deep inside the dungeon, Liam stood before the shimring illusionary wall he had just passed through. He took a deep breath, dusting off his clothes before glancing at Asger, the half-dragon perched on his shoulder.
"First round cleared."
He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Asger scoffed.
"Took you long enough."
Liam rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
Instead, he scanned his surroundings. The first labyrinth was behind him, but that only ant the real challenges were about to begin.
A deep rumble echoed through the underground passage, and Liam tensed. It seed the next phase was starting sooner than expected.
"I have a feeling things are only going to get worse from here,"
\H muttered.
Asger grinned, baring his sharp teeth.
"Good. I was starting to get bored."
Liam smirked before stepping forward, prepared for whatever lay ahead. He had a feeling this tournant was going to be more than just a simple competition.
Liam stood before the second gate, his sharp eyes scanning the intricate magical inscriptions woven into the lock.
It was different from the first barrier—more complex, more deliberate. A normal participant might have panicked upon realizing that the door wouldn’t budge, but Liam rely observed.
He placed his palm against the cool, rune-marked surface and felt the layers of magic interlacing within it.
He could break it.
Easily.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he exhaled softly and took a step back. Breaking the lock would only attract unnecessary attention. It was smarter to wait and see what triggered its official opening.
"Again with this waiting nonsense?"
Asger grumbled from his perch on Liam’s shoulder. The half-dragon’s tail flicked in irritation.
"You could be in the next phase by now, but instead, you’re standing around doing nothing."
Liam smirked but didn’t reply. His instincts told him that sothing was off.
The labyrinth had rules, and while he was capable of bending or outright breaking them, he wanted to see how the tournant functioned for everyone else.
If he was too reckless, it would only draw suspicion.
So he waited.
Little did he know, he had already attracted more than enough attention.
______
anwhile, in the academy’s teacher’s lounge, a group of professors sat around the large, enchanted viewing crystals, their tension growing by the second.
Normally, they would be relaxed at this stage of the tournant, watching as students struggled through the dungeons, taking ntal notes on who showed potential.
But today was different.
Sothing was wrong.
Elara drumd her fingers against the wooden table, her golden eyes narrowed. "Has anyone else noticed?"
"You an the desert test site?"
Professor Aldric asked, his brows furrowing.
All eyes turned toward one of the viewing crystals in the corner of the room. Unlike the other screens displaying various test sites, this one was blank—completely blacked out.
That only ever happened for one reason.
Stage cleared.
But that was impossible.
"Less than an hour has passed. There’s no way any of the students could have cleared it already. Not even Shelly Bell."
Professor Callum muttered, running a hand through his graying hair.
Professor Dain let out a sharp exhale.
"Are we sure it’s not a malfunction?"
"I already tried repairing it. Nothing changed"
Callum said, his tone grim.
Elara’s frown deepened.
"That ans it’s not broken."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"Then what? Are we seriously suggesting that soone finished the stage this quickly?"
Aldric asked, voice taut with disbelief.
"We have to check. If sothing irregular has occurred, we need to verify it."
Elder Erin finally said, his calm voice cutting through the growing unease.
Before the professors could act, a lazy voice interrupted them.
"You’re all overthinking this."
Victor, who had been watching the conversation unfold with amusent, finally leaned forward in his chair. His sharp eyes glead as he rested his chin on his hand.
Professor Elara turned to him with a frown.
"Do you know sothing, Victor?"
Victor smirked.
"I know that you can’t fix sothing that isn’t broken. If the screen is blacked out, it’s because the system considers the dungeon cleared."
Professor Dain scoffed. "That’s absurd."
"Is it? Well, there’s an easy way to find out."
Victor drawled, stretching his arms.
Dain raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Victor’s smirk widened.
"Check the clearance room."
For a mont, no one moved. Dain let out a chuckle, shaking his head.
"Co on, Victor. You’re joking, right? No one could have—"
"Why not? If you’re so sure that no one cleared it, then looking at the clearance room will prove your point."
Victor interrupted, his amusent growing.
The room fell into silence.
Professor Aldric sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Fine. Soone check."
Victor didn’t wait for anyone else to move. With a flick of his wrist, he activated the viewing crystal that displayed the clearance room.
The professors held their breath, expecting to see an empty space.
Instead, a single figure lounged comfortably in one of the chairs, arms crossed, looking entirely unbothered.
Liam.
The room went completely still.
The only sound was the faint crackling of magic from the viewing crystal.
Professor Callum was the first to react.
"Who... who is that?"
Elara’s eyes widened in recognition. After a mont of staring, she finally rembered the na from the student registration list.
"Nico Vale."
She whispered."
Aldric blinked, his brain still catching up.
"Nico Vale?"
He repeated, as if the na didn’t make sense.
"Yes. You know, the kid Elder Erin brought to get tested."
Elara confird, her expression a mixture of confusion and intrigue.
Not a top-ranked student. Not a prodigy that they had been watching closely. Just a transfer.
And yet, here he was, sitting in the clearance room before anyone else.
Victor leaned back in his chair, thoroughly enjoying the reactions around him.
He had known from the start that Liam—or Nico Vale, as they knew him—was different. But seeing everyone else co to the sa realization was priceless.
"He cleared the stage."
Elder Erin murmured, his voice unreadable.
"Not possible. There has to be an explanation. Even if he was recomnded by Elder Erin..."
Dain muttered.
Victor smirked.
"There is. He was simply faster than anyone expected."
The professors exchanged glances, still struggling to process the situation.
Elara, however, was watching Liam closely through the crystal. He didn’t look tired or overwheld. If anything, he seed... bored.
That unsettled her more than anything.
What kind of student were they dealing with?
Victor, on the other hand, couldn’t help but grin. This tournant was going to be far more entertaining than he had originally thought.
Reviews
All reviews (0)