*SWOOSH*

*SWOOSH*

*SWOOSH*

*SWOOSH*

That all Sam could hear as he dodged the incoming attacks from the creatures around them. The creatures that looked exactly like wyverns, except for the wings are fast. Their speed almost matched a Roc's, which is no small matter.

Sam had to be in a constant fusion state just to dodge them as he figured out the puzzle for this wasteland. The current test is similar to the previous snowlands that he experienced. Except for the environment, the moving elements and the creatures, the core subject of the test remained same. Sam cannot attack these creatures, he cannot tinker with the environment directly without a formation.

All he can do is engage with it through formations.

The major difference right now is not even the moving element. Because, Sam realized that it is the intensity of the sun in this area that hid the pattern. It is not that much difficult than identifying the wind patterns.

The difficult part is the spawn time of these creatures that he couldn't clearly identity. These creatures are spawning for every seven minutes and Sam has already spent thirty-five minutes in this place. There are a total of six creatures attacking him.

Once again, Sam just focused on dodging. However, since he identified the moving element quickly, it didn't take long to identify the patterns.

He used partial light fusion, out-manuevered the creatures and placed the nodes.

By the thirty-five minute mark, he is almost done with one-third of the nodes. By the time it was forty minutes...

*CRACK* *BOOM*

The last node has exploded before the seventh creature could come. The environment dissolved revealing the familiar empty grey room.

He looked at the stairs and walked up.

Sam felt a bit good about himself. The first one took more than one and a half hours, now he has halved the time. He needs to continue this improvement so that he can finish this round quickly. While Sam approached the next round, which happened to be in the middle of vast ocean with no sight of land or other creatures, the elders are checking if the tests are working properly.

"It is one thing for this guy to finish the first round quickly, what is happening with the second one. How can he be so fast? That one is also multilayerd formation. The nodes are even located in mid-air. How did he even identify them and destroy them like that.

"

Mangus questioned the elder from Loki academy.

His eyes are clearly showing some doubts, but he didn't dare accuse the man directly. He knew the consequences if he is wrong, which he believed he probably is. The rest of them stayed silent.

However, similar thoughts are pricking their minds as well.

They did believe that around one hour Sam took in the first round is indeed a decent time, it is neither too fast nor is it too slow. That time fell within their expectations which made it easy for them to digest it.

However, the way he cracked the formation... that is troublesome.

All these years, the formation contest was conducted with only one objective. That is to make the best of the best formation masters among the students to stand out among the competition.

To reward them for their expertise.

So, every test is designed to test the skills required to be a formation master. The kids usually take similar approach to all the problems. They always try to identify the formation, locate the nodes, understand its energy network and diffuse it.

No matter how difficult it might become, they never attempt to destroy the formation completely.

It is not even within the list of the possibilities they usually consider. Because that measure is so drastic and it is very risky.

Because everyone knows that messing with the nodes with half-ass knowledge is akin to courting death. There is a great chance of destroying themselves along with the formation. Particularly, when it comes to the formation of that level.

However, Sam is confident about this.

It is almost like he knew the formations inside out, the moment he detected it.

In a way, they are right. It might be first time for Sam to see this, but he is not completely unfamiliar to them. In fact, they are very close to the simulation formations in principle. And Sam could bet that no one uses as many formations as he did in the whole of the academy realm.

Once he understood the energy node location, a bit of their energy network, he managed to fill in the blanks easily.

As the elders are keenly observing Sam's performance in the third floor, Sam himself is literally acting like a slippery loach in the water.

The spawn time of the creatures has changed to five minutes. There are five shark-type beasts trying to rip him apart. Sam once again relied only on his agility. He figured out the energy network and started setting up his own formation.

This time, he didn't go for trap formation on each node. Because, the formation nodes and the energy network of the puzzle, gave it a unique spherical structure instead of the usual dome

structure.

This adds an additional complexity that wasn't there before. So, Sam decided to destroy it all at once and this became easier.

He stood at the center and first created a barrier formation, with him as the center. He was the power source and the energy orbs were the nodes. The sharks are biting and crashing on to the barrier trying to destroy him.

Then more energy orbs started emerging from him.

They went in different directions, all toward the nodes. When they reached the node

locations, the formation was connected.

Meanwhile, Sam's barrier formation is increasing in brightness. It is glowing more and more

as if it is charging...

*BOOM*

With an explosion that was strong enough to create a momentary vacuum around Sam, the barrier formation exploded. Then the explosive wave hit all the nodes at the same, making the

whole formation collapse in a single hit.

Sam closed his eyes and reopened them to find himself in the grey room.

Around forty minutes. Not much improvement between the second and the third. But it

doesn't matter.

He stepped into the fourth one.

A word of magma and volcanoes with some flying beasts attacking him from all sides.

...

Thirty minutes later.

*CRACK* *CRACK* *CRASH*

Several volcanoes in the area collapsed and the illusion was cleared. Now ten minutes can be considered a decent improvement.

He entered the fifth one and this time he is hovering in the sky.

-

"Why is his speed increasing with every single floor he is taking? What the hell is wrong with

him?

"

Mangus is gnashing his teeth as he witnesses Sam passing through the whole thing. By now, only a handful of other students managed to bypass the tunnels and only a couple of them are

on their way to pass through the snowland.

"FUCK

"

Mangus cursed as he looked at Sam. The other elders were even more surprised by his

outburst.

Ignoring their gazes, Mangus left the evaluation room.

The other elders started conversing.

"How long do you think it will take for him to break this?

"

"I don't know. But I don't think it will be easy this time. It should definitely take a couple of

hours at least.

"

"Only a couple of hours?

"

...

While they discussed how long Sam will take to break the formation, Sam is experiencing the

formation illusion.

When he appeared in the sky, he thought that he would be facing some sort of aviation creature this time. However, there is none whatsoever.

Sam didn't know what was happening there, there are no sudden attacks, no intangible beasts, no moving elements that he could see. The wind is stagnant, the sun is invisible, and

the cloud are just there.

He couldn't comprehend what is happening.

As he looked around all of a sudden, he felt a shock in his head. A sharp headache occurred and right in front of his eyes, the clouds and the blue sky distorted. The surroundings changed and

he is in the room.

He looked at himself.

His is not wearing his usual attire, in fact, he is not wearing any top. The chest is bare and he

could see the scars on himself. But they are lot less familiar and feel so distant to him at the moment. However, there is an indescribable familiarity to them.

And most of all, he is not as tall, not as strong, and he definitely not the same Sam that entered the tower of illusions.

He felt his heartbeat. He could hear it like a drum.

*CREAK*

At that time, a door cracked open just a bit. A faint light appeared and Sam could finally see,

albeit barely.

In that blurry state, he managed to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

He saw a very familiar face. It was him. Not him of the present. Him of the past, the past life.

It was him from when he was just eight years old.

And he knew instantly, what was awaiting behind that door.