Days slipped by one after another.

The maze construction progressed astonishingly fast. In just three or four days, a steel labyrinth—roughly two meters tall with a tangled interior—rose from a ruined wasteland not far from the academy.

Ming Yi, who occasionally checked on the progress, couldn’t help but marvel. *So the Corruption Artifact’s utility extends far beyond what I imagined.*

As the school festival drew nearer, Ming Yi sensed a subtle shift in the campus atmosphere. More students crowded the training rooms, mostly pairing up in twos or threes. His classmates paid sharper attention in class. Even Ning Si—who’d always treated exercise like a mortal enemy—trained with unusual seriousness, earning repeated praise from Teacher Moran.

*Xiao Chengcheng’s words weren’t entirely useless after all,* Ming Yi mused. *Honestly, he’s got an unexpected leader’s presence.*

Bai Ming teamed up with Qiao Weiwei and Wang Jie. On paper, their strength matched Ming Yi’s student council trio. Driven, Bai Ming trained relentlessly each day, dragging his teammates into grueling coordination drills.

Wang Jie held up fine. But Qiao Weiwei—a fourteen-year-old girl—quickly buckled under the intensity. Several times, she burst into tears, refusing to continue. Even Wang Jie winced in sympathy and urged Bai Ming to ease up.

“Ugh. Women are just troublesome,” Bai Ming grumbled, though he finally relented and let Qiao Weiwei rest.

Ming Yi’s trio, training nearby, witnessed it all. He nudged Xiao Chengcheng. “Hey… you think Bai Ming’s *really* gunning for first place at the festival?”

“Who cares? Not my problem,” Xiao Chengcheng replied with a shrug.

“Seriously? Not even a little worried? If he wins, he’ll roast you nonstop. You okay with that?”

“Why stress over maybes?” Xiao Chengcheng shrugged again. “If he *does* win and brings glory to our Third Generation Division? Then we were simply outmatched. A few taunts won’t kill us.” He paused. “Besides—it’s easier said than done. Yeah, he’s Level D. Wang Jie and Qiao Weiwei aren’t weak. They’re top-tier *here*. But against the Resident Division? Might end up dead last.”

Chu Tong sighed. “We know too little about them. The Resident Division’s been around ages—who knows how many held-back but powerhouse students lurk there? Honestly… we’re at a disadvantage.”

True. Their overall strength lagged. And this wasn’t a simple bracket tournament. Even if their team pushed deep, if the Resident Division still had ten squads left while theirs were eliminated… attrition alone would finish them.

The situation was grim.

—

—

Training days blurred together. Festival morning arrived right on schedule.

The school festival wasn’t just competition—it was campus-wide celebration. Banners and balloons draped every corner of East Asia Academy, buzzing with authentic festival energy.

The stadium brimmed with spectators. Cheers and chatter swirled into a lively roar.

In the stands, a group of Resident Division girls chatted. Among them: Sharina, the orange-haired first-year who’d welcomed Ming Yi and Xiao Chengcheng to the academy.

“Think the matches’ll be exciting?” one asked.

“Nah. Third Gen’s been here what, weeks? Talent or not, the gap’s huge. Total Resident Division stomp.”

“I’m not so sure,” Sharina countered.

“Huh? Isn’t it obvious?”

“You don’t know,” Sharina insisted. “Third Gen has a few *exceptional* fighters. Don’t judge the whole division by average strength—their top tier might rival ours. And *those two*? They might just pull off a miracle.”

“Whoa! Sharina, taking *their* side?”

“The two boys you welcomed? Are they cute?”

“Ah-ha! No wonder she’s biased—*someone’s* got a crush!”

“N-no! Don’t be silly!” Sharina’s cheeks flushed crimson.

The girls exchanged grins and swarmed her playfully.

“Hey! Stop! Look—Lady Miriam’s here!” Sharina barely escaped their teasing grasp.

On the podium, Miriam—in her simple blue-gray dress—tapped the mic. “Testing… testing…” A soft cough. The crowd hushed.

“Students, teachers of East Asia Academy—today’s a memorable day. I had a speech… but I ate too much chocolate cake yesterday and forgot to write it. So! Straight to the point.”

*So very Miriam,* Sharina thought, lips twitching.

“The festival’s main event: a live maze combat tournament between the Resident Division and Third Generation Division! First-time rules—listen up.

“Fifty-four participants per division. Eighteen teams of three. Randomly scattered inside the maze. Move freely after start. Engage on sight.

“The playable zone shrinks over time to force encounters.

“No blades or firearms. Corruption Artifacts permitted.

“No lethal force—first touch ends the bout. Teachers and I will supervise.

“Drones stream live footage to the big screens.

“…Anything else? Hmm. Can’t recall.” She shook her twin tails. “Whatever! Competitors are waiting—let’s begin!”

The main screen flashed: teams poised inside the maze.

“Little Yi,” Xiao Chengcheng leaned close, voice low. “Be real with me. When you fought me… and Chu Tong… were you holding back?”

“Uh… why does it matter?” Ming Yi glanced away, a flicker of unease in his eyes.

“*Why?* So we hide our strength! Catch them off guard!”

“They wouldn’t know our level anyway. We’ve had zero contact.”

“What if someone *was* watching in training? How are you this careless?” Xiao Chengcheng shot him a *really?* look.

*Hah. And you’re lecturing me?*

Before Xiao Chengcheng could retort—Miriam’s voice boomed:

“Everyone… ready—”

Xiao Chengcheng, Chu Tong, and Ming Yi locked eyes. Nodded. Faces sharpened with focus.

“—BEGIN!”