Legendary Architect of Apocalypse

"If that was the case, you would have killed me already. Isn't that right, Sister?" Elias didn't step back, even when the girl right before him, looking deep in his eyes.

Her words were frightening, but there was no murderous intent in her eyes. Moreover, he had maintained the false persona of a weak junior that didn't have any backing in the Academy.

If she wanted to kill him, then she didn't really need to scheme against him. She would have attacked him right away, the moment he appeared.

He didn't trust the girl, but he trusted his own observation. It made him certain that the girl didn't want to kill him, at least not yet.

"Hah, are you sure that I don't just like to play around with my prey before I hunt them?" the girl asked, bringing the rose closer to Elias's cheeks.

Elias didn't feel as much of a danger from the woman, as he did from the bloody rose which made him subconsciously take a step back.

"Are you finally scared?" the girl asked while smiling in amusement. "Though you are right. I don't want to kill you. If I kill you, we will both die."

"It is true that one of us needs to die in this place, but you can't be the one to kill me, and I can't be the one to kill you. That's one of the conditions of this place."

She took another whiff of the bloody rose, almost addicted to it even as the effects were harmful for her, turning her skin even more pale each time.

"We can't kill each other, but still one of us needs to die?" Elias frowned. "Is that even possible? I don't think any of us will kill ourselves. Aren't we just trapped in this place then?"

Even when he thought about the fact that he couldn't satisfy the condition of this place, he was still not quite worried. He could always break this entire place and leave. But he was still somewhat curious to see just what this place planned.

Did the previous dean simply make this place to kill half of the most talented youngsters in the academy? Or was the girl lying?

"It sounds complicated, doesn't it?" the girl laughed, covering her mouth with her fingers. "But it's not that complicated. We don't have to kill ourselves. The laws of this place will do the work itself."

After a hearty laughter, she raised her head. "If I'm not wrong, it should descend soon."

"What should descend?" Elias also raised his head, and thirty seconds later, he truly saw something falling from the sky.

It was the same statue that they had seen before. It fell from the sky, and landed between Elias and the girl. Three of his arms faced the girl, while the other three faced Elias.

Words materialized before the statue, and no matter from where these words were looked, they were completely readable for the two youngsters that were facing each other.

...

Greetings, Descendants of the Dimensional Academy! Welcome to the Test of Lies.

Test Duration: 30 Minutes

Test Conditions:

1) You are not allowed to kill each other. Violation of this rule will result in immediate ERASURE of both sides.

2) Only one participant can pass the test and leave this place alive, provided that neither participant violates the first condition.

3) Each participant will make one statement to the other, which can be either truth or a lie.

4) Participants will take turns until both sides have completed three turns.

5) The recipient of the statement must declare whether it is the truth or a lie. If they are correct, one arm of the statue facing their opponent will break. If they are wrong, one of the arms facing them will break.

6) If all three arms of a participant break, that participant will be considered to have failed the test and will be ERASED. The other participant will pass.

7) If time runs out and neither participant has managed to break all three of the other's arms, both participants will be ERASED.

8) You may use any method to determine the truthfulness of a statement, except for harming the other participant.

9) The first question will be asked by the participant designated as "Challenger." The Challenger will be randomly selected.

10) The two objects that each participant received from the statue may be used in the test. However, once used, they will shatter and disappear.

11) The use cases of the Objects will be transferred to your mind once the test begins.

Best of luck to all participants.

...

After going through all the rules, Elias rubbed his forehead. The test was not a test of skill, or even the test of strength. It was more like a test of bluff, entering the Territory of gambling with their lives.

'Was the previous Dean a gambling addict? What kind of absurdity did he leave here?'

The Academy would have definitely wanted to protect their best students. If it was a normal test, then the strongest or even the most skilled could survive. But if the test was this, then even the strongest could fall.

"I did hear a few rumours about that," Astralious answered, just as taken aback as Elias. "I think there was also a rumor that he had placed the entire Dimensional Academy on the line during one of his gambling attempts."

"What a crazy guy. Even in his death, he doesn't let the academy breathe easy."

A small, spinning arrow appeared above the statue and started rotating rapidly before slowing down and finally pointing directly at Elias.

After the arrow stopped, a mark appeared above Elias, which showed a single word, "King."

Another shining word appeared above the girl's head, "Challenger."

"So I am going first. Well, it doesn't matter." The girl was completely prepared for anything. If anything, she was more confident about winning with Elias in her competition.

The others in her group were much more cunning, and had gone through a lot of life.

They had a lot of convincing things that they could lie about. But what about a mere child who came from an insignificant family? As for fooling him, she believed it was just child's play.