Chapter 62
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62
“Oh my, are you certain? Our club’s entrance exam is notorious for its difficulty.”
When I requested the hardest version of the test, Elena pulled out a spare sheet, her tone laced with genuine concern.
The other club members in the room began to whisper amongst themselves as they watched the scene unfold. I could hear their chatter as they stole glances at me, reminiscing about their own experiences or placing bets on whether I would pass.
“What are the stakes?”
“A dinner roll?”
“Don’t be so cheap. Let’s go with a week’s worth of snacks from the school store.”
“Deal. But… who’s actually going to bet on Roen passing?”
“…You do it.”
“Are you insane?”
Naturally, the consensus was that I would fail. Everyone seemed delighted to have found a fresh source of entertainment.
I chuckled at their conversation and held out my hand to Elena.
“I’m well aware of the difficulty. However, I have no intention of starting as a regular member.”
Starting as a regular member meant a higher attendance requirement to maintain membership and a significant disadvantage when it came to leveling up the club. You had to grind your way up the honest way, clearing inefficient, low-level hunting grounds one by one.
However, starting as a team leader or manager unlocked high-efficiency hunting grounds from the get-go and even provided a level-boosting effect. That was my true objective.
Or… I could aim even higher.
At my confident declaration, a faint smile played on Elena’s lips.
“You’re very self-assured. Very well. Since I was the one who invited you, I suppose I should expect at least this much confidence.”
Rustle—.
Elena handed the test papers to Garfield and me, then pulled out her pocket watch.
“You have twenty minutes. Good luck.”
“Understood.”
Instead of starting immediately, I scanned the paper Elena had given me and shook my head.
“This isn’t the one.”
“Pardon?”
I handed the test back to her. “I’ve heard rumors of a higher-grade exam. That is the one I want.”
“!”
For a fleeting second, the look in Elena’s eyes shifted before returning to its usual calm. Her gaze grew more subdued as she asked quietly, “Do you… happen to know what requesting that test signifies?”
I answered calmly.
“Of course. If I pass the hidden, highest-level test, I earn the right to challenge the president of the Monster Purification Club. I heard I could even take the presidency for myself.”
“!!”
In an instant, the atmosphere among the club members shifted.
“…”
One might wonder why they were making such a fuss over a mere club presidency, but the Monster Purification Club wasn’t just some social circle for students to kill time. The fact that it offered system-level benefits, unlike the Alchemy Club, was proof enough of its importance.
The club’s origins were tied to the fundamental purpose of the Union’s establishment: the subjugation of monsters. Furthermore, the fact that the presidency had been passed down through the bloodline of the Holy Kingdom of Celestia—a nation dedicated to eradicating evil—spoke volumes.
Of course… these days, it was essentially just an Elena fan club.
I looked at Elena and continued.
“And as the president, you have an obligation to grant a chance to anyone who requests ‘the test,’ don’t you?”
Hearing me speak with the clear intent of usurping her position, Elena let out a small, amused smile.
“…Very well. I will give you that chance. However, should you fail, you may have to pay a corresponding price. Are you prepared for that?”
“Naturally.”
I accepted the test with a confident expression.
“If I were afraid of a little risk, I wouldn’t have challenged you in the first place.”
*
The Monster Purification Club entrance test. Highest level.
Of course, my actual intention wasn’t to pass and steal Elena’s position. I’d be perfectly satisfied with being the vice president.
Being the president would be a massive headache. Even if I took the title, the members wouldn't follow my lead anyway. The vice president position, which came with significant authority but no real responsibilities, was the sweet spot. It was like being a class vice president—an honorary title with few duties—while the president got bogged down in tedious meetings and chores.
A score of 80 was enough to pass, so I just needed to be strategic about the point distribution.
Scratch, scratch—.
With that in mind, I began tackling the questions.
7. The diagram schematically shows the location of subarctic tundra climates during periods A and B. Choose all correct descriptions of the native monsters within the corresponding areas for each period. (3 points)
>
① The Ice Komodo has inverted scales on its lower jaw, which serve as a fatal weak point.
>
② The One-horned Tundra Troll has a habit of migrating south during period B, utilizing gas from the permafrost to supplement the mana required for its activities.
…
…
The questions in the first half weren’t particularly difficult. Although they were mixed with specific geography from the Myrillin Saga continent, I had no problem solving them. I could easily recall the answers by tapping into my memories of grinding through various hunting grounds and dungeons.
However, the difficulty spiked sharply toward the end.
21. The following diagram illustrates a portion of the interrelationships between ecosystem components and the organic…
…What on earth is this bastard talking about?
This wasn't something that could be solved with simple in-game knowledge. It was the highest difficulty for a reason. I frowned, reading the question again before shifting my gaze.
Should I skip this for now?
To clear my head, I glanced to my side. Garfield was clutching his hair, glaring at his own paper as if he could set it on fire. Garfield’s test was ‘Low’ difficulty, but it was still challenging unless you had a genuine interest in monster lore.
Fortunately, I had given him a copy of past questions at the cafe the other day. If he had studied even a little, he should pass. Despite his appearance, Garfield was actually quite bright.
I watched him struggle for a moment before returning to my own exam. I decided to skip the time-consuming questions and check the final section first.
The questions following number 21 were equally brutal, but the very last one caught my eye. It was a different format from the rest.
25. Describe the weaknesses of the Blood Demon.
…A Blood Demon?
Unlike the previous questions, the final one was descriptive, asking for the weaknesses of the ‘Blood Demon’—an elite-grade monster that only appears in the late game.
The Blood Demon was a commander-level enforcer that served the demon lords. It wasn't a monster you could defeat easily, even with top-tier items and high stats. Because of that, I had researched its patterns extensively. After hunting it countless times, I knew its weak points perfectly.
As far as I knew…
As of right now, no one in Myrillin Saga knows the Blood Demon’s weakness.
The Blood Demon was a top-tier entity said to have stood at the vanguard of the demon army during the age of ancient myths. It was a specter of the past that modern humanity had never even encountered. It was essentially an uncatalogued monster. There were rumors that one was sealed in the basement of the Papal See, but that was unconfirmed.
In any case, this wasn't a question meant to be answered correctly. It was designed with the assumption that the student would fail.
Or.
It means that if someone actually knows the answer, that alone is enough.
I was suddenly reminded of a famous real-world story: a graduate student who was late for a statistics exam, mistook an unsolved mathematical problem for a regular test question, and solved it. This felt like a similar situation.
It was a long shot, but they were essentially saying, “Give it your best shot.”
I looked at the final question and smiled faintly.
I can use this to adjust my score.
This single question was worth a whopping 20 points. If I got this right, I could skip the headache-inducing technical questions from earlier. I only needed 80 points to pass, after all.
They might grill me later on how I knew the weakness, but that was fine. Even if it was a bit of a hassle, I could seize the initiative by holding the source of this information over them.
After all, I’m not the one in a desperate position here.
Tap, tap—.
I tapped the paper with my pen, a smirk playing on my lips. If I could use this to establish a connection not just with Elena, but with the Holy Kingdom itself, I might be able to leverage her power again—just like she helped me during the last territory battle.
*
After the test ended.
“…”
Silence filled the club room. Elena’s expression turned strange as she collected the papers.
Garfield’s paper was graded quickly. Although it looked like he’d lost half his hair agonizing over the questions, he had managed to pass by the skin of his teeth.
The real issue was my grading.
Since I had skipped several questions after number 20, my total score from the multiple-choice section was exactly 60 points. The final question regarding the Blood Demon was worth 20 points. Whether I passed or failed hinged entirely on that descriptive answer.
The problem, however, was that Elena didn’t know the correct answer either.
“Hmm, this is unexpected.”
Uncharacteristically, Elena frowned, looking troubled. She thought for a moment before addressing me.
“Roen, through what channel did you acquire the information for your answer to question 25?”
“I’m afraid I can’t disclose that.”
“You didn’t just make it up, did you?”
“…”
I simply shrugged. Elena chuckled lightly and waved her hand.
“I’m joking.”
I made a suggestion.
“For now, why don’t we put my grading on hold? You’ll likely need to contact the Celestia mainland to verify the answer anyway.”
My test paper was in Elena’s hand. Since it potentially contained a crucial clue to subjugating an ancient demon, Elena would undoubtedly send it to the Holy Kingdom for authentication. This was even more likely given that she had tried to recruit me specifically because she thought I possessed rare knowledge about monsters.
And if it turned out to be a fabrication? It didn't matter. Elena had nothing to lose by checking.
“I see. Understood.”
Elena nodded, then turned to Garfield with her usual radiant smile.
“Garfield, you’ve passed. It was a close call, but you successfully cleared the test and are now a regular member. Congratulations.”
“Phew… thank you.”
Garfield let out a long breath, looking as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Elena gave a small nod and shifted her gaze back to me.
“On the other hand… Roen’s case is currently in limbo. I can neither say he has passed nor failed.”
The other members leaned in, their eyes darting between Elena and me.
Elena closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at me with a bright smile.
“However, he has secured at least 60 points on the highest-level exam. His knowledge far surpasses the average of our members. Considering this level of ability, I will use my discretion to grant him a manager-level position within the club.”
Elena offered me her hand, officially welcoming me.
“Congratulations on joining the club, Roen.”