The midterm exams were right around the corner.
Students dragged themselves across the academy grounds like exhausted zombies, clutching textbooks to their chests as if they were sacred lifelines.
Every hallway was filled with groans, frantic scribbling, and the occasional scream of academic despair.
And me?
"Hyaaah!!"
I was—as usual—swinging my sword in the training grounds.
The sword I had once wielded purely to survive...
had somehow turned into a genuine hobby.
Strange how life works.
By the time I finished my practice swings, my clothes were damp with sweat, but the tightness in my chest felt loosened.
A refreshing kind of exhaustion washed over me—like I had neatly tied up the day.
"That’s it for today. Good work," Lycan said, stepping back with his arms crossed.
"Thank you for your guidance," I replied, bowing my head politely.
Honestly, I had nothing but gratitude for him.
No matter how busy he was, he always made time to supervise my training. Without him, my progress wouldn’t be anywhere near where it was now.
As Lycan started cleaning up the training facility—collecting wooden swords, adjusting the racks, wiping down equipment—I hesitated for a moment before speaking up.
"Um... can I ask you something?"
He glanced over his shoulder. "What is it?"
"Do you happen to know a professor named Lumine?"
The change was immediate.
"W-what, what did you say?"
Flinch.
He stiffened so sharply it was like someone had shot an arrow into his back.
Even his ears twitched a little, which was honestly impressive given how composed he normally was.
"...Professor Lumine?" I repeated, confused by his reaction.
Lycan swallowed, his expression suddenly complicated—somewhere between shock, dread, and the look of someone remembering a traumatizing past life.
Watching him break into a cold sweat, I could more or less guess what was going through his mind.
Does he know?
Well... it wouldn’t be strange.
I had always wondered how someone with the body of a child ended up as a professor.
Apparently, those who know, just know.
Especially someone like Lycan—an orc whose instincts put humans to shame.
If anyone could sense it, it’d be him.
His pupils were still trembling as he stared at me, frozen stiff.
I, meanwhile, drifted off into my own thoughts.
Having a dragon’s attention... wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
Because of Lumine, I’d gained a new ability.
And I even got the satisfying chance to plant my fist into Julian’s perfect face.
That alone almost made it worth it.
But the method?
That was a different story.
Being dragged around at someone else’s whim isn’t my style.
I’ve been racking my brain for a way to peacefully distance myself from Lumine, but—surprise—it isn’t easy.
"B-by the way, Louis," Lycan stammered, finally managing to speak, "aren’t you preparing for the exams?"
"Me?" I wiped some sweat from my chin. "I’ll manage somehow."
The training room echoed faintly with the sound of my sword slices.
All the other students were probably holed up in their rooms right now, studying until dawn.
The academy was dead silent everywhere except here.
Only I remained in the training room, swinging my sword again and again.
Aura flickered faintly each time I struck—the smallest spark, but unmistakable.
Studying was important, sure.
But this?
This mattered more.
I tightened my grip and swung again.
"Aren’t you worried about getting expelled?"
Lycan’s voice carried a hint of genuine concern.
And he had every right to worry—because at the Academy, expulsion didn’t just mean dropping out.
It meant immediate conscription.
The nightmare ending every student desperately wanted to avoid.
"I won’t get expelled," I said calmly.
Not because I was being reckless.
But because I’d already taken precautions long before this conversation.
I’d finished reviewing everything for the written exam.
Unless the world suddenly collapsed in front of me, there was no reason for me to fail.
The real problem wasn’t the written test.
"I just need to pass the practical exam," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.
The written exam judged knowledge.
The practical exam judged ability—your actual combat potential.
As long as I didn’t do something outrageous like scoring a big, fat zero... my grades would be safe.
"Is that so? Well, work hard then. I’ll be going now," Lycan said as he stood up.
"Thank you for your hard work," I replied.
The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving the training room quiet.
I leaned back against the cool wall, letting the air conditioning wash over me as I tried to calm the heat in my body.
The practical exam...
I already knew exactly what it would be.
A small mountain behind the academy grounds.
Dense trees, uneven paths, scattered monster traces—perfect terrain for a field test.
Of course, if that were all there was to the exam, it would just be a simple treasure hunt.
But the real problem lay in the rules.
Combat between students is allowed.
And you can steal other people’s treasures—
a full-on survival format.
If you’re unlucky and someone knocks you out before you even find anything, you’re eliminated on the spot.
Your practical exam score becomes zero.
That’s why, the moment the exam begins, most students immediately try to form teams.
But if too many people join the same group, some teammates might not end up finding any treasure at all.
So the sweet spot is usually around three members.
No matter how strong you are, almost no one chooses to go solo.
It’s just not efficient.
...Well, except for me.
My circumstances are a little different.
I already know the rough locations of the treasures thanks to the original story.
And with invisibility magic as my trump card, I could easily snipe a few treasures and slip away before anyone even notices.
But I’m not planning to do that.
The true purpose of this historic practical exam isn’t about grabbing treasure as fast as possible.
It’s about cooperation.
Working together.
Facing the unknown as a team.
Even if I sweep through the exam and collect multiple treasures on my own—
if my cooperation score is zero, my total score will take a heavy hit.
And considering I’ve more or less given up on the written exam...
I need to squeeze every last point out of the practical exam.
Which means one thing:
I need teammates.
Reliable ones.
And I need to start recruiting for the joint practical exam—right now.