As the team headed towards the fissure, it hummed into life. For a moment, Aahan thought it was welcoming them until he saw Dheera's group walking out of it.
Well, the only one walking was Dheera, carrying his teammates. Both of them were covered in blood and were barely conscious. The teacher who guided them inside had a disappointed look on his face as Amrita went to converse with him.
As for Aahan, he immediately rushed to help the injured onto a stretcher as the doctor examined them. At that moment, he also understood why so many people with lab coats were around the gate. They were the first response team.
While the doctors checked the candidates, Aahan noticed Dheera's injuries. Although the injuries weren't severe, he knew Dheera had taken quite a beating.
"So... how was it?" Aahan asked Dheera while a nurse treated his wounds.
"Abysmal," Dheera shook his head. "We got hammered by the second wave itself."
"What?"
Aahan couldn't believe it. If someone as strong as Dheera didn't last till the second round, what would happen to them? Even the thought was scary in itself. But what Dheera told him next shed some light on why their team barely managed to qualify for the third round.
"Coordination and planning," Dheera mumbled while nodding towards his teammates. "We failed in those fields. Besides, those two didn't listen to a thing I said. If only they had listened to me, we could have gone past the fourth wave, and they wouldn't be disqualified."
"So you were the only one who qualified? But didn't the Instructor say if one guy failed, the entire team would fail?"
Dheera listened to Aahan and chuckled. "That's true, but the teachers accompanying you have the final say in the matter. If they deem you worthy, you will qualify for the third round. If they don't, then you won't. It's as simple as that."
"It's good to know at least you qualified," Aahan smiled, offering Dheera a fist bump.
"Yeah, and I hope to see you in the third round tomorrow," Dheera replied, accepting Aahan's gesture of friendship. "By the way, I'm not trying to pressure you, but try to get past the fourth wave and break Isha's record."
Aahan was even more surprised when he heard about Isha's record. Not because he didn't think she was talented but because her team was much worse than Dheera's, at least according to the rankings, that was the case.
"I know what you're thinking... and to answer your question, yes, she did it all by herself," Dheera said as he got up and left. "All the best, Aahan, you'll need it."
Dheera's parting words resonated with Aahan. His expression was way too serious for him to be joking. But it also made Aahan wonder if his team even had a chance against those demons?
However, to avoid disheartening the rest of the team, Aahan kept the information to himself. Besides, he had faith in his teammate's abilities. If anyone who could have brought them down was his inexperience in dealing with demons.
"Let's go!" Arjun called out to Aahan, who immediately joined them.
As they went through the fissure, Aahan immediately realised the difference between the fissure they were inside and the fissures he had been to before.
While the backdrop was similar to crimson skies and ground, the effect of Ahur radiation was barely noticeable. So much so that their protective suits didn't activate on their own. They had to manually do it, and Aahan was glad he did.
His suit was in tatters like before. But thanks to the repair kit he got earlier, his suit soon became as good as new.
"Woah, your suit was in that condition, yet you didn't consume a potion?" Arjun commented, and Aahan just smiled. There was no way he would tell them how his 'injuries' were taken care of.
"I guess I got lucky," he finally said, but knew no one believed him. Maybe Maya did, but then again, she always had the same expression on her face, so it was hard to be sure of it.
"Alright, listen up, candidates," Amrita snapped her fingers to gain their attention. "I'll explain the rules of this round to you now. You'll be subjected to five waves of demon attacks. The first wave would last for a minute, and then the time would be increased by one minute for every round."
She continued, "There'll be a thirty-second break between waves. You'll either have to get rid of the demons or survive till the end of the wave to qualify for the next round. Any confusion?"
The trio shook their heads, prompting Amrita to continue. "Good, now on to the next part. Can you see that crystal?"
They turned their attention in the direction she was pointing and saw a massive crimson crystal hovering above the ground.
"The demons would not only attack you but the crystal as well. If that crystal breaks, you all will be disqualified, and that'll be it." Amrita continued. "Apart from that, quitting in the middle of a wave is the only other condition to fail. Any questions?"
Arjun immediately threw his hand up as soon as Amrita was done. "What about the point distribution?"
"Each wave you survive will grant you 20 points. The points for slaying a demon would vary according to their threat level," she replied.
"What about the high score?" Aahan couldn't help but ask after learning about Isha's excellence in the second round.
"If you're wondering about the individual high score set by candidate Isha, it's 560 points," Amrita mumbled before a smile crept on her face. "As for the Ashram records, it would be 780 points set by Vivaan Malhotra."
"Vivaan?" Aahan's eyes widened in surprise, and he could hardly believe what he had just heard.
But what surprised Aahan even more was that Arjun and Maya seemed to know more about his brother than he did!
"Wait... are we talking about the Maharathi Vivaan?" Arjun lost all composure as he exclaimed. "The one known for single-handedly defending a 'breach'?"
"Yes, that's him," Amrita replied, and Aahan could sense she took pride in talking about his brother. However, it didn't seem like she was aware of Aahan's relationship with Vivaan. "Now then, if you don't have any questions, we'll start now."