CHAPTER 7: A Normal Start

Everyone in the hall held their breath, even the professors. The person she looked at, nobody wanted him to be the vice-president.

He was one of the strongest of the first years. Being amongst the top ten wasn't just a walk in the park, but the problem was his attitude. No one had spoken to him, but the rumours didn't give off a good image about him. And just how he walked away, without giving a customary speech.

A vice-captain needed to have good communication. Felix wasn't the best at that. 

Everyone was worried, except Sebastian. The Headmaster treated everyone equally. He tried to, but as a human, he also had his biases. Such is human nature..

But he believed anyone could reach the heights they wanted. Anyone could be the vice-president if they had the passion and determination to live up to the position.

And Oscar was the best for it. If not for Rose, he was the best candidate for the President.

He was more approachable and predictable than Felix. But if he had to choose... he would go for Felix.

Sebastian turned to the door, as Felix reached his hand out for the knob.

'Finally, I can leave this-'

He couldn't turn the doorknob. He even used mana to pull the knob, but it didn't turn an inch.

He looked back. Sebastian's blue eyes shone, and he smiled. 

'This old man.'

As for Rose, she never stopped looking at him. Seeing how he tried to escape, she chuckled. 

"I choose"

She looked at the crowd, and everyone gulped. 

'Anyone but Felix'

They thought.

"Oscar Maximillain."

She said,

Everyone took a deep breath. A relief escaped them as they leaned back in their chair.

They stood up and again the sound of clapping reverberated throughout the hall.

"Oscar, Oscar, Oscar."

They started chanting his name. Some even cried tears of happiness.

'Did they hate me that much?'

Felix knew this kind of reaction would happen, but not to this level.

Oscar waved at the crowd. The Headmaster shook hands with him and smiled.

"Fulfil the responsibility that comes towards you, but make sure you enjoy doing it."

"I will."

Oscar replied as the blue gem on his brooch turned purple. 

The other stars approached and also congratulated him.

Oscar smiled and nodded at Rose. She smiled back too, but her eyes were still glued to Felix, trying to break the door.

She stepped down from the podium and stood beside Leon. 

The announcer fixed her glasses and took the mic.

"The opening ceremony has ended. But-"

None of the students got a good feeling from the "But" at the end

 "Before your classes start. The first step to a bright and prosperous future, the professors have decided to organise something special before the class starts."

"The Professors have decided to organise a simple test for every first-year student inside the labyrinth."

"What?"

The students shouted. Shocked and confused, they looked at each other.

"A test on the first day and inside the labyrinth. They want us dead."

"Yeah, why our year? Our seniors didn't have to do this."

There were many complaints, like they should have. All of them imagined a smooth first day where all they did was take new and interesting classes, make friends and get the famous "Chicken and Rice" .

"Did you know about this?"

Oscar asked Rose.

"No."

She shook her head.

Even the Stars weren't informed about this. Felix too. He stopped pulling the door knob. It was impossible unless he scooped out Sebastian's eye.

'They must have wanted to do something interesting and new that lived up to the name of Arcadia.'

But what if there was something more behind it, not just a simple surprise test? He thought of many things, but none seemed plausible.

In the end he took a quick glance at the crowd, despite that it made him dizzy.

 It was good that Lim' face stood out from the rest and Felix saw him at the back at the very corner.

'Why does he look the most nervous?'

Lim was biting his nails and scratching his forehead. That is not how Felix thought he would act. If he knew the future, then he must have prepared for it. 

'He looks constipated.'

No, that wasn't the face of someone nervous or constipated. Something was wrong, and he looked like he had no plans for it.

*******

Every student after the announcement was handed a black tracksuit and a metal bracelet. The bracelet was a device that would automatically count a student's point and inform the professor if any student was in grave danger.

All the first- years gathered at Section X, where the academy's labyrinth, Nexus, was. 

Nexus was artificial, built by some of the greatest mages, around three hundred years ago. It has twenty-five floors and higher the floor, stronger the monsters.

The goal of the labyrinth was simple: to train the students. Let them experience the terror of a monster and realise the difference between regular training with a teacher holding back and something with the desire to kill.

"I can't believe it's actually happening."

"Well, you have to believe once the monsters start coming at you."

"What if we die?"

"We won't. The professors aren't psychotic enough to enjoy watching us die on our very first day."

Felix, on the other hand, wasn't worried about the test. He wanted to be away from the crowd but he was forced to stand beside the Stars on an elevated platform in front of everyone else, like statues.

'Right now, my anxiety level is higher than this labyrinth.'

He just looked down and waited for the test to start.

"Attention, everyone."

A male professor said. His voice reached at the end of the line, loud and clear. The control, he and amplifying sound with mana, was truly fitting for a professor of Arcadia.

He stood beside Felix and everyone turned to him, bringing more attention to Felix.

'What else to get more eyes on me? Get me in a clown dress?

 Without any instruction, the student moved and stood in a line, like a group of well-trained soldiers.

'He's strict.'

Everyone could tell by the glare he had.

Beside him was a spherical ball, placed on a table. He pressed a button on it, and a large blue panel hologram formed in the air.

"If your rank appears on the screen, step forward towards Nexus's gate. Take your choice of weapon and go inside. Your mission is simple. Kill three giant-rats on Floor-1 within ten minutes. Every monster is equal to one point."

The professor shouted.

The mission was quite simple, but the time limit given put a lot of pressure on them. Killing the monsters wasn't easy, but with time, they could.

They would have to rush. And doing so, one could make many mistakes.

Also, they weren't alone. Other students were going in as well. 

If one was slow, the other could steal their prey.

"Many of you might have already planned to steal other's hard work. But the person that deals the most damage will get the point, even if the other person gets the last hit."

This made sure that no student would wait to snatch away another's kill.

"And none of you are allowed to attack each other. No items or potions are allowed, and you should give it to the instruction at the labyrinth's door if you have any."

"Also losing consciousness in the labyrinth despite getting three points will be counted as failure. And-"

As he said that, his voice turned colder and the mana he emitted made it hard for the student to breathe.

"Any cheating will not be tolerated. We encourage you to fail rather than play tricks, which will lead to direct expulsion. Am I clear?"

Nobody said anything.

"Give me an answer as loud as you can. Am I clear?"

He shouted.

"Yes."

All the students said unison.

He then blew a whistle and pressed on the button. A number appeared on the screen.

[502]

The student walked to the labyrinth as everyone looked at him. Once he entered the labyrinth, another number came up.

Like this, one by one, students went inside, and it hadn't been even three minutes, and the first student, rank 502, that went in, came out.

Unconscious, covered in blood, as his body levitated into a separate room beside the labyrinth.

That's when everyone realised they had to take this more seriously. Not only was it hard, but humiliating to come out like that in front of everyone.

And worse if they failed and their friends passed. The passed ones would never let them hear the end of it. 

'I thought I would be here for the whole day. But, this might finish in two hours.'

Half an hour had passed, and almost 500 students had gone in. Each one came out unconscious. No one had managed to succeed, yet get two kills.

That made the rest even more restless.

'This isn't random at all, is it?'

Felix noticed how the magic device displayed only the number of rank 500 students and above

Another thirty minutes passed, and now only the top 200 students were left. Except there was someone way above that rank still waiting for his turn.

"This has been a lot more disappointing than I thought."

The professor shook his head, and his eyes seemed to be lit on fire.

'He isn't going to make training easy, is he?'

Once everyone above one hundred was eliminated, only then the Stars got their turn. 

[2]

Oscar was the first star to step up. He entered Nexus and within three minutes, Leon came out and was the first to pass the test.

 He came out unscathed, with only specks of dust on the clothes. His sword dripped with blood as he put it back where it was.

Everyone was in awe. Not only was he the first to finish, he did it in record time. The last record was three minutes and twelve seconds.

"Not bad. Leave the bracelet here. Then Get changed and head to the cafeteria."

The professor said,

Oscar left and everyone again came to realise. They were chasing after a genius born only once every century.

Soon everyone stepped inside. Out of ten, seven stars had passed the test. One was still inside and the remaining ones hadn't been called.

 Felix and Rose were the remaining ones.

Rose scooted towards Felix and whispered,

"I wonder why that guy still hasn't been called. He doesn't seem that strong."

She too had realised that the magic device wasn't random and picked out the weakest at first.

"Maybe he is someone strong?"

Felix replied. 

'Did he write about this too?'

It was too coincidental for these two to be amongst the last to enter.

[806]

Lim's number appeared on the screen. As he walked towards the labyrinth, he raised his eyebrows, looking at Felix, and then started winking.

'What does that even mean?'

"Your friend?"

Rose asked, cause only friends would do that. 

"No. It's the first time I've ever seen him."

Lim took a wand with him as his weapon and walked in.

'So he's a mage. No wonder his punch feels weak.'

After two minutes, Felix's number appeared.

[10]

"Good luck."

Rose said. He just nodded and walked to the gate.

The labyrinth up front was even close. Each floor was taller than two floors of a building combined. 

Just from the weapon beside the labyrinth, he took a spear. He swung it a few times and then nodded at the guard at the gate.

The gate opened, and as he stepped, the air changed. It smelled of grass and mud. Green light scattered around the room and illuminated the bumpy walls and floor with moss all over them.

"Do you want to fail by standing here?"

Felix asked. Lim was still there, though it had been two minutes since he walked in.

"I need your help."

Lim said.

"Sorry, I can't help you cheat"

He was about to walk past Lim but stopped once Lim said,

"Someone is trying to kill Tyson, the 9th star "