As soon as the students settled into their VR pods and donned their suits, they were suddenly transported into a digital world.


    And they found themselves sitting on a circr tform with their academy name inscribed on it.


    In the center of the tform stood a statue of a wise old wizard, holding a glowing crystal in his hand.


    "Huhuhuhu," the statue cackled. "So, the time has finallye, has it not?"


    The students listened intently, unsure of what was toe.


    [Greetings, young minds.] the statue spoke in a booming voice.


    [I am the Guardian of Knowledge and I shall be your host for this challenge.


    Before we begin, do you see the red buzzer in front of you?] the Statue asked.


    [If you know the answer, press the buzzer before answering. The first team to answer can proceed to the next round, while the other teams will be dyed until they answer.]


    The statue paused, letting the information sink in. [There is no time limit in this round. However, keep in mind that you will have less time for your next challenges if you take too long. You can discuss and deliberate with your team before answering, but be warned - one wrong answer could spell the end of your journey in this challenge.]


    The students nervously nced at each other.


    [The questions will only be more challenging with each round.] the statue continued. [Now then, let the first challenge of the Brain Brawl Challenge begin!]


    The statue held out the crystal in his hand and it emitted a bright light, which enveloped the entire tform. When the light faded, each team was presented with arge screen in front of them, which disyed the first question.


    [First Question: In the ancientnd of Arianthia, there is a rare flower that blooms once every hundred years. It is said that whoever consumes its nectar will gain eternal youth. What is the name of this flower?]


    !?


    The question hung in the air as the teams furiously whispered amongst themselves, trying to recall any information that could help them.


    "I-I''ve heard of this flower before," Emma spoke up, her voice uncertain. "I think it''s called the Everbloom."


    A turned to her. "Are you confident in your answer?"


    Emma hesitated, "I''m...not too sure, but it''s the only thing that''sing to mind." Emma admitted, biting her lip.


    "We can''t afford to guess here," A said, scanning her teammates'' faces. "Anyone has any clue?"


    Silence greeted her question.


    "Okay, let''s skip this one," A said with a sigh. "No point in risking it."


    As they were about to move on, a loud buzz echoed across the room. One of the teams had pressed their buzzer.


    BUZZ—


    "We believe the flower is called the Everbloom," the team leader of the Shadow Academy said confidently.


    [Correct! Well done, Team Shadow Academy. You have earned the right to proceed to the next round. As for the other teams, better luck next time.] The wizard congratted them.


    The other teams groaned in disappointment as the Shadow Academy Team was teleported away from the tform, leaving only seven teams remaining.


    Emma couldn''t help but feel a sense of validation. "See, my guess was right, right?" she said excitedly.


    A didn''t answer right away, but instead shook her head slowly. "You should be more confident in yourself, Emma," she said. "If you''re not sure about an answer, then naturally we would also have doubts about its uracy, right?"


    Emma nodded, looking contrite. "I''m sorry, I''ll do better in the next round," she said, sping her fists.


    With a deep breath, A put her hand on Emma''s shoulder. "Don''t worry about it. We''re a team, and we''ll get through this together."


    The team stared at the screen in disbelief as the next question appeared:


    [Now, onto the next Question: ording to legend, in the ancient kingdom of Draconia there exists a powerful artifact that will allow a mortal to use the power of the Heart of the Dragon.


    It is said that whoever possesses this Dragon Heart will gain immense power and control over the elements. However, it is guarded by a fearsome dragon that cannot be defeated by conventional means. How does one defeat this dragon and can im the Dragon Heart?]


    Silence filled the room as the team tried to process the question.


    "So... does anyone have any idea about this—" A started to ask, but she was interrupted by a sudden buzz.


    BUZZ—


    Everyone turned to look at Emma, who was pressing the buzzer on her own.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Emma, You—" A began to say, but Emma spoke up confidently.


    "To defeat the dragon and im the Dragon Heart, one must use a special artifact known as the Heartbreaker.


    This artifact is said to be able to break through the dragon''s imprable scales and shatter the shell that protects the heart, thus killing it. However, the Heartbreaker can only be used by someone who has pure intentions and a heart free of darkness.


    Once the dragon is defeated, the Dragon Heart can be imed by the person who possesses the Heartbreaker!" Emma concluded.


    "...."


    A looked at Emma in surprise, but the answer proved to be correct.


    [Hohoho, Correct! Well done, Team Soreh Academy. You have earned the right to proceed to the next round.]


    As they were being teleported to the next challenge, Emma couldn''t resist taunting the other teams. "Heheh, hhh. Sucks to be you guys!" She made childish hand gestures while taunting them.


    "...."


    Her triumph was short-lived, however, as she felt the entire team''s gaze on her as soon as they were teleported to the next round.


    "E-Eh? I-I read about it in the rune book that Miss Roselia and I were deciphering," Emma exined quickly, sensing their scrutiny.


    "I''m not asking how you knew the answer," A said calmly, "but in the future, it would be better if we could discuss the answer together before someone buzzes in."


    "I''m sorry, I thought if I took too long, another team might get the chance to answer," Emma replied sheepishly.


    "Let''s forget about it and focus on the next challenge," A said, as she led the way to the next challenge, but they found the door locked with a pattern they needed to solve.


    "Is this the second challenge?" Emma asked, confused. "I thought it was supposed to be a riddle round."


    "The pattern doesn''t seem too difficult to decipher, so I don''t think this is the challenge itself," A replied, working to arrange the pattern in the correct order.


    As A worked, James couldn''t help but voice his curiosity. "I still can''t figure you out, Emma. Which version of you is real? The confident one who challenged every academy, or this your timid and uncertain self?"James questioned, while Alex and Marcus nodded in agreement.


    A spoke up before Emma could reply, "Don''t worry about her. She''s just trying to get into our opponents'' heads. Let''s focus on the challenge."


    Click—


    With a satisfying click, Apleted the intricate pattern etched on the door, and to their surprise, it began to glow with a bright, pulsing light. Suddenly, an ethereal voice echoed through the chamber, causing A to freeze in their tracks.


    [Pass through me, seeker, but first, you must prove your wit," the voice challenged. "Answer me this: I am a treasure of the mermaid''s realm, a jewel that can dazzle and overwhelm. I am buried deep beneath the waves and fiercely guarded by creatures with razor-sharp des. What am I?]


    A, Emma, Alex, Marcus, and James gathered in a huddle, discussing the riddle posed to them by the unknown voice.


    "I think it''s a pearl," A said confidently. "Mermaids are often associated with pearls, and they are definitely considered treasures."


    Emma nodded in agreement. "And pearls are definitely something that can dazzle and overwhelm with their beauty."


    "But how do we know for sure it''s buried beneath the waves?" James asked, looking a bit uncertain.


    "Mermaids are known for living in the ocean," Marcus pointed out. "It''s not a stretch to assume that they would keep their most valuable treasures there as well."


    Alex added, "And the mention of creatures with razor-sharp des is likely referring to the dangers of the ocean. It makes sense that a valuable treasure would be well-guarded."


    The group nodded in agreement, feeling confident in their answer. A stepped forward and confidently replied, "We believe the answer is a pearl."


    There was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again.


    [Correct. You have proven yourselves worthy to pass. Enter if you dare.]


    The door began to open, and the team took a deep breath before stepping through, ready for the next challenge.


    As they stepped through the doorway, the team found themselves in arge hall, as they looked around the room, they noticed arge table in the center with several objects on it. In front of the table, there was a locked chest, and beside it was a pedestal with a glowing orb resting on top.


    As they approached the pedestal, a hologram of the same old wizard from the first round appeared before them.


    [Wee, adventurers. I am the keeper of this chamber and I present to you Challenge 3 - the Puzzle Round.


    To unlock the chest in front of you, you must correctly ce the objects on the table in their corresponding slots. But be warned, there are decoys that will lead you astray. Work together and choose wisely, and you will unlock the chest and earn your next clue. Good luck.]


    With that, the figure disappeared into thin air, leaving the team to begin their challenge.