— 20 min that's a lot of time.
— can someone who didn't pass the first test be able to show this much.
— he might have cheated.
— will he be the first in this Round.
Whispers spread like wildfire through the field, overlapping and clashing as hundreds of students stared at Shiddharth with expressions ranging from disbelief to outright hostility. Some were confused, some jealous, and others simply unable to accept what they had just witnessed. A record shattered so brutally was not something easily swallowed.
"Silence."
A thunderous voice echoed across the open field, carrying authority so heavy that even the air itself seemed to freeze. Conversations died instantly, and a complete silence spread as if someone had pressed pause on the world.
"Next," the old man said coldly.
One by one, the remaining participants stepped forward. The process continued relentlessly, names called, times recorded, results announced. Some faces lit up with relief, others darkened with despair. Slowly, the second-round test came to an end, and with it, many students were forced to leave the field, eliminated after failing both trials.
Soon after, the remaining students were led away from the open grounds and toward a massive, dark cave where the third-round test awaited.
Inside the cave.
The interior was damp and cold, the air thick with an oppressive stillness. Shadows stretched unnaturally across jagged stone walls, and the faint echo of footsteps made it impossible to tell where anyone truly was.
"Now you all need to pass through this cave and reach the other end," the old man announced, his voice reverberating through the cavern. "But only the first three hundred of you will be able to pass this round."
A wave of tension swept through the group.
"But if you think you are lost," he continued calmly, "just break the life balls attached to your waist. The guards will come and pick you up."
The moment the test began, chaos erupted.
Everyone rushed forward at once, pushing, sprinting, scrambling into the maze-like cave. Out of the thousand participants remaining, only three hundred would pass this round. Those who failed wouldn't be expelled, but they would lose their bonus—and with only one more chance to fail, no one wanted to give up this advantage.
Some students blindly ran through corridors, trusting luck. Others used footwork techniques to leap upward, hoping to glimpse the maze's layout, but the walls were far too high and swallowed their efforts whole.
Shiddharth ran steadily, his breathing controlled, his mind sharp. As he moved deeper into the cave, an idea suddenly formed.
Without hesitation, he summoned his dragon.
The small dragon appeared instantly, its movements fluid and swift, far faster than Shiddharth himself—especially since Shiddharth's stats were sealed. The dragon vanished into the maze like a streak of light and returned almost immediately, transmitting the image of the correct path straight into Shiddharth's mind.
Without slowing down, Shiddharth changed direction and sprinted toward the exit.
Others noticed.
One by one, students began following him. To them, it made sense—someone who lasted ten minutes in the View Stone must have a way. Without thinking too deeply, they chose to trust him.
That trust quickly turned into regret.
The route Shiddharth chose was riddled with traps. Pressure plates snapped open beneath careless steps, blades shot out from the walls, and hidden spikes erupted from the floor. Shiddharth's intuition saved him from most dangers, but even he couldn't avoid everything. Several traps activated, slicing into his flesh and drawing blood.
Behind him, cries of pain echoed as others fared far worse.
Still, Shiddharth pushed forward.
When he finally reached the exit, a brief moment of triumph filled his chest—only to be crushed instantly.
More than fifty students were already there.
His excitement drained away as reality set in.
An hour later, the test ended. Many participants shattered their life balls, either hopelessly lost or too injured to continue. When the final count was made, a total of five hundred sixty-four students passed the third round.
"The fourth and fifth rounds will take place tomorrow," the old man announced. "You may rest today in our guest building."
The sun had already set, and many of those who passed were heavily wounded. Delaying the next rounds was unavoidable.
In the guest building.
Shiddharth carefully tried to place food onto his plate, struggling due to his missing arm. Just as the plate began to tilt dangerously, a hand reached out and steadied it.
"Oh, thank you," Shiddharth said sincerely, taking the plate back.
"Are you new in this city?" Abhi asked.
"Yeah, you can say that," Shiddharth replied.
They sat together at a table.
"So what course do you want to apply for?" Abhi asked while eating.
"I don't know how to use Urza properly," Shiddharth said. "So I'll be taking Urza magic classes."
Abhi blinked. "But you're an Urza Sword user. Wouldn't the Urza Sword class suit you better?"
"You're not wrong," Shiddharth replied calmly. "But swordsmanship with only one hand will be too difficult. Learning magic suits me better."
He kept his tone modest. Showing off here would only invite trouble—especially with his system locked.
"You are right," a voice sneered nearby. "A lowly guy like you isn't qualified to learn the Royal Sword Technique of Yejaeta Academy."
Another student laughed beside him.
"Sword techniques? He isn't even qualified to be here."
And they both laugh.