None of the students understood what was underlying inside the deep hole since the methodology changes every year for the DCT but most of them had heard that the tests weren't so easy to accomplish. Hence, the three chances are given to each student.

"J-jump in that h-hole?" Hunus quavered, stepping back from the Professor.

"Where is your crystal?" He asked.

The boy handed his green crystal to him. The green crystal suddenly vanished after blue-green flames erupted out of his hands.

"You have to find your crystal within the due time. The pit is extremely deep and you might die if you don't use appropriate spells to save yourself from your first hurdle of survival--"

"Survival!" One of the boys among the crowd exclaimed loudly.

"Prepare yourself everybody. Mr. Halchalc, jump inside."

The boy lumbered toward the gaping hole, through which some mysteriously terrifying soft sounds escaped that made his blood run cold. It took him a short while to finally prepare himself to jump inside the dreadful hole. He drew a deep breath and sprang into the hole. A loud noise followed his jump, causing terror in many of the students.

"To be a Defender, you should dare," Professor Chestnut stated. His face showed no expression.

"Jaencruz Daller."

A tall and lean girl with a cat's eye walked forward with heavy steps. She gave Professor Chestnut her pink crystal and frantically moved toward the hole. She jumped in after mumbling a few spells to herself.

The calling of names continued. The students weren't bothered about the mystery to where the students that leaped into the hole had gone to, rather they were busy thinking about the best possible spell that could keep them safe and unharmed.

"What are we going to do? Do you have any ideas, Emile?" Timothy enquired his bespectacled friend whose mind was floating elsewhere.

"The protection spells might be worthy," He replied, his mind returning to the hall.

"Protect me, Psopaeldo?"

"Yes, that one. Although, I'm not sure about how effective it would be. The spell seems too easy as compared to the depth of that hole."

Ermand tried maintaining his breathing level. Atleast, every student in the hall had gone to magic school before.

The Professor said that saving ourselves from the depth is the first hurdle of survival... survival!

The thought of the Professors caring less about the students' life seemed plausible to him.

Maybe , I'll be alright.

"Ermand Chisel."

The two words startled Ermand. Without hesitating, he immediately pushed aside the crowd of students and moved forward to Professor Chestnut.

"Your crystal," He demanded.

Ermand produced a colourless crystal from the pocket of his jeans and handed it over to the man in front of him.

"Go," he murmured to Ermand after vanishing the crystal from his palm.

Ermand's heart slammed hard against his chest at each step he took toward the awaiting hole.

I have to jump. Jump.

Without intensifying the tension that inflated all around his body, he took a deep breath and leaped into the hole with both his arms extended away from his body. He felt himself light as a feather that brought a feeling of delight, it made his heavy heart much lighter than it was a moment ago. Suddenly a thought dawned on him.

The protection spell, the protection spell!

"Protect me, Psopildo!" He shouted, bending his arms toward the nearing ground. Nothing came out of his hands, the spell didn't work. He guessed that the incantation might be wrongly pronounced.

"Protect me, Psopaeldo!" He cried as he watched himself to be smashed against the uneven ground.

Before he hit the ground, he wafted in the air and finally hovered a few feet above the prickly ground. An obscure solid object prevented him from crashing against the ground.

Ermand pondered on how to set his foot in the ground then. He just learned the spell but didn't think of how to land safely. However, he couldn't levitate in the air any longer, the next student might be jumping in any moment, above him. He writhed in the air and suddenly, he hit the ground with a horrendous thud.

"Ahh!" He gasped, some of the prickles pierced through his shirt and into his flesh.

Ermand got up immediately and traipsed from the bed of prickles. Five similar looking tunnels awaited him after he hurtled through the narrow pathway. He cringed at the bizarre and daunting sounds that escaped from the tunnels.

I have to choose any of these tunnels and run as fast as I could to escape.

Without letting any second thoughts to seize his decision, he treaded toward the tunnel straight to him. The tunnel was thronged with an acrid smell that prompted him to bring his palm over his nose.

He walked through the tunnel that was illuminated with some luminescent stones that are partially embedded in the rocks. His short journey suddenly came to a halt when two new pathways arose before him. As he was pondering on where to choose, closely observing the conditions inside each tunnel, he could feel and hear thumping noises that seemed not too close to him.

The first tunnel has a smooth path but it is dark, while the other doesn't have a smooth path but light. I have to think fast.

When he stood thinking before the two tunnels, some adhesive substance dropped from above him that stuck to his torn shirt. Ermand wrinkled his nose at it's foul smell. He glanced above him to find no source of wetness but he felt a stinking breeze against his back. Ermand suddenly turned behind him, his eyes bulged out and limbs trembled out of dread.

A horrifying bull-like beast with its mouth left opened through which a slightly green drool dripped out of its mouth. It had an iron ring between the junction that separated its flared nostrils. The twisted horns on either side of its head seemed sharper than an arrow point. It grunted at him, wiggling the axe in his hand and thumped on the ground with its strong hoofs. Ermand felt the vibration underneath his feet and turned away immediately and hurtled into the illuminated tunnel.

The minotaur bellowed, and chased after him. Ermand gasped for air as he shot forward, stumbling on some bumpy rocks although he got up before the creature grasped him. He turned behind, only to be more panic-stricken that caused him to be tripped onto the ground. The bull growled and hit its axe on the rocks countless times before reaching Ermand. Some of the loosely held stones fell onto the ground. Ermand moved backward with the association of his hands and legs. He couldn't get up, his knees were badly hurt.

Think about some spells. The one that would protect me. The protecting spell, maybe?

"Protect me, Psopaeldo!" He yelled with all his might. A shield appeared before him but the bull broke it into pieces with its axe that finally hit nearly to Ermand's feet.

No, this is not the end...