Solomon immediately took a step backward and kept his iron sword raised in front of his chest. He turned around and sprinted back toward the main intersection.
His boots slapped against the stone floor as he dashed straight into the forward path. The metallic footsteps of the undead soldiers clanked from the right corridor, eventually fading away as he put enough distance between them.
Solomon sheathed his sword and swatted at a thick cobweb hanging from the ceiling. "I am absolutely never trusting a viewer poll again. You all completely set me up for failure."
He glanced at the floating blue screen hovering near his shoulder. His viewer count had suddenly jumped. Forty people were now actively watching the broadcast.
Maybe it was because they wanted to see him die.
The chat scrolled rapidly with a mix of apologies and laughing emojis from the viewers who had voted for the dangerous route.
[GamerGuy: okay we are sorry lol.]
[LazyCat: my bad!]
[User12: take my points as an apology.]
A series of bright chimes rang out directly inside his head.
[User12 gifted a Copper Dagger! (100 Points)]
[LazyCat gifted a Bronze Idol! (50 Points)]
[Skeptic gifted a Bronze Idol! (50 Points)]
Solomon dismissed the donation prompts and adjusted the leather belt around his waist. He kept his eyes focused on the glowing moss ahead and continued walking deeper into the labyrinth.
Meanwhile, the professors were sorting out the invitations at the academy.
Professor Vance pinched the very corner of a crumpled, slimy piece of paper. He wrinkled his nose and tossed the disgusting ticket across the wide mahogany desk.
"Cast a cleaning spell on that trash before we log it into the academy system," Vance instructed.
Professor Aris caught the ticket and traced a glowing blue circle over the paper. The dirt and slime instantly vanished, revealing a pristine surface etched with complex golden runes.
Aris dropped his glowing hands. His jaw fell open, and he stumbled backward into a tall wooden bookshelf.
"Grandmaster," Aris stammered, holding the ticket out with trembling fingers. "Look at this."
The Grandmaster took the ticket. He leaned forward in his large leather chair and traced the golden runes with his thumb. His pupils dilated. He stood up abruptly and placed both hands flat against his desk.
"This is the Millennium Ticket," the Grandmaster announced. "The Founder himself personally hands these out. No one has laid eyes on him in a complete century. He possesses the absolute power to view fate, destiny, and the future. Anyone who simply crosses his path is destined for monumental achievements. The extremely rare individuals who receive this specific invitation will inevitably become the absolute greatest of the greatest."
Vance stepped closer to the desk. "We must check this student's profile immediately."
The Grandmaster waved his hand over a crystal sphere resting on his desk. A transparent blue screen projected into the room. Lines of text quickly filled the display. It listed the boy's name, family members, hometown, birth date, exact height, weight, current relationship status, and extensive family history.
Vance crossed his arms and scanned the mundane details. "He comes from a completely ordinary background."
Aris swiped his hand through the air and scrolled down to the bottom of the projection. He wanted to view the awakened talent and assigned rank. He gripped the edge of the desk. His eyes widened to their absolute limits.
"It cannot be," Aris shouted. "Look at his talent!"
Vance hurried to the other side of the projection and read the glowing text. He scratched his beard and turned toward the head of the office. "Grandmaster, do you know what this specific power actually does?"
The Grandmaster stepped around his desk and stared directly at the letters spelling out 'Convergence'. He rubbed his chin and sighed.
"I have absolutely no idea," the Grandmaster admitted.
Vance and Aris slumped their shoulders. The two professors let out long groans.
The Grandmaster pointed a finger directly at the wooden door. "Send someone to bring Solomon to my office right this second."
Aris bowed quickly and rushed out into the hallway. The room remained completely quiet for several minutes while the other two men stared at the floating profile. Rapid footsteps soon echoed from the corridor, and Aris hurried back inside empty-handed.
"Where is the boy?" the Grandmaster asked.
Aris caught his breath and pointed a shaking finger toward the window. "He already activated his streaming drone. He completely bypassed the mandatory reading week and went straight into the Labyrinth of Eden."
The Grandmaster let out a long sigh and smoothed the wrinkles in his robes. "He possesses an SSS-rank talent. He must be incredibly powerful to survive the labyrinth on his own. We have nothing to worry about."
Behind the desk, Professor Vance tapped a sequence of runes into a communication crystal. A large holographic screen expanded across the back wall, projecting Solomon's live stream directly into the office.
The boy walked down a dark stone corridor while talking to the chat.
[User12: so what is your talent anyway?]
[GamerGuy: yeah you never said.]
"I have an SSS-rank talent," Solomon told the drone. "It is called Convergence."
[LazyCat: SSS rank?! cap.]
[NewbHunter: whoa seriously?]
[Skeptic: prove it. what does it actually do?]
Solomon kicked a pebble across the maze floor and shrugged his shoulders. "I have absolutely no idea. I have never been able to use it or find a way to trigger the power. That is exactly why I joined this academy. I just hope to find some leads about it."
Professor Vance dropped his clipboard. The wooden board clattered loudly against the stone floorboards. Professor Aris choked on his own spit and coughed violently into his sleeve. The Grandmaster stared blankly at the projection. A visible twitch developed under his left eye. He slowly lowered his face into his hands and rubbed his temples.
The Grandmaster looked up and pointed a rigid finger at Vance. "Bring out the specific enrollment forms he filled out at the gates. I will conduct a thorough check on him myself."
Solomon navigated a long series of sharp turns and winding stone corridors. He followed the moss glowing inside the floor cracks.
He rounded one final corner and instantly stopped in his tracks.
Armored figures blocked the passage ahead. Faded streaks of golden light pulsed from their exposed bones through rusted chainmail. They were the exact same undead soldiers from earlier.
Solomon looked back over his shoulder. The straight path he chose was simply a massive loop. It brought him directly to the exact same destination the right path would have led to anyway.
The chat immediately exploded on the floating blue screen.
[GamerGuy: hahaha you cannot escape them!][User12: wait. the straight path was a loop? I demand a full refund for my apology gift right now.][LazyCat: this is hilarious.][Skeptic: get ready to run again.]
Solomon rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. A loud chime suddenly rang directly inside his head, followed by a bright banner flashed across his eyes.
[BloodKnight has entered the stream.]
[BloodKnight has issued a live challenge!]
[BloodKnight: I will gift one Platinum Shield (1,000 Points) for every single undead soldier you kill.]
Solomon quickly counted the rotting figures dragging their chipped weapons across the cobblestones. Twelve soldiers stood between him and the next passage. Completing this challenge meant earning twelve thousand points in a single fight.
That covered almost a quarter of his entire monthly quota on his very first day.
Combined with the glowing orb he had found early, even if it sold for the entry price which was 500 gold coins, he could trade it for 5000 points minimum.
He drew his iron sword from its scabbard as the sound of steel echoed off the stone walls.
The undead soldiers snapped their skulls in his direction and raised their rusted blades.