Chapter 477: The Multi-School Joint Final Practical Exam Begins
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 477: The Multi-School Joint Final Practical Exam Begins
Today was the day of the joint exam.
Even with only the first-year students, the headcount reached ten thousand. Naturally, the academy wasn't the sort of place to gather such a massive crowd just to give a speech.
After all, in the eyes of the academy, this joint exam was merely a final. Any necessary motivational speeches had already been delivered by the counselors of each class. Once the students stepped through that teleportation spell, they would arrive at the final testing ground of the semester.
Whether they felt excitement, anticipation, or even terror, nothing would change.
If they refused to participate in the joint exam, they would simply fail the practical assessment.
Of course, some had gambled on the makeup exam being easier and tried to opt out, but after hearing that skipping the exam meant forfeiting the right to a retake, they had come crawling back.
At this moment, the girls were waiting to enter the testing ground, armed to the teeth.
Many of the students wore uniform attire: the Witch Academy Pine Four-Piece Set. The quality was excellent; if well-maintained, these sets could last them for years.
Alchemy items were expensive—far too much of a luxury for most students—but they represented an external power that could not be ignored. Since they were permitted within the rules of the joint exam, cheap yet high-powered disposable alchemy items had become the top choice for many.
In truth, the buzz surrounding this joint exam within the Witch Academy was intense. Even the upperclassmen were seeing a multi-school exchange format held twice in a single semester for the first time.
To ensure their juniors could hold their heads high, many senior alchemists had banded together to provide "firepower support" to the freshmen, selling items at the cost of materials.
Originally, they had planned to give them away for free. After all, the seniors studying alchemy had mountains of experimental prototypes and defective products that needed clearing out. While many were of subpar quality or technically "failed" projects, they weren't unusable.
However, the academy had stepped in to stop such a massive giveaway. It was deemed an "unjust enrichment" for the freshmen and an act that would disrupt the fairness of the joint exam. Thus, the seniors had to settle for selling them at cost.
This resulted in the sight of a vast army of students, all fully encamped and heavily armed.
As for why they didn't just use storage equipment?
Storage equipment was incredibly expensive. Even if one could afford a small storage item, if it was full, why wouldn't you carry a few more things in your hands?
And those cheap, mass-produced, high-power alchemy items... generally speaking, they were the "self-destructing" explosive type.
So, while the individual strength of this wave of witch students might not be much, the sheer terror they projected gave off the distinct illusion that they were about to level the Bobapus Archipelago.
It was precisely the "selfless dedication" of these seniors that gave the students such confidence.
Furthermore, the seniors weren't walking away empty-handed. One mustn't forget that this joint exam was being live-streamed in its entirety!
They were here for the entertainment.
However, this broadcast couldn't provide an independent perspective for every single person. With over ten thousand students from the Witch Academy alone—most of whom chose to form groups—the content would be far too repetitive. Therefore, there were no individual POV streams this time.
The smallest unit for a stream was a team, as the joint exam encouraged group action.
As for the "lone wolves"... unless their performance was spectacular enough to catch the eye of a free-roaming camera for a dedicated broadcast, the average solo student wouldn't get any screen time at all.
Aside from these perspectives, there were other channels, such as "God's eye view" rooms and exclusive streams for major events. If any special circumstances arose during the exam, the broadcast would follow them accordingly.
At that moment...
Looking at the massive teleportation channel, one could see the terrifying power required to tear through space itself supporting its existence. Pre-solidified rune rituals shimmered with transcendent brilliance, with intricate runes flowing across the surface.
This was the first time these girls had seen such a sight. Witnessing such a phenomenon at such close range—and knowing they were about to plunge into it—filled their hearts with a mix of anticipation and trepidation that they found utterly intoxicating.
"Class 1, prepare to enter the teleportation channel. Class Monitor, take the lead. After entering the testing ground, remain in your class units for the time being. Once you arrive, follow the instructions of our academy's teachers on the other side. I will emphasize this one more time: if you encounter any problems, your first priority is to seek help from our academy's patrol teachers." Lina gave her final instructions to Class 1. Her gaze then fell upon the class monitor, Tan Han. She didn't offer any extra words of caution, merely giving a slight nod to signal them forward.
Arrival at the testing ground was conducted in order of class rank, so it would take a significant amount of time for everyone to reach the Bobapus Archipelago.
Strictly speaking, today wasn't the official start of the joint exam; the preparation time was factored into the schedule.
At Tan Han's command, Class 1 displayed an unusually high level of cohesion. But it made sense when one remembered their monitor was Tan Han.
Essentially, the entire class belonged to the Tan Han Fan Club. Whether out of peer pressure or genuine adoration, every student identified with that status.
Not a single person lagged behind as they followed Tan Han into the teleportation channel, their morale as high as soldiers marching off to war.
But then again, who could say they weren't heading to a battlefield?
As they passed through the spatial channel, the sensation of spatial displacement flashed across their bodies. Having once possessed a teleportation spell herself, Tan Han adapted to the feeling almost instantly.
The moment they completely left the Witch Academy, her first reaction was the heat—even though it was only morning.
Information about the Bobapus Archipelago flashed through Tan Han's mind. This place was located in the tropics. Though the sun wasn't at its fiercest yet, the sweltering air, thick with the humidity of the sea, caused an immediate wave of discomfort for the girls. Many even lamented that they had forgotten to bring sunscreen.
As Tan Han led the entire class through the portal, her eyes scanned the area, searching for the academy teachers Lina had mentioned to receive their orders.
Her gaze quickly locked onto the four most prominent figures standing in the open port.
When she recognized a familiar face among those figures, her pupils couldn't help but shrink.
* * *
Meanwhile, on my end.
Seeing the teleportation channel we had set up finally open, the four of us teaching assistants stood ready to receive them.
We had been waiting for quite a while, and finally, they were arriving.
"Everyone! Candidates who have already entered, do not linger. Clear the area for those behind you. Do not block the main thoroughfare!" Lifaeya stepped forward first to direct them. Her voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Hearing the request, Tan Han reacted immediately and cooperated. Upon her command, the entire class cleared the main road directly in front of the teleportation channel.
"Whoa, is this a single class? Their discipline is that good? Did the whole class decide to stick together?" Lifaeya was quite surprised to see such an efficient crowd. she leaned over and whispered to us.
She had expected them to scatter into a disorganized mess the moment they landed.
But time was of the essence, so I gave a brief reply. "That should be Class 1. Their monitor is Tan Han; her name alone carries a lot of weight."
"Oh? So that's Tan Han. How interesting," Lifaeya said, her expression showing intense curiosity.
I mentally rolled my eyes. This girl didn't even recognize Tan Han... she really was oblivious. Did she never interact with the outside world?
But snark aside, Lifaeya and the rest of us quickly got to work, guiding them further away to make room for the students following behind.
Meeting Tan Han's gaze, I gave her a small smile in return. There wasn't much else to say at the moment.
We weren't currently on the Main Island, but on one of the thirteen permanent islands.
The unspoken agreement between the academies for this joint exam was that students would not be dropped directly onto the Main Island at the start.
The Main Island was the richest in resources, but also the most dangerous. Perilous monsters had been released across the entire Bobapus Archipelago, with the highest concentration on the Main Island. Naturally, it would be the primary battleground for all the candidates.
The Main Island also featured a mountain range, the highest peak of which was a volcano—albeit a dormant one.
However, the number of affiliated islands was far fewer than the number of participating academies. Consequently, many academies found themselves facing rivals the moment they landed.
They could be enemies, or perhaps temporary allies.
As the classes continued to pour in, Tan Han's class—the first to arrive—had already begun their planning. From their behavior, it was clear they were operating as a class unit, with Tan Han at the core of their strategic arrangements.
Tan Han's choice was sound. She intended to turn their "Starting Island" into a rear base for the Witch Academy.
She had already dispatched students capable of using flying brooms to scout the island. They needed to confirm if candidates from other academies were present and what kind of monsters they would encounter. Running into other students so early would be troublesome and ill-suited for immediate conflict. If the island was clear, they could proceed to the next step: a total purge of the monsters.
Tan Han saw the situation of this joint exam very clearly and had her own roadmap. With so many students in the Witch Academy, not everyone had a flight license or a flying broom, and spells that granted flight—even transformation magic—were relatively rare.
Thus, their first strategic hurdle was crossing the sea to the Main Island. That was where the joint exam truly began; there was no future in simply hiding on an affiliated island.
After settling in briefly, they had many problems to solve: "food, clothing, shelter, and transportation." At the very least, they needed to secure food, water, and a place to stay.
But Tan Han didn't find this particularly difficult. They had brought plenty of food and water. For long-term sustainability, they even had small alchemy items for seawater desalination—a setup that had cost quite a bit of money.
For shelter, they had tents—large, enchanted ones. Since they were on an archipelago, the weather could change in an instant. Who knew if a passing dark cloud would suddenly unleash lightning and rain?
Windproof and waterproof tents were a necessity.
One had to admit Tan Han was visionary. Far in the distance, a low-hanging dark cloud pressed against the sea, flickering with thunder and torrential rain. Fortunately, the storm wasn't heading our way but toward another affiliated island. I offered a silent second of silence for the candidates over there.
In fact, I knew a bit about the layout of this joint exam. The three top academies and the Witch Academy seemed to have a tacit understanding that each would have its own affiliated island. There wouldn't be a second academy on their islands. After all, while the other schools were weaker, they weren't fools; no one wanted a humiliating exit right at the start. That would be far too embarrassing.
However, with four islands claimed immediately, the remaining nine permanent affiliated islands had to be divided among the rest of the schools.
If an academy didn't want to face others right away, there were eight reefs and islets near the Main Island to choose from—provided they could accept being submerged by the tide at night.
Such islets were perfect for the Sea Clan colleges. For them, it was like a fish in water. Thus, the Sea Clan had the most obvious advantage in vying for the Main Island.
However, they also had to contend with terrifying monsters in the water, aggressive fish, and high-temperature zones near undersea volcanoes. Even if they were the first to land on the Main Island, they would be the first to face the onslaught of its monsters.
So, while it looked like an advantage, they couldn't afford to be reckless. Their best bet was to conserve energy and wait for other academies to land and draw the aggro, then use their aquatic mobility to seize resource points.
Of course, they could also use their ease of travel across the water to quickly establish cooperation with academies on other islands.
Meanwhile, the Witch Academy continued to funnel students through.
At the beginning, I still had some enthusiasm for directing them, and seeing my former class even prompted a bit of nostalgia. But after a while, we all became numb. A single grade level had over a hundred classes; this was no joke. And we couldn't let them congregate near the teleportation channel.
As our "Teaching Assistant Four" mechanically pointed the way for the incoming classes, I suddenly noticed a massive shadow floating in the distant sky.
I quickly realized what it was. Was that the Afuhemi Forest Elves' "Life Floating Tree"? I'd forgotten the exact name. During the academy exchange competition, the elves had descended from it. Were they using the same method to transport their students now?
Wasn't that a bit inefficient?
I turned back and stopped worrying about it. If they chose inefficiency, that was their business. I was more concerned by the fact that the Afuhemi Academy—one of the three top academies—was so close to the Witch Academy's island.
We assistants had arrived at the Bobapus Archipelago a day early to scout the area and familiarize ourselves with the False World Space Great Witchcraft, since we were the ones who had to retrieve students who requested to be eliminated.
During that time, I had visited other islands and interacted with assistants from other schools, such as members of the Afuhemi Academy's Mother God Guard. I could clearly feel the overwhelming pressure they radiated—a physical manifestation of absolute strength. It had genuinely intimidated me.
Unsurprisingly, I hadn't managed to strike up a conversation with them. I hadn't expected them to choose a location so close to us. Weren't they afraid the witches would skip the Main Island and go pick a fight with the elves first?
* * *
Meanwhile, in the outside world.
The live broadcast for the multi-school joint final practical exam had begun. The feed, led by the Witch Academy, was being rebroadcast to other transcendent academies.
Within the Witch Academy, almost every senior sister with a spare moment was tuned in to this grand event!
Many of them were eagerly hoping to see how many students from other schools would be blown up by the alchemy bombs they had provided. This kind of entertainment was simply impossible to pass up.
They even wished the damn broadcast had a donation feature, though even if the Witch Academy wanted to, they probably couldn't implement one.