The Inner Hall Promotion Exam was always held inside Azure City; everyone gathered inside a place known as the Spire of Ascension. This tall tower reached high in the air and was where the people from the Minor Hall and Outer Hall came for their promotions.
As high up as it reached, the Spire of Ascension remained the barrier where students were dragged back down to the dirt. Many people passed through its doors and entered its towering figure only to be met with despair and left with lifeless faces from failure. Only the ones who could overcome would see the sights above.
After a shower and a good night's rest, thanks to clearing up his schedule for the exam, Oscar stood before the Spire of Ascension. The Spire reached high up in the air, but Oscar could make out the golden top with a large trident.
"Finally made it here." Oscar stepped inside but was surprised to see no one else in the main hall except a single person in a blue jacket that reached down to his feet, a white shirt, and blue pants. This person wore a strange scaly mask.
Oscar approached the strange figure and asked, "Excuse me, where is the Inner Hall Promotion Exam held?"
The strange masked figure turned to Oscar and pointed down a hallway with a large golden door at the other end.
Oscar nodded. "Thank you."
He didn't expect the Spire of Ascension to be such a weird place. There were no guards outside, and only a single silent figure stood inside. It was underwhelming for a place students viewed with much apprehension and awe.
At the end of the hallway was the large golden door with engravings of a large serpent with gills that coiled around and opened its mouth with sharp teeth. This serpent had sapphire eyes that stared at any who approached, and its gaping mouth was in the door's center as if welcoming any into its maw. Oscar pushed open the door, splitting the serpent in half, and entered inside.
The large room inside was an empty room with no tables, no benches, or any sort of accommodations. It reminded Oscar of the training rooms, except this place was completely clean and made of crystal material that reflected him from all angles. In this room, Oscar finally saw other students, ten of them.
The other students were not mingling and maintained a good distance from each other. They all stared at Oscar with apprehension and cautiously shifted their bodies. The Inner Hall Promotion Exam was not always the same as they could cycle through different tests or try something new; thus, none of them if the test would suddenly start and entail them fighting each other.
"You?"
Oscar turned toward the person who called out to him and his brows lifted in curiosity. She had short brown hair and brown eyes, holding a spear that rested on her shoulder. Her petite figure and cute face did not change much since the last time he saw her.
Mary Jones, Oscar's opponent from the first Grand Gathering, stood up and walked toward him. She looked on with great interest and said, "I'm shocked that you progressed to be able to come here. Though you did beat me, so I can't say much."
"Likewise, my friend is about the same as you, but he's taking his time." Oscar was curious why Mary was taking the test now. He remembered she was a grade five exolsia like Frederick, so unless she had some great opportunities, it shouldn't be good for her to try yet.
Mary pouted, looking cute as her body swayed in frustration, and said, "I have my reasons. If we have to fight, then let me fight you first."
Oscar didn't know what to say before this cute girl, who was a head smaller than him but behaved like a fierce warrior. He nodded and said, "Depends on the exam. But we should take the opportunity if we have to work together."
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Mary crossed her arms and nodded. "That sounds good."
"Making alliances before the exam starts? That smells fishy, Mary." A clear voice interrupted Oscar and Mary's conversation. A woman stood up; her red wavy hair with a wing hairpin swayed about as her green eyes stared at the two. She had a tall, slender figure, a beautiful complexion, rosy cheeks, and a sharp chin. "Well, if people want to gang up, I want in."
"Serena Fulgir wants to group up? That is strange, or are you plotting something?" Mary Jones's open presence suddenly shot down to a chilling cold as she stared at Serena. Their brown and green eyes locked into a stalemate.
It seemed they knew other and not in a good way from the hostility that was spilling out. Serena smirked and took out her one-handed axe. Mary responded by brandishing her spear dangerously.
Their Ein was surging out, and they were about to fight. The other students stepped back, not wishing to get involved, while Oscar watched with interest.
"Cease this conflict. You can have the time for it during the exam." Two elders came forth, one man and one woman. "We are the elders in charge of this month's promotion exam."
The male elder said, "I am Elder Dustin Freud." He was an old man with a hunched back and looked as if he would fall asleep at any moment.
The female elder said, "I am Elder Ava Jones." She had curly brown hair and a pair of black eyes.
Oscar recognized this female elder; she was the one who oversaw the duel between Gilbert and Leon. But one part caught his attention, her last name. He glanced at Mary Jones, who had a slightly irked expression and was averting her eyes away from Ava, who was staring straight at her.
'Most likely, they are family, but they seem sort of awkward?' Oscar sighed and cleared his thoughts. None of this was his concern.
The old elder stepped forward and addressed the students. "Welcome to all the brave souls who have chosen to take the tumultuous path as a Greater Apprentice Exalt. This exam will last two weeks, so I hope everyone is mentally prepared."
Oscar and the others nodded and stood firm.
"Good! Then let us explain the first part of the exam. Ava?"
Ava Jones stepped forward and put her hand up. "The first part will last for a week and a half."
She snapped her fingers, and many doors appeared on the crystal walls. "Each of you will choose and door and enter at the same time. The first part will take place in a vast labyrinth."
"A labyrinth?" Oscar murmured to himself. This was not what he had expected.
"Your goal is accumulating points and finding your way out of the labyrinth. The order in which a person leaves the labyrinth will always correlate to the reward of points. There are multiple exits and clues along the way so you won't be lost forever." Ava Jones smiled mischievously. "But be careful of each other because you will all share the labyrinth."
Oscar clenched his fist and looked around at the other students doing the same. So, in the end, it came down to fighting each other after all.
"Hold your horses. Just because you meet in the labyrinth doesn't mean you will have to fight each other. Let me explain the rules further." Ava Jones pulled down a large paper from somewhere before the students. It listed the rules of interaction.
"If you meet others, a circle will manifest between the two of you and place you in a different room. In this room, you may take one of the following actions."
"First, if the two agree to fight and bet their points, then you fight, and the loser forfeits their wagered points to the winner."
"Second, If one wants to fight, but the other does not, it becomes an anonymous bidding. Each will place an anonymous bid, and the winner gets the result they want. If you end up fighting, the bids go to the winner. If you do not, the bids go to no one."
"Third, if both of you do not wish to fight but accumulate points safely in the labyrinth, the duel is canceled."
"You are teleported back to the labyrinth at the end of each interaction. As for how you get points, there are many obstacles along the way, and clearing them will gift points."
Ava Jones smiled and looked around, but her eyes remained on Mary, who tensed up and looked away. "Any questions?"
Oscar raised his hand and said, "For the second part, what stops a person from bidding one point and then immediately forfeiting once it starts? And how are we expected to remain in the labyrinth for a week and a half?"
Ava Jones clapped her hands and said cheerfully, "Good questions and quite studious! Safe zones in the labyrinth have accommodations and a resting area, so find them if you are tired. Bidding one point is doable, but there is no forfeiting in the fight. We will interfere before it gets worse, and we rapidly heal the loser, but you may be out of commission for a few days if the damage is too great."
Some of the students had pale faces when hearing this. One point was fine, but time was the issue. Losing a few days that could be precious time to accumulate points and find a way out was detrimental.
Oscar pondered over these rules and grew interested. Indeed, this game wasn't only about getting points but also putting others down by stealing points or wasting their time.
"If we have no other questions, then let us begin!" Ava Jones waved her hand enthusiastically.