After the hell that was "Ethics for Beginners," I barely managed to drag myself through the rest of the day's schedule, which dissolved into a blur of theoretical lectures.
When I finally returned to my luxurious suite—one that now felt less like luxury and more like a well-decorated prison cell—every muscle in my body screamed for mercy… or a swift death.
All I wanted was to throw myself onto the bed and pretend I didn't exist until further notice.
But of course, the universe always has other plans when it comes to torturing me.
"Riiing!"
The cursed Cardinal device on my wrist announced a new message with an irritating blue flash.
What now?
Are they hosting a surprise barbecue and using the students as fuel?
Or are we running ninety laps this time?
I opened the message with a heart weighed down by pessimism.
It was from Dean Hargrove's office personally.
…That was never a good sign.
[Urgent Notice: First-Year Students – Class Alpha]
Subject: First Field Exploration Mission
Time: Tomorrow morning, 08:00
Location: Training Gate #17 – "The Annoying Goblin Maze"
Rank: F (Beginner-safe… theoretically)
Objective: Explore, assess, and exit safely. Teamwork and protocol compliance will be evaluated.
Note: Attendance is mandatory. Bring your starter kits. Prepare for goblins.
— Dean Hargrove:
"We do not guarantee you'll return in one piece… but we try."
"The Annoying Goblin Maze," I muttered.
An F-rank gate.
Tomorrow morning.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
How ironic.
The "safe" beginner mission.
In every novel I'd ever read, this is the moment when everything goes straight to hell.
The gate's name felt disturbingly familiar.
"Goblin Maze…"
I tried to remember something connected to it.
I think I read about it in Chronicles of the Vanguard Academy.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
Don't overthink it, Adam, I told myself.
They're just goblins. What's the worst that could happen?
Does this mean tomorrow will finally be the first time I use my completely useless EX skill?
With my catastrophic physical stats and chronic bad luck.
Yeah, I thought darkly.
I closed the notification.
Nothing was interrupting my sleep.
"Tomorrow…" I whispered to the shadows gathering in the corners of the suite.
"Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."
"Ugh… curse every morning in this world."
That was the first thing I muttered when I forced my eyelids open to the dull gray light stubbornly leaking through the windows of my luxurious suite.
The headache from yesterday's training hadn't completely faded.
It lingered somewhere at the back of my skull like a patient predator.
My body—this treacherous sixteen-year-old body with stats that made me want to cry—was still protesting every movement.
Every muscle ached.
Every joint cracked in alarming ways.
New day. New suffering, I thought sarcastically as I dragged myself out of bed that looked offensively comfortable.
I wonder what horrors this delightful school day has prepared for me.
But today wasn't just another school day.
Today was "The Annoying Goblin Maze."
Our first real mission inside a gate.
An F-rank gate.
"Safe and suitable for beginners… theoretically."
Theoretically.
That word repeated in my mind.
That word is always the problem.
Ever since I read the cursed notice yesterday, a strange unease had been gnawing at me from the inside.
"The Annoying Goblin Maze."
The name itself sounded suspiciously innocent.
But my memory—
that double-edged weapon that was both a blessing and a curse—was no help.
I tried to recall the details of this gate from Chronicles of the Vanguard Academy.
The novel was enormous, packed with gates and events.
But this name…
It only echoed faintly in my memory.
Nothing more.
Goblins… maze… was there something else?
I couldn't remember clearly.
The memories were hazy.
But the sense of danger—that subtle warning dancing at the edge of my awareness—felt real.
Maybe I'm just overreacting, I tried to reassure myself while putting on the academy's gray uniform.
It's just an F-rank gate.
What's the worst that could happen?
The goblins throw mud at us and steal our lunches?
But a part of me—the part that had learned never to trust anything that seemed simple in this world—was screaming that something was wrong.
"Haaah…"
I sighed while tying my sneakers.
Alright, Adam.
Prepare for the worst… and hope for the best.
I had absolutely no appetite, but I forced myself to head to the cafeteria.
You can't face annoying goblins on an empty stomach, I told myself with dry logic.
At least I should give them something to vomit if things go badly.
The cafeteria was, as usual, loud and crowded with students who looked either suspiciously excited or absolutely terrified about today's mission.
I grabbed my usual portion of what could only be described as failed scientific experiments—
gray porridge, green eggs, and bread that might qualify as geological material.
Then I sat in my usual corner.
Trying to eat just enough to keep my body functioning without vomiting on the table.
If I survive this breakfast, I thought while swallowing a bite of rubbery eggs,
I can survive anything that goblin gate throws at me.
I noticed the six main characters talking together with excitement and intensity.
Ethan was speaking animatedly, gesturing with wide hand movements.
Serena listened attentively.
Drake wore that confident smile that made you want to punch him.
Leo was quiet and observant as always.
Izzy laughed at something Ethan said.
And Kai…
Well, Kai was Kai.
Barely visible in the group's shadow.
They already became friends this fast?
Disgustingly social.
Yet this time, I couldn't ignore the sting of anxiety.
There was a heavy, unsettling feeling pressing against my chest.
Whatever happens, I decided while pushing my tray away after failing to convince myself to eat more of that "food,"
I'll be careful.
I'll activate [Narrative Architect Blueprint] the moment we enter.
And if things start going wrong…
Well.
I'll try not to be the first one to die.
What a logical and inspiring plan.
When it was finally time to head toward the mission assembly point, my heart was beating a little faster than usual.
It wasn't pure fear.
It was a mix of anxiety… anticipation… and the strange feeling that I was about to step into something that had once been part of a novel.
A gate that led to horror stories.
Exciting.
And terrifying.
"All right then… Annoying Goblin Maze," I whispered while walking with the rest of Class Alpha.
"I'm ready."
We arrived at a wide gathering area near what looked like a massive aircraft hangar.
But instead of planes, several gates floated there like circular beams of light, each with a number carved above its stone arch.
These were the academy's low-rank training gates.
They looked less terrifying than the ones I had imagined from the novel, but they still carried an unsettling aura of mystery.
Professor Aurora Fenix was waiting for us.
She stood like an ice sculpture, her silver hair gleaming under the cold morning light.
Her sharp gaze swept across our tense faces.
Her expression remained as strict as ever—the kind that made me feel like a failing student even before doing anything wrong.
Several other instructors and older students stood nearby.
Presumably supervisors.
Or rescue teams in case things went catastrophically wrong.
Which, according to the academy's records…
Had happened before.
"Class Alpha students," Professor Fenix began, her voice sharp and clear like frozen steel.
"Your mission today, as previously announced, is to explore and evaluate Training Gate Number 17, known as The Annoying Goblin Maze."
"Estimated Rank: F."
"You will enter, analyze the threat level, and exit safely within two hours."
"And remember—focus on teamwork and protocol compliance."
Teamwork, my mind repeated sarcastically as I glanced at the main characters.
With that group of conflicting personalities?
This would be entertaining to watch.
"You will now be divided into teams of four to five students," Professor Fenix continued.
"The teams have been formed completely at random to evaluate your adaptability when working with individuals you may not know well."
"The team lists and leaders will now be announced."
Completely random?
I raised an eyebrow.
In an academy like this, I don't trust the word "random."
There was probably a complicated algorithm designed to create the most dysfunctional teams possible just to increase the "challenge."
The assistant began reading the team lists.
My heartbeat slowed slightly—not from fear, but from the hopeless anticipation you feel while waiting for terrible medical test results.
I already knew.
My chronic bad luck would not disappoint.
"Team One, led by Ethan Riddle. Members: Serena Valerian, Leonard von Falkenhayn, and… Lily Chen."
Of course, I thought with a bitter smile.
The original hero.
The genius heroine.
The strategic mastermind.
And another girl who was probably important to the plot.
The dream team.
Or the "we will definitely survive while everyone else dies horribly" team.
Eventually…
My team was announced.
"Team Five, led by… Maya Horthon."
"Members: Adam Lister, Rex Barnes, and Samuel Ko."
I stopped breathing for a moment.
Maya Horthon?
I had never heard that name before.
A side character… probably.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Predictable.
Maya was a small girl with short brown hair and wide nervous eyes.
Rex Barnes was a huge red-haired guy with dark eyes—strong, but looking slightly confused, as if he wasn't entirely sure why he was here.
Samuel Ko was thin, with short indigo hair and hazel eyes behind glasses.
He looked like someone who would rather sit in a library reading about monsters than fighting them.
Fantastic, I thought dryly.
A leader who looks like she's about to cry…
A confused musclehead…
A glasses guy who might faint at the sight of a spider…
And me.
The genius with F-minus stats.
"Team leader Maya," Professor Fenix said, her gaze settling on the small girl who seemed to shrink under the weight of responsibility.
"Your assigned gate is Training Gate #17."
"You have two hours."
"Do not fail spectacularly."
Very encouraging words.
Soon the other teams began heading toward their gates.
My "exceptional" team stood there awkwardly for a moment.
Looking at each other.
Confused.
"So…" Maya began in a quiet trembling voice.
"I'm Maya. And you are…?"
"Rex Barnes."
"Samuel Ko."
Then they both looked at me.
"Adam," I said simply.
I didn't bother adding Lister.
No need for them to remember my full name.
"Well… Team," Maya said, trying to sound confident.
"Training Gate #17… it's over there."
She pointed at one of the circular beams of light floating in the air.
Beneath it stood an ancient stone arch that looked forgotten by time.
The number 17 was faintly carved into it.
Yes… that's definitely the one, I confirmed silently as that strange anxiety returned to weigh on my chest.
I just hope it's not too… annoying.
Our wonderfully diverse team walked toward the gate.
I stayed at the back.
Watching.
Analyzing.
Expecting the worst.
My first gate.
Just thinking about it made my spine shiver.
Once upon a time, gates like this were nothing more than story elements in a novel I read to kill boredom.
And now…
I was about to step inside one.