Dean Horn stood on the high platform, cleared his throat, and used magic to amplify his voice:
“Students!”
The plaza fell silent instantly as hundreds of eyes turned to look at him in unison.
“In this Freshman Test,” Dean Horn began, his expression serious as his gaze swept over every young face below, “the most important thing is your own safety!”
“Alright,” Dean Horn said, stepping aside. “Now, please welcome the principal to the stage.”
Applause broke out.
Principal Aurora slowly walked onto the high platform.
He stepped to the front and raised his hand to signal for the applause to stop.
“Students, the venue for this test, the Mirage Corridor, was jointly constructed by high-level space-attribute mages from our Holy City Magic Academy and several other magic academies.”
“The rules remain the same as last time. It can form eight independent fields internally, each accommodating forty students. These fields are not connected to each other, and students will be randomly assigned.”
He paused before continuing.
“Freshmen from several other magic academies will also be participating in the Mirage Corridor for this test. Remember, with forty people per field, only one person can ultimately advance.”
“The eight who advance will then participate in a knockout tournament until a champion is determined.”
After Principal Aurora finished speaking, he gave a slight nod to the crowd and turned to leave the stage.
Dean Horn stepped forward again.
“Alright, everyone.”
He pointed toward the center of the plaza, where a spatial portal shimmering with a faint blue light was slowly expanding.
“The spatial portal has opened. Everyone, please enter in order. Remember, once inside, you will be randomly assigned to one of the eight fields.”
“The test begins now!”
As his voice fell, the students began to walk toward the spatial portal in an orderly fashion.
Karl stood at the front of the line, then turned to whisper instructions to his small group of lackeys:
“Listen, if you end up in the same field as me, follow the markings on the map to find me and team up. Once everyone else is eliminated and only we remain, you will withdraw on your own.”
The lackeys nodded hurriedly. “Understood, Master Karl!”
Karl smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Lilith again, raising his voice:
“Lilith, even if we aren't grouped together, we’ll definitely meet in the finals.”
A confident light shone in his eyes.
“Just you wait.”
With that, he took the lead and stepped into the spatial portal.
With a flash of light, his figure vanished.
Meanwhile, Lilith was standing in place, nodding off.
From the moment Dean Horn started speaking, she had entered a standing-sleep mode. Her head bobbed as she drifted off.
It wasn't until the crowd around her began to move that she was startled awake.
“Ah~”
Lilith gave a long stretch.
“It’s finally time... I’m exhausted.”
She rubbed her eyes and staggered sleepily toward the spatial portal.
...
Lilith appeared in a forest.
She looked around and nodded.
“The environment here isn’t bad.”
It was better than she had expected.
She had thought the Mirage Corridor would be some kind of gloomy place, but the environment was actually quite nice.
She opened the magic map provided by the academy, which displayed a simplified layout of the entire Mirage Corridor.
Eight circular areas represented the eight fields.
The area she was in was... Field 3.
Three light markers were particularly prominent on the map, labeled with names and ranks:
Karl (Rank 4) ... located in Field 7.
Lilith (Rank 2) ... located in Field 3.
Sailant (Rank 2) ... located in Field 5.
Lilith closed the map and stood up.
“The main task now is to eliminate the other participants.”
She sensed her surroundings.
There were about seven or eight magic fluctuations moving in her direction. They weren't fast, but their intent was clear.
Moreover, they were moving in a spread-out encirclement.
“Teaming up to hunt me down?”
Lilith frowned and began to suppress her magic.
She had to control her strength.
She needed to keep it at the level of a Rank 2 peak.
Otherwise, what if she accidentally used too much force and killed a classmate?
She’d really end up being hauled before the Royal Capital Tribunal then.
The process of suppression was difficult, as Lilith didn't know the durability of her fellow students.
She looked up into the depths of the forest.
Those seven or eight magic fluctuations were already close.
She could hear faint footsteps and whispered conversation:
“Are you sure it’s here? The map shows Lilith is nearby...”
“That’s right. Field 3, Rank 2 marker. It’s her.”
“There are seven of us, all quasi-Rank 1 and Rank 1, besieging a Rank 2... Do we have a chance?”
“What are you afraid of? No matter how strong she is, she’s only one person! It’s seven against one; we can wear her down!”
“Exactly! If we eliminate her, we’ll be famous!”
“Go!”
Seven figures rushed out from different directions in the forest simultaneously!
They wore uniforms from different classes, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
...
Rate on N.U.
