The aftermath of the first round of the games left a sense of satisfaction mingled with anticipation. I emerged victorious, securing my place in the top ranks, with Noah closely trailing behind in second. As for the brown-haired kid, he clinched the third position, but beyond that, the other participants didn't hold much significance for me. Only the top 100 contestants would proceed to the next stage, and Pluto, thankfully, managed to make the cut. His relief was palpable, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Approaching him, I offered a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. "You managed to make it," I remarked, trying to alleviate some of his stress. "See, training did pay off."
Pluto's expression softened, gratitude evident in his eyes. We both knew that the challenges were far from over; we had merely completed the first of four games. Ms. Lily, ever poised at the podium, wasted no time in transitioning to the announcement of the next game.
"The race was an interesting one," she remarked, her eyes briefly locking with mine, a smirk playing on her lips. I tensed, realizing that her deliberate mention of my performance would likely make me a target for the upcoming challenge.
Drawing a slip from the wooden box, Ms. Lily unveiled the nature of the next trial. "The next game is the Labyrinth," she explained. "Participants will enter from different entrances and must navigate through clues to reach the other side of the maze."
The rules were straightforward, yet the labyrinth held the potential for unforeseen dangers. Players could sabotage one another's progress, and with only half the contestants allowed to advance, the stakes were higher than ever.
"Abaddon, as the winner of the previous game, you may choose your entrance first," Ms. Lily announced. "There are six exits, so choose wisely. Only 50 of you will remain after this round."
Considering my options, I weighed the possibilities before deciding on the 13th entrance. Turning to Pluto, I suggested, "You should choose the second-to-last entrance."
Confusion flickered across his face, but he followed my advice as we made our way to our respective entrances. The other participants soon made their selections, and one by one, we entered the labyrinth.
Inside, the maze loomed vast and intricate, its walls stretching high above. With no way to fly or ride a dragon through, we were left to rely solely on our wits and instincts. I began to navigate the maze, each turn presenting a new challenge and a fresh opportunity to advance. So far, there were no traps in sight, but I remained vigilant, knowing that danger could lurk around any corner.
As I made my way through the labyrinth, my senses heightened, alert for any signs of danger. Suddenly, my foot pressed down on a tile that gave way beneath me. The walls around me shifted, revealing hidden alcoves from which arrows swiftly emerged, aimed directly at me.
Reacting instinctively, I called upon my training and unleashed Spinjitsu, spinning rapidly to deflect the projectiles hurtling towards me. The arrows clattered harmlessly against the walls, their deadly trajectory disrupted by my swift movements.
Despite narrowly avoiding the immediate threat, I knew I couldn't linger in this perilous spot for long. With the walls still shifting and traps likely abound, I needed to find a way out before I became ensnared in an inescapable trap.
Pressing forward with determination, I navigated cautiously through the maze, each step fraught with uncertainty. The twisting passages and deceptive dead ends threatened to disorient me, but I refused to succumb to panic. With focused determination, I continued on, determined to find a path to safety amidst the labyrinth's confounding design.
Though I felt a sense of disorientation creeping over me, I pushed forward, trusting in my instincts to guide me through the maze's treacherous twists and turns.
Pressing forward, I encountered dead end after dead end, the maze seemingly designed to confound and frustrate. With each new turn, I faced another challenge, another obstacle to overcome. Exhaustion gnawed at me as I trudged onward, the relentless assault of traps wearing down my resolve.
Then, a realization struck me like a lightning bolt – Ms. Lily hadn't expressly forbidden the use of our abilities to overcome obstacles. With a surge of determination, I activated my power, unleashing a barrage of energy that tore through the walls, carving a path forward.
Destroying walls left and right, I navigated through the maze with newfound purpose, driven by the desire to escape before others could catch up. Eventually, I stumbled upon a colossal door guarded by a menacing stone statue. Its grotesque visage and multiple arms clutching weapons exuded an aura of ancient malevolence.
Realizing that I had reached the exit, I steeled myself for what lay ahead. The statue lurched into motion, its animated form bearing down upon me with deadly intent. Evading its strikes, I launched attacks of my own, but they seemed to have little effect on the impervious stone.
In a desperate bid for survival, I spotted a gleaming sword – a Doa sword, designed for students like myself. With renewed determination, I sprinted towards it, dodging the statue's relentless onslaught. The statue, sensing my intent, redoubled its efforts to prevent me from reaching the weapon.
Frustration welled within me, fueling my resolve. Activating my ability once more, I summoned forth copies of myself to engage the statue in battle. As my duplicates clashed with the stone behemoth, buying me precious moments, I seized the Doa sword.
But victory was short-lived as the statue's hammer struck true, sending me crashing through the walls of the maze. Pain seared through my body, but I refused to yield. Summoning all my strength, I conjured the dragon from earlier, setting it against the statue in a fierce duel.
The tension in the room was palpable as the battle between the imposing stone statue and the dragon raged on. With every swing and strike, the dragon faltered, its form battered and crumbling under the relentless assault. Desperation clawed at me as I frantically tried to open the door, but it remained stubbornly stuck, resisting all my efforts.
With a surge of determination, I hurled myself against the door, pouring every ounce of strength into my futile attempts to break free. The door remained immovable, a silent sentinel guarding the exit. My heart pounded in my chest as panic threatened to overwhelm me. How long had it been since anyone had passed through this door? The weight of history pressed down upon me, urging me to push harder, to fight against the odds.
As the dragon continued to suffer under the statue's relentless onslaught, I realized that time was running out. My ability, depleted from the ordeal, faltered when I tried to activate it. My muscles screamed in protest as I struggled to summon the strength to wield the sword in my hand.
With a desperate gambit, I used the sword as a makeshift crowbar, leveraging it against the door with all my might. Inch by agonizing inch, the door began to give way, the ancient wood groaning in protest. But the statue, sensing my impending escape, bore down upon me with renewed fury.
Finally, with a final burst of effort, I wrenched the door open, only to be met with a solid wall blocking my path. There was no time to dwell on the cruel twist of fate. I unleashed the full force of my ability, blasting through the obstacle with explosive power. With a triumphant leap, I burst through the opening just as the axe of the statue came crashing down, narrowly missing me.
Emerging into the open air, I was greeted by a sea of astonished faces, their eyes wide with disbelief at my dramatic escape. Nurses swarmed around me, their skilled hands tending to my wounds with practiced efficiency. Amidst the chaos, I learned that I had managed to secure the 23rd place, while Liam once again claimed the coveted top spot. Pluto, too, had made a respectable showing, securing the 45th place.
Relief washed over me as I realized that the ordeal was finally over. Though I harbored a twinge of disappointment at not clinching the first place, I pushed aside those feelings, grateful to have emerged from the labyrinth alive and relatively unscathed. As the nurses tended to my injuries, I silently hoped that the next challenge would be less perilous and demanding.
…
Heroes POV
As the students took a much-needed break, the teachers gathered for a meeting to discuss the recent events, including the discovery of the mysterious sword found by Abaddon in the labyrinth. The sword lay prominently on the table, its gleaming blade catching the dim light of the room.
"Should we really have allowed him to participate?" questioned the 3rd year common class teacher, expressing doubts about Abaddon's involvement.
"He is a student, we should not give him special treatment," Brian interjected, his legs propped casually on the table, earning disapproving looks from his colleagues. "It just was a coincidence that he found the seventh exit, but at least he made it out alive."
Sensei Wu, however, held a different view. Picking up the sword,"This sword was crafted by my father."
The atmosphere in the room grew tense as Brian brazenly snatched the sword from Sensei Wu, sparking a confrontation between the two.
"Why are you fighting over such an old sword?" said a voice that finally decided to join the meeting, breaking the tension.
Mr. Salvatore, a late arrival to the meeting, intervened. "Well, Wu, not everyone is blessed with a saint of a son like yours," he remarked, attempting to diffuse the situation by offering to safeguard the sword in the school vault.
But Sensei Wu, visibly displeased, disagreed. "Why don't you give it to me instead? What is the point of putting it in a vault for it to gather dust?"
Brian interjected again, rolling his eyes. "Well, what are you going to do? Put it in the monastery in a display case to tell your students about how your father made a sword?"
With tensions still lingering, the meeting concluded abruptly, leaving the other teachers feeling bewildered and frustrated.
"Get used to it," Ms. Lily remarked as she left, acknowledging the dysfunction within the faculty. "It has been like this ever since I could remember."
As the teachers grumbled amongst themselves, it was clear that the challenges they faced extended beyond the physical trials of the games, highlighting the underlying tensions and power struggles within the school hierarchy.