I calmly looked at the few cadets that were walking toward me. From their expressions, anyone could guess their intentions weren''t good.


    I didn''t need to think twice to guess why they wereing to me.


    They were worried that the crazy cadet, who was insane enough to challenge Susan and yet act haughtily after getting beaten, might be in their teams.


    They wereing to ''tell'' me that I shouldn''t do anything funny in the test.


    ''Most probably they want to use me as an example for other low-rank cadets to act as they are told to do but….''


    Smilingly, I saw two cadets stopping in front of the grouping toward me, both of them were wearing top 25 cadet uniforms.


    "You shouldn''t try to do anything funny."


    A clear and sweet voice admonished the cadets walking toward me. Seeing the speaker, they had no choice but to stop.


    She was Anna Kenward, Rank 9 and a once-in-a-century genius mage. Despiteing from the Kenward family, a family that had fallen during the Second Disaster, her talent put her in the top brackets even among the golden generation.


    In the future, it was guaranteed that she will reach great heights as such no one wanted to offend her.


    As someone who always followed rules, thest thing Anna wanted was another scuffle in her ss. Hence, she had deterred the cadets froming to me.


    When everyone was back in their seats, another dignified yet friendly voice echoed.


    "I know everyone is nervous, even I am. The difficulty level of the test is a lot higher than any of us expected. But I don''t think infighting at such a crucial point will help us. Rather, we should try toe up with solutions by discussing with each other."


    Cadmus'' words brought everyone back to their senses. He was right. They needed to make ns ahead of the test if they wanted to pass with their entire team.


    The problem was that no one had any idea of what to do.


    Everyone was trying toe up with something, but no one spoke. The teams hadn''t been told yet. Nobody wanted to tell their thoughts to their potentialpetitors.


    Amid the tense atmosphere, Anna spoke again.


    "I suggest all of us follow one thing: No one will attack others inside the dungeon."


    The rules didn''t forbid fighting others, but doing so would dy everyone inside the dungeon.


    Anna''s suggestion was a wee one. Having not to worry about being impeded by others was a big help for anyone.


    Anna was a top ranker and a genius. Should anyone agree now butter attack others, she will make sure to make them pay for betraying them. This acted as a safety, as no one would want to go against her.


    ''As expected, both of them noticed it.''


    Cadmus and Anna were trying to eliminate any possibility of infighting from happening.


    From Sean''s words, it was safe to assume that the Vice headmaster was responsible for the exam. This was the result of how cadets worked during the Byzander Ind test.


    But the content of the current test was something that would make the cadets iste low-rank cadets.


    The most crucial part of being one of the passing teams to pass was to be done by the low-rank cadets. Everyone would put pressure on the low ranks to work properly to pass.


    A gap was going to open between low rank and other cadets due to the raising friction.


    This was the Vice headmaster''s intention. With this test, he wanted to see if they worked together toward amon goal or fight against each other foolishly. A hidden test to say, or the real test.


    This also meant one more thing: Should the cadets fail to meet the Vice headmaster''s expectations, something even worse was waiting for them.


    As Cadmus and Anna spoke, the atmosphere inside the ss rxed a little. Almost no one was against her suggestion.


    Yes, ''almost''


    "Do what you want. But don''t involve me in your petty tricks."


    Ken spoke and stood to leave the ss with his goons.


    "What do you mean by petty tricks?"


    Rather than getting offended by Ken''s remark, Anna calmly questioned him.


    "Isn''t ''not attacking others'' a way for you to win? Normally, the weaker team will have to work together to take the stronger ones out, which is you, to get a chance to pass. But you are already tying their hands and feet so they can''t win."


    Ken walked away without waiting for any response, but his words sowed a doubt seed in everyone''s heart.


    Indeed, although clearing the 0th floor was possible for weaker cadets, the Iota-rank cadets could use their higher stats to easily traverse the maze and clear the floor.


    If the weaker teams wanted to have a chance of clearing the test, they had to stop the stronger cadets first.


    The atmosphere of the ss became taut. No one rebutted Anna, but everyone was having second thoughts about epting her suggestion.


    Anna had a good head on her shoulders and can look at the situations calmly and objectively. But her biggest weakness was she wasn''t well versed in human psychology.


    To me, it was painfully obvious what Anna was thinking. Logically thinking what Ken said was true, but if they did not bar attacking each other, the ones who will suffer the most will be the low-rank cadets.


    Stronger cadets will eliminate the weaker cadets and thus also eliminate thepeting team.


    Stopping the fights and focusing on clearing the floor was the only way for the weaker teams to win.


    Since Anna was able toe up with this conclusion, which was more logical, she believed everyone wille to the same conclusion.


    What she didn''t understand was emotions can easily overpower that logic. And the cadets were being swayed by the strongest emotions: doubt, anxiety, fear, and greed.


    Ken''s words left a deeper impact than Anna couldprehend.


    The situation was bing irreversible by the second, but Anna didn''t do anything. Rather, she was confused why no one was agreeing to her suggestion.


    As the atmosphere became increasingly tense, Cadmus finally spoke again.


    "I believe we should follow Anna''s suggestion. The 0th floor is aplex maze where meeting our own teammates will prove difficult. Teaming up with other groups andying ambush will be very time-consuming. It''s for the best if all of us redirect our time to find our teammates and clear the exam."


    Cadmus''s argument was effective.


    Different from Anna, who was intelligent, Cadmus was wise. He used Ken''s words as a stepping stone to further solidify the veracity of Anna''s suggestion.


    Suddenly a cadet agreed, and within the next minute, like a snowball effect, everyone agreed.


    ***


    "It''s tomorrow, huh?"


    Looking at the three beautiful moons, I thought about what was going to happen tomorrow.


    The 0th floor can be cleared by walking to the altar at the center of the maze. The floor did have traps and monsters, but none of them were above mid Iota-rank, i.e. Lvl 16~ Lvl20.


    Ward wasn''t going to provide any safety this time. Even the bracelets we''ll be given will only show the approximate direction of our teammates.


    In the future, the cadets were going to fight on the frontlines. There was no point in giving them a safety every time there was a dangerous mission.


    This was what made the incident inside the dungeon particrly dangerous.


    Our ss, which will be the first ss to have this test, would fall prey to the Royal Demon that had recovered there.


    This event was where Leon would bepletely and utterly defeated.


    The only way to kill Royal Demons is topletely overpower them or use your stigma to kill them. Sadly, nobody will be able to do so and they will be pushed to the corner.


    At the endpoint, Anna will almost be killed in front of helpless Leon, only to be saved by the Student council which entered because no one hadpleted the test even after a few hours.


    This event was very important. Why?


    Because it showed Leon his helplessness and powerlessness. This bes a vital reason for Leon to be able to unseal his stigma.


    Also, this was the real introduction of Tia Maybell, the one who would kill the Royal Demon. She was going to be the biggest factor for Leon re-awakening his stigma.


    "Will everything go as it is supposed to be?"


    I knew that it was only an ignorant wish. My presence was going to mess up the sequence. When found the demon will surely focus on trying to devour me.


    "Why couldn''t the extra life thing work on the 0th floor?"


    If I could leave the 0th floor by giving up one chance inside the Dungeon, I would have done it in a heartbeat. But dying on the 0th floor was dying without extra life.


    TING-!


    Breaking my thoughts was the sound of an iing notification.


    Checking my device, I saw that the email was the team members list.


    "Who are my teammat-What the hell?!"


    I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. Was my life ying some kind of prank on me?


    ======


    Team 7:


    > Peter Gill – Meta-rank


    > Nathan Hunt – Meta-rank


    > Derek Damse – Meta-rank


    > Ryan Fraught – Meta-rank


    > Susan Warner – Iota-rank


    ======