Chapter 44: Midterm Exam (3)

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"With this… it's done!"

As Falco shouted, a group of students was swept away by his wind magic.

Simultaneously, Luca, who had swiftly approached the area in a lightning-esque motion, retrieved all their necklaces.

It all happened in such a short period of time that they didn't even have a chance to react.

"Nice, let's bounce!"

Continuing with a roar, Grid held back the pursuing group of students, while Trisha deployed a protective barrier. Luca also picked up the slow-footed Falco and retreated together.

It was a flawless execution.

"Great job, guys!"

As they withdrew to a safe spot, Trisha hopped and applauded energetically.

Indeed, what they just did was commendable. So much so that any amount of praise felt inadequate.

"With more than 9 necklaces, this should give us a perfect score!"

Most of the groups consisted of around three to four students, so each battle was a challenge.

After all, they were students of the Elfante Imperial Academy. They wouldn't just donate their necklaces to them now, would they?

"It should."

Falco grinned as he checked the map.

It was a map of the Grand Plains distributed to all the students. In addition to displaying the terrain and landmarks, it also showed the current ranking of the top group that had collected the most necklaces.

'We are…'

All four of them had easily secured a place in the top-scoring section among the hundreds of freshmen.

Rather, it was actually more surprising that they didn't lead as number one.

3rd place.

This was where they got placed even with their high score.

"…"

The rumors he had heard when he enrolled in the academy weren't lying.

Falco smiled and scanned the names of the people who ranked above them.

Second place was…

'Faenol Lipec? Was there such a person…?'

Falco was familiar with the exceptional freshmen who had enrolled in the Elfante Academy this year. However, this was a completely new name for him.

Then…

"…Wait a second. Is this person all alone?"

"What?"

The others huddled around, hearing such a revelation from Falco.

"They alone collected 15 necklaces without forming a group? How?"

"Why are these monsters in our class…"

Trisha let out a sigh of exasperation, but Falco just smiled and brushed it off.

Well, getting third place was already confirmation of a perfect score. There was no need to be gloomy about it.

More importantly, who was first, that it made someone with 15 necklaces only number two?

'Ah, it's Iliya's group.'

A wry smile formed on Falco's face as he confirmed their identities.

Dowd Campbell, Iliya Krisanax, and Yuria Greyhounder.

It was the group of the next Hero candidate.

A group of standouts among the freshmen.

As for the number of necklaces…

"…"

Falco blinked for a moment.

"Wait, is this thing broken?"

"Why?"

The others gathered around again to check the numbers.

And soon, they immediately understood Falco's bafflement.

Because…

"…It's over 100?"

"…"

Everyone was at a loss for words.

When they first got together, there was a voice among the students asking if this had been too excessive.

After all, no matter how bad the other party was thought to be, gathering more than 100 people against three was just plain overkill.

Everyone probably shared similar thoughts.

Ah, they were so fucking arrogant.

They thought that having just a hundred people was something, didn't they?

"…!"

Iliya and Yuria pulled out their swords and swung at them, but they did not have any special intent.

They probably only wanted to counterattack since the opponents were coming after them in full force.

However, the result was...

In the very first second…

…The moment their swords were drawn, reactions were already coming from all around. Air pressure surged and the surrounding objects were swept away, as if a typhoon was sweeping through.

In the next second…

Anything in the path of the swords was successively swept away by the tremendous torrent. The faces of students who intuitively realized how much power the blow held turned pale in fright.

And at the third second…

The two swords collided with the approaching students nearby.

At the same time...

The whole landscape was 'torn apart'.

-!

-!!

-!!!!!

The ground was upheaved. Rocks in the path of the sword strikes were pulverized, trees were uprooted and sent flying into the sky, and the group of students rushing in at us was all sent bouncing away.

But it didn't just stop there.

The extended burst of force swept through the back, sending the students who were preparing spells or blessings tumbling on the ground. It wasn't quite as dramatic as launching them all into the sky, but they fell like autumn leaves blown away by a sudden gust.

"…"

"…"

Silence hung heavily in the atmosphere.

'What the hell was this?'

Even some knights who had honed their body-enhancing techniques to the extreme wouldn't be able to produce such a spectacle.

To create a typhoon by swinging a sword, that kind of thing could only be found in fairy tales or myths!

And yet...

There were two people here, slapping them with reality by swinging their swords only once.

Yuria and Iliya were the ones who sent the students flying, but they themselves had their mouths dropped to the ground in astonishment.

"…This, what is this…?"

[…]

Even these two were shocked at the power they wielded. As if they didn't expect this result.

Yuria, who had cut a lot of people down, and Iliya, who had participated in multiple monster subjugations, had no idea what just happened.

So, naturally…

All eyes focused on the only calm person in this situation.

"Not bad."

As Dowd Campbell's lips curled into a cheerful smile, a shiver ran down everyone's spine.

Everyone instinctively sensed it.

The surreal scene they had just witnessed was entirely orchestrated by this man alone.

"…"

They heard that he was a prospective Theology student.

Of course, skilled priests could enhance their companions to an incredible level through their blessings, but to create such a phenomenon...

Just what level of mastery had he reached?

"…Surrender."

The utterance of that word sounded perfectly natural in the current situation.

Simply because, the target of their hostility...

…Whether it was a hundred or two hundred people...

Deep down in their bones, they realized that the opponent they were facing was simply beyond their capacity to handle.

First, a few pieces of information.

The duration of the Image World was shorter than I had anticipated.

In the end, the skill's usage condition involved summoning Caliban with my Divine Power, and with my current limited reservoir, I was only able to maintain it for one or two attacks at most.

Of course, that didn't change the fact that it was dreadfully powerful.

'Isn't this way too strong?'

Even I, who shared the buff, thought the same.

Just now, the students who got exposed to Iliya and Yuria's attack would have turned into minced meat if I hadn't used Ultima to cast a shield in conjunction with Penance.

I knew that most stat buffs were applied multiplicatively to the base stats of the user, but wasn't this going a bit overboard?

Considering that the physical-related stats of these two were currently hovering between B and C, it was even more excessive.

'Since my stats are all at F, I can only draw half of the skill's performance at most.'

I shook my head with a sigh.

'I'll need to raise them.'

Stats were among the most difficult traits to raise in this game world, even for veteran players. I wasn't just putting it off for no reason.

Fortunately, there will come a chance to boost them really soon. Once the midterm exam was over, various opportunities would arise.

'Well, right now…'

There was something else I had gained through this event.

I navigated around the system window.

System Notification

[ Party members received significant boosts in combat performance through buffs! ]

[ AP(Assist Points) have been granted! ]

[ You can use AP to increase proficiency in desired attributes! ]

That was right.

Sera had a system called AP. Even if I didn't fight myself and just helped my party members, I could still accumulate experience.

And just now, two of my buffed party members cleared 100 enemies in one shot.

And the AP I got from that was...

System Notification

[ Attribute: Breathing Technique - Duckweed proficiency has increased. ]

[ Attribute: Shifting Wind proficiency has increased. ]

[ Proficiency in both attributes has improved! ]

[ Both attributes are promoted from Basic to General Grade! ]

[ !Attention! ]

[ Confirmed the achievement of all conditions. ]

[ The two attributes will. befused! ]

[ ↓↓↓ ]

[ Arcane Gale ]

Grade: Basic

Proficiency: 0%

Description: Return a significant portion of the damage received if the opponent's attack is deflected at the right timing.

…It was enough to complete all this in one go.

It was a satisfying outcome. Just with this, my combat prowess had increased considerably.

Lost in these thoughts, I heard someone nearby and something being dropped.

"…Wow."

Iliya exclaimed as she looked at the sack full of necklaces.

All these were left behind by those who surrendered earlier.

"How many points will we get with all this?"

"It isn't really about points."

I responded with a wry smile.

Getting a high score in the midterm exam naturally dropped rewards in Sera's main story.

Collecting 3 necklaces was high rank, 10 was top rank, and 20 was the best of the best.

However…

If a player decided to collect more than 100 necklaces, there was another hidden reward one was able to get.

Primarily, it was related to the Crafting School where they were given the chance to create all sorts of equipment and items.

'Those guys.'

It was time to start prepping the stuff I needed to clear Chapter 2 smoothly. This was a pretty impressive achievement.

"By the way, Teach."

Iliya, with her arms folded, suddenly slipped in front of me.

She looked like she had something to say to me.

"Did you do something strange without telling me?"

"…Uh. Yes."

At Iliya's words, Yuria also looked at me.

Judging by the way her eyes were darting around, it was clear that it had also caught her attention.

"There were a lot of people watching though, right? Won't there be rumors?"

"…That's right."

"Teach, do you remember the last time when you apologized to me and said you'd do anything I wanted?"

"…"

It did seem like that happened.

When we went into the Netherworld to farm ectoplasm, Iliya got really mad and I had made that promise to her at that time.

But why was she suddenly bringing this up now?

I felt uneasy.

"Then I have two wish coupons now, right?"

Seeing my expression, Iliya smiled mischievously.

Her look just doubled my anxiety.

"…What do you want me to do?"

"Se—cret. I won't ask twice, I'll do a one for two, alright?"

Iliya giggled as she stuck her tongue out.

"I'll tell you after the midterm exam, so please take good care of me at that time."

"…After?"

As I was wondering why specifically she chose that time, suddenly, an earlier comment made by our family butler popped into my mind.

- That's right. Isn't there another event following the Class Observation? It will be easier to find a partner. I heard that the Lord also met the Lady there...

…No.

Surely she wasn't talking about that, right?

'If she really is, I'll have to take her with me to our territory.'

As I was silently breaking out in cold sweat, Yuria raised her hand.

[I…]

"Hm? What is it?"

[…I don't think it's strange that you declared yourself the owner.]

"…"

[Actually, it might even be better…?]

Iliya and I locked eyes.

We seemed to have a tacit agreement not to pay attention to the floating characters on the side.

Iliya cleared her throat and asked.

"By the way, Teach. Are you familiar with Margrave Kendride?"

"…No?"

Margrave Kendride acted somewhat as a foster father to Iliya.

One of the most prominent Holy Knights on the continent. In the game, the player had a chance to get him as a companion character in the later stages of the game.

I remember him as a sustainable character, with a combination of rigorous combat skills and high-level divine abilities.

"Your fighting styles are very similar."

"Really?"

"Yes. You're good at close combat, you handle blessings well, and you know exactly when and where to strike. If the Marquis himself sees it, he'd probably take quite a bit of interest in you."

"…Tell him it's unnecessary."

Gideon and Margrave Kendride's oil and water relationship was infamous among the great nobility.

If not for the Imperial Family's intervention, they would have already had several wars long ago.

And, though it was not official, I had a sort of informal teacher-student relationship with Gideon. I even saw him regularly.

The moment I got the least bit involved with Margrave Kendride, chaos was guaranteed to ensue.

'I wonder how Gideon is doing…'

Right now, he was probably deep into training somewhere under my direction.

But once he came out... his growth would be impressive. Truly…

"…Honestly, it's already noticeable. It's just a matter of time."

Ignoring the mumbling Iliya, I gazed ahead.

"Oh, we have arrived."

A small stone building surrounded by a blue hemisphere.

It was the sanctuary that marked the end of the midterm exam.

Once one entered and submitted the necklaces, the event would come to an end.

'…It's unlikely that it'll end this smoothly.'

Wearing a wry smile, I looked ahead.

Considering the experience I've had so far, there was no way it would end peacefully inside.

The midterm exam had always been the beginning of a big event in Sera. No exceptions.

"Why are you standing still, should we not go in?"

"…No, let's go."

Of course, I still had to go.

With that thought, I approached the Sanctuary. I pushed the heavy stone door and stepped inside, where...

"…Wait."

Iliya exclaimed in a panic.

"What, what is this? Is this also part of the exam? No, still, this doesn't make any sense…!"

Inside, there was a person sprawled on the ground, covered from head to toe in blood.

It was a horrific sight. It was almost as if someone had intentionally tortured them.

"…"

And…

"…!"

The moment I recognized who it was, a chilling sensation gripped my heart.

This was someone I knew. Unfortunately.

Why unfortunate?

Because there was a person near me right now who should never have seen this person in this condition.

Turning to the side, I saw Yuria staring blankly in that direction.

Vacant. Perpetually.

Her eyes were completely devoid of light.

As if her mind had just collapsed.

"…Big Sis?"

Then, an empty voice came out of Yuria instead of letters.

A window popped up in front of me.

[ Main Quest ]

〖 Chapter 2: Boy King of a Ruined Kingdom 〗

[ Stop the rampage of the Apotropaic magic possessing the Curse of Severance! ]

[ If Lucia Greyhounder or Yuria Greyhounder dies, it will be deemed as a failure! ]

[ Reward: 1x Echo of Sanctification ]

[ Reward: 1x Seed of Evil ]

Yup.

'What did I just say? Fuck.'

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