Chapter 2281: To the second round

After reaching far enough and ensuring that there is no one nearby, Sam stopped.

He sat on the harbinger while hovering the air as he went into a deep though. He knew that he is going to be a target because of the grudges, but he didn't expect that level of focus on him. After all, shouldn't the academies focus on getting better results in the competition?

Thinking from that perspective, Sam kind of understood some possible reasons which aligned with the actual reasons for the attack on him.

However, no matter the reason, at this moment he cannot focus too much on dealing with the targets. The formation competition will go for another two days and on the fourth day, the inscription competition will start.

The format for that was yet to be announced, they only knew that the prelims are going to be on the fourth day.

Sam hoped that he could just finish the auxiliary competitions first before he moves to focus on the solo combat.

That is also the reason that he didn't voluntarily go after these people. But their pestering is a bit annoying. Anyway, as tempted as he is, he still wants to focus on the auxiliary contests first. He needs to see if he can finish the conditions for the mission.

Luckily for him, because of these incoming idiots, two thirds of one of his conditions is satisfied. The condition number seven, 'Kill at least three people in the Inter-academy tournament'. He already killed two people.

Anyway, the first condition is also met.

'Participate in the Inter-Academy Tournament or Equivalent'

His participating became official as soon as he was marked and attacked the day before.

He wanted to clear as many conditions as possible. At least the ones that are related to the academy tournament and the ones that he has scope to complete.

Sam stayed silent for a moment and thought for a while. After some time, he decided on the current path. He will not deal with these people at the moment. He would play defense and try to kill anyone that comes at him in the process.

Meanwhile, his focus would be on the auxiliary professions.

After making the decision, he immediately executed the plan. Ivar had a couple of secret hideouts in the city and Sam knew of their locations. So, he stored the harbinger away, and merged into the shadows.

Using the shadows of the people and his space element as well to carefully sneak away into a hide out.

Luckily, the Norse academies were not thorough enough to discover a couple of these hide outs and now they came in handy.

Sam rested for the whole night there without caring for much.

Of course that doesn't mean, he is going to leave this alone. Only he shouldn't be out to not attract too much heat on to himself. But he is not alone.

'Let's see who plays this game better.'

Sam said and waved his hand. A dozen shadow mice appeared and they all dispersed into the city.

It has been too long since the beasts came out. They only fought along with him in the Pseudo hell and they participated in his breakthrough.

Apart from that, they didn't have a chance to come out. However, as luck would have it, the rules of the Inter academy tournament state that people who make contracts with beasts are eligible to use their beasts as well.

That rule is basically made for Sam.

According to that rule, beasts are Sam's extensions. They are his tools and weapons. So, any beast that is contracted with Sam, cannot be dealt with by seniors, elders or even stray attacks. They are safe from most attacks.

And Sam decided to make it safer.

He closed his eyes while lying on the bed. He started commanding the shadow mice and could see what they are seeing by their shared vision.

Sam located more than twenty people and eavesdropped on their conversation. They are within the vicinity and they are all searching for him. And it turns out more than half of them are not even involved in the solo combat.

They are just students helping their members out.

The rules stated that they cannot attack Sam. However, it seems like finding Sam's location with these people doesn't violate the rule regarding the external assistance.

Anyway, what surprised Sam even more is that there are some solo combat participants who are looking for Sam, but they are not exactly looking to engage with him.

Instead, they are also doing this as a favor for some other academy students.

Based on their conversations Sam got an idea about which academies are targeting him.

One of them is Hel academy and another Loki Academy. This much is obvious because those students attacked Sam.

And obviously there are the Olympian academies in the fray.

Sam kind of assumed that it's a default setting at this point. Olympians mess with him, he messes with them. They get killed or brutally forced to suffer a humiliating loss, Sam takes counter measures and makes them into sitting ducks once again.

The usual stuff.

After getting some information, Sam at least had an idea on who he should avoid. At least some of them.

He now needs to find another countermeasure, just in case.

A smile appeared on his face as one of the shadow mice he controlled disappeared into the shadows. It reappeared in the shadow of one of the solo combat participants. This guy

belongs to an academy from the Xia region.

He apparently made a deal with Hel academy.

Anyway, this guy would suffice.

The shadow mouse bit him lightly from over his shoes.

"Ptch...."

The young man frowned and looked at his feet. But by then the mouse disappeared.

"Yong..." His companion wore a shocked expression and called out to him.

Yong looked at his companion and noticed that his gaze is locked on Yong's token.

Yong looked down at his own token and noticed that it has turned green.

"What the hell?"

He cursed and looked around in horror. No one is there, no one attacked, he didn't feel

anythin...

He then looked at his foot. The leather of his shoe was barely damaged and only a small needle like prick was made on his foot. It was barely considered as a wound, even among

toddlers.

But that is now considered an attack and he is engaged?

He wanted to weep on the spot.

Sam smirked and made the shadow mice disappear from there. From this moment on, Sam is also engaged, but no one knows who he is engaged with. This is just an extra measure to make sure that the mice are safe and he is also protected from sudden attacks.

Still, it is better to ensure that no one is aware of his location.

That night passed.

The next morning...

*SWOOSH*

Sam came on his harbinger like a flash and appeared at the front gate of the Thor academy. He didn't even stall for a second. He got off the harbinger and entered the academy. He went to

the open-air auditorium.

The same elders that came yesterday arrived. But this time, an additional elder with dark green robes also came with him and he took the lead as he addressed around the hundred odd

candidates that are left in the competition.

"Congratulations on passing the first stage of the formation competition.

Now, we are moving on to the second stage. And this one will eliminate more than ninety percent of the existing candidates and only ten people will remain in the competition to participate in the finals which will take place in the formation castle. Without further ado, I will introduce the next stage of competition to you.

The first stage is focused on elemental harmony which is influenced by your control over

energy. But this one, focuses on your control, deduction, spontaneity, perception and many other skills required by a good formation master.

To make sure all of these qualities are tested, your second round will be conducted in an

illusion labyrinth."

The elder snapped his fingers.

*SNAP*

The next moment, Sam felt a huge force envelop him. He disappeared along with the other

students.

When the vision came back to him, Sam felt bit a chilly. He is inside what looked like a neatly

constructed tunnel.

"Illusion Labyrinth"

He muttered to himself when the elder's voice came back again.

"The competition has now began. You are now in illusion labyrinth. Your goal is to make it

out of the labyrinth alive. You can use any attack skills, you cannot use inscriptions. You can only use formations and related skills.

There is more than one way to get out of it. But there are more ways to lose your mind in

there. So, be careful and make it out alive.

That is all you need to do.

The first ten to come out will be eligible to participate in the finals."

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