Chapter 35
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 35: Group Projects Are Luck-Based (6)
This final exam could be broadly divided into two parts.
The general written exam, and the practical exam conducted with pre-assigned group members.
The former was a written exam with nothing special, but the latter was an exam students found very difficult because the topic was revealed right before the final exam.
I heard that last year, they had to clear a maze created by the academy, and the year before that, they had to choose commissions with different scores based on difficulty and were graded accordingly.
You ask if the latter wasn't the assignment given by the academy a few weeks ago to coordinate with group members?
Correct. Originally, in the exam, once chosen, it couldn't be changed, but they slightly modified it and gave it as an assignment for students to practice.
Anyway, since it was almost time for the academy to announce the topic of the final exam, not only me but all students waited for the professor's words nervously.
When the time came, the one who ascended the platform was Professor Kell.
“Ah, ah. I am Kell, the Head Professor of the Knight Department. From now on, I will reveal the topic of the final exam. For detailed parts after the announcement, confirm the post to be distributed later.”
He waited for a moment until the murmuring students became quiet, then opened his mouth.
“The topic of this final exam is survival. Examinees will enter a mountain managed by the academy with their group and take an exam together with group members. The grade is determined by the sum of the points earned through survival activities such as hunting monsters and animals and gathering plants, plus the final ranking of your group. Another method is to eliminate other examinees and steal their points.”
He took out a badge from his bosom.
It was the insurance badge we used several times while performing the last assignment.
“Everyone knows this badge, right? A similar badge will be used during the exam. Examinees will use a shield proportional to their ability as temporary life, and if this shield breaks, they are eliminated from the exam and automatically moved outside the exam site.”
Listening to it, it was a somewhat familiar type of exam.
Food must be obtained directly inside the mountain or only through supply drops falling intermittently, and if you defeat another student and touch their remaining badge to yours, you can steal 30% of that student's points.
Supply drops contain tools useful during the exam, and considering the number of survivors decreases as days go by, the exam site even shrinks as time passes...
This was a Battle Royale type exam that one must go through at least once when it comes to the academy.
There were minor explanations afterwards, but they didn't really enter my ears.
There was only one thought in my head.
‘....Really, the security is this thorough, so warlocks won't come again, right?’
Considering the academy's power prepared for this final exam, I knew it didn't make sense, but having this type of exam of all things made me anxious.
Regardless of my feelings, time flowed.. and finally, the final exam began.
Currently, my group members and I were standing at a randomly designated starting point, transported by teleport magic.
“E... Mr. Ethan. We can do it, right?”
“Of course. If we feel competitors are too strong and it won't work, we can just focus on survival.”
“Brother Ethan's words are correct. Do not worry too much. Aren't there various ways to take the exam.”
“Hehe, right?”
The exam starting while encouraging each other.
The atmosphere wasn't bad.
First, we decided to examine the surroundings and look for a place that could become a base.
The place we were at was a dense forest.
Tall trees were densely packed, and unknown plants and things like mushrooms were growing under our feet.
Climbing up a tree and looking around, abundantly grown leaves covered the forest like a roof, so it didn't seem easy to grasp the surrounding situation either.
I came down from the tree and said to the group members.
“It seems we have to move directly and observe the surroundings.”
“Where would be good to go?”
“Hmm... What do you think, Ms. Estelle?”
“Y...Yes!? Me?”
“Yes, Ms. Estelle.”
Feeling it while doing the group assignment all this while, Estelle didn't assert herself well, but her head was very good.
Wouldn't her words, who uses her head well, have more basis than me who only knows how to use his body.
“Th... Then how about going that way? Seeing the wind blowing, that side is relatively open, so I think it would be good to examine the surroundings.”
“Sounds good. Mr. Tauric, do you have other opinions?”
“No, I think it would be good to do as Sister says.”
“Ugh...”
We advanced in the direction Estelle pointed.
Walking a few minutes, as she said, the density of trees began to decrease a bit.
Compared to earlier, the field of view opened up noticeably.
“First, let's find water.”
“Understood.”
“O.. Other groups will also look for water as priority number 1, so we have to be careful...”
Ultimately, the core of this exam is survival.
It was important how well we preserve our power during the 3 days of exam period.
No matter if we are superhumans, if we don't consume sufficient water and food, it's difficult to exert power, so our competitors would also try to prepare a base near a place where drinking water can be secured.
“There are many edible plants near here.”
“Oh, can you distinguish edible plants?”
“Yes, yees...! Fortunately, most are things I know.”
It was an unexpected thing in a good way.
There were broadly 3 ways to gather food here.
Hunting animals, gathering plants, or obtaining supply drops that fall randomly.
Hunting animals had a high probability of attracting surrounding attention, and considering supply drops would have many competitors, gathering plants was the safest option.
However, distinguishing edible plants was a separate issue so each had pros and cons, but thanks to Estelle's knowledge, we could take only the advantages of plant gathering.
“Although they look edible, there are many plants that actually possess weak toxicity. It seems distinguishing edible plants is also in the evaluation factors.”
“If we eat without knowing, we'll get sick.”
“Yes, although I don't see ones with fatal toxicity, surely there will be groups who eat without knowing and receive damage.”
While looking around here and there to find water, Estelle picking up known plants one by one.
Before we knew it, gathering an armful of edible plants in her bosom, she looked like a squirrel whose cheeks became chubby from stuffing acorns continuously.
Since her build was also small, the appearance of holding an armful of plants looked harmless and cute, but because it was too defenseless an appearance, I spoke carefully.
“...Ms. Estelle? Since we don't need food right now, how about gathering when a place to store safely is created?”
“Eut...! I'm sorry... I guess I was too excited..”
At my words, her putting down what she gathered with a flushed face.
Being strangely regretful, she was really like a squirrel.
A few minutes later, we discovered a small valley.
Although the scale wasn't that big, it was a sufficient place to obtain drinking water.
However, since the surroundings were a bit open, it was slightly regrettable that it was a place easy for others to discover too.
“Shall we take a spot near here?”
“I think that would be good... However... How about staying a bit away from here? If things go wrong, I think we could be attacked by several groups..”
“Sister is right. Since this is the only place to obtain water near here, I am a bit worried.”
I don't know how wide the mountain is, but roughly over 100 groups exist in this mountain.
Counting only numbers, it's around 300 people.
Considering we haven't encountered other groups until now, the mountain seems quite wide, but still, with 100 groups, thinking no one will come here was too idealistic a thought.
“Then where would be good?”
“Hmm.. There was a cave, but there is only one entrance so it's too vulnerable to magic... and places with many trees make securing vision difficult, so I think it would be good to go to the nearby ridge.”
“If we camouflage moderately, it won't stand out much either so I think it's good.”
Since there was a place we eyed in the process of examining the surroundings to find drinking water, we decided to set up a base there.
Before leaving, we quenched our thirst, cut a nearby tree, made simple containers, and stored drinking water.
“Let's go before someone comes. Since fighting from the beginning will only attract surrounding attention.”
“Yes, it's that way.”
Following Estelle's guidance, we headed to the ridge of the mountain.
Walking about 10 minutes, we arrived at the place we eyed.
The ridge was open below and had a slope above while having moderate trees, so it was suitable for hiding.
If we fix this place up a bit to prepare a space to rest and camouflage it, it seemed we could endure safely for about today and tomorrow.
Of course, considering the exam site shrinks as time passes, if luck is bad, we might have to use it only for a day and discard it.
If we go out of the boundary commonly called the magnetic field, it's elimination as is, so no matter how well we took a spot, if luck doesn't follow, we have to move.
“Ms. Estelle, should we dig this out straight?”
“Yes, I think we can use the dug-out soil for camouflage.”
“Brother, let's dig this place together.”
“Yes.”
We dug out the surrounding soil to make a place to stay and camouflaged the surroundings with soil, stones, leaves, etc.
As a result, a plausible base was completed that was hard to distinguish if seen from afar.
There was more space than thought so it felt cozy even with three people hiding, and it was also good that we could check immediately if someone came from below.
When the base was completed, it became lunch time before we knew it.
Since it was time to get hungry, we hid the base well and went out to find food.