Chapter 604
It was a ruthless rule.
If you failed to defeat all the monsters you summoned within fifteen minutes, you would be mercilessly given a “0 points”.
Of course, there was at least a safety net of sorts—this exam had something called a “team score”.
Two groups combined to form one team of eight members. Each member’s scores would be tallied up, the team’s ranking decided, and then additional team points would be awarded accordingly.
So, even if someone missed their monsters and scored zero individually, if they were in a team that ranked high, there was still a sliver of hope to recover.
Of course, it was only a sliver of hope. In truth, securing a strong personal score was far more important.
“Eshu Arzel here!”
As the explanation about team scores was underway, Eshu shot up her hand.
“You said two groups make one team, but our department has thirteen groups, right?”
“I was going to explain that.”
Aron calmly replied.
At his side, teaching assistants brought over a box, placed it down, and poured out a pile of numbered marbles.
“Since there’s an odd number of groups, one group will be chosen at random to play the game with only four members. Instead, their team score multiplier will be doubled.”
Saying so, Aron reached his hand into the box. The students began murmuring uncertainly.
“Four people in a team… is that good?”
“…Depends on the situation. The merits and risks are both doubled.”
“If it’s a strong lineup, it’ll be favorable.”
“Sounds like a hell of a burden to me.”
Click!
Aron drew out a marble from the box.
Then, after checking the number carved onto its surface, he spoke.
“The group that will take the test with four members is… Group 8.”
“Ahhh—!”
Groans echoed across the hall.
Of all things, Group 8 was currently considered the strongest in Class A.
They had Aseraz Mikel and White, a formidable twin spearhead.
“Understood.”
Group leader Aseraz replied with a confident smile. White, as usual, stared blankly into space, while the other two members barely held back their grins.
“So that’s how it turned out.”
“Yeah, 1st place is basically guaranteed for Group 8.”
After that, Aron began assigning the remaining teams.
“I want to draw one!”
“Me too!”
Professors Lin and Rune, the twin instructors, whined childishly, as though this was all a game to them.
Lin drew one group, Rune drew another, pairing them into teams.
Team 1: Group 1, Group 9
Team 2: Group 3, Group 12
Team 3: Group 5, Group 7
Team 4: Group 6, Group 13
Team 5: Group 8
Team 6: Group 4, Group 10
Team 7: Group 2, Group 11
Simon was in Team 6—the sixth to go.
‘Good thing my turn is later.’
Simon naturally thought being later in the order was advantageous.
Though the pressure would be heavier with earlier scores already set, watching prior attempts allowed him to make more informed judgments.
“Oh, Student Council President!”
The leader of Group 4, someone Simon had seen quite often recently, approached him with a grin.
In the last ghoul assessment, they had joined Simon’s strategy, defeating Hector’s group and securing 2nd place.
“Looks like we’re teamed with Group 10 again, huh? Let’s do well together!”
The Group 4 leader extended a hand. Simon clasped it with a smile.
“Yeah. Let’s.”
Group 4 wasn’t bad at all.
Of course, ideally they’d team up with Hector’s Group 1 or Serne and Fitzgerald’s Group 11 to check Aseraz’s Group 8, but that was wishful thinking.
Soon the other members of Group 4 approached, shaking hands with Loraine, Toto, Eshu, and firming their resolve.
“Eshu!”
“Good to see you!”
Eshu, in particular, seemed thrilled. One of her close friends was in Group 4, and the two clasped palms before hopping excitedly in place together.
“Excuse me.”
While the groups were chatting, a summoning assistant approached and handed out sheets of paper.
“This is the monster list for the underground dungeon. The monsters’ traits are written down too, so please use it for strategy planning.”
“Thank you!”
Groups 10 and 4 quickly sat down in a circle to strategize.
“There are five monster types.”
Loraine said.
<Green Orc, Hammer Gnoll, Zezili, Mine Kobold, Stone Harpy.>
“Nothing too tough. The Stone Harpy might be annoying since it can fly.”
“So they’ll be mixed at random among those five?”
“Right.”
A boy from Group 4, who introduced himself as a hunter’s son, took the lead explaining. He knew detailed traits about the monsters.
“I think the real variable is Zezili.”
A droopy-eyed boy lazily pointed at the monster’s picture.
“Its nickname is ‘Cowardly Zezili’. If the fight turns unfavorable, it runs away.”
“It doesn’t burrow underground or fly to escape, does it?”
“No, it can’t do that.”
“That’s something, at least.”
“Then we’ll need to save some Darkness for chasing it down.”
The students swiftly exchanged key notes.
The certain thing was: none of these monsters were anywhere near the strength of a Dullahan, so they should go all out for fifteen minutes, reducing numbers as much as possible.
Zezili, who fled when pressured, should be prioritized early on, with Stone Harpy—capable of flying—as the second target.
Once information was shared, they decided on the entry order.
“Who should go first?”
“I think the vanguard is crucial. It’s all about momentum.”
While the group passionately debated the order, Simon silently leaned back, thinking differently.
‘There’s a team score, but this isn’t a teamwork test.’
In Simon’s eyes, this was a purely individual battle.
‘When my turn comes, all I need to do is defeat the monsters within my ability as efficiently as possible. That’s the best way to help the team.’
At that moment, Professor Grerion’s voice rang out.
“Alright! Let’s begin. First team, step forward!”
Team 1—Hector’s Group 1 and Group 6—headed to the exam hall.
The remaining students moved into the break room, which doubled as the viewing chamber.
“Wow, this sofa is amazing!”
Though most students were stiff with nerves, Eshu casually flopped onto the cushions with a laugh.
‘It really is a decent place.’
The room was comfortable, with a fireplace, snacks for idle munching, and nearby bathrooms.
In front of the lounge was a mana-powered screen, and students were already gathering around it in anticipation.
“It’s starting!”
The mana screen flickered on.
The students saw Groups 1 and 6 lined up in order at the dungeon entrance, waiting for their turns. Hector, the strongest, was set as the final slot.
And then, a dungeon keeper in dark robes approached.
He was a middle-aged man, his skin creased with deep wrinkles. From beneath his dark robe, his arms were exposed, crisscrossed with countless claw scars.
“Name.”
“C-Coiter Fizen, sir.”
Being the very first in the department to take the test, Coiter looked extremely nervous. His lips trembled uncontrollably.
“Number of monsters?”
Coiter took in a sharp, shaky breath before answering.
“Twenty, please.”
From the waiting room, Simon tilted his head in confusion.
Twenty? Isn’t that way too few?
Especially since this was the same Coiter Fizen who had proudly shouted “A-Rank” at Aron’s question earlier.
“Confirmed.”
The dungeon keeper stepped aside, and Coiter Fizen entered the exam hall.
The underground chamber was vast, but with no monsters yet summoned, it looked empty and desolate.
Coiter Fizen stood at the far end, behind the barrier.
— Student Coiter Fizen. Please summon your undead.
The announcement echoed. Coiter nodded firmly, then pulled from subspace the Dullahan he had crafted.
Its main material seemed to be an Abaddon. Its body was encased head to toe in heavy armor, and its weapon of choice was a greatsword.
— We will begin once you are fully prepared.
Thankfully, the preparation time was unlimited.
Coiter carefully layered formulas onto a prepared magic circle. As soon as the final sequence was complete, he affixed the circle onto Dullahan's back.
Wooooong!
Like a power generator coming to life, the magic circle activated, awakening the Dullahan.
The armored body, motionless until now, slowly raised its head and picked up its own severed skull from the ground.
Kiiiiing—!
Flames flickered to life in its empty eye sockets.
“P-Please begin!”
Coiter shouted in a rush.
— Student Coiter Fizen. Exam begins.
Clang! Clang!
The dungeon gate opened, and twenty monsters poured out. Coiter thrust his arm forward with a battle cry.
“Go! Dullahan!”
* * *
The result was anticlimactic.
“?!”
Coiter Fizen’s Dullahan was overwhelmingly strong.
It took only four minutes to slaughter all twenty monsters.
Which meant… there were still eleven minutes left on the clock.
“Uh… uh…?”
But even if the monsters were defeated, the exam didn’t end. The rule was absolute: fifteen minutes had to fully elapse.
Clutching at his hair, Coiter’s face twisted in despair.
“I… I made a mistake! A mistake! I could’ve handled several times more than this!”
During the long remaining minutes, he stood in misery beside his idle Dullahan, cursing himself.
He had overthought the risk—terrified of getting 0 points if even a single monster slipped away.
And so, in the end—
— Time over.
No matter how much strength he had left, there was nothing he could do.
Those eleven minutes felt like an eternity.
— Student Coiter Fizen: Successfully defeated 20 monsters within the time limit.
— Student Coiter Fizen and Group 1 earn 20 points.
Thud!
As soon as Coiter came back to the waiting room, Hector grabbed him and slammed him against the wall.
“What the hell was that?!”
Hector growled in fury, his voice low and savage. Coiter flailed, his eyes brimming with tears.
“I-I didn’t know it’d turn out like this! I really didn’t!”
“With that cowardly mindset, you dared spout off about being A-Rank in front of the professor?!”
Looking wronged, Coiter glanced desperately at the others.
“Y-You all said it too! Better to play it safe than risk zero! That we should avoid 0 points at all costs! That if we just stayed safe, we’d win! That was the strategy, wasn’t it?!”
But the students he looked to for support averted their eyes, each pretending not to notice.
“Damn it. Calm down, Hector.”
A hand landed on Hector’s shoulder. He turned, eyes blazing, only to see a lanky-faced boy grinning slyly.
“We’ve learned our lesson from the first run. Now just leave it to me. I’ll rack up the points.”
— Next student, please enter.
“Yeeaah~ yeeah.”
He waved casually as the announcement rang, strolling into the exam hall.
“Just watch me, everyone.”
The boy stepped up before the barrier.
“Kurt Tremblay.”
The dungeon keeper nodded.
“Number of monsters?”
Kurt smirked.
“What’s twenty? That’s nothing. Let’s go like a man—make it four times that. Eighty.”
Fifteen minutes later.
— Time over.
Kurt’s face was pale, drained of all color.
— Student Kurt Tremblay: Out of eighty monsters, defeated seventy-six within the time limit.
— Remaining monsters: four.
— Student Kurt Tremblay and Group 1 receive 0 points.
GRAAAAAAAAH!
A roar shook the walls as Hector’s furious cry rang out from the waiting chamber. The murderous aura of Dragon Fear leaked through as well.
“W-What… how did this happen…?”
Kurt collapsed to the floor, his expression vacant and lost.
This exam…
It wasn’t as simple as they thought.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters