A full week had passed since my triumphant return from the "Secure Facility" to my luxurious suite in Alpha Class dorms.
A week spent under the close—and unbelievably irritating—supervision of my icy "guardian," Professor Aurora Phoenix.
My daily life had turned into a surreal mix of specialized physical training that seemed designed to melt my already pathetic muscles into jelly, theoretical lectures where I could practically feel every pair of eyes glued to me, and tedious reports I had to submit to Professor Phoenix about my "mental state" and "any demonic whispers I might have heard recently."
What a perfect student life, I thought every morning as I dragged myself out of bed, ready for another delightful day of this routine.
Grueling training, constant surveillance, and a reputation as "the great gambler who talked to a hell clown and then cried like a child."
Couldn't ask for more excitement.
My relationship with Professor Phoenix was… interesting, if you wanted to use a polite word.
She watched me like a hawk watching a fat mouse, waiting for the slightest mistake—any proof to confirm her deep suspicion that I was somehow a threat to all of humanity (no idea why)… or at least to the reputation of Vanguard Academy.
And me?
Well, I found a certain masochistic enjoyment in getting on her nerves with my usual sarcasm and evasive answers.
It was like a game of chess—each of us trying to read the other, both convinced the other was hiding something big.
Well… I wasn't expecting anything from her.
As for my dear Alpha Class classmates, their reactions toward me were a delightful mix of fear, curiosity, and outright disgust.
Maya Hawthorne avoided looking at me entirely.
Whenever our eyes met, she would quickly look away. Fear? Guilt over the nonsense she'd spread about me? Who knew.
Rex Barnes simply shot me openly hostile glares whenever I passed by, like he wished academy rules allowed him to use me as a punching bag.
Ethan Riddle tried to be awkwardly friendly—throwing me a stiff greeting every now and then before quickly escaping, as if afraid my "curse" might be contagious.
Drake Mallory, as usual, watched everything with that ever-present smile, clearly finding endless entertainment in my "special" situation.
Serena Valerian and Leo von Falkenhayn kept their distance, observing quietly from afar.
And Isabella…
She was the only one who actually seemed to enjoy the situation. She even tried talking to me "normally" sometimes, asking sharp—and slightly uncomfortable—questions about my "adventure" inside the Carnival Gate.
Which, frankly, was unsettling.
Kai Morgenstern, as always, remained nothing more than a silent shadow—watching everything with those mysterious gray eyes without ever saying a word.
I had just started getting used to this strange routine—and my role as Alpha Class's official outcast—when my Cardinal device vibrated on my wrist one morning, signaling a new message.
This time, it wasn't from Professor Phoenix.
It was a general announcement to all Alpha Class students.
[Urgent Notice – All Alpha Class Students]
Subject: Special Practical Evaluation Mission
Time: Today, 14:00
Location: Training Gate No. 23 (coordinates will be provided)
Attendance: Mandatory for all students listed below. Absence will be considered a major violation.
Note: This mission is part of your ongoing evaluation—teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability in unknown environments. Bring only basic equipment. No personal weapons allowed.
A special practical evaluation mission?
I read the words, feeling that familiar sting of anticipation—and anxiety—that always came with these sudden academy announcements.
A training gate? Great. More annoying demons.
A chill ran briefly down my spine.
Please don't let there be another carnival.
Then I moved on to the attached team list.
My heartbeat slowed slightly as I searched for my name, expecting to find myself either paired with the "stars" as their designated liability… or lumped in with other "special cases" like me.
But what I saw made my eyebrows rise in genuine surprise.
[Evaluation Team Delta]
Assigned Leader: Leonard von Falkenhayn
Members:
Adam Lister
Noor Akim
Sam Owens
Leo von Falkenhayn… my leader?
That caught my interest.
One of the main figures. The analytical type. The guy Drake Mallory had defeated in that debate.
Was this really random… or was Professor Phoenix placing me with someone capable of watching me closely?
As for the others—Noor Akim and Sam Owens.
I barely knew them. Probably among the less noticeable students in Alpha Class—the kind who preferred staying in the background.
I remembered seeing them in lectures.
Noor—a small girl with fiery orange hair and wide eyes that always looked like they were on the verge of discovering something amazing.
Sam—a tall, thin, unnervingly quiet guy with thick glasses who looked like he'd rather read books than talk to people.
What a wonderfully "balanced" team, I thought dryly.
The strategist, the sarcastic outcast, the overly enthusiastic girl, and the silent ghost.
If we didn't kill each other before entering the gate, I'd consider that a success.
But something else caught my attention.
There was no mention of any supervising instructor accompanying us inside the gate.
Just students.
Does that mean we're on our own this time?
That thought brought a more genuine flicker of unease.
No help. No safety net. Solve it—or die.
In the previous gate, there had at least been a support team ready to step in if things went bad…
If not for the anomaly that escalated the situation to Rank A and prevented outside interference, we might've actually gotten help.
This one, though…
An E-Rank gate.
A mission suited to our level.
But even E-Rank gates could be deadly—if you made stupid mistakes… or if your team was full of people who made stupid mistakes.
I glanced at the time on my Cardinal device.
10:00 AM.
Four hours to prepare.
Alright, Adam, I thought as I got out of bed.
Let's do this.
"Smack!"
I lightly slapped both cheeks, trying to shake off the tension.
The four hours leading up to the "Special Practical Evaluation Mission" dragged by like a long, dull funeral.
There wasn't much I could actually do to prepare.
"Basic equipment only. No personal weapons."
Which meant I'd be entering a potentially dangerous gate armed with nothing but these ridiculous clothes… questionable intelligence…
And, of course, a skill that only worked when I was already deep in hell.
Brilliant strategic planning, Academy.
I checked the contents of the small backpack we'd been issued at the start of the year.
Field first aid kit.
Emergency rations.
A small flashlight.
That was it.
I didn't even bother reviewing notes.
What was I supposed to study?
"How to convincingly play dead in front of an E-Rank entity?"
Or maybe: "Beginner's Guide to Hysterical Crying in the Face of the Unknown?"
Sarcasm was my only shield.
And I intended to use it until the very end.
At 1:30 PM—half an hour before the scheduled time—
I headed toward the designated meeting point near one of the higher-numbered training gates, in a quieter section of the grounds.
I expected to find my Delta team waiting there.
Maybe even Professor Phoenix glaring at us.
And sure enough—
They were all there.
Leonard "Leo" von Falkenhayn stood upright, reviewing something on his tablet. His expression was serious, completely devoid of emotion.
He looked like he was preparing to command a military operation—not lead an E-Rank evaluation with three outcasts.
Next to him stood Noor Akim.
She looked both excited and nervous, her wide brown eyes darting around everywhere. Her uniform was slightly messy, as if she'd thrown it on in a hurry.
Sam Owens stood in the shadow of a nearby tree—almost invisible.
Tall, thin, dark brown hair falling over his eyes, thick glasses reflecting light oddly.
Silent. Observing. Like a shy ghost.
What a team, I thought as I approached.
"Good afternoon, everyone," I said cheerfully—far too cheerfully—as I raised a hand in greeting.
"Ready?"
Leo looked up at me, his gaze sharp.
"Lister," he said calmly.
"I hope you take this mission seriously. Even an E-Rank gate can be dangerous if handled without discipline."
Noor turned toward me with a bright, enthusiastic smile.
"Hi! I'm Noor—and you're Adam, right? I've heard a lot about you!"
Oh?
I wonder which version of my legend reached you.
"The hero who defeated the Masked Master? Or the lunatic who sacrificed his teammates?"
"Yep, that's me," I said with a faint smile.
"Adam Lister, at your service."
Sam gave a silent nod from the shadows.
Didn't say a word.
"Alright, Team Delta," Leo said, returning to his formal tone.
"Since we're all here, let's review the initial plan."
"Professor Phoenix informed me that the primary objective is to evaluate our teamwork, our ability to analyze unknown environments, and to make sound decisions under pressure."
"We've been given no specific details about the gate or its threats—only that it's E-Rank."
Of course, I thought.
Throw us into the unknown and see who survives.
"Our abilities are varied," Leo continued, looking at each of us in turn.
"Noor—your Spatial Echo Resonance will be crucial for scouting and detecting hidden or moving entities."
"Sam—your Localized Shadow Obscuration will be useful for stealth or creating visual distractions."
"And I will rely on my analytical skills to guide our decisions."
Then he paused.
And looked at me.
There was… hesitation in his gaze. Maybe curiosity.
"As for you, Lister… your file doesn't provide much clarity regarding your combat capabilities or abilities. Aside from… certain unusual incidents."
Nice phrasing, I thought.
"I'll be the team's… moral support," I said seriously.
Leo frowned slightly—but didn't press further.
He understood I wouldn't tell them.
"Whatever your abilities are, Lister, I expect you to follow orders, communicate clearly, and not endanger the team with reckless behavior."
"Don't worry, Captain," I said, placing a hand dramatically over my heart.
"I'm the embodiment of discipline… when I'm asleep."
Noor let out a small laugh.
Sam… didn't react at all.
Leo looked like he was debating whether to laugh or hit me with something heavy.
"Enough."
Before anyone could say anything else—
Professor Aurora Phoenix appeared.
Just like that. As if she had materialized out of thin air.
She stood a few steps away, hands clasped behind her back, her ruby eyes coldly fixed on us.
"Team Delta," she said, her voice devoid of warmth.
"Are you ready for your evaluation?"
No one answered.
Her gaze alone was enough to silence anyone.
"Training Gate No. 23—Lobby Elevator type," she announced, gesturing toward a circular blue ethereal beam.
"Your primary objective is to explore the gate, assess potential threats, and locate the designated Emergency Exit within two hours."
"You will be evaluated on teamwork, problem-solving, and adherence to safety protocols."
Lobby Elevator?
That name didn't sound familiar.
And I wasn't about to trust my knowledge of the story blindly.
"Leo von Falkenhayn—as team leader," she continued, her gaze settling on him,
"you are responsible for your team's safety and for making critical decisions."
Then she looked at me.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"And you, Lister—"
"I expect you to follow your leader's orders and refrain from unnecessary… improvisation. Is that clear?"
Seriously? I didn't do anything.
The one time I did improvise was when I was trying to survive.
"Crystal clear, Professor," I said with an innocent smile.
"I'll be the model student."
I saw the corner of her lips twitch—just slightly.
Yeah… I'm definitely enjoying this.
"Good," she said coldly.
"Proceed to the gate. You have two minutes for final preparation before activation."
"Good luck. You'll need it."
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away—leaving us standing before our unknown fate inside the "Lobby Elevator."
We exchanged glances.
Leo remained focused.
Noor looked excited—and nervous.
Sam stayed silent as ever.
Well…
Let's hope this goes smoothly.