Chapter 512: Evaluation For Freshmen and Seniors 6
The exam format was rather simple.
Defeat other students and monsters to earn points—the higher the threat or class level, the more points you’d get.
Honestly, it wasn’t that different from the evaluation test we had last year.
Only this time, second years like us were thrown into the mix.
When Snow gave me a rundown of how it would go, I didn’t need long to piece together some rough plans for future story arcs.
The event itself wasn’t part of the original game, so I half-expected it to be another chaotic, unexpected mess full of twists and deadly traps.
But surprisingly, the structure was still result-based.
Which… actually said a lot about what Principal Leilah was aiming for.
She didn’t want random chaos. She wanted control. Order. Outcomes.
That alone was interesting.
If anything, this entire thing had the same kind of energy as [Act 4 – Chapter 2: Placed Chaos in the Dungeons] from the game which will happen in a few weeks after this.
But because this current exam overlapped with that storyline so much, I could already tell the original dungeon arc for the main characters was probably going to get scrapped or pushed aside entirely.
But since it’s Luca’s main event maybe fate would push it through still.
Whether that’s a good thing or not… didn’t really matter anymore.
Especially since the main villains of that chapter—the demonic worshippers—had already been wiped out.
Or rather, thanks to the butterfly effect of all the choices I’ve been stacking lately.
In a way, I kinda liked that things were shifting off-course.
It meant I had more breathing room even though I hate surprises.
Sure, it would’ve been nice to move forward with proper precautions and a perfect checklist of what’s coming next, but… leaving a bit of mystery for myself was fun in its own way.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t take any precautions.
Especially since I still wasn’t sure about Liyana.
My brain was still trying to make sense of her… or more accurately, trying to recover from that absurd gift she gave me.
And then there’s Erebil—the so-called evil goddess who’s been way too quiet lately.
That silence alone was enough to make me nervous.
She’s the kind of entity you don’t just forget about.
Too unpredictable to ignore. Too dangerous to leave out of the equation.
That’s exactly why I had to make sure certain characters were in play during this event.
He’s probably out there somewhere, hyped up on adrenaline and throwing himself at monsters just for the thrill of it.
Classic battle junkie behavior.
But knowing him, there’s also a solid chance he’s looking for me again.
The guy’s obsession with me borders on concerning, but… well, I’ve learned to live with it.
That said, Evelyn’s got him and Janica tangled up in whatever theatrical mess she’s cooked up.
So I doubt he’ll be breathing down my neck any time soon. Hopefully.
Still, with Lucas being the main protagonist, I couldn’t just leave things to chance.
That’s why I had Lavine keeping an eye on him.
Not just for the usual reasons, but because there’s a real chance the main villains from Chapter 3 or 4 might make a move during this event.
Especially with how much has already diverged from the original timeline.
If they’re going to appear anywhere, this would be the perfect time.
Which would also mean the last boss of chapter 5 the demon King Asmodeus might make an earlier appearance as well….
That’s why I left it in the hands of someone I trust the most—someone who could handle it in a rather roundabout but reliable way.
I just hope it doesn’t escalate into a direct confrontation with that demon.
But if it does… I trust Rose.
Making one of my girlfriends intentionally jealous wasn’t exactly my style—I’m not that kind of guy—but in this case, it was a calculated move.
If Asmodeus really is lurking somewhere in the shadows, scheming like the parasite he is, then only someone with a high enough mastery in celestial arts and a deep spiritual sensitivity could possibly detect his presence.
And that person, unfortunately—or maybe fortunately—is Rose. She’s the only one qualified.
So, if my worries are misplaced and nothing’s wrong, then hey, I get to spend some time with her.
Knowing Rose, the moment she hears Snow mention me or say something even remotely suspicious, she’ll probably teleport straight to my side without hesitation.
And honestly? I’d welcome that.
We haven’t seen much of each other lately.
We’ve both been so tied up—her with training the juniors, me with… well, everything else.
So if this whole situation ends up being just paranoia on my part, then at least I get to make it up to her a bit.
A “two birds with one stone” kind of thing.
If she teleports to me, I’ll know Asmodeus isn’t around.
But if she doesn’t—if she senses something and goes to handle it—then I can trust she’ll take care of it, even if it’s just a casual interference from that guy.
And if an actual manifestation of him happens?
I’ll know immediately anyway.
Yes, I also had the option of just asking Rose to take caution…. but that demon’s danger sensitivity was off the charts, only someone of Rose’s unpredictable nature could bypass that.
“Riley, what are you doing?”
“Just setting up camp,” I replied, not bothering to look back.
Seo didn’t say anything after that.
She just stood there, arms crossed, quietly watching me slice a boulder clean in half like I was cutting butter.
I took a seat on one of the now-flat halves and stabbed my sword into the ground beside me.
We were deep inside Cavrock Cave, a lesser-known part of the Forest of Monsters—cool, dim, quiet.
It was as good a spot as any to rest before the test really kicked in.
“By the way, Seo,” I said while brushing some dust off my pants, “aren’t you supposed to head back to your area? It’ll be unguarded if you’re here too long.”
“There’s still a few hours before we become official ‘monsters.’ It’s fine,” she replied nonchalantly. “I can get back in a few seconds if I need to.”
Honestly, I could believe that. With her Stealth and Movement skills, she could probably blink across the whole forest if she felt like it.
Still, her being here was probably already giving the academy’s monitoring staff a headache. Not that it was any of my concern.
As I mentioned at the start, the test format was pretty straightforward.
Each of us was assigned to act as a mini-boss or area guardian for our juniors. Like monsters in a dungeon, just a little more polite.
I could still remember the professor’s briefing word for word. Or well… mostly.
[“As I’ve explained, all of you top second years will be set up within designated zones around the northern sector of the Forest of Monsters. Your roles are simple—stop, intercept, and eliminate any students who enter your area. After six hours from the start of the evaluation, all first years will receive their quest through the armbands we’ve issued. Your job is to prevent them from reaching their objectives. Don’t worry about holding back—we’ve ensured that no deaths will occur thanks to the academy’s research division’s safety items. Fight seriously.”]
That was the gist of it.
Right now, the top ten students from the combat-oriented departments were spaced out evenly around the forest’s center, forming a sort of deadly perimeter.
Each of us was stationed about three kilometers from the exact center point.
For reference, I was placed at the southeastern edge—my favorite kind of terrain, rough and elevated.
Ten mages. Eight knights.
That was the basic outline of the “bosses” our juniors would have to face.
Honestly, even I had a hard time understanding how the academy planned to evaluate us based on this performance.
But considering we’d all be relieved of our monster roles once a student retrieved the prize at the center of the forest, maybe the process wasn’t all that complicated in the end.
Still, I had a rough idea of what that prize might be.
Something valuable enough for the academy to push juniors into clashing with the top-ranked students…
It likely had to do with access to the academy’s great treasury vaults.
Why did I choose this location to be stationed at?
There were plenty of trees and thick plant life—perfect cover for ambushes.
The elevated terrain gave a certain Junior of mine an elemental advantage or rather more of an spiritual one.
And, lastly, one of the juniors I personally trained was nearby.
That alone would’ve been reason enough… but there was also someone else I was curious about.
Someone I had to keep a close eye on, just in case.
Both of them were now within the top three ranks even before the official quest had been announced.
By now, they should already be aware of the privileges—and the true purpose—behind this entire event.
And knowing the kind of relationship Stacia and Vanessa had… I doubted the two of them would try to fight each other, especially once they learned the full picture.
Letting time pass slowly, I closed my eyes.
Rose still hadn’t shown up.
…Looks like Asmodeus really did make some kind of move.