Final Exam (1)

"Helicopters start going in one hour. Get moving!"

The day of the final exam had arrived, and people were rushing around the school, making sure everything was perfect.

The exam's objectives were to eliminate two miasma pits of the same rank as your three-man team and survive for a week in the wilderness while you do it.

The student body's second condition was somewhat unexpected as it wasn't directly related to a combat skill. Rural communities were often given the means to move monster bosses by the Hero Bureau before they were heroes. Heroes, especially powerful ones, are rare, so it was cheaper and more reasonable to allow small towns to trap lower-level miasma bosses in a cage and use a helicopter to ferry them away from the town. However, these pits still had to be defeated, or they would evolve. So heroes would often venture out on their own in rural areas to find pits and the rewards that come from them. In those situations, survival skills are crucial, and that is the reason for the second objective.

During the exam, students would parachute into the wilderness from helicopters, use a GPS to navigate to their first pit, defeat it, then go to the next one and defeat it. All of this would take place over one week.

We had done a few similar excursions before with our instructors. However, with this being the final exam, it simulated the worst-case scenario: the breaking or loss of equipment. Therefore, resources were limited; Sirus was only allowed to bring clothing and his wire, given that it was essential to his ability. Any other supplies would have to be 'bought' from a supply room before leaving. When students won tournaments or had personal accomplishments, they were given a set amount of corresponding points. These points could be redeemed for weapons, armor, food, and other supplies that could be used during the final exam.

Sirus walked through the E-rank equipment room, searching for what to bring. Students could use points for personal luxuries during the school year, although it wouldn't affect the exam. Unlike most other students, Sirus was forced to save the few points he had received for this exam.

Despite how few points he had received, he still had options. Wyoming winters are dangerously cold, so we were all given coats, so people didn't naturally die, but sleeping was different. Sirus' group was his roommate, Floki Erikson, and another student named Ivarr Balbaninn. Under the rules of the exam, all three were E-rank. Sirus wanted his teammates to share a tent's cost, but that was unlikely. With Floki's ability, he wanted to squeeze into a foldable box instead of a tent to conserve space. Ivarr had a damage resistance ability, which included resistance to cold, so he didn't care about a tent.

Ivarr and Floki didn't have many points, but both had to buy weapons to fight, as their abilities weren't offensive. Floki's fighting style centered on dodging and spinning to use centripetal force for big hits with a hammer. Ivarr's resistance skill was very useful in a fight, just not offensively. He used a sword as his form of damage, but it could do minor damage. Both used their points to buy food and their respective weapons.

During the school year, I had practiced trap setting, so I used my points to exchange my black coat for a white one that would blend in with the snow and an enchanted necklace that increased my mana. I also got a large knife, as my strings didn't penetrate well.

Once we were all ready, we boarded the helicopters and flew out towards the pits. On the flight, we were given a map and a compass. The two pits were far apart but not unmanageable for a group of people to travel to over a few days.

"Mighty beautiful view, ain't it?"

"Yes, sir. Very beautiful."

The managing director of the final exam, Philip Lancaster, was overseeing the deployment of all the students, riding with a few groups at a time. Parachuting was obligatory on weekends as it wasn't possible to traverse the area by car. Although many were afraid initially, skydiving from a helicopter is substantially easier than a plane, and most students could get used to it after a few attempts.

"Any questions? It is part of the reason why I'm accompanying y'all."

Sirus wanted to answer with something fun or light, but the seriousness of the situation was too heavy for him to think of anything. The next week would determine the course of the rest of his life. While he could work within the awakener industry, the salary difference between a non-combatant and a hero was enormous. His performance would determine if he would gain the license and accreditation to have a legitimate career. Failure meant the last ten years of his life went essentially to waste.

"Yeah, nobody ever asks anything."

The director looked sad but more bored as he waited for the helicopter to arrive at its first destination. Sirus' group wasn't the first to drop, but soon enough, it became their turn.

"If y'all don't move faster than they did, I'm going to start pushing."

The students aboard figured the comment was a joke but wouldn't be surprised if such a thing really happened. The group made the unanimous decision to jump as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

They landed within a mile radius of the first pit and trudged through the snow toward it. The pit was easy to spot, palisades and forts were not a common occurrence in forests, so navigation was straightforward. The fort was on an intermontane plateau or a flat area surrounded by mountains. Upon getting closer, Sirus used his string to pull himself up a lodgepole pine tree to gain a better vantage point. The fort was filled with wooden cottages, gardens, and a singular longhouse at the center. After looking closer, Sirus identified the monsters as Orcs.

"Looking, good guys!"

Sirus had some fun and jumped from the tree, smashing into the snow and spraying his teammates, excited at the luck they had.

"Thanks, asshole."

"Oh, you're fine. At any rate, Orcs are unintelligent enough that traps should be perfect for them; they're an ideal opponent!"

"And here I thought you were wasting our time teaching us trapping stuff!"

"It would not have been a waste even if we didn't do it!"

"Whatever, Einstein. What's the plan?"

"Be patient, will you? I need the parachutes, all three of them. Could one of you guys go and grab them?"

"Really, dude? Could you not have realized that when we landed?"

"It's not like we're going to be doing nothing here."

"Fine."

With that, Ivarr left to go get the parachutes leaving Floki and Sirus to their own devices.

Despite the restrictions on supplies, Sirus brought a thicker wire for combat and a saw wire for cutting.

There were two types of traps that Sirus wanted to create. Ones that would slow and ones that could immobilize. It could be argued that creating traps that would directly harm Orcs would be better, but that wasn't a good option given their supplies. The only trap like that would be a mace trap, where an object is swung from ropes attached to a tree, like a log. However, it was unlikely that a trap like that wouldn't be countered by an Orc, who would probably smash whatever was coming with their club. Therefore, there were only two options, a pitfall trap and something a bit too basic to be called a trap.

Regardless, the process had already started, and Sirus had started cutting down trees. Floki worked on removing the branches of those already felled.

After a tree was cut and cleaned, Sirus cut down the length of it, creating large boards, which he cut out pieces in the shape of shovels. Afterward, he and Floki used those shovels to dig two large pits next to each other in a small clearing near the fort.

The next idea was mainly to compensate for their main damage dealer's biggest weakness, Floki's need to build centripetal force. While doing so, Floki was vulnerable, so they needed to make something portable to slow down the boss.

Sirus went out and found a small grouping of trees, forming a square-like area with a tree at each corner. Ivarr had returned with the parachutes, and Sirus tied the ropes of the parachutes to the trees, creating a bucket-like trough in the air.

With his string, Sirus could use a bowstring firestarter along with the sawdust and broken branches to start a fire below the parachute.

And that was the start of the perfect plan for unavoidable pitfalls and the means to slow a boss Orc.