While all the participants were giving it their all to reach the finish line, Kyle found himself strolling through a long and narrow tunnel. He had no clue where it would lead, but he kept going, hoping to find the end.
Little did he know, George was silently standing behind him, making some hand gestures in the air. The old man glanced at Kyle and let out a sigh. If he had the chance, he would have stopped the kid from getting the skill. But now that the kid had already absorbed it, there was nothing he could do.
After quickly finishing the gestures, George crushed some mana stones, increasing the mana density in the air.
Unaware of the Vice Principal's presence, Kyle suddenly felt a familiar suction force pulling him from behind. He wanted to turn around and see what was happening, but his vision turned dark.
"Huh?!"
Once he regained his sight, Kyle found himself surrounded by the familiar sight of tall green trees. A puzzled expression appeared on his face because he was standing on the dungeon road.
"Why am I here....?"
However, before he could ponder it further, he started throwing up again.
Suddenly, a participant running toward the finishing portal ran past Kyle. It was Alec, who had taken the lead after leaving Carcel, Mia, and Lara behind. Alec looked back, completely baffled.
'I don't remember anyone overtaking me!'
Countless questions raced through his mind. How did this person suddenly appear here? No, how on earth did he manage to pass by without alerting the bear!?
'Did he cheat?'
Not only Alec but Kyle himself was left dumbfounded as he witnessed a participant swiftly running past him.
He turned around to catch a glimpse of where Alec was heading, and his shock intensified. The dungeon's finishing portal was just a few meters away!
Kyle couldn't believe his eyes as he pinched himself in disbelief.
"Am I dreaming?"
As he tried to process the surreal scene unfolding before him, another participant swiftly ran past him. Carcel, who had been following behind Alec, also turned his head back and glanced at Kyle.
'I don't remember seeing him.'
He narrowed his eyes in contemplation but didn't stop running.
Just a few seconds later, Mia and Lara both showed up and quickly passed by Kyle's side, their faces displaying the same surprised look as Alec and Carcel.
Kyle looked at the participants running toward the finishing portal and snapped out of his shock. Even though he wanted to rest because he felt nauseous after throwing up, he still started running toward the portal with all his might.
He looked at the portal with a burning gaze.
"I can do it!"
But he was running so slowly that soon a few more participants ran past him, leaving him behind.
After two minutes, Kyle was still running when he heard the ground rumble. He turned his head back to see the reason.
"Shit!"
He cursed loudly, seeing thousands of participants approaching him from behind. This time, he didn't hold back and started running with everything he had. He knew that if he didn't reach the portal, he would definitely be crushed under the feet of those thousands of participants!
The first person to enter the finishing portal was Alec, followed by Carcel, Mia, and then Lara. Afterward, some more participants entered the portal.
Even though Kyle was running for his life, he barely managed to secure the 36th place in the first round.
As Kyle entered the finishing portal, he felt the familiar suction force, transporting him back to the place where he had entered the dungeon.
After the first 1000 participants appeared, the rest were sent directly outside the arena stage. The crowd erupted in cheers for the top performers, thrilled to witness the young talents.
Vice Principal George reappeared, floating in front of the 1000 participants. Using his spiritual sense, he checked everyone's flag and nodded in approval.
"First, let me congratulate everyone who made it through the first round."
As he spoke, his sharp gaze fell on a pale-looking participant, who seemed like he was hanging by a thread.
'I sent you near the finishing portal, and yet you didn't secure 1st place. How disappointing.'
Kyle, who was barely holding himself back from throwing up again, felt a chill run down his spine. His danger-sensing abilities were top-notch, and it seemed like someone dangerous had their eyes on him. He looked around, trying to identify the person targeting him, but couldn't find anyone. Frustrated, he gave up.
On the other hand, George mentioned that the winning participants had 60 minutes to rest before the second round began. Then he left.
The participants who didn't come alone went to their friends and family members. Kyle, with a pale face, also went into the crowd and quickly found his second brother.
Neon greeted him with a big smile.
"Hahaha, Kyle! You did amazing! I saw you at the start, wandering through the forest, but then you vanished. How did you suddenly end up at the finishing portal?"
A faint smile appeared on Kyle's face as he saw Neon's happy expression. He felt proud and began boasting to his heart's content.
"Do you think I entered the forest without a plan? I already knew that competitions like these have hidden paths to victory."
Of course, his brother had no idea what had truly happened inside the dungeon, and he would take that secret to his grave!
Neon offered him some food, but he declined. He had a bad experience in the first round because of the sudden teleportation. If they were going to use teleportation again in the second round, he thought it would be better for him to go on an empty stomach.