The longer the exam continued, the fewer participants remained within the maze.
The moment a participant received their third white card, they were instantly teleported out of the maze and into the stadium.
Remarkably, in just a span of ten seconds, some participants managed to collect all three white cards needed.
How did they achieve this so quickly?
At the start of the exam, if two or more participants decided to grab each other's hands, they would start from the same point within the maze.
This allowed them to easily exchange white cards among themselves.
As a result, two or more individuals could quickly gather all three necessary white cards by simply passing them to a designated person in their group.
This strategy was commonly employed by those who were determined to secure a top rank in the second exam.
By pooling their resources, they could bypass much of the maze's challenges and ensure that at least one of them would finish in the upper rank.
Another popular tactic involved using the white cards offensively.
Participants could touch two white cards to another participant, causing that individual to be instantly teleported to the stadium.
While this might seem counterintuitive, it was a highly effective way to eliminate competition, especially if your primary goal was to gather bonus coins.
The trick not only reduced the number of competitors in the maze but also increased your own chances of finding more coins and other valuable items left behind.
—24 coins
This was the number of coins Oz had managed to collect after exploring 30 rooms that contained bonus coins.
However, despite his efforts, he was too late for the remaining 6 coins. The doors to the rooms where those coins were hidden had already been opened by other participants.
It was impossible now to track down the participants who had taken them, as they had long moved on or had already been teleported out of the maze.
—If I use my spell on every participant I encounter, I'll run out of starlite before I'm done.
Oz had accumulated a total of 54 coins, which was more than enough to secure his acceptance into the academy. The coins, however, were not just valuable for passing the test; they would also hold significant value once the academy life began.
In his hand, Oz held 2 white cards. He was only one card away. But there was something else on his mind.
—Ah yes, I discarded one white card back there.
Looking at his map, Oz noticed that the place where he had thrown away the white card was quite a distance from his current location. Even though there were several white cards in the vicinity, Oz felt too unmotivated to go after them.
"Hi there, annoying bird. Goodbye!"
Oz muttered with a smirk.
*Quack!*
He grabbed the surveillance bird perched on his shoulder
With a tight grip, Oz crushed it, and as expected, Oz was teleported back to his starting point in the maze.
*Poof*
A new surveillance bird materialized in front of him, ready to continue its duties.
"The more I look at it, the more this creature annoys me… "
Oz exclaimed in frustration.
Once again, he grabbed the newly appeared surveillance bird and crushed it with the same forceful grip. And again, he was teleported back to the starting point.
He repeated this action 251 times, each time finding a small bit of satisfaction as he crushed the bird and was teleported back.
"Phew, my stress is finally gone."
He said with a sense of accomplishment.
The repetitive action had surprisingly alleviated the overwhelming stress that had built up from this absurdly demanding exams.
"Life at the magic academy is too serious."
"Huh? Where's the new surveillance bird?"
He wondered, noticing the absence of the creature that usually appeared after each teleportation.
[Hey kid. Stop that!]
A voice echoed inside his head, one he immediately recognized.
"Ah, that voice… Professor Goldilock?!"
Oz's heart skipped a beat as he realized who was speaking to him through telepathy. It was none other than Professor Goldilock.
"Why are you contacting me, my love… I mean, why is Professor Goldilock contacting me? Is there something I can do for you?"
He asked, his voice filled with both excitement and nervousness.
[…]
"Professor? Professor Goldilock? Hello, headmaster? Darling?"
Goldilock was stunned into silence, taken aback by the audacity of a boy who wasn't even 15 years old to call her "darling."
[Here's the deal, stop killing those surveillance birds. They're not easy to train, and they take a lot of time to replace. If you kill another surveillance bird, I'll personally come down there and roast you into barbecue!]
"Ah! What luck! I get to be alone with Professor Goldilock."
Oz said, grinning widely, completely missing the seriousness in her threat.
[… ]
Goldilock had been alive for decades and had participated in numerous battles against different Dark Lords. Despite her vast experience, she found that dealing with this particular boy was proving to be exceptionally difficult.
[Just don't kill the surveillance birds anymore. Understand?]
"Of course, my dear, I'll do whatever it takes for you."
*Poof*
Once again, a bird appeared in front of Oz, but this time it was an owl, with broad wings and a distinctive hoot.
"Yep, this is definitely an owl."
The owl then perched on Oz's right shoulder, its large, round eyes observing him keenly.
"Now that I think about it, what I just said was incredibly embarrassing."
Oz buried his face in his hands, feeling a deep sense of shame about his previous comments. The weight of his words and the situation were starting to sink in.
"Love really is blind," he mused.
*Screeeech*
The owl let out a screech that seemed to echo Oz's sentiments, as if it too found his earlier remarks amusing.
"Let's find that last white card!"
Oz regaining his enthusiasm.
*Screeeech*
Starting that day, Oz had a new pet—an owl. Goldilock not even realizing that she was giving him her owl.
If Oz had known the bird wasn't an surveillance bird but an ordinary owl, he might have spent more time exploring the maze and hunting down other participants.
Unfortunately, because the owl wasn't an surveillance bird, Oz didn't receive a score for the second exam. At least the 253 surveillance birds he had previously killed had recorded the points for six bonus skill.
*****
"Oz, is that an owl?"
Sam asked, bewildered, as he noticed the owl perched on Oz's shoulder.
"Yep, mine is bigger than any one here!"
Oz replied with a sense of pride.
*Screeeech*
The owl seemed to acknowledge Oz's claim, giving a contented screech.
*Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong*
The bell rang once more, signaling the end of the test. The sound echoed throughout the stadium, marking the conclusion of the challenging second exam.
[…]
This time, Professor Goldilock appeared visibly irritated. Unlike her usual cheerful demeanor when addressing the participants from the podium, her current expression was one of frustration.
While the participants felt as if they were under intense scorching sun, the professors and staff behind the podium felt a chilling atmosphere, as if an nuclear winter had descended upon them.
The reason for the headmaster's troubled mood was known only to herself and Oz, leaving everyone else puzzled.
[Ahem. Apologies for the interruption earlier. There was an urgent matter that needed my attention.]
After addressing the crowd once more, Goldilock's expression softened back to her familiar cheerful self, though her previous irritation still lingered in the air.
[With this announcement, the second test is officially over.]
As she had done when initially sending the students into the maze, Goldilock snapped her fingers, and the remaining participants were transported back to the stadium.
[According to my watch, it's now 1 pm. Time for a brief break. Lunch will be served shortly. Please take your seats at the tables provided.]
Suddenly, plants began to sprout from the stadium floor, growing rapidly. They transformed into tables and chairs, crafted from lush greenery and vibrant flowers.
"Whoa, eco-friendly furniture."
Oz said in awe, admiring the natural and sustainable design. He had a hobby of gardening and bonsai cultivation back on Earth, making him particularly appreciative of the innovation.
As Oz settled into one of the chairs, a flower bloomed on the table in front of him. The flower then transformed into a pumpkin, which expanded to the size of a large head.
The top of the pumpkin opened up like a lid, turning the pumpkin into a bowl. Inside, there were various dishes: pasta, roasted meat, and a selection of desserts.
From another branch, a pair of utensils—spoons and forks—emerged, completing the meal setup.
*Screeeech*
"Oh, you want some too?"
The owl hopped off Oz's shoulder and settled on a nearby branch by the table. Its feathers rustled as it adjusted its perch.
Oz placed some fish and chunks of meat on the ground near the owl.
"Enjoy your meal!"
*Screeeech*
The collective noise of thousands of participants eating filled the stadium, creating a bustling atmosphere of contented munching and chatter.
However, at the edge of the stadium, a long line had formed as many people were waiting to use the restroom. The scene was a mix of impatience and relief as participants waited for their turn.
*****
Unbeknownst to Oz, he was currently the center of intense discussion among the examiners.
"What? A participant killed 251 surveillance birds?" Professor Dexter's astonishment was palpable. He nearly toppled from his wheelchair, his face showing disbelief.
Despite his disability, Professor Dexter possessed a strong upper body. His arms were well-developed from extensive use after he lost his legs to a disease spread by the Disease Dark Lord seven years prior.
Only the taboo Transmutation Magic could restore limbs ravaged by the disease, but since it was forbidden, he could not use it.
"Yes, 252 to be precise, and it seems the headmaster personally warned him. Hahaha," Professor Woodville's laughter was unusual and hearty.Her long, brownish-blonde hair was messed up from her vigorous chuckling.
"It's unfortunate that he's been marked by the headmaster. Tsk, tsk, poor child," Professor Dexter said as he reviewed the preliminary scores, shaking his head at the irony.
"Oliver Twist. Scores zero on the second exams. Reason? Killing all the surveillance birds."
Since that incident, Oz had earned a notorious nickname among the professors at Mistheaven: 'Bird Slaughterer Dark Lord.'
Given that the headmaster was a bird enthusiast and Oliver had slaughtered 252 birds, it seemed fitting.
Additionally, Her arch-nemesis was known as the Slaughterer Dark Lord, adding to the narrative's intrigue.
"Oh, but he scored full points in insight, resourcefulness, and networking. That totals of 30 bonus points," Professor Dexter's eyes widened in amazement as he examined Oz's preliminary score.
Despite scoring 0 on the second exam, the total 40 points nearly guaranteed his acceptance into Mistheaven.
"Professor Dexter, I've looked into Oliver's background. There's nothing extraordinary except that he's an orphan, but he managed to gain a channel on Chuzzlewit."
From across the table, Professor Norah Vanstone is checking Oliver's background and reporting David's preliminary results.
"David Copperfield, also an orphan, scored full 20 points in the main exams and another 20 points in insight and resourcefulness, totaling 40 points."
David did not earn points in networking due to his lack of insider knowledge about Mistheaven's criteria.
"Heh? Even nobles need insider information to score that high during second exam. This kid must be a prodigy," Professor Dexter remarked with a serious tone, noting David as a promising candidate.
"But if Oliver hadn't killed the surveillance birds, he could have scored 50 points, like most nobles, right?" Professor Vanstone speculated on the 'what if' scenario, pondering what might have been.
"We also don't know the bonus coin scores, as those are calculated directly by the headmaster, who never discloses the results. But it's likely that this year's bonus points will be dominated by nobles again," Professor Woodville grumbled about the nobles' tendency to act with impunity, reflecting on her own negative experiences with them.
Despite her esteemed position as a professor at Mistheaven, equivalent to a noble's status, she often found herself at odds with them.
*****
*Brrr*
—My left ear itches. Who's talking about me?
Since Oz's body didn't require any food, he typically ate just a few bites to savor the taste.
*Munch* *Munch*
"Thanks, Oz. I feel rejuvenated!"
The food on Oz's plate, vanished within five minutes, absorbed into a mini black hole humorously named 'Samuel Pickwick.'
*Burb*
"I'm full now. I could run all day if I had to."
Sam loosened his pants and patted his now-swollen stomach, which had expanded to a size reminiscent of a blue whale after a hearty meal.
"Don't fall asleep; the next exam is a written exam. You've reviewed the summary I provided, right?"
Though Oz rarely showed sympathy, he treated those he cared about like family. Sam's purity and sincerity had softened Oz's usually hardened demeanor.
"Of course, Oz. I've memorized everything!"
"Memorized everything? Let me test you."
Oz was increasingly impressed by Sam's capabilities. Sam answered all of Oz's questions accurately, showcasing his impressive recall.
Sam even remembered every detail from the material, including a receipt that accidently slipped into the documents Oz provided.
The receipt included item names, quantities, prices, discounts, and a handwritten note that read, 'Help, I'm being enslaved at this store!'