Chapter 2: Chapter 1 – Entrance Exams

The gentle humming of tracks made their way into my ears.

I opened my eyes, noticing that I had laid my head by the window.

“Oh….it was just a dream.”

Adjusting myself on the comfy red seat fit for two, I let out a yawn and looked around the dimly lit corridors illuminated by a subtle orange hue.

Nothing much to see on the windows, all you could do was watch the lights of a dark tunnel come and go as the train moved.

Looking at the vacant seats facing in front of me, I thought about how lonely I was during this whole ride. No one came by to sit with me, but I guess it doesn’t matter too much. At least I could get some privacy.

We are now entering Sector 1. Please wait for a moment.

A voice on the speakers announced. 

We will be arriving shortly. 

Ah. We’re already in Sector 1?!

I’ve never been to Sector 1 before, so I couldn’t help but stand up in anticipation, which ended up grabbing everyone's attention.

“Oh, ah. S-Sorry.”

The passengers gave me strange looks, so I immediately sat back down in embarrassment.

After what felt like forever, another announcement played out.

We have reached our destination. Welcome to Sector 1. Thank you for riding the Subtramuros Express. We hope to see you again soon.

I hopped off the train, holding my luggage with my left hand. 

As expected, the station was bustling with people of different tastes. Many fancied long sleek overcoats and flowing frilled dresses, but others leaned on the comfortable side with shorter skirts, vested or plain shirts and jackets well-off for simplicity.

I made my way around the crowd and left the station, only to find myself staring in wonder as I took a single measly step outside.

Warm lights illuminated the gothic city through the lamps on the cobblestone roads and the windows etched on the walls of bricks and stone underneath the pointed roofs of slate. A clear contrast to the warmth were the cold neon signs and screens flashing around the streets, creating a strange mix of colors that shined against the eternal darkness of the rocky sky.

"Woah….."

This is…….Sector 1 of Subtramuros.

Looking at the clock tower from afar, I widened my eyes at the sight of the round neon display.

"N-no way! I'm going to be late for the exam!" 

I moved in haste and quickened my pace, clattering the wheels of my luggage against the gaps of the road. Making my way across the city streets, I caught whiffs of some roasted meat, sights of sparkling jewelry and the yells of persistent promoters.

"Hey, mister! You want a piece of good ol' cock?!" a voice yelled.

"N-No thanks!" I said, rushing past the voice.

“Haaaaah……Just a little bit more running!” 

“Watch out!”

“Huh?”

At that moment, I had caught a glimpse of white before being knocked down into the ground by an unknown force.

“Ouch…..Did I hit someone?”

Lifting myself up, I found out who I had bumped into.

Her bottom laid on the floor, with hooked legs covered in long black tights that lead all the way up to the frilled skirt of her short navy blue dress. Silky snow white hair trailed down to the ground as I stared deep into her blue eyes.

“I-I’m so sorry! Are you ok?” I asked, offering a hand.

“I was the one who bumped into you, no need to apologize,” she grabbed my hand and picked herself up.

“W-woah! What are you doing?!” 

She quickly ran forward, pulling on to my hand and dragging me with her.

“You’re taking the exam, right? We’re going to be late! There’s no time for silly chit chat!” she said.

Right…..

And so, we ran together and eventually arrived at our destination.

Beyond its gates lie a huge castle-like structure covered in walls of gray, intricate designs of arched windows and pointed blue rooftops. 

Standing tall and proud was the Enforcer Academy. A school with the mission of training and developing new Enforcers to become protectors of Subtramuros.

I'm finally here……one step closer to my dream. My dream of becoming a hero. Just like my master.

To do that, I must follow in his footsteps and become an Enforcer.

The gates quickly closed behind us, keeping anyone else from going inside.

“Phew, that was close!” the girl took a breath of relief.

“Um…you’re still holding onto my hand…” I said.

“Ah-sorry! Hehe,” she let out a light blush.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“My name? It’s-”

“Attention, everyone!” 

A person in a black military jacket called out to everyone.

“We will now be officially starting the Enforcer Academy Entrance Exam. Please be quiet and enter your assigned rooms.”

Only the clamping of footsteps on the ground could be heard as we made our way to the academy. The faces of students all around me wore a gravity of seriousness.

This is it. All my years of preparation have led to this very moment. I can’t afford to fail!

It’s a shame I wasn’t able to get that girl’s name though.

Entering into the academy, I looked down on the checkered floor and took some deep breaths.

You can do this, Lars!

The first half of the exam was said to be a 300-item knowledge assessment.

I entered my assigned classroom and looked at the woman by the front of the desk. She wore a full black military uniform along with a beret on the top of her head, so I assumed she was the proctor.

“Everyone, please take your seats and keep quiet. We will be beginning shortly,” the proctor said.

I chose to sit down at the corner seat, since no one seemed to be interested in sitting there. Once we all settled down, the proctor started handing out electronic tablets to everyone in the classroom.

The exam is finally about to start. Will I be able to do well? What if I forget everything I’ve studied? What if I don’t finish on time? What if I get a mental block?! What if-No, no! I can’t think of such things. You’ve worked hard for this, Lars! You’ve done countless revisions on all 5 books of the GEP series! Have some confidence! You can do this! Master is with me! I won’t let him down!

I will make it!

“Excuse me,” The voice of the proctor could be heard right next to me.

“You’ve been drumming your fingers and tapping your foot on the floor for a while now, can you please stop?”

I realized what I had been doing and noticed that everyone in the class was looking at me snickering.

“Ah! S-Sorry!”

This is so embarrassing……

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“If anyone is caught cheating, they will be kicked out of the room immediately. The first half of the exam starts….. now.”

Looking down on my tablet, I stared into the first question. 

What is the name of the primary handbook used by all Enforcers?

Good thing this is a multiple choice exam, it feels so much more comfortable.

I tapped into the choice, “A. General Enforcer Protocols (GEP)” and moved on to the next question.

What is the only way for an Enforcer to become a Hero?

Then I tapped into another choice again.

1. Through the blessing of the Council.

And again.

How many years does it take to become an Enforcer?

1. 3

And again.

What was the mission of the Great Surface Expedition led by the Hero Artorias?

1. To search for lost treasure and possible human survivors.

And again.

What happens when a Baron and an Enforcer are in a state of disagreement?

1. The Baron’s decision is to be respected, for they were chosen by the Council to rule over the sector.

Eventually, I was starting to get into the flow of things, answering the questions I knew and picking my best guess on the ones I didn’t know. 

I had a lot of unsure answers, but that didn’t stop me until I reached the very last question.

It was an essay.

Why did you choose to be an Enforcer?

That last question. Why? What’s the point of me being here? It was a simple question that I could answer with all my heart.

I want to be a Hero, just like my master. The Hero Artorias. To follow in his footsteps and dedicate my life to protecting Subtramuros. That is why I chose to be an Enforcer.

After a long rechecking of my previous answers, I took a deep sigh and tapped on the submit button.

“Time’s up!” the proctor announced. “Leave your tablets on the tables and proceed to the second half of the exam.”

The second half of the exam. This is probably the hardest part. The practical exams.

I got up from my seat and left the classroom for my next assignment.

On the way here, I never really noticed it, but the windows of the hallway were filled with darkness.

Living underground, I'm used to it at this point. It seems rather gloomy, but that doesn't matter. As long as we're all safe down here.

After taking some flights down some stairs, I stopped by the doors and took the time to breathe in and out, before finally letting myself inside.

“Woah……..”

In front of me, was a huge dimly-lit room filled with endless rows of single beds that seemed to stretch out farther than the eye could see. The amount of space might have been enough to act as a dragon’s dungeon. Each bed had some sort of grey helmet-like device with a visor attached to it. 

There were also a bunch of women wearing white aprons over black dresses stationed by the walls…were they supposed to be nurses?

I don't understand…what are we supposed to be doing?

"You look like you've never seen one of these."

"Yep. Wait, what?!"

Swiftly turning to my right, I was shocked to see the white-haired girl standing next to me.

Her pretty blue eyes seemed to gaze straight into my heart as she gave me a smile. Along with it came the sweet scent of lavenders tickling my nostrils. 

"The name's Alessia. Nice to meet you!" She offered her hand to me.

I grabbed it and we both shook hands.

"I'm Lars. Nice to meet you too."

"You were wondering what this was supposed to be, right?" Alessia picked up the helmet and wore it over her head.

"Yeah…."

"This is the MirageGear, a virtual reality headset that was created to simulate all sorts of environments!" Alessia spoke with sparks in her eyes. "The Enforcers normally use this as a way of training, but it can also be used to live out your wildest fantasies! Not to mention-"

"Hold up! D-Did you just say virtual reality?" I said. "We're taking the exam virtually?!"

No one told me this! I thought the practical exams were going to be an actual physical thing!

"Yeah. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"W-Well, I've never tried virtual reality before…"

Lifting my arm, I looked into my trembling hand, shivering like it had been freezing cold.

Calm down, Lars. A true hero must be ready for everything. Expect the unexpected. You'll be fine….

Alessia held onto my hand and grasped it tightly.

"A-Alessia?"

"Don't worry Lars, it's not that scary. You'll be fine. I believe in you!"

I moved my hand away instinctively and let out a faint smile.

"Thanks…I'm just feeling nervous."

"That's ok. Nervousness is a natural feeling. It shows that you care."

The second half of the exam….will take place in virtual reality. I guess it isn't so bad. 

All I have to do is do what I've always done.

To do my best in everything I do.

"We will now begin the second half of the exams. Please put on your headsets to begin," a voice on the speakers announced, stretching far across the room.

“Well then, I wish you good luck on the exams!” Alessia said and walked away.

“Good luck to you too.”

Gripping the helmet in my hands, I took a deep breath and slowly wore it over my head.

The weight feels heavier on my neck, but it’s not so bad. It’s actually quite cozy for my skull. 

“Please press the button to activate the MirageGear.”

I laid down on the bed, with my fingers exploring the helmet for the button. Turning it on, a screen popped out of my visor, showing the time, date, battery and some text in the middle.

Say ‘Activate Portal’ to continue.

You’ve got this, Lars.

“Activate Portal.”

Initiating Portal Sequence…….

Feeling strange electric sensations around my head, my eyes started to close until my vision turned black.

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