The main hall shudders under the rolling thunder of simulated explosions. On the giant projector screens, neon graphs flicker as the other divisions wrap up: Vishnu has successfully evacuated hostages with average scores, while Indra remains entangled in a confusing radio frequency war. But suddenly, the cameras pivot to the furthest wing: Siva Sector.
Humm—Dung! (The heavy hum of an energy shield forced into activation in the open clearing).
There, atop a haphazard pile of simulation tires, sits Vasky Anguis Pratama. His uniform is a mess, collar hanging open, looking as though he's fighting a losing battle against chronic drowsiness. Beside him stands Milan Salsabilla. The girl from Manila is the embodiment of discipline; her ponytail is pulled tight, and her body emits a steady, dim glow—the passive effect of her Light element.
"Yo... freshmen," Vasky mumbles, his voice raspy and lazy, nearly drowned out by the rain outside. "I'm Vasky. Your Head for today. Don't ask why I'm here; I'd rather be in the dorm under a blanket."
Milan stomps her foot on the metallic floor. TAK! "Vasky! Maintain some dignity in front of your juniors!" She turns to the students with a forced, stiff smile. "Hello, I am Milan, Deputy Head of Siva Division. Ignore this lazy bear. We will begin the selection according to the manual: Atma Point capture within the labyrinth simulation."
Milan reaches for the activation button, but Vasky raises a hand, mid-yawn.
"Too much work, Lan. The labyrinth is too far. Walking to the monitor room is like three hundred steps. Exhausting," Vasky says nonchalantly.
"Then what do you want to do, huh?!" Milan snaps, hands on her hips, a vein throbbing in her forehead.
Vasky slides off the tires with limp movements, pointing to the empty clearing in front of them. "Just fight here. Right in front of my eyes. Team versus team. Simple, efficient, I don't have to walk far."
"Vasky! That violates Stage One selection protocols!" Milan screams, sparks of light dancing in her palms from sheer irritation.
"Protocols are for people without instincts, Lan. Besides..." Vasky looks at the students. His sleepy eyes suddenly flash with a razor-sharp intensity for exactly one second, locking onto Nadia Asri and Reva. "I want to see them bleed in front of me. 10 minutes. One person goes down, the whole team is out. If 10 minutes pass and no one falls, I scratch both teams. Fair, right?"
Milan freezes. She knows when Vasky speaks in that 'serious-lazy' tone, debate is futile. "Fine! You stubborn mule!"
The Matchups: Ambition vs. Hysteria
Milan aggressively pulls up the hologram brackets. Sring! Sring!
"Listen up! Since your Head's laziness is god-tier, the rules have changed!" Milan shouts. "Two major matches. No second rounds. Win or go home!"
Match 1: Team A (Nadia Asri, Nano Suratno, +2) vs. Team B (Umar Bakrie, B-1).
Match 2: Team C (Reva Desta Kartika) vs. Team D (Arrogant 2nd-year mixed group).
Nadia Asri steps into the center, re-tying her hair with fierce precision. Her eyes burn with a mix of hatred and curiosity toward Vasky. Across the arena, Reva is shaking violently, her hands so sweaty she can barely grip her reflection staff.
"Reva, focus! Don't look at Vasky's face, look at your opponent!" Nadia whispers sharply.
"I-I'm trying, Nad! But Kak Vasky's aura feels like it's going to swallow us alive!" Reva panics.
Vasky sits back on the tires, pulling out an ancient pocket watch. "Ten minutes starts when this coin hits the floor." He tosses a silver coin into the air.
Sling... sling... sling...
TING!
"Get 'em," Vasky mutters.
Battle in the Siva Crater
Nadia Asri immediately unleashes her Electric-Rubber element, creating a hissing blue whip. Reva lets out a hysterical scream, activating her emergency shield. The Siva Sector explodes into magical chaos.
Umar Bakrie, a burly B-1 student with the Iron element, roars as he slams his fists together. "[Level 2 Earth Magic: Iron Golem Fist!]" Massive iron chunks encase his hands as he charges Nadia.
Nadia smiles coldly. She lets her Vur flow into her arm, changing its texture to something elastic yet dense. "[Combination Mantra: Electric Rubber Whip!]"
WHIIISH—TARRRR!
Nadia's arm extends three meters, lashing out like a python surging with thousands of volts. It strikes Umar's iron fists, absorbing the momentum and snapping back twice as hard. CRACK-A-BOOM! Umar stumbles back, shocked that his own force was turned against him.
"I will find you, Sister. Look at me now!" Nadia cries, memories of her missing sister, Shalasiya, fueling her. She spits out a white, soft substance. "[Multi-Element Cast: Cloud Burst — Electric Cotton!]" The cotton looks harmless, but upon touching Umar's iron shield, it releases high-frequency electrical discharges that paralyze his nerves.
Reva's "Accidental" Defense
In the neighboring arena, Reva is in total panic mode. The 2nd-year students of Team D surround her with mocking grins.
"Aduh... aduh... Kak Vasky is watching... his eyes are so scary!" Reva whines. One student, a Wind element user, lunges. "[Wind Blade: Cyclone Slash!]"
Fear of Vasky proves greater than fear of the blade. "KYAAAAA! STAY AWAY!" Reva shrieks.
WHUMMMMM!
A pink-glowing dome explodes from Reva. Her staff spins automatically at high speeds, creating a gravity vortex that sucks in the wind attacks and grinds them into nothing. PANG! PANG! PANG! Every spell thrown at her bounces back with 100% precision.
Vasky, who was nearly asleep, sits up slightly. "Oh? Interesting fear-reflex," he mumbles, a thin smirk tugging at his lips.
Overload: The Breaking Point
The time on the pocket watch hits zero. TIIIIIIT!
But Nadia and Reva don't stop. Nadia is surrounded by a deep blue aura, her eyes turning solid white—a sign of Vur Overload. Her ambition has spiraled out of control. Reva, meanwhile, is laughing hysterically, creating an energy storm that starts cracking the cave ceiling. They are losing their humanity.
"Vasky! Stop them! Their Vur is overflowing—they'll die!" Milan screams.
Vasky doesn't move. Instead, he wears a sinister, satisfied grin. He stands up, and the dust around his feet begins to swirl in the opposite direction. "Good... that's it. Rage beautifully," he whispers.
Vasky takes one step. DUM... The very heart of the hall seems to stop beating.
"[Tunduklah! (Submit!)]" Vasky whispers.
CRRRRAAAAACKKK—BOOM!
Instantly, every magical effect—Nadia's whips and Reva's storm—is slammed into the floor as if crushed by thousands of tons of weight. Thick black smoke creeps from under Vasky's feet like living shadows.
Nadia and Reva fall to their knees, their bodies pressed into the metallic floor until it bends beneath them. The gravity is so immense that the spectators feel their lungs being squeezed. Vasky walks calmly through the wreckage, hands in his pockets. His aura is no longer lazy; it is primordial and dominating.
Shhhh... Vasky picks up a water bottle from Milan's desk and casually pours it over the gasping heads of Nadia and Reva.
"Wake up. Take a morning shower so you regain your senses," Vasky says goofily.
Instantly, the pressure vanishes. The black smoke disappears. Nadia and Reva regain consciousness for a split second before passing out from sheer Vur exhaustion.
"Aduh... aduh... my stomach!" Vasky suddenly clutches his belly with a forced, silly laugh. "Milan! I've got a stomach ache from watching them fight! Take over, okay? I'm going to the 'Throne Room'! Bye-bye!"
Vasky bolts into the dark corridor, waving his hand sillily, leaving a stunned Milan Salsabilla in the center of the ruined arena. Milan looks at her trembling palms, then at the metallic floor bent ten centimeters deep by Vasky's mere command.
"He... he is strong... but this time..." Milan thinks, her eyes shaking with horror. "Gold 5? That pressure... it surpassed even Instructor Namarta's Platinum Rank... Vasky, who are you?"
The rain outside pours harder, echoing the horrific silence in the Siva Division.
The Great Hall was now filled with a thin haze of lingering magical residue and the sharp sting of antiseptic. In various corners, students from the Health Division—wearing white armbands with golden cross symbols—were busy chanting healing mantras. A soft green light pulsed from their palms, closing lacerations and restoring the stamina of the exhausted participants.
Natasha and Ryansyah Putra strode through the crowd, their Student Council capes fluttering behind them. They moved like two generals inspecting a post-war battlefield, each heading toward their respective oversight teams.
Team A: Achievement Reports and Natasha's Smile
In the Team A zone, Natasha was met by Mitha, Sekar, and Noval, who stood ready with holographic tablets. The atmosphere here was relatively controlled, though some greenhouse walls and simulation caves showed visible cracks.
"Reporting, Secretary General," Sekar Sari began softly, her eyes sparkling as she displayed the data charts.
"The Barong Division has an incredible MVP. Adam Sebastian. He completed the simulation without a single unnecessary physical contact. His logic... is terrifying."
Mitha Nur Aini chimed in, crossing her arms and trying to remain professional despite glancing toward the exit.
"Rangda Division has Davina Seika and Beni. Davina has insane Vur output, but it was Beni who kept the team alive with his strategy. They are a solid combination."
Natasha accepted the data with a dignified, sweet smile. Beep-beep! The sound of data syncing to the central server echoed.
"Great work, everyone. I'll forward these notes to Kak Adit tonight. You may dismiss your divisions. Get some rest; next week's individual tests will be much harder."
Team B: Chaos in the Siva Sector
In stark contrast to Team A, the atmosphere in Team B was far more tense. Ryansyah Putra stood before a pale Milan Salsabilla. Behind them, two automated stretchers were carrying Nadia Asri and Reva toward the infirmary. Both were unconscious, with remnants of lightning and gravitational energy still flickering faintly on their uniforms.
"Milan," Ryansyah's voice was low, as if carrying the weight of a thousand tons of earth. "Where is the Siva Division's score report?"
Milan gripped her tablet, her breathing erratic.
"I... I can't give a definitive score yet, Ryan. Vasky ruined everything. He triggered a limit break in Nadia and Reva until they clashed with power they shouldn't be able to control yet. They've gone into Vur overload."
Ryansyah stared down the empty corridor where Vasky should have been. "Where is he now?"
"He said he was going to the restroom... five minutes ago," Milan answered weakly.
Ryansyah exhaled a long, weary breath. He stepped forward and gently tapped Milan's shoulder. A calming flow of earth energy traveled from his hand to her.
"Don't blame yourself, Milan. You did an excellent job despite having to deal with a 'walking disaster' like him," Ryansyah said coldly, yet with a hint of genuine praise.
"Go rest. From now on, take control of the remaining new members. Let me... talk to Vasky."
Ryansyah turned, his cape sweeping the floor. His eyes flashed as he activated the Atma search sensor in his glasses. Ping! Ping! Ping! A black-and-red radar dot was detected moving away toward the outer grounds.
"The restroom, huh?" Ryansyah muttered icily. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly from his rising Vur pressure.
"Vasky... you won't run away from this report."
Outside, Ryansyah stepped into the pouring rain. In the distance, Vasky could be seen sitting casually under the eaves of a closed martabak stall, staring at the sky while flipping his silver coin, as if he had just finished the easiest task in the world.
The corridor of the Kidul Academy Infirmary cast a cold, sterile white neon glow. It was silent, save for the roar of the rain against the window. Davina and Adam leaned against the metal wall, staring at the closed
"High Intensive Vur Care" sliding door. Inside, medics moved quietly but swiftly between Reva and Nadia's beds, monitoring the energy fluctuations still glowing on their skin.
"Vur overload is no joke, Dam," Davina whispered, eyes fixed blankly on the floor.
"Nadia... she fought as if there were no tomorrow."
Adam adjusted his glasses, his sensors picking up the energy leaking from behind the door. "She wasn't fighting an enemy in the arena, Davina. She was fighting the ghosts in her head."
Suddenly, the subconscious atmosphere shifted. The white light of the infirmary faded, replaced by a vast field of flowers under a perfect blue Bangladesh sky. Petals drifted in the warm wind. The laughter of a child echoed—a golden memory locked in trauma.
"Adult" Nadia stood there as a transparent projection. She saw a 13-year-old version of herself chasing Shalasiya Aswanisa.
Shalasiya looked radiant, her black hair flowing, wearing elegant Bangladeshi noble robes.
"Kak Shala, catch me!" little Nadia laughed.
The beautiful moment shattered when a soldier in Asri elite military uniform approached. He whispered something into Shalasiya's ear. Her warm face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Nadia, wait here. There's trouble at the village border. I have to go for a moment,"
Shalasiya said hurriedly, patting her sister's head before dashing off at high speed.
"Adult" Nadia watched the soldier linger. A sickening, thin smile appeared on the man's face as he activated a hologram on his wrist. A mysterious figure with the Dragon Division logo appeared.
"The bait is moving," the soldier whispered.
"The SS-Tier target has been released at coordinate zero. Ensure there are no witnesses."
The sky above Kidul Academy still held a light drizzle. In the lush back area of the school, Vasky Anguis sat casually on a branch of an old banyan tree, his right leg swinging while his left hand reached into a bag of spicy chips. The peace broke as a small crack appeared in the earth beneath the tree, and Ryansyah Putra stepped out of the shadows.
"What kind of restroom has tree branches and a forest view, Vasky?" Ryansyah's voice was sharp and cold.
Vasky choked on a chip, coughing before looking down with a goofy grin. "Eh, Ryan! You startled me. This is... the VIP 'back to nature' restroom. Fresh air helps digestion, you know!"
"Milan nearly exploded because her blood pressure spiked thanks to you," Ryansyah crossed his arms.
"Do sailors' sons never learn manners? You almost killed my sister and her friend in the arena."
Vasky dropped five meters, landing with a light thud. "But she didn't die, right? You're sister and youre the one who asked me to 'nudge' her so her noble mental state would crack and turn into steel. Nadia is like a sword just hanging on a wall, Ryan. If she isn't hit with a hot hammer, she'll never be sharp."
Ryansyah fell silent.
Memories of their childhood on the shores of Bangladesh flashed by. "But Reva... she had nothing to do with the Asri family's ambitions."
"Ah, the coward?" Vasky chuckled, tossing a chip into the air and catching it in his mouth.
"A warrior needs two things to become a legend: A burning ambition and a fear that is...?"
"Strong," Ryansyah answered quickly.
Vasky smirked.
"Wrong. A fear that is gone. But whatever. Your answer is just too 'Ryan'."
Nadia's memory shifted to a ruined battlefield. The sky turned blood-red. "Adult" Nadia followed her sister's shadow into a valley surrounded by high cliffs. There stood Shalasiya alone, but before her... a massive black hole opened.
REEEEEEEEEE—!!!
An ear-shattering roar erupted.
An SS-Tier monster, the Dimension Eater, crawled out. Its body was a mass of black flesh with thousands of tentacles emitting a gravitational aura that pulverized the ground.
"This isn't a village raid..." Shalasiya murmured, realizing she had been betrayed. She drew the family's heirloom sword, her Vur exploding to its maximum level, creating an energy storm to hold back the monster.
Suddenly, small footsteps were heard. Little Nadia ran into the valley, holding a small gift box. "Kak Shala! The soldier said you were waiting here for my birthday gift!"
"NADIA! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! GET OUT OF HERE!" Shalasiya screamed.
Her concentration broke. As she turned to protect her sister, a massive tentacle shattered her shield.
Shalasiya knew she couldn't win while protecting Nadia. Her Vur Plate flickered red—she was empty. With her last bit of strength, she used a teleportation spell to hurl little Nadia as far as possible from the combat zone.
"Sister!!!" little Nadia cried as she was thrown away.
"Adult" Nadia could only watch as her helpless sister was dragged into the dimensional rift by the monster's tentacles. Shalasiya looked at Nadia one last time, her lips moving silently: "Live, Nadia."
BWUUUMMM!
The rift closed, leaving the valley silent and destroyed.
"Adult" Nadia knelt in her subconscious, transparent tears falling. She let out a silent roar of grief, while in the real world, her body in the infirmary bed began to twitch, and the heart monitor beeped erratically.
WHUUUUUUUUUUUU—BOOOOOM!!!
Suddenly, a blast of deep crimson light, red as fresh blood, erupted from the infirmary building. The light shot through the black clouds, forming a massive, vibrating pillar of energy. High-frequency alarms blared across the entire academy.
"What on earth is that?!" Vasky tossed his snack bag aside, his goofy face replaced by the sharp gaze of a predator.
"That's... Nadia's Vur frequency," Ryansyah whispered, his hands trembling.
In the Principal's office, Pak Fiko stood frozen by the window. "GELAVUR... The gate has opened before its time."
Chaos broke out in front of the infirmary. Davina, Adam, and Gibran were thrown back by the shockwave.
"Back up! Everyone back up!" Adam shouted, pulling Davina away from the red energy wall now sealing the building.
Instructors arrived. Namarta was frantic, her hands ready to cast a water spell, but Fatimah held her back. "Don't touch it, Namarta! That's GELAVUR! If your Vur touches that wall, your entire soul will be sucked in!"
Vasky and Ryansyah appeared in the crowd via instant teleportation. Ryansyah stood cold, while Vasky began walking slowly toward the pulsing crimson wall.
"Vasky! Stop!" Namarta cried, pale with fear.
"You're just a lucky student! But You'll still die!"
"Didn't the Instructor herself say..."
Ryansyah interrupted icily, holding Namarta back. "...that he's just a lucky student? If that's true, then only this 'lucky' one can end this madness. Because the laws of logic don't apply to him."
The students held their breath as they watched Vasky's back—small yet steady against the giant red pillar. Vasky stopped an inch from the wall. No spells, no protection. He turned slightly, looking at Namarta who was in tears.
SHLUP!
Vasky touched the wall and was instantly sucked inside.
Inside the infirmary, it was a crimson hell. Medics crouched in corners, covering their ears. In the center of the room, Nadia Asri hovered in the air. Her eyes glowed red, and a black-red Vur flowed from her pores like lava.
Vasky walked in calmly, as if the heat were nothing more than a summer breeze. He stood before Nadia.
"You've gone a bit too far this time, Nad," Vasky muttered.
He raised both hands, forming a complex ancient seal. His voice deepened, echoing in primordial Sanskrit.
"Prithvi akasham, jalam vayum... sarvam samatvam. Yan nishidha: Zero Dimension!"
Instantly, space and time around them seemed to fold. The crimson light was sucked into Vasky's palms. Nadia Asri fell unconscious into Vasky's arms just as the Gelavur wall outside faded and vanished.
Silence. The infirmary returned to normal. Vasky stood holding the unconscious Nadia amidst the wreckage, while outside, Milan stared at the empty tree where Vasky had been eating, horrified by what had just occurred.