I received two messages on my smartwatch while playing a game.
[Kael, do you have plans to sell a study guide?]
[Kael, this is Silva. Can you lend me your notes? I’ll pay you back Pleaaaaase?
Cadets had started acting desperate, even strangers messaging me out of nowhere. And yet, behind my back, those same people called me ugly.
I blocked them, but another message came.
My frown immediately faded. It was from Clara.
[Um, can you perhaps help me with this problem ㅠ.ㅠ? It’s a calculation problem, but it’s too hard... :’( ]
Clara Winslet sent a picture of the problem.
I quietly worked it out for her.
Some days before the written exams, Selene Whitmore was up late, working on a talent report. The report would be sent to her sister.
Evaluation – Grade S — He is hiding his power for some reason, but his strength surpasses that of other cadets. — His ability has yet to be revealed, but it is estimated to be at least Grade S.
Evaluation – Grade A — Her gift, weapon materialization, is more than enough to give her full points. — Her seriousness in all subjects is well known among cadets. — Although not at Kael Vi-rel’s level, she has the potential to reach the pinnacle of heroes...
"Auuuu, I’m exhausted."
Selene dropped her pen with a sigh. She had spent six hours compiling this report, quantifying the abilities of several cadets, including Kael Vi-rel and Clara Winslet. She quickly sent the top-secret document to Sword of All team leader, Han Geun.
Grades came second to her—this report was her priority. If she failed to finish it, Sarah Whitmore would give her a thorough beating.
"Is he really going to keep ignoring me?"
Selene muttered while picking up her smartwatch. Kael Vi-rel still hadn’t replied.
I stared at a girl I usually didn’t notice. She was in my class, but I never bothered remembering her name. The way she interacted with her friends looked completely normal. Yet even with True Scan [E/EX], I couldn’t fully see through her disguise.
"Lately you’ve been so quiet online. Did you delete your accounts or something?"
Her friends leaned in, curiosity outweighing restraint. The persona Ijin had built wasn’t exactly one for standing her ground.
"Haha, nothing dramatic. I just needed a break, that’s all," Ijin laughed awkwardly.
One of them nudged her shoulder playfully. "A break? That makes you sound like an old lady. What were you doing, just napping all day?"
I shouted, way louder than I intended. The classroom instantly fell silent. Everyone turned to me. I didn’t care.
"Can you shut up!? I’m trying to sleep here!"
"...What, you think you can tell us what to do just because you’re smart?" Updates are released by NoveI(F)ire.net
They grumbled, but stopped. The girl gave me an odd glance, then buried her face into her desk.
"Some peace and quiet," I muttered.
The written exams ended without much trouble. The weekend after felt desolate as cadets who had pulled all-nighters spent their time recovering. Just like that, the weekend passed in a blur.
Monday finally arrived. The practical exam was about to begin, and every class boarded a different ship bound for an island.
"We will now inspect your baggage."
The instructors checked each cadet as soon as we boarded. Three instructors were stationed at the checkpoint. I entered a room with one of them and handed over my magic pouch. I had only one because carrying multiple looked suspicious. What I didn’t want to reveal was my codex.
"Food, tent, frying pan, torch, grill... things like that."
Why even ask if you’re going to check anyway?
I watched silently as the instructor pulled everything out. His brows shot up at the assortment of items.
"Why did you prepare so much?"
"Well, the announcement said the exam would last an entire week. I had a general idea, so I prepared accordingly."
The instructor grinned, but still inspected carefully before letting me go. Thankfully, I had stored the dragon egg in my codex storage.
After inspection, I sat down on a bench near the ship’s bow, gazing at the island coming into view. Countless drones hovered in the sky.
"I’m feeling nervous."
An instructor stepped forward.
"Now, I will explain how this exam will work."
The ship quieted as he began.
"In 30 minutes, you will split into groups of ten and land in different areas of that island. You will stay there for five days and survive on your own. We will, however, provide half a day’s worth of food."
The ship buzzed with uneasy chatter.
"The exam itself is simple. The number of points you gain will determine your grade. Gaining points is straightforward. Wild animals and monsters roam that island. You can hunt the animals for food, and you will earn points for defeating monsters. Depending on their rank, monsters are worth between 1 and 10 points. Your smartwatches can scan their corpses to record your points."
The explanation continued: cadets could steal, sell, or trade points. Eliminating another cadet would grant 5 points plus all the points that cadet had earned.
"In addition, exam overseers will wear nametags. Though unlikely, if you manage to steal one, each is worth 200 points."
Despite the massive reward, no one seemed interested.
"Finally, see that large drone in the middle? If your smartwatch is stolen, you are eliminated. Head there and wait until the exam ends."
The air grew heavy. Cadets stopped speaking. Soon, boats were lowered into the water. We boarded in groups of ten.
I climbed into mine and exchanged awkward glances with the others. Clara was there as well. The boat set off toward the island.
The boat grounded ashore before I could form a solid plan. I turned to Clara quickly.
"Clara, would you like to team up?"
I expected her refusal, but it still stung when she shook her head.
"I’d like to do it alone."
I didn’t press her. Instead, I shared my smartwatch’s live coordinates.
"Just in case you change your mind."
Clara gave me a small smile before walking off. Meanwhile, the others whispered about me getting rejected. Ignoring them, I left and ran into the forest.
Leaning against a tree, I opened my system. I summoned all my drones and released them in stealth mode, letting them fan out across the island.
The important cadets were all acting alone. Nad and Silva teamed up. Elric Vales and Damon Reid were already fighting a monster. Lucian Crowe and Julie Wartin had formed a group.
I marked their locations on my system map.
"I guess I should find a camping spot."