“The rules of the exam go like this.”
There is only one good word to describe the man speaking.
Wizard.
He is an old man with a long white beard.
That alone wouldn’t be enough to sum him up with the word wizard, but his outfit is what really sells it.
A blue robe with yellow stars and moons everywhere.
A pointed wizard hat that's also blue with yellow stars and moons.
And his wand, black but with a yellow star at the end.
He's not A wizard, he's THE wizard.
“During this first exam, you will all be transported to the giant labyrinth in the forest. There you will have to reach the center before nightfall tomorrow.”
A maze?
I was always good at mazes, but this time I’ll actually be in the maze, not using a bird 's-eye view.
Depending on the size, I think I would be able to make it.
“During your exploration, three teachers deployed in the labyrinth will be actively trying to catch you. If you are caught and removed from the maze, you will be rejected and sent home.”
Oh, that's tough.
If I get caught im done for.
This test might actually be a big struggle.
I have
If I face someone with any level of competence, I’ll likely lose.
I can use it in various ways, I just don't know how to do combat so well, and I don’t think I could keep up with a real battle and make those quick judgments.
My best bet would be to make myself unnoticeable. Try to blend my presence into the background.
“Hey, Princess Marin and Ms. Ilios. We should come up with a plan on what to do before we get sent into the labyrinth.”
Marin gives a fast, exaggerated nod.
Rei points to the three instructors next to THE wizard.
“The three teachers up there are likely the ones who will enter the labyrinth with us. From left to right are Follis Darwin, Lilia Greene, and Nia Hall.”
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That would make sense. I don't see any other teachers around.
The other teachers will probably be the ones monitoring us and taking notes while these three go after us.
“Follis Darwin specializes in summoning magic. He has hundreds of creatures in his arsenal, ranging from horned rabbits all the way to lesser dragons.”
I doubt he will use lesser dragons in this exam, but I'm sure he will use plenty of other powerful summons.
One of the main purposes of this test is to trim the fat I’m sure.
“Lilia Greene specializes in plant magic. She can grow plants all around and use them to attack.”
Plants. Tests like this are supposed to gauge your skills.
The labyrinth is exploration and working against the clock.
Follis is fighting against many opponents.
Lilia uses plants, a more defensive type of magic. Shes likely be using traps.
“Nia Hall is a master in ice magic. She is probably the scariest one of them all.”
I don't know what facing an ice user would gauge, but if someone with
Maybe it's just a combat test?
“So as for what we should do, we shou-”
“Ok, everybody. You will now be teleported to the exam site.”
Beneath all of us is our own magic circle.
My entire surroundings shift, and I'm no longer standing next to Rei and Marin.
Oh, great, they separated us.
These walls appear to be made of stone.
I doubt I would be able to cut them.
Is going above the walls an option?
No.
In the sky, I see some bird-like monsters circling overhead.
They’re probably Follis’s summons.
If I go up there, I’ll get swooped up and taken out of the game.
These walls seem to have MP inside them.
They must have been created using magic.
If I disrupt the magic, would the walls disappear?
No point, I have no idea how I would even disrupt the magic.
I'm sure it's possible, but i dont even know where I would start.
I don’t think anti-magic would be within
It would be pretty contradictory if it were.
Wonder, wonder, wonder.
Thats all I’ve been doing for the last hour.
I haven’t found anyone or any teachers.
I haven’t even been keeping track of where I’ve been.
Main characters are always lucky, so why bother?
I’ll just stumble into some situation that seems unlucky but works out in the end and reap the benefits.
Even when a main character is unlucky, overall, they are lucky.
And I see it now.
I see Marin Silivius.
Quickly, I rush over to her and touch her on the shoulder.
“I'm so glad I found you.”
Even faster than I rushed over to her, her fist raised, and she punches me square in the face.
Before I can even react, I’m stumbling backwards with blood flying from my nose.
Maybe this is an anime, because I look like a goddamn cartoon character.
Hey, dear viewer. Can you fast forward to the part where cool?
No such part exist you say?
Go to hell.
Marin immediately looks mortified at what shes done.
Shes frantically panicking and doesn’t know what to do.
“Its fine. Its my bad for sneaking up on you.”
Shes strong man.
If I wasn’t expecting to get punched, I could have had my nose broken easily there.
“Have you seen anyone else around?”
Marin shakes her head.
If she hasn’t seen anyone other than me, just how big is this labyrinth?
They gave us till nightfall tomorrow, so I thought it would be big, but I also thought that was mainly because of the fact that we have three teachers after us, so we had so much time.
Oh, I'm picking something up on my echolocation.
I see someone running, and they’re being chased by Follis Darwin and a Lion with a flaming mane.
Oh shit.
I wouldn’t mind encountering people, but not if those people are a teacher.
I’d like to actually clear the first test.
I grab Marin and push her and myself into a corridor on the right.
She looks alarmed at my sudden actions, but she doesn't resist.
Using
Quietly, we watch as a young man runs from a lion with a flaming mane.
And they go right past.
Well thats not right, someones missing.
Where's Follis?
Fuck.
It doesn’t take a genius to know where he's at.
Sign, they just refuse to make it easy.
I scoop up Marin off her feet and carry her bridal as I start running. Without even looking back, I already know Follis is chasing after us.
My echolocation tells me all his moves.
Like how his fist is about to connect to the back of my head.
Shit.