The host hovered low, his eyes gleaming at the massive screen. "The first match is a BATTLE ROYALE AGAINST MONSTERS!"
The stadium erupted in cheers.
"Each academy will send its top five representatives. They will enter the arena, and... randomly, each will be sent to a different simulation zone within the sa overall area!" he shouted.
As he spoke, the center of the field began to shift. With a chanical rumble that vibrated through the air, a massive structure rose from beneath the ground.
It was a cylindrical tower, built from gleaming tal and dark glass. It was incredibly tall, almost reaching the dod ceiling of the colosseum. Dozens of doors were arranged neatly around its circumference.
"Behold, the DUNGEON SIMULATOR!" the host’s voice bood. "The latest masterpiece from the Hunter Association’s R&D division!"
He floated closer to one of the doors, giving it a pat.
"Don’t be fooled by its size! While compact on the outside, the spatial expansion tech inside can create an environnt as vast as a real dungeon! And there..." he paused for dramatic effect, "...the contestants will face monsters generated from the core data of real ones! They average B to A rank. But in so zones... they might even encounter S-ranks!"
A collective gasp swept through the thousands of spectators. A low roar of awe, anxiety, and speculation filled the arena. Among the student ranks, expressions shifted. So eyes sparkled with competitive fire, while other faces paled.
The host seed to read their minds.
"I know what you’re thinking!" he proclaid. "But let be clear, the monsters in this simulator are NOT that different from the real thing! They have attack patterns, survival instincts, and strength replicated from original data! So if the contestants let their guard down..." his voice turned stern, "...they CAN get hurt. Seriously hurt."
He paused, letting his warning sink in. The atmosphere grew even more tense.
I listened carefully.
"BUT!" he continued, his tone optimistic again. "Don’t worry! A state-of-the-art safety system will continuously monitor each contestant’s vital signs. The mont their life is detected to be in critical danger—they will be instantly extracted from the simulator! Fatal injuries can be avoided. But the pain, the pressure, and the experience of fighting for your life... that will feel utterly real!"
He spun on his hoverboard, sweeping his gaze across the student stands.
"So! From the 36 elite academies qualified to compete this year, choose your five best representatives! Enter the arena, and face this first trial!"
Indeed, only the top 36 academies could participate. The selection was strict, based on graduates’ field achievents, judged by the quality and quantity of Hunters they produced. Nine Stars was always number one.
On our side, Instructor Violet didn’t hesitate.
"Yukie. Maximus. Isabel. Ace. Adam."
She called our nas in a clear order, her voice firm and without a shred of doubt.
"You five. Step forward."
Her choice was obvious. She wasn’t playing it safe or testing the waters. She was sending in our strongest right away, to make a statent to the other academies.
We glanced at each other briefly. Yukie with her usual flat expression, Maximus with smoldering anger still in his eyes but now more focused, Isabel looking tense but trying to appear confident, Ace giving a quick nod, and just sighing.
I glanced at Arianna; the woman seed a bit annoyed at not being included in the first match. I’d never seen her or Ace fight, so I didn’t know who was stronger.
Arianna chose to stay silent and didn’t seem to want to talk to . If I weren’t so tired and sleepy, I’d probably be teasing her right now.
We descended from the bench area, walking down the steps onto the sandy arena floor. Spotlights followed our every move, and the audience’s cheers peaked, especially when they recognized Yukie.
As we approached the giant Dungeon Simulator, groups of students from other academies were also converging from other doors around the arena. Five mbers each. They ca with varied expressions—so brimming with confidence, others nervous, so whispering last-minute strategies.
They all gathered around the base of the simulator tower, forming small clusters that kept their distance, observing each other with unspoken wariness and challenge.
The air around the simulator felt different. Cold, and humming with a low-frequency energy that vibrated to the bone—the sound of the massive underground machinery powering the entire system. Up close, the simulator doors looked solid and imposing, with heavy tal fras and dark glass panels that resembled windows into darkness.
I let out another wide yawn, the sleepiness and fatigue I’d been holding back since last night hitting again. I scanned the other groups around us. They looked cohesive. Students from the sa academy stood close, whispering, chuckling, or offering reassuring pats on the back. They seed like a united front, trusting each other.
anwhile, our group... the atmosphere was awful. We stood like statues who didn’t know each other. Yukie was by herself, a bit apart from us all, like a solitary ice island. Maximus stood with his back slightly turned, still preoccupied with his anger. Isabel looked restless, her eyes darting towards where her mother was probably watching from the stands. Only Ace seed to be trying to break the ice. He moved closer to Isabel, saying sothing in a low voice. Isabel just gave a short nod, not really responding.
We were like five strangers who just happened to be standing in the sa spot. No coordination, no last-minute strategy, no team spirit. Just a collection of strong individuals forced to work together.
Suddenly, my attention was drawn to a group approaching us—or more precisely, approaching Yukie.
The first was a group in bright ash-white uniforms, with simple silver geotric symbols on their chests and arms—Arclight Academy.
They looked disciplined, neat, with perfect posture. Leading them was an extrely handso young man. About 180 cm tall, with perfectly parted straight black hair, a face like it was chiseled from stone, and sharp blue eyes. He walked with confidence that didn’t co off as arrogant.
From another side ca a group in dark olive green uniforms, with accents like fractured stone on their collars and belts. Their chest emblem was a simple circle with a crack pattern—GOTE Academy. The most striking was a very tall woman, nearly two ters, with short, ssy blonde hair. She walked with long, energetic strides, a wide grin on her face.
And the third, a group in charcoal-black uniforms, adorned only with a single vertical dark red stripe on the chest and a small dragon silhouette emblem—Drakefield Academy. From them erged a young man with a contrasting build: short, maybe only 160 cm, with ssy dark blue hair and alert, glowing red eyes.
The handso guy from Arclight reached Yukie first, extending his hand with an almost aristocratic politeness.
"It’s truly an honor to et you, Miss Yukie," he said, his voice smooth and practiced. "This is our first eting, isn’t it? Allow to introduce myself. I am Leonhardt Halstrom. I am the top representative of Arclight Academy this year."
He stood there confidently, as if certain his hand would be taken.
Yukie didn’t even fully turn her head. Only her eyes moved, giving a brief glance at the offered hand, then to Leonhardt’s face.
"Go away," she stated, her voice flat and cold like unltable snow. "Leave alone."
Leonhardt froze. The confident smile on his face cracked, then slowly faded. He blinked several tis, as if not believing what he just heard. His hand remained outstretched in the air, now looking foolish and pathetic. It seed, in his life full of praise and attention, this was the first ti a woman had rejected him—and so bluntly at that.
The tall woman from GOTE Academy couldn’t hold back a laugh.
"Wow wow, rejected outright!" she exclaid in a loud, spirited voice. "I told you, Leon, your stiff, robotic way of talking would bore any woman!"
Leonhardt turned his face away, his expression worsening. He finally lowered his hand stiffly, and I could see his knuckles turning white from clenching.
The tall woman then turned to Yukie, her eyes sparkling with great curiosity. "I’ve heard so much about you, Ice Princess! They say your cold deanor rivals the legendary Winter Knight, your father! That’s so cool!"
She stepped closer, extending her hand. "I’m Seraphina Grimgear! From GOTE! Let’s shake!"
This ti, Yukie turned her head a bit more, her white eyes regarding Seraphina with the sa flat expression.
"Go away," she said again, in the exact sa tone. "Leave alone."
But unlike Leonhardt who was crushed, Seraphina just burst out laughing. Her voice was loud and echoed, drawing attention from nearby groups.
"Aw, co on, don’t be like that!" Seraphina protested, her hand still outstretched, undeterred. "It’s just a handshake! What’s so hard about lifting your hand and... here!"
She even wiggled her hand, as if inviting an imaginary handshake.
She kept rambling, "I’m so curious about your ice powers! They say you can turn an entire field to ice in seconds? That’s amazing! At GOTE we have ice specialists too, but I don’t think any are on your level—"
"Don’t force it. You’re clearly bothering her."
The voice ca suddenly, flat, and from a much... lower height. Seraphina was startled, jumping a little, then looked to the side.
The short guy from Drakefield Academy stood there, hands in pockets, his face emotionless. He seed to have appeared without a sound.
"Whoa! Don’t just pop up like that!" Seraphina grumbled, patting her chest. "You scared ! Eh, who are you?"
The short guy raised an eyebrow. "You’re the one being noisy and bothering others, and you’re saying I’m startling?"
"Well, yeah! You just started talking behind !" Seraphina retorted, then her eyes swept over his body from head to toe. "And... wow. You’re... really short, huh."
The short guy’s expression changed instantly. From flat to stormy. His glowing red eyes narrowed.
"Don’t call that, giantess," he hissed, his voice low but full of threat.
"Giantess?!" Seraphina looked offended, then smirked. "What’s my fault? You are short. Look, even Yukie is taller than you!" She pointed at Yukie, who still stood impassively.
The short guy—now clearly annoyed—took a deep breath. "Seraphina, was it? Your na earlier?"
"Yep! Seraphina Grimgear! Why?"
"Isaac Moonfall. From Drakefield." Isaac glared at her sharply. "Rember that na well. In the simulator, or in any match, I will crush you."
Seraphina tilted her head, her smile widening.
"Oh really? What can a shorty like you do?" She even patted her own thigh to emphasize their height difference.
"Dammit," Isaac grumbled, his fists already clenched. "Height isn’t everything."
"But it’s clearly important for not being called ’short’!"
"And brain size is clearly more important than body size, and you’re clearly lacking there!"
"Ooh, you’re a sharp talker! But still, you’re short!"
Their ridiculous argunt continued, while Leonhardt still stood there pale and wounded, and Yukie...
Yukie finally let out an audible sigh, the first sowhat emotional sound from her since this began.
"If you want to fight," she said, her voice still flat but with a faint hint of annoyance, "go sowhere else. Leave alone."
But neither Seraphina nor Isaac moved. They were still locked in a competitive stare-down, as if forgetting their surroundings.
And Yukie, though bothered, also seed too lazy to move her feet.
I shook my head slowly, deciding not to get involved in that teenage drama. But as I was about to look away, sothing else caught my attention.
A pretty girl was walking towards .
She was from an academy group whose uniform I didn’t quite recognize—lavender with silver vine patterns. Her long silver hair was half-tied, and her eyes were a soft purple.
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