In the open training hall, chaos reigned. Fifty one students, all wearing black bodysuits, stood waiting.
Surrounding the area were eight spatial gates, each leading to a separate island, divided into eight distinct zones. Everyone was preparing, waiting for their turn to take the final test.
On the stage stood Professor Will, his lips moving as he chanted a spell.
"GET READY!"
At his command, every student took their stance.
"BEGIN!"
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking Professor Will's hand. At that signal, the students scattered, rushing toward the spatial gates.
The crowd burst apart like a swarm of startled bees. Some pushed and shoved, desperate to be first.
I darted toward one of the portals. It showed the image of a golden wheat field. Without hesitation, I shoved through the others and leapt into it.
Whoosh. Thud.
I landed hard on the ground. Around me stretched fields of wheat, and further ahead were cornfields.
"Can anyone hear me? I'm in Zone Three. There's a tall rocky mountain here."
I pressed a finger to the earring on my left ear, a small trinket shaped like a slice of pizza.
While speaking, I ran forward, scanning my surroundings.
Copy that. I'm in Zone Two. There's a gravel hill here, and I can see a mountain far away, but I'm not sure if it's the same one you mentioned.
That familiar voice. Marcus, of course.
"Jax, can you hear me?" I asked cautiously, worried something might have gone wrong.
...
Alright. Maybe he's just farther away than we thought. Anyway, you head to the mountain first.
Click.
"Haizz. We just started and already lost contact. What an unstable team."
Several students had already passed me, sprinting like maniacs toward the horizon. I sighed at my own lack of stamina. Fine, time to do what I do best.
"Wahh."
Yawning, I took a small orb from my spatial ring and infused it with mana.
To pass this test, the rule was simple. Collect one of the eight treasures hidden across nine zones.
To make things more interesting, the school allowed teams of up to three. Each team received a communication earring capable of linking members within a ten kilometer range.
A generous distance, yet each zone already spanned over seven kilometers. And since none of us knew where we would be teleported, or had any maps, this test was far from easy.
I tossed the orb high into the air and kept running, forming a plan in my mind.
BOOM!
The orb exploded midair, releasing a thick fog that spread across the fields, covering everything within three hundred meters.
A perfect item for escape.
"GWAHH. What the hell is this?"
"Who the hell did that?"
"FUCK!"
Rustle. Crash.
While the others panicked and shouted, I sprinted forward, cutting through the mist and leaving them behind.
This was a race for the treasure. Speed was everything. There was no room for hesitation or mercy.
With that thought, I pushed ahead faster than anyone else.
...
"UGHHH!"
"I'm sorry, but you're too dangerous, Jax!"
Jax stood surrounded by three opponents. His black hair, long and untied, whipped in the wind as he held two short blades in his hands.
Behind him was a massive stone cave, draped in thick vines.
The trio clearly formed a team. They whispered strategies through their earrings, their lips moving silently.
Jax stepped back a few paces, eyes calm and calculating. Then the girl stepped forward, beautiful but fierce.
"If you're that good, then come and fight us head on!"
Jax did not respond. His expression stayed cold and unreadable.
He remembered yesterday, when two fools had approached him with an offer.
"Hey Jax, want to join us?" Marcus had been the first to speak, the same guy who beat him a few hours ago.
"We have a plan, but we need your help. Please." said the other one, who had not even managed to fight back earlier.
"Get lost. I'm not interested."
"Oh, come on. It's a good plan, I swear."
"Yeah. Even though I don't know what it is, I trust my friend."
"I'm leaving."
"Wait. At least hear us out first."
"So what about you? What do you even have? Who would believe a word coming out of your mouth?"
I shot back, half joking, half serious.
"Then are you afraid of becoming the black sheep?"
"What do you mean?"
"When people make plans, everyone wants to be the admired one, the one standing at the top pulling the strings. But not everyone has the courage to become the black sheep."
"..."
"Seriously, how else are you planning to pass this test?"
"..."
"You'll need a team. Have you found anyone yet?"
"...No."
"Then at least listen to my friend's plan. You can decide afterward. It's better than going solo."
"..."
"Haizz."
Recalling that short, awkward conversation, Jax could not help but sigh. The plan had been detailed but full of flaws. Major ones.
"Don't worry," the brown haired one had said confidently. "I'll fill in those gaps myself."
Jax did not know how he planned to fill them, but he had no other choice back then.
He raised both blades, his mana seeping out like mist. Thin, pale, and deadly.
"Damn it. Everyone get ready!" the girl shouted, drawing her dagger. The other two readied their weapons as well.
Let's hope this plan works. Otherwise...
Jax moved, splitting to both sides at once. Two faint shadows emerged from the mist, both mirroring his stance and slashing toward one enemy.
The boy reacted fast, channeling wind mana to try to blow the mist away, but it did not disperse. He gritted his teeth, forming two wind orbs in each hand, then hurled them toward Jax's figures.
It was the same tactic Marcus once used, to deflect Jax's strike with greater force.
But after that battle, Jax had learned.
No more reckless attacks.
This time, he waited. Calm and deliberate.
He dispelled both blades into his spatial ring and raised his hands.
BOOM!
The mist around the enemies exploded, detonating the mana they had ignored.
"GAHHHHH!" the boy screamed, canceling his spell and collapsing to his knees.
The explosion was not powerful, but it was enough to overwhelm those unused to pain or pressure.
"You idiot! What the hell are you doing!" the girl shouted, lunging toward one of Jax's shadows.
Each of them had their own way to counter Jax's teleportation, but distraction cost them seconds. And seconds were all Jax needed.
He reappeared behind the girl, whose guard was down.
Clang!
[YOU HAVE LOST]
The message echoed as his blade struck the protective barrier of her black bodysuit.
Without pause, Jax teleported again, this time behind the wounded boy.
Clang!
[YOU HAVE LOST]
The two vanished, bodies flickering out as their suits deactivated.
"One left," Jax muttered.