"Haah." I exhaled, eyeing pod number 473.
The interior looked comfortable. Almost too comfortable. I could sleep in this thing.
[But isn't that the whole essence?]
"Oh. Yeah, you're right."
The design made sense now. Get the user relaxed enough to slip into unconsciousness without resistance. Smart.
I settled into the cushioned interior, letting myself sink into the padding. Jokes aside, this place was cozy as hell. If my dorm bed turned out to be a wooden plank, I'd definitely steal one of these.
A sharp pressure hit the back of my skull.
My head whipped around on instinct. Someone was staring. Not just staring—GLARING. Like they were trying to strangle me with their eyes alone.
"Oh. Crap."
My blood went cold.
She was right there. Seated in the pod directly next to mine. The elven princess. Her teeth were clenched, eyes squinted, locked on the back of my head like she was calculating exactly where to plant a knife.
She wasn't saying anything. Just staring.
This is getting creepy.
[Number 473. You are advised to sit properly in the pod.]
I swallowed hard and forced my gaze forward. Away from her.
Damn it. This really was going to be hell.
There was a reason I kept calling that girl a crazy bitch. Because she WAS that type of princess. The kind who wouldn't stop until I was dead. Probably wouldn't even blink while doing it.
What great luck. First, there was Anna, the most insane of them all, lurking somewhere nearby. As if she wasn't enough of a pain in the ass, now I had a maniac breathing down my neck.
Something clamped around my head.
Before I could react, everything went black.
---
"HAAH!"
My eyes shot open.
"Get up. We don't have all day."
The voice was sharp. Uncaring.
I groaned, blinking against the light.
Wait. Who the hell is that?
I looked up. Standing over me was HER. Maria, I think her name was.
"Ugh." I forced myself upright, then begrudgingly climbed to my feet.
"Where are we?" I asked, taking in the destruction around us.
We were standing in the middle of an apocalyptic warzone. Buildings on fire. Shattered glass glittering across cracked asphalt. Cars lodged halfway through high-rise windows like they'd been thrown by giants. Smoke curled into a gray sky.
It was textbook end-of-the-world scenery.
Instead of answering, Maria shot me an irritated glare.
"Hey, don't look at me like I'm an idiot. That was rhetorical," I muttered, dusting off my clothes as our third team member approached.
"I think it's better we find a place with food to serve as our base," Loren said. He'd clearly been surveying the area while I was unconscious. "This exam is supposed to last a week."
"A WHAT?!"
My eyes widened.
[Oh. Well, you kept getting lost in your thoughts, so you missed pretty much everything the instructor explained about the exams.]
Both Loren and Maria were staring at me now. Like I was some kind of idiot.
"Didn't you hear a single thing that was said about the exams?" Maria asked. She sounded more annoyed than concerned.
"I got sidetracked," I said, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze as much as possible.
"But you DO know about the point requirement to pass, right?"
"Yeah?" I wasn't sure where she was going with this.
"Then focus on getting a thousand points." Her voice dropped, cold and flat. "I don't care how useless you two are, but if either of you fails to reach that number, I will make sure you both see a horrible end."
She turned and walked toward a massive building far to the east.
"Ah?" Loren muttered beside me, equally shocked.
She'd just threatened both of us. Out loud. Without hesitation.
That only solidified my suspicion. Maria was probably a villainess. I didn't know why I couldn't place her from the story, but it didn't matter. Being close to her spelled bad news.
I waited until Loren started following her.
Then I slipped into the nearest alleyway.
Looks like I only have myself to rely on in this exam.
Haah.
Well, at least things won't be boring.
[Definitely not.]