"Time's up! Done! Creating your group, the entrance exam starts now! REMEMBER THIS! DON'T EVER BE ASHAMED TO ESCAPE USING BRACELETS! SURVIVE!"
*Bang*
A gunshot echoed, signaling the start, as Instructor Carl's words resonate across the open fields, his gaze fixed on his watch.
Normally, student groups comprised of 7 people. But there was one group that stood out, it was a pretty large group, with 400 members, created by Drake. His leadership is truly something; it will be expanded as more exams come. It's weird to see a group like that.
While Steve was leading us to the wormhole, my eyes notice one person, an important character, among Drake's follower. Her petite stature, cropped hair, and keen eyes, she resembled a young Chinese girl. Mel!
"Why is she with Drake? How? My novel's storyline is crumbling!" My nerves tangled within the storyline.
I designed Drake as quantity and Steve as quality.
After observing Mel, I mused, "Hmmm... Drake talking to Steve? That wasn't in the novel."
Tilting my head, I realized that Drake was talking to Steve. What could they be discussing? I decided to move closer, hoping to catch their conversation.
"You got lucky in your abilities in the test to get a rank 1," Drake said.
As expected of a villain, he suddenly removed his department mage badge, number 13, and threw it to Steve.
What's happening? Why? I created Drake to be Steve's rival, but not this kind of aggressive.
That was the duel for rank—a highly unorthodox ranking system. If Steve picked it up and lost the duel, they'd exchange ranks. If Steve scored lower or Drake completed the entrance exam ahead of Steve, Drake would win. This was only allowed within the confines of the exam. Moreover, if Steve's rank fell below Drake's, Drake could choose.
Oh, Steve was doing nothing?
"Let's go," Steve uttered.
"Pick it up!" Drake's angry demand filled the air.
We continued toward the wormhole, with Steve showing no interest in Drake's challenge.
"Pick it up, you coward!"
Sonia suddenly walk close to the Drake badge.
"Sonia, don't," Steve cried out.
Sonia picked up the badge confidently. "Alright, I accept your challenge. Know your place, 13th! Ha! Don't make me laugh!"
Steve could only facepalm at the situation, while Sonia wore a smug expression.
"We accept your challenge! And who are you, again?"
"Drake Salmon." Drake beamed, pleased that his challenge had been accepted by Steve's member.
"We will take your challenge! So, what's your bet? The bet must be equal to uphold the duel."
"I want Elina to join our group! If we lose, you can have all of us as your subordinates."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
What did he say... I will kill him! But wait, Elina's a mage, and Drake is drawn to mages and gathering them. But looking at his group now, it was compose of different classes.
"What?" Elina was shocked and perplexed, dragged into the duel by Steve, who wore a grim expression.
I was watching the whole thing, but I don't know if I need to interfere with the story.
This was really out of the storyline; even the bet was not like that…
"Then accepted!" Sonia said.
"Hmm!" Drake walked away towards his sizable group, leading them into the wormhole after Sonia accepted his challenge.
"Why did you do that, Sonia?"
"Because I refuse to be humiliated!"
Steve was really angry, but Sonia seemed even angrier.
"It's better not to wager Elina."
"So what! We'll win. Why are you so scared?"
I wasn't sure if this was a part of the story. Elina appeared genuinely worried about the situation.
"Elina, talk to her. Don't let her bet you like that!"
"Well, there's no stopping it; it had already happend." With a wry smile, Elina's sadness was evident.
"Let's go and win now!" Sonia walks like a grumpy old woman to the wormhole.
And I better just observe for the time being. Well, I don't want to die yet.
"Oh! Right!" Mel Carmin became a member of this group through Sonia's bet.
As we entered the wormhole, we held on to each other tightly, I was at the end of the line holding Steve. Without this, we risked separation. The interior wasn't a conventional space; it instantly transported us elsewhere.
"My name is Steve? What's yours?" Steve downplayed the earlier events, but Sonia cut in.
"I'm Sonia. Consider yourself lucky to join us!" Her demeanor differed from my initial impression.
"I'm Elina," she introduced herself with a nod, facing the road. I could tell she was probably just shy.
"My name is Felix!"
Steve seemed satisfied, Elina peeked at the corner of her eyes, and Sonia showed no interest in me.
"This is an unusual area," I mused. Maybe because I designed this wormhole for training purposes.
Looking around, it appeared like a forest with plenty of bushes, perfect for ambushes.
*Krrrrggg.* My stomach felt funny. It wasn't an ideal start, but I had to continue to pass the test.
Considering I was already dead, there was no going back. If I became as strong as Steve, maybe I could be a permanent porter—it safer to stay near my own character creation.
"Oi, move! You slowpoke! We've just started, and we can't afford to lose Elina to that guy."
Sorry, my stomach hurts, but I better endure it!
We walked for a few hours without any issues, covering about half the distance. It was a smooth journey, but some personal problems needed attention.
The group stopped for a break. Sonia buffed everyone's attack power, and the girls tooka a few minutes to relieve themselves. However, in that short time, I needed more than just a break.
I couldn't walk straight. It wasn't the weight of the bag, but really.
I really wanted to poop!
Sweat beaded on my forehead, and a shiver ran down my spine. It was a creepy symptom.
"A wolf appears!" There it was, under the tree's shade, but before I could see it clearly, I noticed its violet fur and black feet. There was something distinct about it, especially the different color at the tip of its tail.
"Create a water spear!" Sonia commanded, and without delay, Elina attacked using magic.
The water materialized into a solid spear, striking the wolf's head and piercing its jaw.
"Wow, I didn't hear the wolf cry."
That's how mages work. They wield supernatural phenomena by casting and using mana.
Create magic is the basic level, followed by shortening it to just the element, which can be cast without saying "create". With training, the skill upgrades, leading to imitating phenomena. The highest skill involves elements like explosions, storms, earthquakes, and more. There's also light and dark magic, usually associated with royalty, who defending against waves of monsters on another continent.
"Are you alright? Why are you sweating so much?" Elina noticed me clutching the bag strap, although I was actually holding my stomach. Was my acting that terrible? I just needed to poop!
"Is the bag too heavy?" Steve asked, genuinely concerned.
"No, it's just…"
"We'll take a break!" Steve said as he could read my mind.