Directionally Challenged Partner
The act of wielding the knowledge and theory accumulated in one's mind as a weapon to defeat the monstrous letters sprawled across a blank page.
Ah, the written exam! A truly fitting name for such a bitter yet admirable ordeal.
How diligently had they glued their butts to the seat in unseen corners? Without spilling a single drop of blood, they could prove themselves—and still have time left to vent any frustrations.
"Ten minutes remaining."
Instructor Juyeon's voice, supervising the exam alone, slipped cleanly into the cadets' ears.
Only one proctor for the entire class.
Yet no one dared attempt cheating. Not even in their wildest thoughts.
Even with her back turned, they knew any funny business would get them caught instantly.
"…"
Rohan double-checked his name and number on the paper, his mind flickering like a gas flame outside.
No idea how many times he'd verified it, but the neatly printed details eased his mind, and he turned back to the problems.
The last two…
The written exam's end was in sight. To stay focused this long, he'd settled for a light nutritional supplement at lunch.
The faint hunger sharpened his awareness.
A few problems had stumped him—probably due to gaps in his study depth—but overall, he felt he'd maintained a solid flow.
"Five minutes remaining."
As a side note, Noah Frozenheart had been sweating bullets from the start of the exam right up to now.
The moment the first subject ended, she'd face-planted onto her desk. Impressive how Ichinose hadn't flinched and just fed her a snack.
First time tackling theory seriously, after all.
The investment of time and her weak spots gnawing at her seemed to be eating away at her sanity.
"Exam over. Put down your pens and place your hands on your heads."
A collective shuffle. No cadet begged for more time.
Juyeon wouldn't hesitate to nail anyone who tried.
"Hm."
Collecting the papers, Juyeon confirmed the count and names.
She slid them into a thick envelope.
Glancing at the utterly drained Rohan and Noah, she offered a faint smile.
"Good work, everyone. Rest until departure. Just gather back in the classroom by the announced time."
With the paper envelope tucked under her arm, Juyeon strode out, her heels clicking sharply.
The tension-drained cadets exhaled in near-laments.
"Ugh, I'm dead."
"Euuugh…"
Rohan and Noah melted over their desks like slimes.
"Noah. You did great."
"Hug me…"
"That's a tough request. How about a snack instead?"
Ichinose spared no praise for Noah, challenging studies for the first time.
And one more.
She knew Rohan, who'd been bombarding her with messages full of questions, had put in solid effort too. She shot him a quick glance.
— Rohan. What you're gonna say next is… "Let's rest quietly. What else you planning?"!
— Let's rest quietly. What else you try—huh?
— Uahahaha!!!
Gilbert bellowed in delight.
Rohan, having poured everything into the exam, could only flop limply and plug his ears.
Impressive.
Ichinose lifted the corner of her mouth before turning away.
She started tending to Noah slumped beside her.
Multiple transport ships awaited at Orion Academy's landing zone.
Models from the Sepia Archipelago—self-proclaimed aerial flight masters—shaped like ships yet slicing through the skies at high speed.
"Attention."
Each class lined up before their assigned vessel.
Under the dimming sky, they listened to their lead instructor's briefing.
"Before departure, I'll explain the practical exam. Questions after, so focus."
Juyeon glanced at the paper in her hand and continued.
"First, pairs will be randomly assigned, two per team. Only standard Orion Academy gear is allowed. If unavoidable circumstances require your personal weapon, inform an instructor."
That'd dock major points regardless—and approval was unlikely anyway.
No cadet in Abyss City ever brought personal arms.
"Monsters on the uninhabited island will only be species covered in class."
Orion Academy assumed cadets knew how to handle and counter them.
That single statement hammered home the reality of the exam.
"Food and water are self-provided as standard. Short duration, so some might try mana-sustaining."
Juyeon crisped the paper with a snap.
"But as a Monolith anomaly-based test, instructors will intervene. Fail a lot, learn a lot."
An exam had a clear end—but the setup simulated unpredictable crises.
And Rohan knew exactly what "intervene" meant.
"Separately, small caches of food and water are hidden island-wide. Open airdrops might happen too. Resulting issues are for cadets to resolve."
The intent was crystal clear.
They wanted to see conflict and disputes.
"Given the setup, I'll allow opinion clashes and non-lethal sparring. It's educational for the scenario. But…"
Heat flickered at the edge of Juyeon's sharp gaze.
Overwhelming pressure radiated, warning everyone.
"Don't try to kill fellow cadets."
Her words etched deep into their minds.
Rohan felt Dick in the back row gulp nervously.
"Instructors and staff will monitor constantly."
Juyeon's eyes swept each Class 1 cadet.
Blind spots existed even with proctors—her gaze carried thick worry and concern.
"Most important: If injured, don't push it. Fire the signal flare immediately. We want zero casualties."
Juyeon dialed back her aura, softening the mood.
She brushed back her red bangs, refreshing the air.
"Now, evaluation criteria and scoring."
The test theme: Survive the uninhabited island as if it were a Monolith dungeon.
Criteria varied: teamwork, post-exam health, monsters slain, partner's evaluation, and more.
Juyeon pocketed the folded paper.
"Questions?"
Ichinose raised her hand instantly.
With permission, she asked.
"Are pairs divided by vanguard and rearguard roles?"
"That balances monster fights best. But this is purely random. No such division."
"…"
"All prior Orion Academy training had basic assumptions."
Hunting monsters meant full prep.
Sudden roadside encounters? Combat pros stayed ready.
Dungeons shattered those.
Helpless civilians trapped, debuffs wrecking conditions—consumables depleted fast. Even gathered fighters might overlap roles by sheer luck.
"Monolith anomalies ignore that. Paired rearguards? Develop countermeasures and survival rules. Vice versa too."
"Understood."
"Next question."
Q&A flowed in the heavy atmosphere.
Confirming no more hands, Juyeon led Class 1 aboard the transport.
"Long flight ahead. Sleep except when called."
…
…
Island partners were drawn inside the transport.
Reach into a box, pull a number.
Matches form pairs.
"Number?"
"12!"
Odd total meant one trio in uneven classes—but Class 1 was even.
"Next."
Rohan's turn. He stepped up, plunged his hand in.
Eyes squeezed shut amid the papers.
Please…
A decent communicator. Anyone but a disaster.
—Pluck.
Grabbed one, withdrew. Gilbert's stare bored in.
"What number?"
Unfolding at Juyeon's prompt.
"3."
Gilbert tsked.
Rohan exhaled in relief.
"3's already drawn."
"Who is it?"
"Look right."
Turning at Juyeon's word.
The closed-eyed girl showed her paper.
Number 3.
Rohan's uninhabited island partner: Ichinose Yui.
"Looking forward to it."