“Everyone, carve the moon on your arms. We’ll first try the direct approach.” Fiona gave out her orders. Everyone except Sefi listened.

Sefi crossed her arms and defied her due to her own reasons. “Don’t wanna.”

Fiona knew that not everyone would immediately respect her but the fact that only one person defied her despite everyone here being a prodigy in their own right was already astonishing to her. Most of the already terrifying figures of the class were listening to her so the rest might as well.

“Sefi, correct? I know you hold malice towards me but I hope my actions will change your mind.” Fiona had stopped Sefi using brute force when she went mad with her Fragment. This left a sour taste in both of their mouths.

Fiona had felt really bad about using force on another person. While Sefi didn’t like how soft Fiona was. If Fiona had shown no mercy then Sefi would’ve looked at her in a better light. It was a conflict between their personalities more than their actions.

Sefi didn’t respond, merely looking on as she watched Fiona try her first attempt.

The most straightforward idea was to have everyone touch the obelisk and siphon the glow from it while Fiona destroyed all the creatures singlehandedly. It was a simple idea but one that she needed to do first. This would undeniably give her a Perfect Clear but she had no idea if this would even work for the rest.

Fiona looked at Sefi and tried to come closer. As Elliot noticed this, he went over to stop her. “I’ll handle her.” He talked to her and after coming to an agreement, Sefi immediately walked off.

“Sefi Moile, Completion Rate 24%.” Professor Ferial’s voice echoed out.

“This won’t let you win the bet but it should prevent Sefi from ruining our chances.” Elliot sighed. He had to pay quite a steep price to make a deal with her.

“Thank you, Elliot…” Fiona turned her attention back to the obelisk and started the plan. She started to take every single symbol’s glow and immediately made everyone start siphoning some of the remaining power left behind.

At this point, she noticed one major flaw in her plan, the glow of these symbols wasn’t enough to give to sixty students. It could barely give power to the tenth person taking them. This was a rough start but even so, she went and continued on to see the results.

One creature after another was immediately destroyed. Even the glowing bear that Barlot fought previously wasn’t even able to withstand a single second against her strike. Seeing just how easily she passed through this trial, showcased the sheer difference in their abilities.

Barlot clenched his fists as he moved his final goal to be Fiona. Even Arin couldn’t handle these creatures this easily.

It was finally time for the golem to be summoned. Barlot and the others had expected the golem to at least be able to last for quite a bit of time yet reality betrayed their expectations. Fiona immediately appeared in front of its chest and took out an illusionary crystal orb. She crushed the orb into numerous pieces, shattering the golem’s core and letting her achieve some results.

“Fiona Pierre, Perfect Clear.” Professor Ferial’s voice echoed throughout the entire trial as Fiona disappeared.

“Cesar Rubino, Completion Rate 98%.”

“Jupert Zione, Completion Rate 96%.”

“Diana Prostche, Completion Rate 94%.”

Professor Ferial's voice continued listing out nine more names. These were the names that had followed in her footsteps. As expected, it wouldn’t have been that easy. Now there were only around fifty students left on their own to figure out what to do.

Within the classroom, Fiona cleared out one possibility. This method wouldn’t work at all. “Professor Ferial, I know that this is a modified trial but may I ask if there is still a reduced Completion Rate like in training?”

“It was removed. The Completion Rate now accurately depicts the exact same results as one would get if they did it in reality. There is no reduction in the Completion Rate anymore.” Professor Ferial was stern in her words. “You’re smart enough to figure out why it didn’t work.”

“It could either be because they didn’t contribute to the subjugation or the glow was far too weak leading to a decline. It could even be both.” Fiona lightly smiled and wasn’t brought down at all. “Even with one of the simplest trials, the complexity behind it is just far too much to comprehend for the first time.”

“Professor Ferial, could you please restart the trial?” Fiona was watching through the screen in front of her. She still had a lot of time.

“Very well.” Professor Ferial closed her book which caused everyone inside the trial to be sent back to the classroom. She then opened her book which sent them back inside the trial except for Arin.

Once again, Sefi went out on her own as Fiona continued at everything in even more detail, trying to figure out what she could do. Thinking of something clever, she came forward to the obelisk and mercilessly struck it down. The sheer power behind her strike cleanly tore the obelisk apart, causing it to fall down.

“Fiona Pierre, Completion Rate 80%.”

“Elliot Bandgerette, Completion Rate 70%.”

“Barlot Jeros, Completion Rate 50%.”

“Alclair Orsten, Completion Rate 50%.”

“Liam Mashur, Completion Rate 50%.”

Professor Ferial continued on for a few more names before saying, “You get the point.”

It appears that everyone except Fiona and Elliot managed to get a Completion Rate of 50%. Fiona asked Elliot what he had done.

“As I made sure that Sefi didn’t ruin anything, I went as close to the pathway as possible and came back. Since you don’t immediately disappear as you enter the pathways, there must be some kind of secret hidden there.” Elliot was surprised at just how many hidden things there were.

“That’s it. We need to investigate what’s inside there. Since we can’t use anything but the glow of moonlight, we all need to separate and check what the dark pathways have to say.” Fiona immediately gave out her orders.

“Countless students had figured out the pathways so far. There’s still a lot more secrets hidden inside it.” Professor Ferial was amused at how entertaining this would be. “I’ll tell you something interesting, there have been 45 documented ways to get a Perfect Clear in this trial. Do with this information what you will. I’m rooting for you.”

Arin wasn’t agitated at the fact that Professor Ferial was helping her out since the fact still remained, even if she did tell Fiona all 45 ways, and even adding on the fact that they could use it all at the exact same time without any issues, she would still need to find 15 new ways to get a Perfect Clear. This was a monumental task that would even take a Labyrinth Solver quite a bit of time to do.

This was also considering the fact that there were enough ways to get a Perfect Clear. The fact was that not even Dean Alabaster knew if this was possible. With this put into perspective, one could finally understand where Arin’s confidence was coming from.

A first-time Perfect Clear was the sign of a prodigy but to find sixty different ways to get a Perfect Clear was a sign of madness. Fiona even questioned if this was possible but she couldn’t back down. If she could create a miracle then what was one more?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

With a bright smile on her face and the joy that she had lost as everything became too easy for her, she pushed through. “There’s a chance!”

Professor Ferial could see just why even Viener had a slight change in heart towards this headstrong girl. Closing and opening her book once more, everyone was dragged back inside the trial.

Arin had been watching everything in silence as he watched Fiona deploy different techniques that she had learned through her experiences. He looked down on her personality but he definitely didn’t look down on her capability. He carefully watched with a keen eye as she prepared to tackle the trial despite failure upon failure.

With not much visible progress being made, a normal person would’ve started having some doubts about this gigantic task but Fiona’s smile continued to grow larger as she faced this challenge bravely.

“Fiona Pierre, Completion Rate 1%.”

Fiona laughed in such a way that she hadn’t for the past few years of her life, “One more time!” What was weird was that everyone who participated with her followed along with her flow and started to have fun as well.

Solving mysteries hidden within this trial became their very purpose. They looked back at previously questionable runes that had made no sense, and suddenly seeing what their true value was, they immediately used two gibberish clues and turned it into a key for getting a Perfect Clear.

As everyone else was trying their best, Sefi walked over to Arin, time and time again, asking the same question. “Let me join in on the fun.”

And time and time again, Arin’s answer had been the same, “I refuse.” He wasn’t about to let Sefi affect his chances of gaining even more strength. He didn’t need these Maze-level Trials and Bind-level Trials for simple uses, he wanted them to test out just what a Sephirah Trial really was.

From his father’s warning, it wasn’t something that a normal person would ever have the chance to interact with. Much less a girl like Sefi.

Arin had accurately pinpointed how well Sefi would perform. In terms of physical strength, she was a league below him. As for wits, she was a league below everyone else. And as for her mentality, she rivaled him and could even possibly surpass him. This was all considering the fact that she wasn’t empowered by her mysterious Fragment.

In the case where she could gather her Fragment’s strength and use it for herself, Arin would definitely get outclassed. At best, they would both perish and at worst, Arin would be mangled one-sidedly.

“I’ll even listen and make even more trouble for the entire academy. That’s what you’d want me to do right? Just let me tag along every so often.” Sefi wasn’t as aggressive as she usually was, even being a little bit submissive.

“I’m not going out to just kill for fun.” Arin knew just how much of a prodigy Sefi was in the art of killing. If Arin was a master of enduring and causing suffering. Sefi was the master of creating a sea of bodies.

“We can do that after. I heard something fun’s about to happen after all.” Sefi was trying to bait Arin into agreeing by trying to show off just how much she knew. Unfortunately for her, with Arin’s father, Kian, letting him know most of the major events that happen in the Western District, he didn’t need to know what Sefi was tempting him with.

“Not interested. Besides, if you’re so keen on murder, just go wild on your own time.”

“I would if I could. They lock me up in the basement after school so I can’t do anything about it. Tch.” Who knew that Sefi would actually have such a unique living situation? Thinking about it, it had made sense, she had no relatives left that she knew of.

“Makes sense. No one would want someone like you to be free out at night after hearing about your past.” Recalling the fact that Sefi had killed her own family alongside numerous others during her frenzy made his decision much easier.

After Sefi made the streets red with blood, there was no one else to care for her. With such a case, how could she be enrolled here without direct supervision? As far as Arin could tell, someone higher up in the academy was keeping her. Most likely it was the devious dean nurturing her to become a ferocious tool that he could use.

Besides, he would rather be her enemy. Forming a closer bond would her would make that goal further away from him. Sefi’s potential to be a menace was clear, this would be another person he could overcome to grow even more powerful.

“I have feelings too, you know.”

Arin saw that she was still smiling even as he reminded her of the fact. Such an attitude made him interested in what kind of chaos she could cause in the future, he was looking forward to it.

But for the time being, he was preoccupied with the current task at hand. “If Fiona loses then I don’t mind bringing you along to have some fun in the future.” His mind wandered back to that peculiar group he had met back then. They were extremely suspicious in both their motive and location, they wouldn’t be there just for no reason.

“I was planning on doing so regardless…” Sefi’s gaze turned to Fiona who just returned after failing one more time. “I hate her guts. Makes me want to carve it out.”

Professor Ferial relayed, “Fiona Pierre, Perfect Clear. Brian Thompson, Perfect Clear. The rest has a Completion Rate of 0%.”

“We did it!” Small steps, this was the easiest part of her journey yet it had already taken her numerous attempts to get this far. It would only get progressively harder from now on.

“That’s all for today. Class dismissed.” Professor Ferial’s hand grabbed ahold of her book one last time and closed it for good. She stood up and promptly left the room, not bothering to say anything else.

Before most of the students had realized, it was already time to finish up.

Arin saw everything unfold as they went through it all. For the first time, he had finally seen just how monstrously talented the people here truly were. The most prevalent people were obviously those gifted with extreme strength or wits but the ones with unique talents were the ones that truly shined here.

A guy had perfect memory, acting as the primary information keeper and gatherer for the entire group. If anyone had any questions, he would immediately answer back with clean and precise details. Another person who also showed his skills was another guy who was unbelievably good at controlling groups. He categorized everyone’s skills to their jobs, perfectly using their capabilities to their utmost degree.

A few other notable people rose up to be recognized but none could even come close to having as much contribution as Mina Fethly. She was the same girl who had given Arin and Elliot clues about what they needed to do to get a high score.

Her mastery of the art of patterns and runes was nearly godlike. It was no exaggeration that the only reason everyone managed to get this far was due to her deep understanding. Her brain just somehow manages to correlate two completely questionable clues and form an accurate solution. Her breakthroughs had considerably sped up progress.

“Mina, I don’t know what to say. You really helped us!” Fiona came up to Mina and held her hands in glee. “If not for you then we wouldn’t have been able to save three days worth of effort.”

“N-No need to mention it…” Mina was feeling completely uncomfortable with how many people were staring at her. She would rather just be ignored and left alone. “President Fiona, can you please let go of my hand…”

“Oh! My bad, it’s just I was just too excited. It just might be possible!” Fiona’s attitude was much more open than anyone in the class realized. She wasn’t discriminatory nor was she an elitist. She welcomed everyone with open arms and accepted them for who they were. It was such a breath of fresh air for everyone smelling the stench of blood all the time.

Mina managed to get her own hands back and rubbed them. Subconsciously, she asked, “Why are you going so far to do this?”

Fiona had expected someone to ask this, “Because I have to. If I want to change the city then I’ll have to start small. As it turns out, Arin just gave me the opportunity to do so.”

She looked over to Arin and waved at him. He scoffed and ignored her. The only merit that came out of this was having his hand on a set of extremely valuable Trials.

The students of this experimental class weren’t as bloodthirsty as some of the other students in the academy. And inside their class, there were only really two students who had a screw loose, Arin and Sefi. Arguably Barlot but he was more on the side of being a battle-maniac than an active psychopath.

Hearing Fiona’s words, they couldn’t help but admire her determination. Even still, they weren’t convinced to completely follow her just like that. They still held the belief that Fiona’s goal was a lost cause. Except for Elliot who firmly believed in her, everyone else was just along for the ride.

After a few more wordful exchanges, Fiona bid farewell to them. A bystander outside their classroom immediately garnered Fiona’s attention and whispered something to her. She quickly came towards Arin who seemed to have been thinking about something deeply.

“I apologize Arin but I still have some matters to attend to. Can we schedule it for tomorrow instead?” Fiona gave him an apologetic smile. She didn’t expect his offer this suddenly so she needed to prepare first.

“I don’t mind, let’s go.” Arin stood up and immediately went towards the door.

“Oh… alright…” Fiona didn’t expect Arin to act like this. He seemed to be a lot more willing than he was letting on. She said her farewells to Sefi.

“I wonder how beautiful your insides look, Fiona,” Sefi said something completely unexpected and went on her way. Her eerie comment that would cause any normal person to shiver didn’t even as much make Fiona flinch.

“I’ve heard worse Sefi. Even as cruel as you are, I believe you could redeem yourself.” Fiona yelled out to make sure she heard it. Right after that, she ran up to catch up to Arin.

As she caught up she immediately told him the plan, “First we’ll need to go to a meeting to catch up with everything that’s happened today. After finishing that business, we’ll have to go and stop a few brawls here and there. And after, I can show you what I’ve been doing in my free time.”

“Get on with it.” Arin was more interested in getting those Maze-level Trials and Bind-level Trials. With this much free time, he could learn more about Malum from his father, train his body even more, and possibly look around the Western District to make sure that everything is in its proper place.

Who knows? I might even get to have some fun. Fiona should be a pretty common target, right? With this, I won’t be as bored. It’s been a little too long since I’ve had taken a life…