"Are you prepared, my friend?"

"A-A-Absolutely! I-I-I-I was born p-p-prepared."

"Then why are your hands trembling? Are you feeling nervous?"

"S-S-Shut up!"

At the entrance of the academy, the first-year students were waiting patiently as they stood together. Their chattering, as expected, was rather subdued and hushed.

"Are you sure you aren't nervous?"

"N-N-N-No, I'm fine! I've been getting along fine since we met!"

"That's good."

"E-E-E-E-Even if I wasn't prepared, I wouldn't back down!"

"Then let's do our best to not worry about it too much."

"Y-Y-Yeah! Y-Y-Y-Yeah! I'm not worried at all, anyway!"

In front of them, there were numerous carriages lined up for them. These carriages would take the students to the place where the competition would be held. The trip was a part of the test itself. The carriage had three windows on each side. Most of the carriages was normal and could only accommodate up to five people.

But, the one assigned to Darell and his group was much bigger than the rest. It could hold up to ten people. And, it was undoubtedly the most extravagant and lavish carriage of them all. It was gold-plated and highly decorated, which was not a normal feature in these carriages. It even had a golden handle on the side.

Naturally, the students could see that the academy had given the best carriage to Darell's group and the blatant favoritism angered them. However, they couldn't physically harm them lest they be taken by the Instructors and be punished. So, they chose another method, albeit a petty one. They resorted to gossip bad things regarding them behind their backs.

"How typical of the Academy," someone said, as if in accusation.

"It's definitely favoritism."

"Yeah. There's no other explanation for it. Just look at that carriage over there."

The other students agreed with the person's statement. However, they still didn't do anything.

"Look how the instructors are currying favor with them."

"Yeah! Aside from being born into high nobility, they have nothing noteworthy to offer. I mean, what do they have?"

"Yeah. They probably know they can get away with whatever they want. We can't say a word or the instructors would be after us."

"Yeah! At least, the girls have their beauty but the boys... Ughh!"

"Yes! That's right! They look like pigs!"

"Hmph! What's so special about Darell anyway? That fool dared to battle a rank 06 monster. It would have been better if he had been killed—urghf."

The person, standing among the group of students, who were gossiping suddenly felt an icy hand around his throat. The other students looked at the icy hand in horror. All had a single alarm going on in their minds, 'Oh, fuck!!! She heard us!!!'

The person tried to remove the icy hand from around his throat but he couldn't and his face slowly began turning red since he wasn't able to breathe. The group of students glanced behind him and recoiled in fear when they saw Lilith standing behind.

Lilith was very, very angry. She had been noticing her classmates gossip about them a few days ago which she ignored believing that she shouldn't stoop as low as the idiots. And, even today, she could hear them gossip bad things. But, when she heard them talking about the incident, she knew she couldn't control herself. She was traumatized by it. If anyone dared to bring it up and insult her brother, she would be overcome with rage to the point of wanting to kill them.

"Don't talk bad about my brother!" Lilith screamed.

The other students had turned pale and said, "N-No, no, we didn't mean it! W-W-We were just joking."

The icy hand was slowly crushing the guy's throat. He began gasping for breath.

"Stop, Lilith! Calm yourself!", Athena shouted while running toward them. She quickly arrived and snapped her finger as the icy hand around the person's throat shattered into pieces.

"Cough Cough Cough! Huff Huff Huff!", The person fell on the ground and he began coughing violently.

She patted Lilith's shoulder and advised her in a calm and gentle voice, "You shouldn't lose control like that, Lilith. Always remain calm, okay?"

"B-But, t-they," Lilith tried to explain however she was interrupted by Athena.

"Don't let it get to you, okay? Think of something else other than him. It'll make you calm.", Athena advised her.

Lilith took a deep breath and sighed as she replied, "O-Okay, Instructor Athena."

Athena smiled and patted her head as she lovingly said, "Good child."

Lilith blushed but she quickly regained her composure.

Athena helped the person on the ground get up and admonished him, "Now apologize to Lilith."

"W-What?! But, it wasn't my fau—"

"Apologize.", Athena glared at the person.

"Er... I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things about you and Darell. Sorry.", the person bowed his head and said.

"There you go. Apology accepted."

Athena patted his shoulder and patted Lilith on the head as she said, "Apology accepted, right?"

Lilith nodded, "Y-Yes."

"However," Athena turned to the person and said, "You will be punished for your actions. Walk the entire way with a 4000 kg block of ice tied to your back. You will NOT permitted to board any carriage."

"Wha—huh?! But, Instructor Athena! It's already early morning and we will be traveling all the way until dusk! And, I'll be left behind! I won't be able to finish the entire journey!", the person complained.

"Silence! If you keep complaining, I'll make it 4500 kg!", Athena shouted angrily.

The person swallowed a lump in his throat and said, "S-Sorry."

"Now, get going."

The person walked away, cursing under his breath. She glared at the rest of the group and continued, "If anyone helps him, be prepared to share in his punishment."

The others quickly distanced themselves from him as if he were a contagious disease and hurriedly walked away.

Darell observed the unfolding drama, from a distance, with a shake of his head, realizing that no matter how hard he tried to avoid conflicts, they would inevitably find him. He sighed. A few minutes later, he stepped into the carriage accompanied by Lilith, Emma, Ariel, and Eric. It was a spacious carriage. It could fit ten people and had enough space for each individual. They placed their belongings in the space provided and sat on the cushioned seats. It wasn't long before the carriage moved, leaving the academy's gate behind.

Eric and Ariel took seats together on the opposite side, while Darell sat between Emma on his right and Lilith on his left. They had prepared an assortment of potions, including mana potions, recovery potions, strength potions, and defense potions, among others.

"Here, take these.", Emma handed a pouch to Darell.

"I think this should be enough for all of us. We can use it to replenish our mana when we run out."

"Oh, thanks. We'll probably be needing them later.", Darell said.

Entering the dungeon marked their first experience of its kind. It was a completely different from the training halls, where they could exit at any time and resume once they had recovered. This time, the slightest mistake could cost them their lives. It was no longer mere training. It was a genuine life and death battle.

Considering the potential dangers that awaited them, they decided not to underestimate the situation and made sure to be prepared for any scenario. So, they acquired their armor and weapons from the academy and through their parents' connections. Recognizing the significance of their first set of armor and weapons, their parents opted for a better safe than sorry approach. Thus, they spared no expense and purchased rank 04 armor and weapons that could also be utilized in their second year. Each of them had chosen armor based on their personal preferences.

Eric's armor boasted a black and golden color scheme. Eschewing flashy capes or surcoats, he preferred light armor that wouldn't impede his close combat maneuvers. The sabatons, greaves, poleyns, and cuisses all followed the black-golden motif. His rerebrace armor featured an exquisite claw mark, mirroring the design on his breastplate and backplate. His weapon of choice consisted of two gauntlets that safeguarded his lower arms and hands. Each finger was adorned with protruding spikes, and the gauntlets had a striking golden-red hue.

Ariel, on the other hand, opted for simpler armor. As an incredibly agile fighter who relied on long-range skills, she decided to forgo the breastplate and backplate. Her silver armor was adorned with a surcoat, embroidered with golden patterns against a blue backdrop. Her chakram had a unique 'S' shape, with thin spikes protruding from the blades. It boasted a silver-red coloration.

Lilith favored a more modest armor style. She wore a silver breastplate featuring a beautifully carved snowflake pattern, opting not to wear cuisses. Her dark blue doublet worn underneath the armor contrasted with Ariel's black one. She chose to complement her attire with a light golden cape flowing down from her shoulders to the ground. Her sword emitted a bone-chilling aura, with a golden handle and a greyish-blue blade.

Emma donned golden-white armor, similar to Lilith's. Rather than a full body armor, she selected a style resembling Lilith's. Her short white cape and white surcoat boasted embroidered golden patterns. Her dagger possessed a distinct shape, nearly the size of her lower arm, and featured a greyish-white coloration.

Darell, on the other hand, opted for a full body armor, excluding the cape and surcoat. His armor showcased a greyish-black hue, with a distinctive 'V' shaped silver mark on the breastplate and shoulders. While relatively light, the armor provided ample defense against attacks. His sword boasted a black hilt and a blackish-red blade, emanating an eerie aura. They had been entrusted with such expensive equipment, and they were determined to take good care of it, as they could also undertake certain quests for the academy.

After a week-long journey, they had finally reached their destination.

"Wake up, sleepy cat! We have finally arrived."

Darell's eyes shot open when he heard Emma's voice.