Admission Exam (6) - 15

...

After 10 rounds, it had become pretty obvious by the number of chips on the table that the AI was winning by a margin compared to the other examinees.

Or course, I was just on its tail, lacking in only a few chips compared to it.

'It's like I thought, only counting cards won't make up for my mistakes as a human, I need to try something else.'

As round 11 started, I secretly looked at my cards before putting them back on the table.

'An ace and a 2, pretty bad cards.'

I only bet a little this round and watched as once again, the AI earned a lot whilst the other players either won a little or lost a lot.

As we were passing the cards back to the robotic dealer, I suddenly used handy to palm the ace and put it in my sleeve before acting as if I threw two cards to the dealer.

Although the AI probably noticed it, it didn't say anything as, after all, it had previously said that anything was allowed.

I looked at the next round of cards that was dealt out.

'Hmm, a 5 and a 6, not bad.'

I took the chance and bet more money on this round.

When it was my turn, I hit.

'Let's go, it's a jack!'

As I was reveling in happiness, it immediately dissipated as when we showed our cards, the AI had a "Blackjack" too.

Sighing, I could only hope that I would have better luck next round.

38 rounds later:

I looked at my last two cards in the 50th round.

'Fuck, it's an ace and a 4.'

But, as I thought this, I realized something.

I switched the three out with the ace that I had been hiding since the 10th round.

Showing my cards, I said, "I'd like to split."

The robotic dealer dealt two more cards to me.

Grabbing them, I hurriedly flipped them over, putting them right in front of my eyes.

'It's a king and a 7.'

This meant that I already had one blackjack, but that I had to take a risk with the other one.

Looking at the stacks of chips at the right side of the robotic dealer, I gritted my teeth and declared that I would be going all in.

Pushing forward all of my chips, I hit, and slowly peeked at my last card.

'Holy shit!'

I looked at the 3 as if it was the greatest thing that I had seen in my life.

I immediately revealed my two blackjacks and looked smugly at the robotic dealer.

'Hmph, who's looking down on who now?'

And, as the AI quickly calculated all the chips on the table, it figured out that it would lose if it didn't get a blackjack.

The robotic dealer reluctantly drew a card, but bust, going over 21.

My eyes lit up as the chips piled up next to my two blackjacks.

'Yes! I fucking did it!'

'Wait, is this the thing called the protagonist's halo? No, no, I am definitely not the protagonist, this book already has another one.'

As the others realized that we had won, they all slumped in their chairs, sighing in relief.

"Congratulations to you all for passing the 2nd carriage's test, you may now proceed into the first carriage."

We quickly stood up and rushed through the door, worrying that at any second, the childish AI would go back on its word.

"You may all now rest here for the next few days, waiting for the rest of the teams to arrive here or to die."

Hearing this, we all quietly shuffled into our assigned rooms.

Flopping onto the bed, I thought about the last test.

'This was actually the only other admission test that was described in the book, other than the ones that the protagonist and the other heroes faced.'

As I thought about what I had to do, I smiled grimly, before going into a lotus position and intensely circling my mana, trying to ready my mind.

...

After a week passed, the train still showed no signs of stopping, and as we were confined to our rooms, we couldn't tell if any other teams had made it through.

'We should have arrived at the academy 4 days ago.'

As this train wasn't a bullet train, it had taken a little less than a week for it to reach the academy that was hidden deep in a mountain range that I was pretty sure was the Pyrenees mountain range back when it was still the 7 continents.

Right now, we were probably just circling in an endless loop around the edges of the academy, waiting for the final test to commence.

The other examinees that had arrived on the other trains were probably all resting, and watching our train as it circled around, waiting for us to finish.

Unfortunately, the windows were currently being blacked out, so I couldn't be sure of this.

...

Another two days went past before we heard from the AI again.

"Examinees, please ready yourselves as the final test is about to commence."

We all immediately put on our clothes and weapons, playing with our knives, cracking our knuckles, or bouncing our legs, as we eagerly awaited the start.

Suddenly, a door appeared on a wall in my room.

"The test is simple. On the other side of the door is another examinee. All you have to do is kill them. When there are only 5 people left, the test will end and you will be admitted into the L. Please begin!"

Instead of rushing through the door like the others, I just waited behind the hinge of my door, intending to catch the other person by surprise.

'A bunch of dumbasses, just following the AI's instructions blindly without thinking about what could give you the best advantage.'

And as I thought, the door of my room suddenly burst open as my opponent came in, wielding their weapon.

I crept up behind him as he stared at the room in confusion.

Suddenly, he felt the world turn sideways as his vision fell to the floor before blacking out.

"Thud!"

Looking at the head that was a few feet from its body, and the blood on my black kusarigama, I couldn't help but shudder and feel the urge to throw up.

'Did I just kill a human?'

My head spun as these words echoed through my brain, amplifying the reverberations that were bouncing off the edges of my skull.

Leaning down on one knee, I suddenly spewed my breakfast all over the person's dead body.

After another 30 seconds of vomiting, I dry coughed, wiping my mouth before standing up again.

I calmed my rampaging mind, as I thought about how I would have to do the same thing again, for who knows how many times.

As he walked past the mirror in his room to the door, one could notice that the 13-year-old's gentle, stubborn eyes, had gained a certain degree of coldness to them.

Clenching my fists, I walked through the door to the next room.