Third Phase (1)

The marble table that was sliced in half shatters into pieces. Everyone was shocked and terrified about what happened. They simply couldn't believe what they had just seen with their own eyes. The proctor remained speechless for a moment while assistant Paul himself simply smiled with confidence.

How…? How did he manage to make it in time? He was already on the brink of getting eliminated so why? Just why? Why does a filthy worm like him possess so much talent?

The proctor himself still had a hard time believing what he just saw. He simply couldn't grasp or comprehend what Markus is capable of.

That fucking bastard… He really intends to kill me huh? That attack just now…was much faster than the previous one. Even though I managed to dodge it. Now that I look at it, no matter how illegal it is to attack another participant during the exam, it'll be considered normal as soon as someone like me is present here.

"Participant number 73, 88, 95, 115, 128, eliminated. And that concludes for the second phase exam. Congratulations to those who passed this phase."

As the second phase concludes, the proctor mentions the eliminated participants by their numbers. To everyone's astonishment, participant number 146 or Markus was not mentioned. The others started questioning after they saw such a scene just now.

"Seriously? That filthy peasant passed?"

"Unbelievable!"

"Well that guy did manage to keep up even after being sabotaged after all."

"I must say, that low class guy will be a difficult opponent."

While some of them couldn't believe that Markus managed to pass, some had given him credit for being capable even though they don't fully acknowledge him. The elf that landed a final attack from the back was not happy with the outcome and remained silent.

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"

One of the eliminated participants lashed out.

"WHY DID THAT TRASH PASS THE EXAM WHILE I DIDN'T?! EVERYONE CLEARLY SAW THAT HIS TABLE WAS DESTROYED RIGHT?! SO WHY?!"

"I did say, 'You must complete all the levels before your table gets destroyed. You may also do what you wish to pass.' And that peasant you're referring to managed to complete it at the last second, so what's your problem?"

The lashing out participant was silenced for a moment by the proctor's answer.

"And you're one of the people who attacked that peasant, no? And that peasant still managed to hold off his own and passed while you did not. You may now leave."

The lashing participant's spirits were crushed by the proctor's words. He despaired as he couldn't accept his situation.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME-"

The participant lashed out again. But before he could finish his sentence, he got immediately transported by the assistant outside the gate of the academy. He was shocked for a moment until he noticed the assistant waving at him inside the gate bidding him farewell.

"HEY WAIT-"

He tried to chase the assistant but he was blocked by the guards. He desperately tried to force himself through but the assistant's already gone. He gave up and walked away.

Oh dear, what a troublesome participant he was. That's what happens when noble class people like him are spoiled at a young age, they develop rotten attitudes. Oh well, time to get back to work.

The assistant thought to himself as he transports the remaining eliminated participants outside the gate.

"Let us proceed to the third phase."

As the proctor declares so, all the marble tables that the proctor created crumbles into dust. This time, the proctor did not need to snap his fingers to do it.

"For the second phase exam results, over 41 participants were eliminated and over 60 of you are remaining."

Everyone was in complete shock when the proctor announced how many participants were eliminated from the second phase.

Is the entrance really this hard? I understand that being sabotaged during the exam is very difficult but, everyone here are all upper class with vast knowledge so why?

While Markus ponders about the exam, the same girl with disguised appearance he aided earlier approached him.

"Umm…thank you for…helping me earlier."

She expressed her gratitude to Markus for aiding her on the second phase exam. For some reason, Markus's cheeks turned red and reacted bashfully by her sweet and soft voice. He tried to keep composure and respond quickly.

"I-it's nothing. How about you? Are you okay? And your injuries as well?"

"I-I'm fine… It's nothing that bad…"

This person claims to be fine, but even I can tell she's not well by just looking at how she stands.

"Here, drink this."

Without hesitation, I lent her the potion, the same potion that the annoying merchant tossed me for free. This potion instantly recovered all my stamina earlier, so it should probably heal her injuries as well.

"I- are you sure…?"

"Yes, why?"

"N-no, it's nothing. It's just…it's a waste to give this kind of potion to someone like me.."

What the hell does she mean? She could barely stand from the injuries she sustained even though it's not visible.

"What do you mean? It'll be a waste either if you don't take it now you know? Besides, I want to give it to you."

Upon hearing this, her cheeks turned red and became bashful by his words. She hesitates to take the potion for a moment, but eventually accepts and takes the potion. As she drank the potion, it only took a second for the potion to take effect. She was astonished by the effects of the potion and couldn't contain her curiosity to ask Markus about the potion.

"Um… thank you for the potion but…may I know where you bought this?"

"Ah, that potion was given to me by that tricky merchant for free. I bought one from that guy earlier before I came here, but I didn't expect I'd be getting a buy 1 take one healing potion from him."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That guy also said he made that potion himself. The potion was effective but he sold that potion to me for 10 silver coins which makes his price too sketchy."

"10 silver coins?"

"Yeah, surprising isn't it? His potions are just like the ordinary ones yet he sold them at a sketchy price."

"You're wrong… This isn't any ordinary potion."

"Hmm?"

"Ordinary potions can heal injuries partially but can't fully heal a gravely injured person. And ordinary potions aren't capable of boosting someone's mana and physical abilities like this one you have. If I'm not wrong, this kind of potion is extremely rare and valuable. The price of this kind of potion ranges from 100 to 500 gold coins. Which is why I was shocked when you told me that potion was sold to you for only 10 silver coins."

Markus was shocked upon hearing her statements.

What the hell?! Seriously?! If that's the case, why'd he sell that for 10 silver coins only? I didn't realize it until now. But I didn't know it was that expensive.

"You two there."

As the two of them are having a conversation, the proctor suddenly interrupts them.

"Both of you will be in group O."

Wait what? Group O? Does that mean this third phase will be in groups? But there's only two of us.

"Um, where are my other group mates?"

"Just the two of you."

The awkward silence occurred between them for a moment as Markus finds out there will be only 2 of them in the group while the other groups have 4-6 members each.

Ah, I forgot that none of these nasty bastards would want to be in the same group as me.

"I see…"

"Servant Paul, you know what to do."

Ah, he called him that again.

The assistant felt the urge to revolt against the proctor after being addressed as "servant" for the second time. But he couldn't do so during the exam so he has to endure the humiliation until the exam ends.

"Yes…"

Ah yikes, he's pissed…

Markus thought so after sensing the assistant's emotion.

*Snap*

This time, the assistant simply snaps his fingers rather than using both of his hands like earlier. A moment after he snapped his fingers, magic circles appeared in every group. A moment after, they were transported to another room. But this time, all groups were transported separately into different rooms.

Before I knew it, I saw myself in a much smaller room with this person. This room looks simple yet all the furniture here looks fancy. Just like the other room, all of them have fancy furniture. But this room has a different shape, it has 5 sides instead of 4.

"Greetings everyone. As you can see all of you were transported separately in groups to different rooms. For the third phase exam, all of you that are in the same room will have to work together defending the magical stone from other groups and the roaming magical golems. If you fail to do so, your whole group will be eliminated. You must survive the third phase for 60 minutes without your magical stones getting destroyed. Let the third phase commence."

As the third phase began, everyone immediately made their move while the others prepared a strategy. Markus and his team, on the other hand, remained in the room.

"Umm…what are we gonna do now?"

"Ah, please wait a bit."

Markus humbly told her to wait as he's creating something with his magic. The person watching him was surprised when she recognized what he was creating.

"I-is that for real?"

"Yeah."

What Markus had created with his magic is an hourglass with a timer above. The same hourglass the proctor used from the second phase.

Finally, it's complete. With this, we'll be able to keep track of time with a few seconds behind.

"Let's go, shall we?"

"Um…before that, may I know your name…?"

"Oh, my name is Markus. How about you?"

Markus reached out his hand to offer a handshake. She hesitates for a moment, but she eventually takes off her hood revealing her face and reaches out her hand to him.

"I'm… Angelina. Nice to meet you."

She gave a smile while introducing herself. Markus was stunned when she revealed her face. She has bright yellow long hair that matches her dazzling yellow eyes and a lovely face. She also has pointy ears, making her appearance identical to an elf. Markus's heart couldn't stop beating as his hand met with hers.

"N-nice to meet you too…"

Bashful and nervousness took over Markus's emotion at that moment. He couldn't react properly nor how to react.

"Um...Markus, can you let go now? You're holding my hand for too long…"

"Oh, my bad-"

As he's about to let go of her hand, they are suddenly disrupted as the room's wall they're in gets destroyed. A magical golem then entered the broken wall and appeared in front of the two of them. This golem has red four pointed star shaped eyes with no visible mouth and a bronze body with a red glowing stone on its chest. It doesn't have legs but levitates instead, making it difficult to know whether it is near or far. The golem noticed the two and looked at them.

"Um…"

"Don't worry."

Markus reassures her not to worry and Angelina nodded. As the golem looked at them, it aimed its right hand towards them and changed its form into a cannon. The cannon in its hand starts charging magical energy and prepares to fire at them.

"Get behind me!"

As Markus told her so, Angelina gets behind him and the magic stone along with her using her magic. The golem then fires the charged up magical energy at them. It caused enough destruction to destroy every surroundings upon impact.

That was close. Luckily I made it in time. That being said, it wrecked all the walls of this room.

Markus manages to block the attack in time with his ink wall. But the impact obliterated all the walls of the room, making the other rooms neighboring it visible. As he dispels his ink wall, he sees the golem preparing for another attack in front of him. Markus however manages to act quickly and launches a counterattack.

"Ink magic: Black Thorns"

As he finishes his incantation, a huge black thorn appears from the ground and pierces the golem's chest so easily. The golem immediately loses its life from the attack and immediately falls down to the ground as Markus dispels his magic.

"Amazing…"

Angelina compliments him for effortlessly defeating a magical golem.

"I know right..."

Markus's expressions changed and was petrified as he looked to Angelina's direction. Seeing his expression as he looked at her made her feel uncanny.

"Um...why are you staring like that?"

Angelina asked but he gave no response. Markus simply froze as he saw 5 other golems staring at her from behind.