In the meantime.
On the podium, Zenox scanned the area with his gaze until it landed on a peculiar one.
'Oho?'
He stopped at the new humanoid monster he saw kneeling.
'It appears Iye was successful'
Even though the resurrection was supposed to drain the person by a lot of their mental strength, it appeared to him that Cale was far more capable than he gave credit for.
'Still, even if you get far stronger in resurrection.....isn't this too much?'
Becoming stronger after resurrection didn't make much sense, but it happens for some reason.
However, to the point where someone's whole body changed to a humanoid form? It was unprecedented for that to happen.
None who resurrected thus far ever returned with a sane mind.
'The practical exam will show it'
Tearing his eyes away from the student, and seeing the last one arrive.
He cleared his throat before starting a grand speech.
"Students of Gardenia"
All lent an ear for him, not because they wanted to, but because they were forced to.
"I sincerely congratulate you all for surviving for this long, each and every single one of your efforts were a beautiful scene to witness"
The spotlight spread, spread to a multitude of figures below the podium. They were also on their knees.
"I would like to congratulate these three who performed the best"
At the words, their bodies sprang up, for all to see.
One figure had horns protruding and a tail with an arrowhead like shape.
The other figure's features could not be seen, however, out of three, it was by far the most humanoid of them all. Almost entirely the same body as a human's.
Their ashen hair reached them from the waist down, yet their hair never seemed to get in the way.
The last one, a mystery.
Their face was completely obscured in darkness, despite the light shining down on them, it never penetrated it fully.
With a smirk, Zenox clapped once, and the light shifted to another three figures. Clearly different from the last.
"These are the top three in the written tests, a round of applause everyone"
Cale's hands moved on their own, he resisted it, but it proved futile as he started clapping loudly along with the crowd to the figures with spotlight.
They weren't as uniquely human as the other three, one had branches of eyes protruding from his face, the other looked like a golem of magma, while the last one.....wore a cloak to shield their appearance.
"Now that you know that"
The light swapped its colors, a red hue raining down on the six figures as Zenox remained in the only untainted light.
"These 6 will be inflicted with a curse"
He clenched a fist, for all to see as blood dripped to the floor.
There was no response, or in fact, there couldn't be one when every single one of them had strings puppeteering their every joint. Regardless, Zenox continued.
"This curse will be temporary until one: either you die, or two: survive after the exam ends"
A staff member with no face brought a tray to Zenox, opening it up, the tray held a map.
"This map will be given to you all, within it, the locations of the aforementioned 6 will also show"
The staff walked off and gave the tray to someone wearing a veil before returning to the far side of Zenox.
To Cale's side, a faceless man came with a tray, with the same map served to him.
Everyone had the same, faceless staff give a map to them, all except the six people.
"The duration of the practical exam will be two weeks from now"
His voice boomed across, sparking for attention.
"A few things to tell you....Ah yes, the location of the practical exam will be in the 'heart' of the Sabe Serotifio, the coldest, most dangerous blizzard within that space"
Zenox turned his back. Beginning to pounce away from the podium.
"You can team up with others, however, remind yourself if they are worth that trust, because after all. Survival is the only thing we ask of you"
'The animals in the 'heart' will do the filtering process for us anyway'
Snickering silently, the wall raised itself upwards.
"Be careful of where you sleep"
Zenox moved away, only a silhouette remaining of his valor.
The wall hissed as it closed, sealing the spacious room. However, despite no one's presence being there.
Cale and all of the humanoid monsters inside had their movements constricted, it felt like invisible weights pressed on their limbs.
'If we can't move, how are we supposed to get to that heart or whatever'
Would they pull a fast one by revealing that this was an elevator all along? Or would they use some teleportation bullshit they picked from their ass?
Whichever one it is. Cale knew that it was going to be a load even a bull might tire from pulling.
"Haaaa, damn it!"
At the edge of his vision, a grating voice made itself loud and clear from afar.
Black armor fused with skin so perfectly that it seemed as if it were skin itself.
'He doesn't seem to be doing too hot'
In fact. It looked weaker than before.
'I guess the detention did something?'
While he didn't know if it experienced the same things as him, its struggles weirdly etched a grin on him nonetheless.
But alas, even small joys end.
"...?"
Brows furrowed on the itchy feelings his palms started to report.
'Gas?'
It pressed in from the open vents, at first, the ground, then slowly but surely, it climbed and climbed, hiking away at the body.
The mist bellowed suddenly, running a marathon that submerged the entirety of one's body.
Not allowing it to remain clear, and only telling it to stay a silhouette.
'Surprising approach'
He expected it to be some cartoony roller coaster of a horror, like dropping off of the sky.
But not the kidnapping kind of thing.
'Perhaps even they have limits?'
If their bodies were restricted, there was no reason to resort to this. They'd just drag them away.
In other words, this could mean only one—
"Huh?"
Thoughts caught strangled in his skull.
Without even noticing, Cale exclaimed. He didn't know how, but.
'Some are missing?'
A lot of the humanoid monsters were missing, he couldn't see any of them to make a headcount, since only their distorted voices rang out.
Yet one by one.
'God please no'
'Damn it! Damn it!'
'It is only scary at first, that is what the teachers said'
The voices seemed to prepare mentally for something as more and more voices turned silent. Something that Cale clearly didn't get a memo for.
Instinctively, Cale looked downwards, and only then did he realize.
There was nothing. Below the fog, nothing solid supported him, it had been long gone. And, an unknown pressure gripped him hard.
'These fu—!'
The pressure dragged him down.
That's right.
"Ah"
What he said for jokes and giggles before.
Turned reality.
'They really did...'
Like really really did.
"Drop me off in the sky"
His voice muffled against the shearing and cold wind.
Above him, a plane flew, and multiple figures dropped from the small holes that opened and closed.
'That doesn't even make sense?!'
Looking down, he saw the whole area, he couldn't help but take in the scenery of the white tundra.
In the distance, mountains created a natural border, while the center, treeless as it stretched outwards, toward forests and vantage points.
At this moment, Cale was slinging through to the center.
He curled into a ball as he crashed into the massive pile of snow.
"Puh!"
Spitting the snow, he began climbing out, hands red at the cold almost immediately.
"Shit! Shit!"
The crater caused by his fall was difficult to climb out, his spine tingled slightly after the crash but paying it no mind, he climbed out.
"Ah"
And above. Hell walked.
Gaaaa!
Gyoooo!!!!
Kaaaggk!!!!!
Malformed creatures walked and flew, and unlike Cale who sank into the snow.
They stood upright and balanced despite their giant figures.
"Should I...perhaps start writing a will if I ever go back...?"
With those words that were seriously considered in this situation, he hid inside the crater.
Shy of the animals authors take daily inspiration from.