The fateful day is over, the comrades spent the next day testing their new abilities, and the possibilities that were opened up to them after the dangers from injuries became less significant, they will not be afraid to increase the intensity of training and make it an actual dangerous situation. The rest day went on in solo or joint training in the absence of Maximus.

---------------------------

The rest of the days passed on one routine, two hours of physical training in the yards, an hour of magical training in the training room, three hours of fighting among themselves followed by an hour in which they cooperate against the teacher, and the training concludes with training in the techniques that the teacher teaches them.

The previous days aimed to teach them the basics of fighting monsters and adapting to different environments, followed by the stage of learning to fight with humans and intelligent creatures similar to them, as their importance is no less than that.

Their aura has become different from the previous ones and the killing intent has become sharper and more intense due to the multiple life and death situations they have experienced. Who would have believed they were the same people a month ago.

'Congratulations on completing the training. All of you have been able to achieve both goals: the old and the new. Our previous goal was to reach the top of the third rank but we achieved the new and reached the middle-stage of the fourth rank.'

'Thank you for teaching us everything so far. We won't ever be able to repay you.'

'Compared to the top of the academy, you are much stronger than them. Don't fight with everything you have and avoid hitting vital points, we don't want to hurt them, they're still young.'

'Aren't we young too? You think of others and don't even think about us.'

Mira was offended by the teacher's words, as if he did not care about them at all. Maximus is different from what Mira thinks, he is more aware of their level than they are and knows the limits of their abilities very well.

'It's true what you said, Mira, but you're not ordinary.'

'Can we leave then? We have something we want to try now.'

The members turned to each other and shook their heads. They will go to measure their current strength level in the aptitude test.

'You want to measure how much your abilities have improved since the last time. Your thoughts are really easy to read.'

Their faces hardened after hearing it from the teacher, they could not even hide anything from him. It is chilling just to think.

"Damn, is there something he doesn't know?"

‘There is something I do not know, what I do not just want to know is what I do not know.'

'Sorry, Master, we ask your permission to leave then.'

After Maximus gave them permission, the group headed to the aptitude-testing center. It was not hard to find it as they got used to the academy's facilities during this long of a hellish training month.

The venue was completely empty; the second midterm competition had been taking place since yesterday and will continue until tomorrow for three days. Everyone is busy with either their duels or preparing for them and there is no time to waste in this test. The team took this opportunity for them to show their full potential without reservation.

'Good morning sir, can we take the test?'

'Of course, go ahead.'

"They're back again, let's see how far they're going and then I'll tell the manager."

They advanced to the first test in a row. Strength test. They tested the strength of their punches without mana and then using mana. It was followed by a speed test and they did the same, then a magic energy test and finally a comprehensive test of combat power. Their results were as follows:

-Eric: 610 (3000), 634 (887), 1753, and the latter 5377.

-Mira: 590 (2978), 599 (834), 2364, and the latter 5600.

Orion: 749 (3672), 712 (926), 1954, and the latter 5964.

-Yoon Hwa: 831 (3744), 688 (900), 1598, and the latter 5732.

-Tai Min: 735 (3149), 897 (1132), 1689, and the latter 5456.

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-Aliana: 644 (3074), 643 (900), 1791, and the latter 6052.

-Dante: 820 (4012), 876 (1260), 2189, and the latter 6345.

'Nice results, well done all of you, our win is guaranteed like this. Let us not be too harsh on them. However, the show should be impressive for both; the teacher and principal.'

‘You are right, Dante, let us celebrate these results.'

'I know a good place to celebrate. So let's go.'

The team left and the official recorded the results and sent them to the manager again.

.........

'There's something wrong with it, what's this nonsense? This result is not human.'

Albus checked for the old results again and compared them with the new ones.

'Such a development cannot be achieved in two weeks, there is either something wrong or Maximus used some sorts of strange methods.'

He put the papers on the table, stretched out on his chair, stared at the ceiling with a look that suggested it was a foregone conclusion.

'I lost the competition before it started. However, I will enjoy seeing their abilities’ development this time.'

.............

A knocking sound perturbed Albus' comfort but he let him in. Maximus, who had not visited for several days, had come as if he knew of Albus' current condition.

'Did you come to bully me after my foregone loss? Isn't it too timely to come?'

'I came for special guests and that's because I haven't come for the past few days. Are there any?'

Albus rested after his prediction went wrong, he could not handle Maximus anymore.

'Ah, that's why you visited. There are three who came and are now in that same building. You can find them there.'

'Thanks for the info. In addition, are you free tomorrow? I would like us to watch the midterm finals together.'

'Actually not, but yes, for a friend, I will come tomorrow. Find me and you will know where the competition is held.'

'I won't bother you any longer, I'm leaving now.'

Maximus got up from his seat and proceeded to leave until the manager stopped him.

'Even the dam collapses if it is too full; don't try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. This will only lead to your doom.'

'I also don't want this, I've found someone who could take this duty for me but is not able to do so yet. I just have to endure a little more.'

Maximus was more aware of his capabilities and of the future, he was well aware of the capacity of the dam: the dam will not overflow yet, there is still little.

'As you wish, may safety accompany you.'

..........

Maximus left the office, kept thinking about the manager’s words, and preoccupied with them, is the burden of protecting the world really on his shoulders? He did not want this weight, but he cannot refuse it, with knowledge comes responsibility and responsibility requires making decisions and bearing the consequences and follow-ups, and this is precisely what Maximus fears.

'You didn't have to do this, Albus.'

He muttered a few words on the way until he reached the building and entered it, heading straight to where those concerned were.

He knocked on the door and then entered the meeting room with three people in it: an old man of seventy, a man in his forties and a young woman in her twenties.

Each of them moved his head and eyes away from Maximus because of their sense of danger from him, Maximus brought a chair from the corner, placed it in the center of the room, and sat on it.

'Please come here, I hope you cooperate.'

'Y-Yes, sir.'

'Who would like to start first?'

The old man decided to start first and took the initiative to talk.

'I had a dream where I saw that gate in a cave. Mmmm, I could not move my body, which moved alone towards it, and then it inserted words into my head. It was like this, as I remember: retreat one-step and the enemy will advance one-step, advance one-step and the enemy will advance two steps. The end is inevitable.'

Maximus narrowed his eyes and sighed after hearing these words.

"What's really happening? It always tells me that my assumptions are correct. Isn't it happening now by chance?"

Maximus examined his memories nicely so as not to harm him because of his old age and may be of interest in the future and thanked him for his help.

'Now whose turn?'

The man spoke next and said something similar, but the message differed: two followers here and three followers elsewhere, all serving the same person but not knowing they are his servants. You do not know it, but you know its heritage.

Maximus leaned his head on his left hand and began to think about these words and their meanings. Finding no hint or idea, he turned to the last girl and asked her to speak as well.

Her message was as follows: the thousand days counter is starting now, beyond it is an unprecedented hell. Try to prepare for it if you can. The second cycle is not a game at all.

Maximus hastily asked her how many days had passed since this vision, and she was nervous about answering but replied that it was six days.

'What's this nonsense?'

He now understood the meaning of the first message and made sure that time is absolutely ruthless. His previous five-year plan, which had been spread over a five-year period, collapsed due to a new time limit of not even three years.

'We're in trouble now.'

Maximus uttered these last words before he plunged into a state of deep thinking...