Our plan was in motion. Now, all we had to do was wait for students to fall into our trap. I turned to Sebastian and asked, "You know what to do if a powerful team manages to escape the trap, right?" He smiled confidently. "If that happens, we'll just retreat straight to the starting point." I returned the smile. "Quick thinker. I like that."
We climbed a tree and camouflaged ourselves. The exam had just begun, so waiting was the only option. After a few hours, we heard voices approaching.
"Hurry up! We found a flag—get it back without being seen!" "The starting point is over there—run!"
Then—boom. All of them vanished in a flash of light after falling right into our pitfall.
The professor's voice echoed: "One team has been eliminated."
Sebastian and I quickly retrieved the dropped flag and re-concealed the trap. We climbed back into the tree and resumed our watch. "Why would anyone try to pass with just one flag?" Sebastian muttered. "Because they were weak," I replied. "They knew they didn't stand a chance. Grabbing a single flag was their desperate gamble."
"Let's keep waiting," Sebastian said.
Soon, two more teams came sprinting toward the starting zone. The front team shouted, "We already have five flags, and you only have four! Back off!" A girl from the chasing team replied, "More flags means more points!"
I turned to Sebastian. "The team in front will fall into our trap. When the chasing team freezes in confusion, we strike."
We drew our swords and got into position. Just as predicted, the lead team fell into the trap and were eliminated. The team behind them stopped, stunned. Sebastian and I leapt from the trees and took them down in seconds.
"You go ahead," I told him. "We already have ten flags." "Is that enough to pass?" "Trust me. In the novel, even eight flags were enough."
"What about you?" "I'm staying. The more teams we eliminate, the higher our ranking. Plus, someone has to guard the flags."
Sebastian chuckled. "You're such a greedy fox," he said before walking off.
The professor's voice rang out once more: "One hour left. Head to a submission point now."
The reason for having two starting points in the exam was to encourage combat and test student strategy. Since Sebastian left, I had gathered three more flags. I met up with him and handed them over. "Add these to our total," I said. Sebastian grinned. "This test was way too easy."
We submitted the flags and headed toward the central meeting area where all students would gather. Just then, Tempe's team arrived. "Who set that trap at the starting point?!" Tempe shouted. "If my reflexes were any slower, I would've been eliminated!"
He looked between us. "There's no one else here. Was it you?"
Sebastian smiled politely. "Relax, friend. We came from the second starting point. We didn't see any traps there. If one was set at the first point, we had no idea."
Tempe blinked and then nodded. "Sorry. I thought it was you at first."
Sebastian continued, "It's fine. We all make mistakes. Let's focus on the results for now—we can figure out who did it later."
Tempe Thorn may be strong, I thought, but he's foolish. That naivety makes him easy to manipulate.
All teams began gathering at the central area. Most were still talking about the mysterious trap. Then the professor's voice returned.
"Anyone with eight or more flags has passed. I will now announce the top-ranked team only: First place, with thirteen flags… Sebastian Serus and Ian Pires."
The students murmured in surprise. The professor went on: "We'll now reveal the results of the written exam you took earlier. Line up and state your name."
I stepped forward first. "Ian Pires." A paper appeared in front of me, marked with the professor's signature.
"This signature indicates you passed. All who passed may check the dorm board for their room assignment. First-years do not live alone."
Sebastian walked over. "Let's see who our roommate is."
But in my mind, I was more curious about something else. How did Tempe do on the written test? I thought. The novel never mentioned it.
At the board, I saw my room number but didn't check my roommate. I'll find out soon enough, I figured.
When I opened the door to my dorm room… I froze in shock at the person waiting inside.