Ironically, her best performance was in her first year of being promoted to Class 7. However, starting the following year, her grades gradually started to decline. This trend continued to the point that now she was even ignored by new students.

At some point, such competition felt meaningless. She realized competition was not something she desired.

Knowing it would only bring her suffering, she couldn�t find a reason to push for the top-level classes. She knew that even if she were to get promoted, it would just be the start of a new competition with new people. Like a marathon that had no destination, she hated the continuous climb up the world pyramid knowing there was no end to it.

She didn�t want to deal with the competition, She only wanted to learn magic for that was what she loved.

�Haah, what am I doing right now?�

She felt like she had missed all her opportunities to climb up. And coupled with the fact that she eventually realized she was the oldest in Class 7, she felt like everything she worked for went down the drain. This realization took everything from her. Even her love for magic.

But yet she still couldn�t find it in herself to leave the academy. Was it because it was part of her life already? Or was it because she still had a little bit of that passion from before left inside her?

�Haah��

Maria, who entered the magic academy because she liked magic, sighed when she realized she was starting to not even know who she was.

To her, the promotion exam was none of her business. But to also study side by side with her younger classmates while the exam was happening did not sit well with her.

That was the only reason why she started heading to the training ground.

�I think it�ll start soon.�

As soon as she checked the time, an Illumination magic flashed near the peak of a mountain.

It was blue in color. And the moment that light flashed, she could hear the cheers of the students echo.

She couldn�t continue walking. Tears flowed down her eyes.

�I have no place there. I guess only the talented ones out of Class 7 are there.�

Was this the end?

As soon as she realized that she didn�t have the courage to even leave the academy,� fear consumed her.

At that moment, a devil�s thought consumed her mind, leading her astray.

�If Mark wins��

He would never let the person who snitched on him about Shirone�s bullying go.

It felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest and her field of vision turned dark.

�No!�

She knew that she had to stop Mark, but she knew that with her strength alone, there was nothing she could do.

She looked towards the location of the engine room of the Bridge That Cannot Be Crossed.�

�Maybe, just maybe.��

A small hope sprouted within Maria.

She contemplated once again�. She was positive that letting Mark win was the worst possible outcome.

Grasping that hope, she opened the worn-out, iron door.

Screeeech. JrNovels.com