if he had truly been transported into a land of cursed souls.

However, Scott knew the truth.

This was the "Virtual Dimensional Field" created by the exam chamber.

Time was of the essence.

He steadied his breath, calmed himself, and dashed forward, following the glowing arrow symbol floating in the sky.

---

The 70-Kilometer Endurance Run

This gruelling trial was a fundamental exam track designed by the Republic to distinguish the elite from the rest of the youth—those who might one day become true magicians.

The path was treacherous, riddled with traps and dangers.

Of course, as Scott passed over a slightly raised patch of dirt, the ground suddenly erupted—sending countless shards of rock flying in all directions.

From the midst of the debris, a massive, brown-furred tiger leaped out!

---

The Blazing Sand Tiger

This magical beast was far larger than an ordinary tiger.

Its sharp, curved fangs jutted downward like daggers, gleaming under the harsh sun.

It was a low-ranked Blazing Sand Tiger, a creature whose power had been scaled down for students like Scott.

Yet, it still possessed a formidable level of intelligence and a natural camouflage ability within the desert terrain.

For an average high school student, this would be a nightmare of an opponent.

However—

For Scott, who had survived 16 years in the Artifact Cemetery as a magic equipment scavenger, being hyper-aware of his surroundings had long since become second nature.

The tiger's camouflage was imperfect.

He had already seen through it moments ago.

---

The Clash

"Shhhhhh!"

Without hesitation, the Blazing Sand Tiger pounced!

Scott's legs tensed, his shoulders shifted downward, and he charged forward like a raging bull!

His timing was perfect.

At that precise moment, when the tiger had reached its maximum speed, it had no way to stop or change direction.

Scott collided head-on with the beast.

---

The Impact

"Crack!"

The Blazing Sand Tiger was deceptively cunning, but its physical endurance was lacking.

It was built for ambushing unaware prey, not direct confrontations.

In a single exchange, Scott shattered its spine with a devastating blow.

Then, with a swift iron-fisted punch, he sent it tumbling backward—crashing into its own den of sand.

Scott smirked and lunged forward.

His hand sliced through the air like a blade—gripping the tiger's small skull tightly.

With a powerful twist, he snapped its neck in an instant.

The Blazing Sand Tiger let out one final, bloodcurdling scream before falling lifeless to the ground.

"Ding! Ding!"

Out of nowhere, Scott heard a mechanical voice—it was the exam room system tallying his kill score.

Scott felt a surge of satisfaction. The combat skills he had trained in since childhood, along with the occasional lessons in martial arts from Horyang, were finally proving their worth.

---

In the Virtual Dimensional Field, a Blazing Sand Tiger was worth three points, bringing Scott's total score to 3.

Scott didn't rush ahead. Instead, he dragged the tiger's corpse out of the sand pit. Nearby, he found an extremely sharp rock and used it to cut open the beast's belly.

Before long, he had sharpened two ribs into daggers and crafted two bone blades. With great effort, he stitched together the tiger's hide into a makeshift waterskin, filling it with the beast's blood.

> In this scorching wasteland, a pouch of tiger's blood could mean the difference between life and death.

After reorganizing his supplies, resting, and planning his next move, Scott armed himself and pressed forward.

In less than an hour, he had already faced a Black Crisis, slaying five more low-ranked magical beasts.

Although the exam had only just begun, this was nothing more than a warm-up.

It was the later rounds that had caused countless test-takers in the Republic's history to suffer so much they wished they were dead.

---

A Storm of Questions

Above, green letters rained from the sky, swirling into the shape of a test prompt:

> "A mid-level mage was once wounded by a Phantom Venom Worm while fighting in the magical beast lands.

Every second, the worm consumed 25.43% of his mana.

His mentor discovered his condition after 2 minutes and 44 seconds.

To save him, the mentor transferred 5.71% of his own mana per second.

Now, answer the following questions:"

> 1. How long will it take for the mid-level mage to recover his mana to its original level?

2. Summarize the treatment method for Phantom Venom Worm poisoning. Additionally, outline the steps to treat the symptoms after infection.

3. Name the first guild that successfully developed an improvement for the Phantom Venom Worm. List at least two of its senior leaders.

Scott lightly slapped his cheeks, refocusing his mind.

> "I never expected such a ridiculous multi-disciplinary question to appear! Math, history, medicine—it's all mixed together!"

Knowledge of Warzone Medical Studies and various other subjects was required.

> "This truly deserves to be called a full simulation exam!"

Scott immersed himself in deep thought, recalling an endless stream of knowledge from years of quiet study.

His focus sharpened, and he responded at lightning speed, tackling each question methodically.

Soon, a light blue answer appeared beneath the green panel, as his voice echoed remotely.

> "Answered. Moving to the next question!"

---

A Mage's Race Against Time

> "A mage stands on a flying broomstick, traveling south toward a valley at a speed of 354 meters per second.

Another mage flies from the west in the opposite direction at 347 meters per second.

The distance between them is currently 200 kilometers.

How long will it take before they meet?"

This problem was far simpler than the last.

However, just as Scott was about to answer, he sensed the scent of approaching magical beasts.

Low, impatient growls rumbled closer and closer.

---

Amid the looming danger, Scott calculated and answered the question.

This exam tested more than just intelligence—it pushed students to their limits.

> Endurance. Combat skills. Willpower. Mental calculations. Quick thinking.

Only by mastering all of these could one rise above the ordinary.

> Only then could a student distinguish themselves in the Republic's University Entrance Exam—

and step onto the path of magic.

Scott gripped his twin bone daggers, crafted from the Blazing Sand Tiger's remains.

His lips curled into a grin, welcoming the oncoming challenge.

Inside his mind, countless thoughts whirled, calculating at incredible speed.

---

The Final Trial

Meanwhile, in the academic plaza, silence reigned.

Each classroom housed 130 exam chambers, and within the Virtual Dimensional Field, every third-year student was engaged in a desperate struggle—slaying beasts and solving brutal exam questions.

Five hours had passed in the virtual realm, though for the test-takers, time felt nonexistent.

The exam was nearing its end.

Scott's body was covered in nearly 30 wounds of varying sizes.

Some cuts bled dry, while others still seeped fresh red streaks.

Most concerning of all—his abdomen had been pierced by a magical beast's fang.

> He didn't dare to pull it out.

His bone blades were worn down to splinters.

Yet, one thing remained untouched—

His crystal-clear, moonlit eyes.

They still gleamed, unshaken, their brilliance undimmed.

---

Pain was not simulated in the Virtual Dimensional Field.

Yet, the injuries were meticulously designed to mimic real combat damage.

Scott exhaled.

> "This must be the final question..."

At that moment, golden light shimmered across the sky, forming a final glowing text.

Scott, relying on his years of experience, immediately recognized its significance.

> This was the final question—worth fifty points.

Though it wasn't long, each word carried immense weight for Scott.

>"Please summarize the Age of the Mage of Glory."