The screech of the mechanical beast echoed through the clearing, its red eyes glowing ominously in the dim light. The gate behind it pulsed faintly, mocking Eunha and Minho with the promise of freedom just out of reach.
Minho stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with a grin. "I've got this."
"Wait!" Eunha snapped, her Scholar System glowing faintly as it analyzed the creature. "It's not just brute strength. Look at the joints there's reinforced plating over critical areas. If you rush in, you'll be torn apart."
Minho hesitated, his fists clenched. "So, what's your genius plan?"
Eunha's system overlaid a diagram of the beast, highlighting its weak points. "The legs are unarmored on the inside. If we disable its mobility, we can reach the gate before it recovers."
"Got it." Minho's Fitness System flared as he launched himself at the creature, moving with inhuman speed. He aimed a powerful kick at its exposed joint, forcing the beast to stagger.
"Now!" Eunha shouted, rushing toward the console to input the final sequence.
But the moment she began typing, the creature roared, its tail whipping around to intercept her.
"Damn it!" she hissed, diving to the side just in time. Her Scholar System pinged repeatedly: [Warning: Reaction time insufficient. Reassess approach.]
Her frustration mounted. I calculated this perfectly why isn't it working?
Meanwhile, Minho was holding his own, dodging the beast's swipes and landing blow after blow on its legs. But the creature was adapting, its movements growing faster and more unpredictable.
"Eunha!" he yelled, barely avoiding a clawed swipe. "Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"
Eunha's Scholar System churned through probabilities, presenting her with a dozen options. But with every second that passed, the creature's movements disrupted her calculations.
"Forget perfect!" she muttered, abandoning the system's advice. She grabbed a sharp piece of debris from the ground and hurled it at the creature's exposed leg joint.
The makeshift projectile hit its mark, embedding itself deep into the mechanism. The beast let out a mechanical screech, its movements jerky as it struggled to remain upright.
"Go for the legs again!" she shouted to Minho.
With a feral grin, Minho charged forward, slamming his fist into the damaged joint. The creature collapsed, its legs unable to support its weight.
Eunha wasted no time rushing back to the console. Her hands flew across the keys, ignoring the system's cautious suggestions. With a final chime, the gate opened, and she grabbed Minho's arm.
"Move!" she barked.
The two dashed through the gate just as the creature began to rise again, its glowing red eyes watching them retreat.
Across the academy, Seojun and Jiyeon faced their own challenge. The narrow path they had chosen opened into a cavernous room, its walls lined with glowing symbols. A pedestal stood in the center, holding a large crystal that pulsed faintly.
"This feels... ominous," Jiyeon said, her Charisma System buzzing faintly with unease.
Seojun's Scholar System analyzed the room, highlighting the symbols. "The crystal is the key to the next area," he said. "But it's guarded. These symbols there's a pattern to them."
"What kind of pattern?" Jiyeon asked.
Seojun pointed to the walls. "It's a sequence. We have to activate the symbols in the right order to unlock the crystal. If we mess up, the room will trigger a defensive mechanism."
Jiyeon frowned. "And by defensive mechanism, you mean...?"
"Something bad."
She crossed her arms. "Wonderful. So what's the right order?"
Seojun's system worked furiously, processing the symbols and cross-referencing historical patterns. After a few seconds, it highlighted the first three symbols in green.
"There," he said. "Start with those."
Jiyeon moved to the first symbol and pressed it. It lit up, and the crystal pulsed brighter.
"So far, so good," she muttered, moving to the next.
But as she pressed the third symbol, the room began to rumble. Seojun's system flashed a warning.
[Error: Calculated pattern disrupted. Reassessing probabilities.]
"What did you do?" Jiyeon snapped, backing away from the pedestal as the walls began to shift.
"It should've worked!" Seojun said, frantically scanning the room.
The defensive mechanism activated, releasing a swarm of small, glowing drones that buzzed menacingly. They swirled around the room, their lights flashing ominously.
"Brilliant," Jiyeon muttered, ducking as one of the drones shot a bolt of energy at her. "Any bright ideas, genius?"
Seojun's system churned, offering a dozen options. But every suggestion relied on ideal conditions, none of which were present.
"Forget the system," he muttered to himself, his frustration mounting. "I don't need it to figure this out."
He grabbed a nearby piece of debris and hurled it at one of the drones, striking it dead center. Sparks flew as the drone collapsed to the ground.
"Low-tech solutions. Got it," Jiyeon said, grabbing a broken pipe and swinging it at another drone.
The two worked together, taking down the drones one by one until the room was clear. Panting, they turned back to the pedestal.
"No more mistakes," Jiyeon said firmly.
Seojun nodded, his Scholar System offering a recalibrated sequence. He hesitated for a moment, then trusted his instincts and pressed the symbols manually.
The crystal pulsed brightly, and the pedestal slid aside, revealing a passageway.
"Finally," Jiyeon said, brushing dust off her clothes. "Let's get out of here."
The central plaza was a massive, open space with a towering obelisk at its center. Students staggered in from all directions, their faces pale and their clothes torn.
Eunha and Minho arrived first, both looking worse for wear. Eunha's Scholar System had dimmed, its earlier brilliance replaced by a faint hum of warnings about system overuse.
"We made it," Minho said, leaning against the obelisk. "Barely."
Eunha nodded, her gaze scanning the remaining students. Only a small fraction of the original group had arrived, and the tension in the air was thick.
Seojun and Jiyeon arrived moments later, both equally battered. Jiyeon's usual composure was gone, replaced by a scowl. "That was ridiculous," she muttered.
Seojun glanced at Eunha, their eyes meeting briefly. Neither said a word, but the shared exhaustion spoke volumes.
The obelisk began to glow as Principal Jang Taejin appeared on a raised platform above the plaza, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"Congratulations," he said, his voice echoing through the space. "You have completed your first trial. Out of the hundreds who began, only 10% of you remain. Those who stand here today have proven their worth but this is only the beginning."
Eunha clenched her fists, her Scholar System pinging faintly: [Analysis: Principal Jang's words imply further tests imminent.]
Jang's gaze sharpened. "Today, you learned that your systems, while powerful, are not infallible. Overreliance on them will be your downfall. At Zenith, you must learn to think beyond your system's limits or you will fail."
Seojun felt a pang of guilt. He had leaned too heavily on his Scholar System, trusting it to solve problems that required intuition.
Eunha's jaw tightened. He's right. If I keep treating my system as perfect, I'll fall apart the moment it falters.
Jang's expression softened slightly. "Learn from today's trial. Grow beyond your current self. Because the challenges ahead will make this test look like child's play."
As his words echoed in their minds, the students exchanged uneasy glances. The battle for Zenith had only just begun.