"Alpha report your status." A well-built muscular boy with green hair listened to the instructions coming out of the extremely tiny device, in his ears.
The boy's face slightly flushed imagining the sexy assistant of commander, in her black tight skirt.
"Alpha reporting in. Currently being heavily monitored by the live feed camera around the exam venue. Give me 2 mins to move towards a blind spot." The boy replied as he made his way towards the safe zone. Unexpectedly, the only place without any monitoring device was outside the safe zone.
"I have gathered relevant and sufficient background info about the target mam. Currently in motion to getting closer to the target." Alpha gave a quick summary of his report in.
"Umm... be careful." The sweet voice warned through the device.
The boy nodded while missing the comfort of his home due to this infiltration mission.
'Just a bit more before the replacement unit arrives.' The green-haired boy thought as he strode into the safe zone to collect some replenishment.
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Everyone was resting amidst the protest of their biological clock wanting them to wake up in the afternoon.
No one wanted to wake up, as this was one of the only resting time they received in the past 3 days. Along with that, they wanted to be at their peak for whatever the examiner could throw at them for the next round.
Soon an alarm raging through the speakers situated inside the exam venue, startled the resting students.
"Rise and shine beauties. Time for the final ordeal. The sooner you guys are ready, the sooner we can start." An announcement was soon made after the alarm.
"Please make your way towards the exam hall after you have had your lunch please." The announcement ended there.
Everyone without delaying quickly refreshed themselves, had their lunch as they quickly made their way towards the exam hall.
As the students poured into the hall they were amazed at the transformation that occurred inside the hall.
What used to be a hall covered in tables and chair was now layered with 10 massive fighting rings.
"As you have all guessed the last exam is clearly fighting each other. However, since there are so many of you we need to whittle that number down, so it won't take so long to get you to 1vs1. So welcome to the first part of the 3rd and final phase of the exam. Time bomb!" Another announcement quickly welcomed the gathered students.
"You all are free to choose which arena you want to be in but remember only a maximum of 100 people can be in 1 arena. Since there are less than 1,000 of you here it should be easy to accommodate all of you in all 10 arenas." The voice informed everyone.
Following the instructions, everyone soon picked an arena.
Some chose to go in with their friends, some chose to go separately. No matter the choice, everyone was soon inside the arena, awaiting what was to come.
"The rules are as follows for this stage.
1 person amongst you in each arena will be randomly chosen. The chosen person will be identified by the green hue surrounding him.
That person will have 30 seconds to pass the hue on him to another person by tapping another person, otherwise he will have to endure an explosion which I am pretty sure will knock out or even seriously injure that person no matter their rank." Hearing the face of many students started to twist in anger and despair. Before they could make an outcry the unidentified examiner made another announcement.
"However, the person with the green hue on them will be allowed to forfeit by simply saying 'I forfeit!' as long as they manage to say it before the timer runs out." Hearing this many students sighed in relief. After all, they had already suffered way too much, they weren't willing to be seriously injured just because of another test.
Most of them who had made it to this round had acquired just about enough score to graduate according to the magi association's criteria. Moving forward putting the life in line was just a foolish attempt for those who simply wanted to pass.
Yet there were many amongst the students who desperately wanted to get to the top 100. Not only because they will be offered better jobs according to their ranking, but because of the extremely generous reward of being in the top 100.
"Once a person is out, either by forfeit or by the explosion, another person will be chosen randomly to be the next bomb, inside the arena.
Once we have 10 people remaining on each arena we will conclude the test and move to part 2.
The condition to enter special ranking in this test is simple. Once a person receives the green aura, he has to stay immobile for the next 15 seconds, after which he/she is allowed to move. As long as they fulfil the prior requirement and complete the challenge in this test they will be allowed to enter the special ranking." The examiner paused for a while to let the students understand what he had announced.
"You will have 1 minute to prepare, after which the first person will be chosen." After this announcement each person started to put up distance between other students in the massive arena.
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Ez threw the mike in his hand to the table as he started observing each screen intensely.
"Thank you, Luke." Ez turned around smiling to the person who had just read the script he had written on a paper.
He then proceeded to press a button which started the timer on each arena which signified the 1-minute preparation time.
"It's my honour, your highness." Luke carefully gave a bow as he walked out.
'Has he noticed anything? If not then why is he always picking on me?' Luke thought in frustration as he walked out.
So far he had found no traces of his sister inside or outside the exam hall.
'Either she is disguised so well that no one could spot her, or they might have changed their plan.' Luke wondered as he walked out of the hall towards his post.
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A light shone through Albert's eyes as he observed one of the students on the screen.
'He grew extremely quickly in such a short span of time. Not to mention his absurd combat experience.' Albert analysed as the screen finally shifted away from Ellis.
'Dangerous! I am going to have to step up my plans. I never expected him to grow this quickly.' Albert made a decision as he looked at Merlin, the only other person who chose to stay behind.
Over the past few days, although the screen was showing a live transmission of all the exciting fights, amongst the four of them not everyone was willing to stay here fulltime watching the exam.
The first to leave was obviously the 1st prince who left right after the 1st phase of the exam. Followed by Jake who left soon after the beginning of the 2nd phase of the exam.
Leaving only Albert and Merlin as the only remaining people here.
Merlin had obviously stayed here due to being forced by his assistant to monitor so that no inconsistencies or favouritism will appear during the exam.
Albert had stayed here for 1 reason: to make sure not to blow the disguise of their poison they had sent in.
"How is it Merlin? What do you think of the exam this year?" Albert asked as they waited for the timer to go down.
Merlin frowned before replying "Very bloody, but very fair."
"Oh, how so?" Albert teased trying to make him say the impossible.
"You know what I mean." Merlin replied while shaking his head not knowing whether to applaud the genius 3rd prince or not.
This was the first time since he had taken over as the head of magi association, he had ever seen a fair and uncorrupted exam.
Although the magi association was there to monitor the situation, sometimes under the pressure of a collective group of nobles and other influential people, they would have had to close their eyes as their children's or pupil's cheated.
Unless a student was to blatantly cheat right in front of them, or someone was to come up with solid evidence that a student had cheated, the magi association rarely took action against those students.
The association after all isn't above the empire or the emperor. The association too had to sometimes rely on these nobles or their associates for help.
"No, I don't. Please do explain." Albert asked ignorantly to Merlin.
"Then you won't understand even if I do explain." Merlin answered back.
'Go to hell you stupid fox. You have already conned me a million times. I am not going to fall for it again and praise the 3rd prince and be blackmailed by you again. My various project has all been set back by 1 year due to you leeching of my resources.' Merlin cursed Albert as he watched the timer tick down.
"You used to be so much more fun when you used to shiver and answer everything I asked of you." Albert recounted his loss as he sat back with a glass of wine.
"It would have been more fun if you hadn't gone and reported everything to his highness causing my assistant to scream at me and give me a lecture about dignity as the head of magi association every time I go out." Merlin answered back in confidence seeing that it was just the both of them inside the room.
After all, he never had any sort of problem talking to another mage, especially one stronger than him.