Meta-Origin: Genesis Key

Earth Metaverse Year 10, 7th June 2031 AD.

The sun had barely risen, casting a soft golden hue over the city, but the air was already heavy with tension.

Today marked the first day of the college entrance examination, and an almost solemn atmosphere hung over the streets.

Like countless other students, Shawn arrived early at the examination center.

Yet, it wasn't until 8:30 that the gates finally opened.

Parents stood outside, their eyes filled with expectation as they watched their children step forward. The students, on the other hand, moved with a mix of nerves and determination—presenting their IDs and admission tickets, scanning the examination hall maps, searching for their assigned classrooms. One by one, they took their seats, each desk spaced apart in the sterile, structured layout of the exam hall.

Shawn's seat was by the window on the left side of the room. To his right sat Donner, and directly behind him, Jolie.

The air inside the classroom was thick with tension, a kind of quiet seriousness that weighed down on everyone.

Except for one person.

Shawn seemed strangely at ease. His expression was calm, his posture steady—an anomaly midst the fidgeting students who rubbed their hands nervously or darted glances around the room. His exam-approved stationery lay neatly in front of him, and beneath his T-shirt, a faint glimmer of metal peeked out—the chain of the Zhen Palace Spirit Key, still resting against his chest.

 In the past few months, Shawn had kept all distractions at bay, focusing solely on preparing for this exam.

Just two days ago, an acceptance letter from Capital University had arrived in his inbox. But he hadn't shared the news with anyone. Instead, he had quietly slipped the letter into his schoolbag. No matter what happened, this was his safety net—just in case the exam took an unexpected turn.

He had even postponed his responsibilities with the Meta Origin Society. Kent had sought special permission from Elder Pingzi to delay their upcoming meeting until after the exams, understanding that Shawn had no time to spare.

Despite everything, Shawn felt confident. Over the past semester, his academic rankings had consistently placed him at the top of his class.

He was certain that today's exam would be no exception. Of course, deep down, he knew that his success wasn't solely due to hard work—the Zhen Palace Spirit Key had played a crucial role, enhancing his Soul Energy and sharpening his mind.

But something had been bothering him lately.

Since last week, both Donner and Jolie had started wearing strange octagonal pendants—pendants that bore an uncanny resemblance to his own Spirit Key Medal. The design, the shape, the material—everything about them felt eerily similar, except for their colors.

Donner's pendant was brown, carved from meteorite jade.

Jolie's was blue, made from the same otherworldly stone.

Could it be that they, too, possessed Spirit Key Medals?

What unsettled Shawn even more was the shift in their demeanor.

For a long time, both Donner and Jolie had regarded him with jealousy and resentment—their eyes filled with quiet frustration, as if they were chasing a goal they could never reach. But now… now, their gazes carried something different. Contempt. Superiority.

It was the look of someone who had already won.

They no longer saw him as an obstacle, but as a temporary leader soon to be dethroned. Their expressions seemed to say: this game? We will win.

For the first time, Shawn felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

9:00 AM – The Exam Begins

The proctor announced the start of the test. The first subject was Language and Literature.

The classroom fell into a tense silence. Test papers and answer sheets lay neatly on every desk. The only sounds were the scratching of pens against paper and the steady ticking of the clock at the front of the room—each second an invisible weight pressing down on the students.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on Shawn's desk. The questions came easily to him at first. Fill-in-the-blanks. Multiple-choice. He breezed through them, his mind steady, his pen moving swiftly.

Then he reached the literature analysis section.

His pen hesitated.

For a brief moment, his fingers stiffened around the carbon pen. This was supposed to be his strongest subject—the one he had always excelled in. And yet, as his eyes scanned the ancient text, his thoughts refused to flow. A strange unease crept over him.

His palms were damp. His fingertips felt cold.

What's happening?

He swallowed hard, instinctively reaching for the Zhen Palace Spirit Key beneath his shirt. In the past, whenever he struggled with a problem, all he had to do was touch it—and suddenly, inspiration would flood his mind, as if unlocking a hidden reservoir of wisdom.

But today…

Today, the Spirit Key was silent.

It sat against his chest, cold and unresponsive, as lifeless as a mere trinket.

A flicker of panic surged through him. Is it… broken?

For the first time, he realized just how much he had come to depend on it.

Without the Spirit Key, could he really succeed in this exam?

Shawn's heart clenched.

Instinctively, he glanced sideways at Donner, seated to his right.

Donner's fingers occasionally brushed over the octagonal pendant on his chest, which emitted a faint, almost imperceptible glow. His expression was relaxed, even pleased—an unmistakable air of confidence and superiority lingered in his demeanor.

Jolie was behind him, out of sight, but Shawn could imagine her state was much the same.

A heavy, invisible pressure settled over him.

It wasn't just the exam weighing on his mind now—it was them.

The presence of Donner and Jolie felt entangled with his own fate, as if their mere existence had begun to eclipse him. And those pendants…

There was no doubt they held some kind of power, something he couldn't quite grasp. But more than that, a chilling possibility crossed his mind—had they already surpassed him?

Anxiety twisted into something deeper, something darker—fear.

His first concern was no longer just the entrance exam.

If the Zhen Palace Spirit Key didn't recover its Soul Energy, this wasn't just about losing his top scores. He might never again connect with Kapteyn's Star. Never again be able to fulfill the mission entrusted to him by Mr. King and the others. Never again search for the remaining Nine Palace Spirit Keys…

Time slipped away.

His test paper remained filled with blank spaces.

Calm down... Calm down... Shawn repeated to himself, forcing his focus back onto the questions.

He combed through his memory, desperately trying to retrieve what he had studied, but without the usual flood of inspiration, his mind felt sluggish—like a jammed machine.

Then, a voice—soft yet laced with quiet malice—drifted from behind him.

"Shawn, today you will understand what true power is."

Jolie.

A cruel challenge hidden beneath the smooth words.

As if on cue, Donner, sensing Shawn's glance, subtly tilted his head, the corners of his mouth curling ever so slightly. The smirk was restrained, but the meaning was clear: You thought you were the only one who possessed a Spirit Key? Now that we have them too, let's see who truly wins in the end.

Shawn's fingers trembled.

He refused to respond.

This wasn't just a taunt—it was something deeper. A battle of dominance. Were they looking down on him like a fallen rival? Or was this the arrogance of those who believed they had already secured victory?

He couldn't tell.

Shawn clenched his fists and shut his eyes, pushing every distracting thought out of his mind.

And then—

A voice, deep and resolute, echoed from somewhere distant.

"Shawn, the power of the Spirit Key does not lie in itself. It lies in the one who wields it. Relying on it is not mastery—it is weakness. Remember, true strength is never bound by external objects."

His grandfather?

Mr. King?

Elder Pingzi?

No—

The voice was unfamiliar. Ancient. Kind.

A sharp jolt ran through him.

Shawn's eyes snapped open, and his grip on the pen tightened.

Halfway through the exam, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus.

The Zhen Palace Spirit Key wasn't coming back.

He had to rely on his own mind.

If he couldn't succeed on his own, then what was the Spirit Key worth? What was he worth? Would he be nothing more than someone who leaned on an external crutch?

Maybe… Maybe this was exactly the test he needed.

This is my chance to prove myself.

Determination surged through him.

His hesitation vanished.

He pressed his pencil against the paper—and wrote.

The bell rang.

The exam was over.

Shawn let out a slow, measured exhale as he handed in his test paper. An unexpected sense of relief washed over him.

He had done his best. Whatever the result, he had faced it with his own strength.

This is just the beginning…

His gaze flickered toward the end of the corridor.

Donner and Jolie stood there, watching.

Their presence was no longer suffocating—it was a challenge.

Yes.

The college entrance exam was just the prelude.

Their real battle was just beginning.

But one question lingered in his mind, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts—

If Donner and Jolie were part of the AGI-ST program…

How had they gotten their hands on the Spirit Keys of the Meta Origin Society?

And most of all—

Who was that mysterious old man?