Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The time left until the collision was at most one second, and this time, Shirones heart couldnt help but race.

He could smell death.

Lets stay calm.

He was not yet dead, so with that in mind, Shirone narrowed his eyes at the iron structure that wished to swallow him whole.

Think.

Intense electrical impulses hit his brain, and Shirone quickly readjusted his omnipotence and omniscience to repair his Spirit Zone which had been shaken by Marks shrill screams.

That took a tenth of a second.

Shirone thought to himself.

Was that enough? No, not yet.

He thought faster.

A hundredth of a second.

He reconstructed the internal structure of the Dragons Labyrinth and simulated exactly how it went in his mind in order to find a way out.

A thousandth of a second.

There were 6 roads in front of him. Shirone needed to link nine teleports in order to escape.

No. It would be possible alone, but with Mark? I have to find another route

Right as Shirone was about to begin a new simulation, the Dragon's Labyrinth devoured them both.

Many students turned their heads, and some even screamed.

Sharelles scream was the loudest among them.

BOOOOOOOM!

The sound wave in the narrow space sounded like the screams of Shirone and Mark.

ten-thousandth of a second.

Despite only being given ten-thousandth of a second, a time which was too faint to be perceived with insight, Shirone somehow managed to analyze all the patterns and teleport accordingly.

A single flash of light pierced through the Dragons Labyrinth. And in a flash of dazzling light, Shirone crossed the finish line.

Hahh Hahh.

Shirone dropped Mark onto the ground and walked a few more steps. But his body couldn't take it anymore, so he ended up curled up on the ground. There was no place in his body that was not overloaded and aching.

Nobody made a sound. The students who took in the scene were blown away. They looked at the boy who triggered this response with frightened eyes as if they were looking at a ghost.

Ethella cast Spatial Warp towards where Siena had left in search of Thadd, and shortly thereafter, the engine system turned off, and a voice echoed out.

The engine system of the Bridge That Cannot Be Crossed has been deactivated. Level 0. Level 0.

Shortly after the empty voice of the machine sounded out, the movement of the iron bar slowed to a stop, and the vine-like structure returned back to how it was initially.

The upperclassmen from the Advanced class were the first to speak up.

Wh-What the

All the students had uniform thoughts.

Is that really possible?

No way. This is absurd. That was level 10. He passed the Dragons Labyrinth

Awakened by the students voices, Shirone took a second to look around.

Huh? Why are they all staring at me?!

Some parts of his memory were hazy, but he at least knew he had crossed the Bridge That Could Not be Crossed.

As his head started to clear, and everything came crashing down, Shirone's eyes got teary as his lips trembled.

Wahhhh I really thought I was going to die.

Considering it was said by a person who just made history, the remark was almost too tasteless and uncool.

Sharelle pulled Amy in for a hug and cried out.

Shirone did it! Your boyfriend really did it!

It wouldve been better if she didnt mention the boyfriend part, but Amy let it go this time after feeling her teary friends sincerity.

Students shoved each other around to reach Shirone in order to congratulate him.

Congratulations! You were really cool!

So I guess youre going to be promoted to Class 5 now. Hahaha! Class 6 kids are going to go green with envy.

While Shirone was busy getting praised, the instructors that had gone to the engine room returned With Maria in tow.

Siena first looked Shirone up and down.

Though he did seem distracted by the surrounding students, he did not seem to be seriously injured.

He passed the Dragons Labyrinth? How in the world did he do that? Even the Advanced Class kids have to practice dozens of times.

She narrowed her eyes at the person who made her miss such a historical moment. Thadd just shrugged his shoulders and made an excuse.

As you know Actually, no you probably dont, but I did my best.

Sighing, Siena headed towards Alpheas.

It was unlikely, but since Shirone and Mark came in at the same time, Siena thought it would be better to clearly announce the results so that there would be no arguments later on.

Headmaster, lets first announce the win

Siena stopped when she saw that Alpheas eyes, which always shone with intelligence, were deep in sorrow.

Is something wrong?

Thadd approached fast.

Ill do it. He seems to have a lot on his mind right now.

What? There were no casualties or major injuries, though.

Yes, but

Thadd fell silent.

As someone who knew of Alpheas past, he understood his teachers feelings.

The sight of Shirones witty and lively appearance must have reminded him of his youth.

Dont blame yourself. Its not anyones fault.

I really got under Marias skin this morning. In fact, if I were in her shoes, I would have flipped out as well. Ill take her punishment. Im the one who caused all of this.

Siena spoke.

Even so, there is a problem with Marias behavior. But why are you doing this?

I know Im a shitty person, but Im not a coward. Ill take full responsibility for my actions as well as the actions of those under me. Everything I did, I did knowingly.

And that aside, the other kids know it too, anyway. Continuing to keep my mouth shut like a petty loser will only serve to embarrass me. Also, I was the one who came up with the plan to keep Shirone in check.

I was overwhelmed in terms of skill.

The way Shirone jumped over walls he had yet to overcome made him envious.

In any case, thats what happened. I will take the heat. But please let it slide for the other kids. Especially Maria

Glancing once at Maria, Mark spoke again.

She must have been under severe stress due to the constant bullying. Think about it. To do such a thing, she mustve lost her mind for a second.

Alpheas pondered for a long time about Maria.

Although her grades werent the best, she was an aspirant mage who had been training for a longer period of time. Longer than most people in the academy However, she made an awful mistake and was on the brink of being expelled.

Teacher

Thadd looked at him with sad eyes.

You will both be referred to the disciplinary committee. Maria is guilty of interfering with the test by illicitly operating the engine system. Her actions caused unnecessary risks. However, since Mark gave rise to the whole situation, we will take that into account and deal with the punishments accordingly.

As Mark and Maria lowered their heads, other students from Class 7 also started raising their hands one by one.

Um, I also bullied Maria. I think that makes me responsible for this as well.

I joined the operation team and attacked Shirone.

I did something bad, too.

When all the students raised their hands, Siena spoke out, concerned.

This is not a class meeting. You broke the rules. And since youre all confessing, you will be punished.

The students did not back down.

These punks! If youre going to act like this, why bother breaking the rules in the first place

Enough.

Alpheas held her back.

Since Shirone showed such an amazing performance, one at the level of an Advanced Class student, Im sure they felt and learned something.

But theres also that mob mentality. I think they think that if they hold out and confess together, theyll end up fine and with no punishment. Do you really think thats repenting for their mistakes?

Alpheas only smiled and let out a small laugh.

Come to think of it, I think I see an adorable side to Ms. Siena.

......?

Dont expect much from humans. Humans are humans. There is no one who is only bad and no one who is only good. Even if they didnt plan on repenting, at least they have a strong enough conscience to confess. And considering they did confess, Im sure theyre ready to accept responsibility as well as disciplinary action.

Siena closed her mouth shut.

To shoulder all responsibilities together. Such a thing can barely be seen in Class 4, let alone in the Advanced Class. Look how all of them are growing up like that. So, well, I dont exactly hate it. If only everyone in the world had this level of belief and conviction The world would be much different. Though I suppose the question is whether they can keep this level throughout their lives.

Alpheas walked up to the students.

I understand. In other words, you guys are saying its okay to punish everyone, is that right?

A few were startled, but after looking at each other, they answered.

Yes!

A corner of Alpheas mouth rose up.

Great. Ill reveal the details of your punishment right now. The entirety of Class 7 will be placed under probation for a month.

What?!

The students were surprised, but the instructors were shocked.

Not only was the period long, but this punishment meant that Class 7 would be shut down altogether.

But Headmaster, words of complaint will come from the students families. This will also cause conflict with the class progress

Ill be responsible for that.

Alpheas cut the instructors words and stared at Shirone, who stood a little away from the group.

He looked like he had something to say, but in the end, he gave a small smile and went down the mountain.

The rest of the students stood stunned.

One month

They felt woozy for a second, but they didnt feel afraid.

I-It doesnt matter! Were under probation together. None of us can take a class.

Yeah. Its much better than something like a three-day suspension. After all, probation is not even written in our academic record.

The students calmed down a bit.

Haha! So what now? Do we get to play around and relax starting today?

As if! I have to stay up all night in the library. Why dont we all get together and study?

Yeah, lets! Maria, youre coming too, right?

Huh? Um Thats

Maria was conscious of what the instructors might think.

Thadd simply smiled and nodded his head. Maria then smiled and spoke shyly with teary eyes.

Yes, Ill join.

Thadd felt happy as he watched the scene. It would be awkward at first, but as long as the punishment kept the kids together, she would be fine.

Were you aiming for this? You are always a step ahead of me, teacher.

Perhaps this situation was a miraculous opportunity for Maria. One that would never come again in her life Just like how becoming the student of Alpheas was for Thadd.

We say the world is about luck But once you give up, even that string of luck will be of no help.

If Maria hadnt really loved magic, would she have survived that long in Class 7?

Although the world was unfair, Thadd thought it was worth living for that reason.

As long as one held on strong and persevered, opportunity was bound to come knocking eventually.