The S Class Mage promotion examination for this year is about to begin.
I have seen everyone's hard work over the past year.
Now, I announce the list of successful candidates.
This year, it will still be a two person mode.
As for the assessment location, I will keep you in suspense for now.
But I can assure you that this year's S level assessment will be unforgettable.
…
Selene looked at Caesar, who was speaking fluently on the stage.
She could not help but shiver.
It would definitely be unforgettable.
That maze was terrifying the first time anyone entered it.
It would absolutely torment people until they broke.
Still, Selene did not say anything.
She was quite happy to watch such a grand performance.
Caesar announced the list.
There were ten people shortlisted this year.
They were Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Wendy, Lucy, Lisanna, Elfman, Athena, and Jellal.
As for the partners, they were Happy, Ur, Freya, Levy, Carla, Cana, Rili, Abagarin, Ultear, and Melty.
A total of ten teams.
Caesar was not surprised by most of the pairings.
Only two teams caught his attention.
Gajeel with Levy.
Lisanna with Rili.
Gajeel abandoning his own cat for a woman was disgraceful.
Caesar despised that behavior.
After everyone chose their partners, Caesar finally revealed the rules.
During the assessment, teams of two would act together.
If either member lost, the entire team would be eliminated.
When this rule was announced, Happy and Carla almost cried.
Their strength was far weaker than those monsters.
If they were targeted, they would become fatal weak points.
However, once the choice was made, it could not be changed.
Caesar wanted to see how they treated their companions under pressure.
Once everything was settled, Caesar went to find the S Class mages at home.
Laxus.
Erza.
Mirajane.
As for Gildarts, he was still addicted to fishing.
No one knew where he was wandering.
Caesar chose to ignore him.
The tasks assigned to the S Class mages were simple.
Caesar explained the situation.
He handed them amulets to resist traps.
He also gave them a core mechanism.
It could slightly alter the paths inside the maze.
If they wished, they could turn safe paths into dead ends.
They could guide specific people toward themselves.
They could also block others entirely.
At that moment, Caesar glanced deeply at Erza.
Erza blushed.
Even if it is Jellal, I will not go easy on him.
Caesar nodded.
Then he spoke again.
Take it easy.
I do not want this maze to be a one time thing.
It needs to last at least two years.
The three fell silent.
They could not guarantee that.
Seeing their expressions, Caesar sighed.
He was exhausted.
…
Time passed quickly.
The day of the assessment arrived.
Natsu and the others gathered at the entrance of Fairy Tail.
Caesar and Selene joined hands.
They cast water wing magic.
A massive ring formed in the air.
On the other side was a desolate rocky land.
To prevent past accidents, this assessment is in another world.
Caesar marked the twenty participants.
Then he spoke clearly.
Enter the great maze.
Go to the deepest point.
Pull out the flag.
The winner will be promoted to S Class mage.
Simple and clear.
That is best.
Natsu immediately rushed forward with Happy.
Gray clicked his tongue.
That idiot really cannot wait.
Caesar smiled lightly.
Oh right.
I forgot to mention something.
There are ten entrances to the maze.
Each entrance is different.
The difficulty of each path also varies.
Everyone fell silent.
In the next instant, everyone rushed forward.
No one cared about courtesy anymore.
They wanted the best entrance.
After everyone entered, Caesar told the others to stay behind.
He then led Selene into the ring.
The ring closed.
They arrived outside the great maze.
Caesar clapped his hands.
Stone tables and chairs rose from the ground.
Caesar sat down.
With a wave of his hand, ten magic screens appeared.
Each screen showed one team inside the maze.
Selene sat beside him.
She watched chaos unfold.
Traps activated everywhere.
She sighed helplessly.
It starts this intense.
You will break them.
Do not worry.
I placed recovery mechanisms inside.
They will not be eliminated too quickly.
Look.
Someone found one already.
On the screen, Lucy and Cana stumbled forward.
They dodged spikes desperately.
They avoided fatal wounds.
But their bodies were covered in injuries.
Their clothes were barely intact.
At the end of a dead end, they saw a wooden chest.
Filled with doubt, they opened it.
Inside were two healing spell jades.
Placed there by Caesar.
They crushed the jades.
Healing magic activated instantly.
Their injuries vanished.
Their stamina returned.
With renewed confidence, they moved forward again.
Compared to them, Gajeel and Levy were miserable.
Their chosen path was extremely difficult.
If not for Gajeel's iron dragon body, they would be gone already.
Caesar went too far.
There are too many traps.
Levy complained loudly.
Their magic was suppressed by the environment.
That made everything even worse.
Gajeel gnawed on iron formed by Levy's word magic.
We must have picked the hardest path.
Levy sighed.
They turned a corner.
Another chest appeared.
They opened it eagerly.
Thick white mist burst out.
They inhaled it by accident.
Their eyes rolled back.
They collapsed instantly.
Caesar looked at the screen.
A wicked smile appeared.
Not every chest held recovery items.
Some contained small mechanisms.
Like sleeping gas.
It caused unconsciousness for several minutes.
In a race against time, even minutes were fatal.
That was the cruelty of the S Class examination.