The simulation room was a space large enough to accommodate at least four hundred individuals—if not more—possessing pristine white walls with blue, glowing lines intertwining all over its surface. To its centre was a slightly raised platform, bathed by an ethereal blue light shining down from an orb up above. And around it were rows of seats in rising tiers, like those found in a stadium, occupied by the first years here for their physical assessment.
Merlin had frozen in his steps when he walked into the room, but he was well past his amazement now that he was seated. After all, how could he concentrate on the beauty of the scenery surrounding him when a certain four-eyes kept grumbling.
"I'll be honest," Hakyun went on. "Making us wake up by six in the morning is utter bullshit." He yawned, then pulled at the latex combat suit of red on his body. "I'd do anything to be in my pajamas again."
So much for diligence…
Merlin looked down at his own body. Just like Hakyun, he too wore a red combat suit that clung to his skin as though it was part of him. It was one of the uniform sets they had received from the Academy after they had been granted admission. The last was a tracksuit, but they wouldn't be needing that at this moment. And, as they had been advised, every student present had the emblem of their Cohort attached to their sleeves.
"Aaand they dare waste our time?" Hakyun forced words as he yawned again.
"Be careful, four-eyes, they may be listening," Chima warned, forcing himself to stay awake.
Hakyun clicked his tongue. "Like I care. I acknowledge diligence, not this… It's past six already."
Merlin stopped listening to Hakyun now. He had quickly learnt that the best way to prevent his ears from exploding from the boy's grumbles was by simply diverting his attention; so he made use of the moment to throw his eyes around, searching for Nora.
They'd had a brief chat last night, but it was mostly banter on how they were on different Cohorts and were now rivals.
Unlike him, she was a student of Cohort Dragon Eye, her instructor the cold-eyed Dmitri Volkov. It was the one Cohort Merlin had not wanted to end up in, and, of course, he had teased her about it. But Nora was not bothered. She'd said she was just here to graduate, and it didn't matter what an instructor thought of her. Maybe she had forgotten that those instructors were the ones who gave out points.
Well, if the Cohort she was in didn't bother her, he had been sure that the fact that only one of them would be getting the reward of the Academy sponsored trip at the end of the year would. Alas, she had been indifferent towards that as well.
Merlin suspected that it was all just a ruse. He couldn't see her expression as they chatted, after all.
The unexpected and funniest occurrence that had been brought up during their conversation, though, was Nora revealing that she'd ended up being roommates with the girl she had pushed aside after the orientation had ended. Merlin had been so surprised he'd screamed out loud, inciting Hakyun to roar at him from his room. He really wondered how they would cope with each other, because they had already gotten off to a bad start.
Merlin was sure Nora did not give a hoot, he was concerned about the other girl.
Their conversation had ended with him telling Nora about the System's quest. But since they were both feeling too sleepy at the time, they had decided to postpone the conversation until later. He wondered when that would be. But it was not like anything was going to change, so he didn't let it trouble him.
"Argh!! I'm bored! If only I had my phone with me!" Hakyun pulled at his hair. This was the most frustrated Merlin had seen the boy yet. And since his attempt at finding his sister bore no fruit, he returned his attention to his roommates.
"What would you do with your phone?" Chima asked, though not exactly seeking an answer. Because he continued, "We're here for a physical assessment; it'll only get in the way. That's why we were told not to bring it."
Hakyun snorted, turned to Merlin, and jerked a thumb at Chima. "Does this guy not know that there's something called comics?"
Merlin had already guessed that Hakyun was a bigger geek than he was, because even he could not think about comics in this situation. His heart was pounding. This was their first class of the academic year, and Hakyun was concerned about comics?
Although, he could really use reading The Dungeon Mage at this moment. The novel did wonders to calm him down.
Chima, on the other hand, had veins bulging out of the side of his head.
"Of course I know what comics are," he voiced, perhaps realizing that Hakyun was teasing him, but wanting to say something either way. "What I'm saying is—"
His words were cut short as the entrance door to the simulation room opened, and Professor Jung walked in.
Everyone jumped to their feet immediately, whether wide awake or drowsy. And even Hakyun had no choice but to put an end to his ceaseless grumbling.
"You may sit," Professor Jung said as she walked up to the raised platform in the centre of the room, her attire a simple white shirt and pleated black skirt, and her expression a warm one. "Did you all have a lovely first night?"
There was a chorus of answers, but Hakyun's was loud enough for Merlin to hear.
"No," he'd said. "I want to sleep," he'd added.
"Stop being a baby," Chima quipped, seemingly looking to win points in his growing feud with Hakyun.
Professor Jung clapped then, silencing the erratic and loud mumbles that had come to be from her question. She smiled, but it was anything but cordial.
"It seems like you all are brimming with energy. That is good. It means that I'll get to see very good displays once the physical assessment starts."
Chima shuddered. "That sounds like a threat." He clicked his tongue and turned to Hakyun who was blushing, a smile on his face. "How could you want to be a student of her Cohort?"
Uhm… It's quite obvious isn't it? Merlin thought to himself, wondering how Chima had missed the look of undying love Hakyun was pouring upon the professor.
"Then, I'll get right into it," Professor Jung resumed. And as she tapped her smartwatch, a series of beeps echoed throughout the simulation room. Murmurs of curiosity rippled through the students, everyone checking the message they had received. It was a text file. "As you can see from the document you've received, the physical assessment is a course that is carried out only twice during your period of stay in Prestige Academy. Once at the start of your first year, and the other at the start of the second year." She paused. "Your scores from the assessment determine which class you will be in."
Merlin was not sure what the professor meant by that. Was it that all the students who scored low would be in one class, and vice versa. Or that it would help the classes to be equally balanced?
Thankfully, Hakyun was not one to shy away from asking questions. His hand went up.
"Yes, Han Hakyun," Professor Jung said, unaware of the crime she had just committed.
"She knows my name," Hakyun whispered, a tinge of red on his cheeks. Merlin and Chima glanced at each other and sighed. Their ears were going to be full when they got back to the dorm. Hakyun composed himself immediately, cleared his throat, and asked, "What exactly do you mean by that, Professor? Of course, I understand the bones of your statement, what I don't get is how and why our scores here should determine what classes we end up in, and how that would be beneficial to us in any way."
Hakyun's question was valid. But, again, he had a peculiar way with words. And most students preferred simple.
A girl seated behind them clicked her tongue. "Can't he just talk like a normal person?"
"I think he's trying to show-off. Weird."
Silent murmurs came from all over the simulation room, and they were not particularly good ones.
Merlin glanced at Hakyun, but the boy did not seem to be concerned. He only nudged his glasses upward, waiting for an answer to his question.
Professor Jung clapped again. "Quiet!" she thundered. "If you want to speak, you make sure to raise your hand like Hakyun did. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!!" they all answered in a chorus reluctantly.
Professor Jung sighed. "As for your question, Hakyun, let me ask you one in return. What is the most important attribute for a Mage to possess?"
Hakyun frowned. He was confused as to how that related to what he'd asked. But even moreso, it seemed as if he was not sure of what the answer could be.
He tried regardless.
"Spells?" he said, unsure.
"Wrong," Professor Jung boomed, and soft snickers of mockery erupted behind them.
Merlin had had enough of the nonsense. He decided to take it upon himself to upbraid those behind them when he was stopped by Chima's hand going up.
Professor Jung was taken aback. "Is there a problem, Ken?" Apparently, it seemed it was not only Hakyun's name she had at the back of her mind.
"Can we change seats?" Chima jerked a thumb to his rear, not even bothering to look. "They're making fun of my friend."
"W-What?!" one of the culprits exclaimed. "No, we were not!"
Chima gave them no reply, and neither did Professor Jung. She simply nodded, and said, "Yes, you can."
Immediately, Chima rose to his feet and pulled Hakyun up, pointing in the direction of a section of the room that was not particularly saturated.
"Let's go," he said, glancing at Merlin too. And they moved positions. It was on their way that Merlin finally caught a glimpse of Nora. She was seated to the rearest of the seats, completely isolated from the rest of the students.
He had not thought to look so far back when he'd been searching for her, because he had not expected her to remove herself from others. She was like that sometimes. so he was not exactly surprised. What shocked him, however, was Kim Yiseo doing the same as her, though with a wide gap between them.
They really were compatible, weren't they? He almost chuckled. But then he locked eyes with Nora and she stuck out a tongue at him. He scoffed instead.
"So, where was I?" Professor Jung continued when Merlin, Chima, and Hakyun had settled down in their new position.
"Thank you," Hakyun muttered, his words directed at Chima, while his gaze remained on Professor Jung.
"No sweat," Chima smiled. And so did Merlin.
He wouldn't lie. It was refreshing, having someone who cared as a friend. He had hit the jackpot with roommates.
"The most important attribute for a Mage to have!" a student roared, answering Professor Jung's question. Perhaps they had been holding their breath waiting patiently for the answer.
"Yes, right." Nodded, Professor Jung. "The most important attribute for a Mage to have is simply drive," she said, eliciting brief, sharp inhales from the students. "The extent of the drive of a Mage determines how much horror they are willing to endure just to achieve their goals. Because, I promise you, Dungeons and Towers are not playgrounds. The horrors in there are incomparable to anything you have and will ever face. If you don't have enough drive, then being a Mage is simply not for you."
There was silence all around. Most, if not all, could not comprehend why having drive would be the most important thing for a Mage. Merlin could see it clearly from the point of view of the professor and those who may want to argue against her point.
Drive was a deep, intrinsic motivation that fueled one's actions towards their goals and kept them going even when willpower might falter. A Mage possessing this would charge forward no matter what they faced, defying all odds. But… What if they met the brick wall that was power? A wall that showed them how weak they truly were? Surely, that drive would end up faltering, no? But a Mage who had the power that was the magnitude of Spells. Even if they had no drive they could break down those walls, and push through, just with their sheer power alone.
Of course, it would be ideal for a Mage to possess both drive and power. But, from Professor Jung's words, she was putting drive on a higher pedestal. Merlin could read that as her placing importance on a Mage with no power but high drive over a Mage with a multitude of Spells but low drive.
If he was to choose, he would prefer the Spells. After all, his drive had not stopped him from becoming a Deficient Mage. Drive was useless in the face of reality.
"So the class assignment is to foster this drive," Professor Jung continued. "If weak scorers are put in the same class as their peers, this will not foster growth. They will be forced into the delusion that they are doing good enough as long as the gap between themselves isn't too substantial. Now, what about a weak scorer in the same class as an elite one? They find out just how much they are lacking and push to close that gap." A familiar person raised their hand. It was Kim Minji. "You may speak."
"What if they give up instead?" Minji said. "The gap's large right? What if that places doubt in them and makes them believe that they are not good enough?"
A good question. Merlin was in support. He was kind of surprised that she was a student of Cohort Dragon Eye, though.
Professor Jung chuckled. "How would you feel if you were paired with someone who easily gives up on a Dungeon raid, Kim Minji?"
Minji flinched and averted her gaze. "Not… Not good," she replied.
"Exactly," said Professor Jung. "Anyone who easily gives up because of something as minor as academic scores, was never fit to be a Mage in the first place. Does that answer your question, Han Hakyun?"
She turned to Hakyun who had been listening attentively all this while, completely unfazed by the criticisms of his mates.
Merlin honestly admired the boy now. Personally, he was weak when it came to things such as that. Which was why he was constantly on edge about his secret being found out. He wondered if he would be able to get through a week without the professors spilling it. The System had not said anything about a penalty for failure, but he was still scared.
"Yes," replied Hakyun to the Professor. "Thank you for the explanation."
Merlin was filled with a certain urge to throw his hand up. He had lots of questions for the professor, since he found fault with her line of reasoning. But he held himself back. He was not interested in the spotlight, considering his circumstances. The lower his profile, the better.
"Very well," Professor Jung nodded, satisfied. "We have wasted enough time. But, before I begin the physical assessment in earnest, let me explain what is written in the handouts you all received better." Everyone put their heads down onto their smartwatch's screen. "The physical assessment is meant to test your strength, speed, agility, stamina, and quick thinking in dire situations."
Professor Jung pointed at the door with the blue edges.
"You will be paired in twos, each from different Cohorts, and will go in there, where you'll experience the harsh conditions that occur within a Dungeon as it begins to experience lockdown. For clarity, Dungeon Lockdown is when the time allotted to clear a Dungeon has elapsed. More on this topic will be discussed during your theory classes. The assessment will simulate how the Dungeon reacts during such an instance. But, make no mistake, it will feel very real.
"You will be allotted thirty minutes for each set. Your task is to escape before it elapses. Both academic and Cohort points will be awarded. So do not take it as a joke. One more thing. You may choose to escape with your partner, or otherwise. Don't forget, you are from different Cohorts, and only one can be first."
The air around the simulation room stiffened. Professor Jung took in a deep breath and exhaled.
"With that all said and done…" She shifted slightly from the centre of the platform and tapped her smartwatch. A projection fell from the orb above, a picture chart of the first year students visible. "Let's get started with the physical assessment." She tapped on her smartwatch once more, and the pictures began to shuffle.
Random selection… Merlin deduced. Then he clenched his fists, swallowing dryly, as a single thought echoed loudly in his head, Please don't let me be first.
But when the shuffling ended, he was not sure whether he was to feel happy or somewhat sombre. After all, one of the first two selected was…
"Tariq Al-Mansour, Cohort Fateglass, and Anozie Ken Chima, Cohort Spearhead," Professor Jung called, their pictures singled out from the rest. "Make your way down."