"136, 93, 54…"

The beast tamer roamed through the dorm hallway, pushing past the sea of students who now had numbers floating atop their heads.

While many players were concerned about their rankings, there were also others who maintained a laidback attitude toward the entire situation, even cracking jokes about how long it'd been since they last wrote a test.

Celio was on his way to Edris's dorm room. With all this chaos this morning, he needed to meet up with his Master and discuss what in the world was going on.

However, his search was cut short by an announcement from one of the professors. Rather than the usual morning classes on the schedule, all students gathered at the sports field west of campus.

A circular platform was placed in the centre of the track field while rows of chairs lined before it. It reminded him of the auditorium setup, but outside.

The glowing number "1" swayed on his head like a stubborn bug, and Celio sensed several pairs of eyes gazing his way.

He puffed out a sigh.

The reaction was to be expected.

The "top incoming student" was already burdensome enough of a title, but now that he'd become the top scorer on the ranking test as well, more attention was bound to come his way.

Pushing the discomfort behind his mind, Celio poked his head around, sweeping the crowd for Ives and his Master. After a few tries, he successfully located the former at the edge, looking like a wobbul in a sea of whales.

"There you are!' Celio said, squeezing his way out of the hoard.

"Good—" Ives paused, trying very hard to keep composed as she dodged an arm that nearly hammered her head. "Oh, it's Celio. You look as childish as ever."

The beast tamer's greeting choked up halfway through his throat. Only belatedly did he recall the seven-year-old's assigned persona and cleared his throat.

"G-good morning to you too…"

Students hovered around the field, each carrying a glowing number on their head.

A male student shoved past them, almost knocking Ives to the ground as he strode by. Appearing to have noticed her stumble, the man cast his eyes down at her. He lifted an eyebrow.

"A kid? Someone like you should be at home drinking milk. Even a shrimp's taller than you."

"An adult?" Ives narrowed her eyes. "Someone like you should clean your mouth before speaking. Dirty things are coming out of it."

"Brat. Say that again?"

The man took a step forward, and Celio did the same. Even though the beast tamer had just passed adulthood, he was standing eye-level with the man, maybe even a bit taller.

"You were being rude first." He frowned.

Before the man could respond, the seven-year-old tugged Celio by the sleeves and left. Glimpsing behind his shoulder, the latter's heart almost raced out his throat as he watched the man's expression go from amused to pure rage.

"He was a player, right? What a foul mouth." Celio said as they weaved through the sea of people. "But you now. Aren't you scared of being beaten up, talking back to him like that? What would you do if I weren't there to protect you?"

"I'm just following my role. Displaying hostility towards all, without discrimination," Ives replied calmly. She gave him a sideglance.

"Plus, I won't get beaten up."

The two found an area on the field sparse with people, and then inhaled a breath of fresh air. Ives's assigned number was 112. They still didn't know the rules which determined these rankings.

Celio was about to ask her if she saw his Master, when he noticed a spot of dark blue in the distance, slowly increasing in size.

And beside it, a spot of white.

The beast tamer blinked twice.

"Ace?"

This was his first time seeing the man since the opening ceremony.

As the two got closer, Celio could discern the number floating above Edris's head.

111.

"…I see now," Ives suddenly said.

"See what?" Celio turned to look at her, head tilted in puzzlement. When she gave no response, he waved at the two men in the distance, gesturing them to come over. "Master, Ac—"

Celio flinched with a sharp inhale. He stared at his right foot, then at the seven-year-old who had stomped right onto his foot.

"What was that for?"

At the beast tamer's teary eyes, Ives calmly lifted her foot.

"He's the professor," she said. "Where is your respect?"

Only then did it hit Celio how close he was to acting out of role again. With his Labyrinth personality, he would never address any authority figures straight by their name.

"T-thanks…" Celio gulped.

This whole "acting" situation was more difficult than he thought.

"Wait, isn't Master in trouble?" The beast tamer peered over. "His persona is someone who hates learning. Is it okay to be just strolling with a professor like this in front of all the natives?"

The next moment, he realised his concern was unnecessary.

"Celio, Ives, this is Professor 004," Edris said with a gentle smile. "I was just asking him for romantic advice."

Lips curled, he glanced sidelong to observe the white-haired man's expression. Ace only narrowed his eyes, unfazed by the man's nonsense.

"After all, Professor 004 must be very popular among his coworkers. Perhaps even students with a face like that."

"…"

The beast tamer stared at them with a dumbfounded expression.

Yeah, he should worry about himself first.

"Greetings." Ives paused, peering at him through her lashes. "Uncle."

Ace stared at her, and his brows formed a slight crease. Celio didn't bother with the subtleness as he straight-up jaw dropped.

"Ives's initial quest was to find her relative who works in MW as a professor," Edris explained. "So when she saw Professor 004 on stage, she recognised him immediately."

Gaze shifting between the white-haired man and the seven-year-old, his eyes curved into an innocent smile.

"Uncle and niece. Who would have thought."

"Really, who would have thought…" Celio echoed, his mind still processing the new layer of relationship that had emerged in their group.

So far, the Labyrinth had thrown him into emotional collision after another. At this thought, the beast tamer spun toward Edris with teary eyes.

"Master!" He sniffled. "How does this ranking thing work? Why am I first when I didn't even read all the questions on the test and picked the same third option for all?

"Just because my role is supposed to be a hardworking student who apparently knows everything? Isn't this unfair to other students? Or does this Labyrinth just want to throw me under the spotlight on purpose?"

"Ah."

At his burst of questions, Edris only shrugged.

"I think you're thinking too hard about this."

Celio froze amidst his frustration. He blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"The ranking scheme for this test is actually quite simple," Edris said. He glimpsed Ives with a knowing look. "Right, Ives? I assume you've noticed as well."

The seven-year-old nodded at his prompting.

"1, 111, 112…" Lifting a hand, she steered her index finger toward Celio's number, then Edris's, at last landing on her own rank. She glanced up.

"Chronology."

Edris smiled.

A tapping sound echoed around them, and all chatters subsided.

"Ahem!" Aureolin's bright voice drew their attention to the stage. "Good morning, our lovely students at MW. We've gathered you here for a quick announcement."

Her golden eyes skimmed the crowd from above.

"As you've all noticed, your test results have been released this morning! How did you all do?" She didn't wait for a response and continued, "In any case, your rankings have been registered on your ID bracelets. They reflect your status as MW students, and you'll need them from now on to enter almost all places on campus, such as the [STORE] and the [CAFETERIA]."

As she spoke, the other four professors stood around the students, each taking a stance at the edge of the field. Ace stood a few meters away from Edris' group.

"And, of course, as we go down the ranking list, the amount of available resources will also decrease," Aureolin exclaimed. "Take it as motivation for you all to improve!"

Upon hearing this, the players fell into conversations among themselves. One of the people from Alton's group raised his hand. The number "208" glowed above his head.

"So you're saying our ranks determine the benefits we get in the academy?" he questioned. "That's not very fair now, is it? We didn't know anything about the person mentioned in the test. Are you saying the rankings are basically decided on a whim?"

At that moment, a snicker came from the crowd. Specifically, from the blue-haired professor standing at the edge of the field.

"The test was executed in complete fairness." Admiring himself in the hand mirror, Sky tucked it into his pocket with a chuckle.

The player narrowed his eyes at his reaction. "What?"

"Hm… Number 208, right? The ninth to last worst scorer on the test." Wiping a nonexistent tear off his cheek, Sky sniffed into his handkerchief. "Your stupidity warms my heart."

"Hold on." The player turned to his friend. "Did this woman just call me stupid?"

"But again, I suppose there are students like you who still haven't caught on to the rules. Yes, perhaps it is normal…" Aureolin mumbled to herself, her voice projecting throughout the field.

Ignoring the player's look of disbelief, she stacked her hands on her waist. "How did we rank your tests, you ask?"

She grinned.

"First come first serve, of course!"

The students fell silent as a multitude of emotions washed over the field. People who handed their tests early exhaled in felicity, while those who busted their brains trying to answer the questions through logical deduction stared blankly at the petite woman on stage.

Three seconds later, the latter group erupted in voices.

"Hah?! What bullshit did I just hear?"

"I tried so hard to find a pattern to the questions and responses, but she's telling me all I had to do was hand it in early?"

"Nah, fuck this. We'll be getting differential treatment because of this?"

"Makes no sense…"

"Hey now, don't be discouraged!" Aureolin cleared her throat, getting their attention. "Rankings renew every month. It'd be based on your average score on your two bi-weekly tests. If you all study hard, you'll shoot up the ranks in no time!

"The next one is in exactly two weeks, and this time, you'll actually be marked on the correctness of lecture material."

She pumped her fist into the air.

"Good luck! The Principal and all of us professors are anticipating your improvements."

"Ha… I've had enough." The one ranked 208 rolled up his blazer sleeves and stepped toward the stage. "You're ordering me around? Do you know who I am outside this place? I can ruin your life with a snap of the finger."

Erik was an Awakened swordsman, born in a small town in Adalan. He was the leader of a small hunter's gang but was recently accepted into the Moon's Imperial Army.

Just when the man thought his life would finally take a turn from here, he was abruptly pulled here Labyrinth on his way to the underground gambling house with his friends to celebrate his admittance.

Despite his threats, Aureolin didn't seem in the least bit intimidated by the man almost double her height.

"Student 208." She stared at him curiously. "Are you trying to instigate violence?"

Erik scoffed. "So what if I am?"

The next moment, his face stiffened. It was because the girl on the stage was smiling even wider than him.

She seemed… excited?

He wasn't given a chance to finish his thought as he felt a sudden grip on his shoulder. He didn't know from when, but a cloaked figure had emerged right behind him.

The figure pressed onto his right shoulder, but Erik immediately stepped back. He pivoted to the side and leapt at the cloaked figure with his right fist. Although mana was restricted in this Labyrinth, Erik was also an experienced combattant, thanks to his years of involvement in the gang.

Just as he thought his punch would sink straight into the face, Erik's eyes widened.

The cloaked figure had no face.

The next thing Erik knew, he was on the ground, twitching. A high-pitch ring pierced through his eardrums, and his mind was in a daze. The taste of metal spread in his mouth.

The ground spun as he felt someone grab him by the neck and haul his entire body into the air. His windpipe burned from the lock on his neck, and Erik gasped desperately to restore air to his lungs. His limbs failed along with his squirming core, trying to escape from this death grip.

Except for his wheezed breathing, the entire field was silent.

"Master, should we do something?" Celio stared at the player anxiously. "This doesn't look good."

"He's kicking up quite the scene, isn't he?" Edris said. A glint flashed across his eyes as they locked onto the woman on the stage. "What a selfless man. Going so far as to help us test the Labyrinth's limits. Certainly applaudable."

"I don't think that's his intention…"

"Celio, righteousness does not imply altruism." The dark-haired man turned toward him. "Didn't Ives almost get injured earlier?"

Celio blinked. "You saw?"

Edris smiled.

Eyeing the man, Celio subconsciously swallowed. Sometimes, he felt that there was a foreign side to his Master that he'd never encountered before. Something purposely concealed, purposely distant from his usual gentleness.

"Number 208, as punishment for breaking Rule 5, you will be sent to [DETENTION]."

In Erik's fading consciousness, Aureolin's cheery voice became to him a distant echo, almost like something from a dream. With his remaining bit of energy, Erik spat towards her, saliva and blood splattering into the air.

"Fuck you, fedora-wearing shortass." He squeezed out a raspy insult. "Go ahead and send me to detention. What are you gonna make me do? Clean the bathroom? Wipe the tables? Just wait 'till I get out. Just wait, and I'll be coming for you."

Just as the words left his mouth, a piercing scream echoed throughout the school campus. Not from Erik, but somewhere in the distance. The students flinched, each lifting their heads toward the sound.

"…I recognise the voice." Celio's eyes widened. "It's the person who got caught cheating yesterday! It's his voice!"

A thin layer of sweat formed on his back.

A cry for help. The student's voice had been so despairingly dreadful as he was dragged away, it imprinted into his memory with excruciating clarity. However, the voice just now was several folds more thrilling than yesterday's, sending goosebumps down his spine.

Erik's face paled at the screech, a shared reaction by the majority of students present.

Taking in their expressions, Edris glanced towards the hills in the distance.

The dangers of this Labyrinth had finally begun to reveal themselves.

Indeed, the school environment and emphasised harmony gave this Labyrinth an innocuous, almost childish facade. But beneath this mask was none other than blatant discrimination and power hierarchies, justified by means of the so-called order.

Oppression until breaking point—this was the core of Labyrinth 53.

"The voice is coming from there, isn't it?" he said. "If I recall correctly, that is…"

"The music tower."

Ace spoke from behind. He cast his gaze afar, toward the only white building on campus. His deep voice composed as it delivered itself to the group.

"That's where [DETENTION] takes place."