Apollo''s Pov


    The moment Yuan''s consciousness disappeared my task to die was achieved. A white light came to me before taking me to a room. As I stood there alone my thoughts after the exam flooded in. I came to realize that he was regarded as dead when thest remaining part of his self disappeared and became one with the spirit. In that time he was no longer a human but became a spirit.


    I have mixed feelings about this exam one of them being too difficult for a first year''s, especially since this is their first major examination after the entrance exam. Regr kids would be traumatized by this type of examination. The deaths are too real and the demon beasts are so scary that even I felt fear.


    [Demons from 2000 years ago are too unique in their own ways]


    "Uniquely scary you mean"


    (Lesson 1 Clear!


    You have a five-minute break before Part II of the exam starts)


    Those words appeared in the air then a five-minute timer reced them once I was done reading.


    "I should probably rest"


    I looked around and found myself in a small room with only a small table, a chair and a restroom.


    [There is also a refrigerator under the table]


    "It seems this will be my resting ce until I finish this test"


    [You better conserve your mental energy Creator, I believe the next ones will be more difficult than the previous]


    I couldn''t help but sigh truly I wonder if the kids from the other ss can handle this.


    When our professor first announced this, I thought it would be fun to see the actual heroes who fought valiantly during the massive breakout ever recorded in history. However, I never expected that history could have so much pain. To think that heroes are not the same as I believe them to be. They are just humans, they can be cruel, mighty and the weakest.


    They are not the ones you read in fairy tales where happy ever after exists. Heroes are humans forced to step up during the situation, and now I wonder how Julius became the greatest hero of the continent. Did he also experience traumatic events? Or perhaps he had lost a loved one as well, just like Yuan and Jun.


    Soon I will find out what truly happened.


    As time flow in five minutes ended and the next part of the exam started.


    (The second part of the exam is starting!


    Lesson 2: The Age of Heroes


    Good luck student Apollo)


    A light came to me until I heard voices, it was like there were people who were arguing. Slowly my vision stabilized until I found myself standing inside a busy street.


    "It is strangely peaceful?"


    [Does it make you worried?]


    "Yes since it means we will have to witness this ce get destroyed"


    While Jeremiah and I converse I began to hear the screams and shouts, it seemed they were approaching. It was a group of kids being chased by a man.


    "Stop there you thief!"


    The man shouted using his fat legs to run after the kids.


    "Thief? We work for you for weeks but you never pay us! We are only taking this bread aspensation! So shut up!"


    Despite the situation, the boy leading the group retorted to the man''s scream.


    "Wait that boy"


    Suddenly I felt a sense of familiarity towards the boy and upon closer inspection, I figured out why. A striking blonde hair and eyes shining like emeralds. It was the feature of one of the founding pirs of the empire, Julius Von Celestio.


    "This is him!"


    I realized, however, that it wasn''t the end the boy behind him made me even more surprised. A boy with ck hair and silver eyes simr to the Duke of Silvercrest, then the boy beside him was someone I am familiar with, it was ck hair that had a reddish hue however it turnedpletely red once the sun shone on it.


    "Obsidianvale"


    Then from him, my eyes went through thest kids. A boy with silver hair and a girl with red-orange hair.


    "That hair!"


    I can''t help but exim the colour was exactly the same as mine. I immediately use the system''s enhanced lenses and zoom in on the girl''s features. Upon closer inspection, I could see her eyes which were yellow, almost sparkling gold.


    "Beautiful"


    There is no doubt she is Artemis the founding pir of the Lionheart Family. Although she looks younger than the one in the family books I could definitely recognize her.


    "I can''t believe this I could see their childhood!"


    I was excited since records of their younger days are rare to find. People just focused on their stories as heroes and never bothered knowing how they became like that. But this time I could see it and know more about their history.


    "Hmmm?"


    Then suddenly I realized something as they passed by me I noticed how their clothes were rugged as if it has been torn apart. It was also too big for their size and worn out from too much use.


    "What''s this?"


    I questioned why do the founding heroes look like abandoned children.


    "Why do we have to endure seeing those kids?"


    "Those rats just don''t know how to die don''t they?"


    "Don''t worry my brother told me the lord of the city will get rid of them"


    I heard some gossip from the people making my heart more worried.


    "So the five founding pirs are street rats?"


    I could only say while seeing some people chase around the group of kids.


    "I should follow them"


    I took a step forward before I felt someone grab me.


    "Hey, you are not going to help those kids again right Esteban?"


    An old man suddenly said grabbing me by the shoulder.


    "Me?"


    Esteban? Was there something like that in history? Or is it an alias?


    "What do you mean Me? Of course, it''s you, I know you have been feeding those rats in the back alley. How can we be at peace when you letting those scums live!?"


    He continued to say causing the people to put their focus on me.


    "Esteban, Renato is right, can''t you see the problems they cause every day?"


    "We must not let them continue"


    This time it was an olddy with a basket of loaves of bread that butted in. She began pointing out the misdeeds they had done and thus must be eliminated.


    "Esteban!"


    In the midst of the old man anddy''s continuous ranting, I heard someone call me. A woman in religious clothing.


    "A nun?"


    "Sister rissa we are just educating your brother he shouldn''t go around helping bad people!"


    "The church is always wee for good, but especially those who have lost their path. The objective of the church is to set those who have sinned on the right path not just gather the righteous. Faith is specifically built for the lostmps, not for those who are already on the path"


    The woman named sister rissa said while urging me to approach her.


    "Thank you for taking care of my brother but we need to leave now"


    As we walked away from the judging eyes of the city my so-called sister spoke.


    "Why did you not help the kids when you saw them being chased?"


    She asked me so Iposed myself to answer.


    "I wasn''t about to react fast because they already left before I could even realize it was them"


    "Is that so" I could see her sigh then her expression suddenly changed and look expectantly.


    With her sudden change, I couldn''t help but look at him confusingly. Feeling my gaze she looked at me and began exining her reaction.


    "Ah, sorry did I surprise you? Actually, Father Mariano just approved my proposal about taking the kids inside the orphanage!"


    "Really no wonder you are happy"


    "Yeah we just need to find where they live and we could probably take them"


    We talked even more and just like what happened in the first part of the exam, days went by and the day the five founding pirs entered the orphanage happened.


    ...


    "Hello"


    Father Mariano weed the five although the kids were too defensive and didn''t talk much. It seems their guard is still up.


    "Wee to Saint Miguel Cathedral I hope you will like it here" added the priest.


    "Thank you for taking us"


    "No please don''t thank me" father Mariano calmly said urging the kids to go inside the beautiful church.


    As the kids went inside Father Mariano looked at the little girl among the group of boys.


    "She is as beautiful as her," the priest thought while stroking the kid''s hair.


    "The same hair and eyes as my sister" he added inside his head.


    "Tell me if there is anything you need okay?"


    Artemis nodded at his words then she excitedly ventured the halls of the church.


    Father Mariano lost his sister due to a pandemic and thus Artemis'' appearance made the old man protective. What he couldn''t protect in the past will surely be aplished in the present, even at the expense of his own life.


    "Hey look at this it''s cool!"


    "Look at this we have giant bells"


    As father Mariano looked at the energetic kids his heart was filled with calmness, he felt at peace.


    However opposite to him was Apollo who felt something would happen to destroy this ce.