pages of rebellion

In another place, Noah was alone, wandering through the depths of the endless labyrinth that continued to stretch into the infinite. He was lost, unsure of where he should walk. Once he entered, he had been determined, thinking that this test was just another step towards his growth, but now he was moving aimlessly, like a being without purpose. It seemed... just like him.

"Almost an hour or two has passed, and I haven't done anything yet. At least I should get a high rank," Noah murmured to himself as he continued walking. It was then that he heard a cry for help—a familiar, weak voice trembling with fear and tension, echoing in Noah's ears.

"Noah... help me..."

It was Liam's voice, there was no doubt about it.

"Liam, where are you?!" Noah called out, raising his voice so that Liam would hear and know where he was.

"Noah... help me..."

The voice echoed again, carrying the same tone. Noah didn't suspect anything and didn't even consider the possibility of a trap. He hurried toward the source of the sound, and the voice grew louder and clearer the closer he got. Finally, he turned a corner, expecting to find Liam there, but there was no one.

"Liam...?" Noah said, trying to listen for Liam's voice again, but this time, there was no response. Instead, he felt a slight chill run down his spine. The atmosphere became eerily calm, the air turning cold and heavy, filled with the scent of burnt coal and ink. At that moment, a Minotaur appeared, trying to attack Noah, swinging a huge axe at him, but Noah was able to avoid it due to his foresight ability.

Noah stepped back, observing the creature standing before him. It was four meters tall, its body a moving nightmare, covered in cracked black armor as if it were carved from the void itself, pulsating with unnatural energy, as though the world itself rejected its existence. Its twisted muscles moved fluidly, as if not bound by the laws of nature.

Its head was a distortion of a bull's head, with eroded horns that seemed to have decayed over time—or something even more sinister. The most terrifying feature was the absence of its eyes—where its eyes should have been were hollow black voids, endless pits that seemed to swallow all who dared to look into them.

"This... a Hollow Minotaur!" Noah thought to himself. "A rare type of Minotaur that only appears in dark places. Despite its hollow eyes, it has sharp senses, able to smell fear and track its prey through vibrations in the air and the beat of its heart. It can mimic the voices of anyone close to its prey to lure them into its traps. "I can't believe I fell for such a trick. If it weren't for my foresight, I would be dead," Noah thought, trying to calm his racing breath. Fear and panic would only make the situation worse.

The Minotaur charged, swinging its axe in every direction. Noah dodged the attacks and leapt away, then it charged at him again. The Minotaur swung its axe, but Noah avoided it, causing the ground to crack and shatter. Noah jumped onto one of the walls, gripping it, and then leapt onto the Minotaur's back, grabbing its horns. The Minotaur raged, smashing into the walls of the labyrinth, destroying them as Noah held on tightly, twisting its horns. Finally, Noah punched the Minotaur in the head with all his strength, slamming it to the ground, making it fall. He stood up from its back and faced the creature's corpse.

"It wasn't hard to kill it... I think I've really grown," Noah thought silently.

"Well, if I kill two more beasts, I'll reach the golden rank, right?" Noah said to himself.

Outside, Edgar, Rael, and Noctis were watching the events unfold on a dark screen.

"After Victor, about 30 people have come out, and not even an hour has passed since the test started. I need to focus more to avoid any unnecessary injuries," Edgar thought to himself calmly. He felt concerned about his students but knew he needed to let them spread their wings and grow, becoming independent.

"Our guests must be bored with this show," said Rael.

"Maybe, but there are some real talents here," said Noctis, slightly disagreeing but also agreeing in part.

Edgar laughed loudly, then paused for a moment. "Don't worry, I've left one of the professors to entertain them in case they get bored," said Edgar.

In a closed room, a dark screen floating above a table surrounded by five chairs, occupied by people in black cloaks covering their faces. They all bore the Hunter's mark on their cloaks, except for one. Among them was a man in his twenties with long, silky blond hair reaching his back, blue eyes, and long yellow eyelashes. He was strong-built and tall, wearing a white cloak bearing the Hunter's mark. He was "Lucian Aldrik," one of the professors at "Kaisel" High School and a rank B Hunter.

"What... what should I do? The guests seem bored. I need to entertain them with something. Damn you, headmaster, for giving me such a task!" Lucian thought to himself, anxious and irritated.

"It seems there are some talents here," said one of the figures, a man's voice.

"But they don't seem like talents worth paying attention to," said another, also a man's voice.

"Damn, what should I do?!" Lucian thought, feeling even more stressed.

"Shut up, your voice is annoying!" said another voice, a girl's.

Everyone turned to look at the speaker, annoyed.

"What did you say, you brat? Do you know who I am?" The man expressed his anger and frustration.

"Your voice is annoying, it's making my ears bleed," the girl said, intertwining her fingers and resting her head on them.

"Who is this girl, daring to speak to a headmaster of one of the five top academies?" Lucian thought to himself as he looked at the unknown girl.

"You brat! I am "Garth Foss," the director of the "vossel Academy." How dare you disrespect me?!" Garth threw off his cloak.

He was a tall man in his mid-fifties, with a robust body that bore the marks of years of battle and intense training. His dark green hair was disheveled, with a few strands hanging down over his furrowed brow. His eyes were sharp, cold gray, and they pierced anyone who stood before him with his constant scowl.

His face was lined with deep wrinkles, especially on his forehead and between his eyebrows, as if time itself couldn't make him smile. His thin lips were always pressed downward, adding to his stern features. His pale skin reflected a life filled with poisons, as if he were a man who emerged from the shadows to remain there forever.

"And so what if you are an old man leading an average academy? I'll kill you if you cross the line!" the girl said, her red eyes glinting from beneath the shadowed hood of her cloak.

"This way of speaking... Now that I think about it, no academy is led by a woman... This must be someone sent by their directors... the only academy that could do this is...!!" Lucian thought, his thoughts racing, his anxiety escalating.

"Let me introduce myself in another way. I am "Luo Yan," a student at the "Nova Academy." I have come on behalf of our dear headmaster to recruit talents!" said Luo Yan, removing her black cloak.

Luo Yan was an 18-year-old girl, her beauty striking in a charming and serene way. Her long red hair flowed like soft flames, swaying with every movement, silky to the touch and shimmering under the sunlight. Her eyes were a deep crimson, like ripe pomegranate seeds, vibrant and full of life, carrying a natural gleam that enhanced her allure.

Her skin was as white as cherry blossoms, smooth and pure, giving her a cute and elegant appearance. Her features were delicately balanced, with a small straight nose and slightly full pink lips that often curved into a smile. She had an aura of natural beauty, effortlessly captivating without any need for effort. Her simplicity and elegance exuded a special charm.

Everyone in the room was shocked and felt a deep sense of unease at the mere mention of the name of the academy.

"Nova Academy?!" Garth said, his expression showing fear and awe.

"Nova Academy... I can hardly believe it! It's the number one academy in the country and one of the top five in the world. Only a very select few get in, and its students earn respect wherever they go, especially the honor students with rank S. Its headmaster is one of the monsters ranked among the top 50 hunters, holding a high rank among them. This student... the aura around her... she's powerful, she might even be at my level or higher!!" Lucian thought, his thoughts racing and his anxiety mounting.

Elsewhere, Blake was walking alone as usual, deep into the labyrinth.

"By the way, I wonder what happened to that bastard? Maybe he's already dead. Well, even if he wasn't killed by one of the monsters, he'll die from something else."

Blake noticed blood appearing on the walls, and the closer he got, the more it intensified until he reached a strange open space in front of him, one that seemed to stretch endlessly, with no walls or surface, just eternal darkness with no end. In the center of this arena, Blake saw the horrifying scene.

"W-What is this?!" Blake shouted, surprised and anxious from the fear and tension.

In the center of the space, there was a massive number of students lying on the ground, slowly bleeding, unable to get up. Among them stood a strange creature, holding Liam by his shirt and lifting him into the air. He was bleeding slowly from his head and body.

"L-Liam?!" Blake shouted as he looked at the scene before him.

The strange creature seemed as if its body was made of glass. It looked like a mirror of someone Blake knew—same features, same movements, same everything. Blake suddenly realized he was facing one of those "Echoes" the headmaster had told them about. But this wasn't an echo of any student; it was the echo of someone Blake had often bullied when he felt bored, angry, or for no reason at all. It was the "Echo" of Noah.

Elsewhere, Noah was still wandering when he saw his death through his foresight ability. He quickly jumped away from his spot and saw a man in a black cloak hiding his face, holding a sharp dagger, covered in blood. Noah looked at his shoulder and noticed he was injured.

"...A human?" Noah thought quickly as he retreated.

The mysterious man stood motionless, as if his body were nothing more than a manifested shadow. There was no expression on his face, or rather, it wasn't clear if he even had a face beneath that black cloak. But the thing that caught Noah's attention more than anything else was the dagger in his hand—it wasn't just an ordinary dagger, but one that pulsed with a dark aura, as if it was drinking the blood it stained.

"He managed to get close to me without me sensing him... not even the foresight skill noticed him until the last moment. This isn't normal," Noah thought, pressing on his wounded shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Who are you?" Noah asked cautiously, but received no response.

Instead, the man slowly raised his dagger, as if savoring the moment. Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

"Damn!" Noah shouted, sensing the danger at the last moment. He jumped to the side just as the dagger passed through the space where he had been standing, cutting the air with a sharp whistle.

The man appeared again in front of him, but this time, he wasn't holding just one dagger, but two. With a movement almost like a dance, he began attacking with a series of swift and precise thrusts. Noah barely managed to dodge them using his prediction skill.

"This isn't any human... He's an assassin!" Noah realized, his eyes widening slightly.

He knew he couldn't stay on the defensive forever. With each passing moment, the black-clad man was pressing harder, reducing the space Noah had to move. If this continued, he would surely be killed.