Despite being told to face forward several eyes watched them enter.
Flinching when the trainer went off on cadet Fong Kong, exchanging hurried and conflicting glances and a few mumbled words.
It was late last night when the first challenge ended and Sly finally made it.
So many did not know that he was the last to arrive while carrying an older boy his size.
Many of them had younger siblings at home and felt sympathetic for Sly but not enough to criticize Cadet Fong Kong or the trainer and end their military careers early.
The last boy to enter was not only the smallest in size but age and looked very frail.
Someone like him didn't belong at such a competitive and violent school and they felt pity for him.
Sly fell in line and ignored the gazes that swept over his body, very unaware of the other student's thoughts.
Or rather he didn't care, instead he was listening keenly as the trainer explained in detail the objectives of placement tests.
It was obvious the gap in strength between fresh incoming students and experienced students was as different as night and day.
The trainer continued, "Paradise is not for the weak. Entrance granted to join this noble institution is not to be taken lightly."
"Some of you will get minor injuries or end up in the hospital, many will be crippled and others will die. Now is the only chance you will get to reconsider, no one will look down on you for leaving."
"This is your last chance to go home as here in the military nothing will be easy. We fight until we draw our last breath and deserters will meet a fate worse than death."
"The tuition paid for by your parents and guardians is not enough to cover the daily expenses of running one of the best military schools in the kingdom. This event is organized by our sponsors and we expect you to give them an excellent opening ceremony."
Old Man Biggs was really the worst after such a welcoming and heart-warming speech.
There was understandably only a few whistles and insignificant smattering of applause.
Then the rookies followed Old Man Biggs over to the arena.
They had to go through a medical checkpoint before entering the arena.
Inside, the stands were filled with second years to fifth years that were not taking part in the challenge.
In tinted shatterproof glass boxes sat the sponsors, alumni and other specially invited guests.
Seated below them were the leaders of the seven noble houses that the new recruits would be divided into, only after being chosen by a leader would they be accepted as first years.
Paradise Military Academy was one of the finest schools known for not just its popularity but aristocratic features.
Everything that he saw on campus even though it was over five hundred years old looked spacious, clean, elegant and well maintained.
Students who passed through the school had vast accomplishments, careers and influence throughout the kingdom.
After Sly was directed to a medical tent where his vitals were checked, he was then given a bib with the number 27 and told to wait for his turn.
While the spectators waited on the new recruits, the best of the second to fifth year students put on a few skirmishes to keep the audience entertained.
Sly glanced at the huge fixed match ranking board suspended from the ceiling.
Another new student seemed to have the audience engaged and in an uproar.
They were battling in groups of five and two members of his team had already been knocked out.
The seniors were using brutal underhand tactics and the newcomers were basically being overwhelmed, bullied and crushed one by one.
Alarmed, everyone was loudly cheering and the crowd seemed agitated as the competition was brutally one-sided so far none of the rookies had won any of their matches.
All of the young recruits were huddled together and the remaining set had low morale after being in a slump and not being able to come out ahead in their matches.
"Molimo, we can do this, just stick to the plan!"
"Sure, Janus!"
A giant red spider with twelve red hairy legs burst onto the battlefield.
It used its size to intimidate two senior students forcing them back while he fought one wrapping them with red wire like silky threads that foamed from the spider's mouth.
Two of them tried to attack Janus from above with a hawk who dropped a giant ape.
The senior's beasts never had a chase to attack before they got caught in an invisible web.
Spiderweb became visible once it successfully trapped its prey with red threads, the more they struggled the stickier the web got.
The red spider's partner was a mole who wasn't idle; he was digging holes that the enemy team kept falling into, then Janus would seal the holes with more sticky spider webs.
Suddenly the seven leaders of the noble houses took notice of a young man fighting for his life on the battlefield.
Even the sponsors took a break from betting and business talk to observe this newcomer that had the senior students embarrassed.
With one more win Janus would accomplish something none of the other rookies thought possible and it reignited hope for the remaining group to fight valiantly no matter the outcome.
Winning three games in a row by a new recruit.
Not by luck or chance was something that hadn't occurred in a long time and it had the crowd excited and at the edge of their seats cheering wildly.
"Janus!"
"Janus!"
"Janus!"
Apparently the situation on the field was now reversed after new student Janus with heated amber eyes and flaming red hair defeated three seniors in a row levelling the score.
By now countess holes and red silk treads canvass the area, the more seniors tore down the more red goo that spewed from its mouth.
The senior tried another strategy, they brought a giant skunk that farted and released a black gas that covered the area.
An awful smell that had the crowd's eyes watering and their sense of smell grossly afflicted.
To use this tactic meant that the seniors were getting desperate.
Sly was caught up in the excitement of the crowd when he noticed something interesting.