Seagulls by the Riverside
Isabel [Rank 5 / 162]
Lake [Rank 31 / 162]
Rita [Rank 22 / 162]
The Seagulls Living by the River
"This... this can't be happening, sob, shit... I'm screwed!"
Aria, transformed into the tragic heroine, wailed in front of the bulletin board.
"What the hell... what is this ragtag bunch of losers... they stick together and still end up at 144th? 162nd? Ughhh... they even get along."
Aria was venting her grief with a sprinkle of curses.
"If they had any conscience, they'd at least give us two digits, right? Combined they're like 300th place? We're doomed! Fuck, everything's fucked!"
Muttering to herself, Aria exuded a sinister aura.
"This exam... it's so damn important... if we don't stay in the top 50, no off-campus activities, no money... my fancy tablet."
Government-mandated rule born from schools rigging teams for bribes. For Sabers, luck is part of skill.
The team assignment system always drew student complaints. But this was a government directive, not the school's doing.
"Sob, waa... b-but this is too much. Taking these idiots... sob... how am I supposed to beat a top-number team... waaah!"
"Hey, watch your mouth?"
Aria whipped her head around. Standing there was the diminutive Chris.
Chris's frame was so slight that even Aria, no martial artist, figured she could overpower him with raw strength.
"The harsh truth is your own skill. Sob, waa! Teaming up with a shrimp like that!"
"If you're so great, win it all by yourself."
"It's not that I'm great. It's that you guys suck! Huh? Got no shame?"
"Yeees~ Sorry we're so worthless. But whining won't change shit."
Stung by Chris's retort, Aria huffed and turned away with a 'hmph.'
"Haa... team selection's already a bust... To win with these losers, we need a gate event that favors us at least..."
"What'd you call us, losers?"
"What're you gonna do about it?"
Aria clutched her forehead against the pounding headache. With a top-number on the opposing side, the worst matchup was battle.
The Crimson Witch...
She could probably roast all three solo, no sweat.
We lose! No way! I'd rather die than let her win!
Next worst was monster hunting. With martial artist Lake and archer Rita on their team, Aria deemed victory impossible.
"Monster hunting's out too... no way we win that... It has to be... performance! Puzzle! History! Please, please, pleeease!"
Aria cried out in a frenzy.
Chris sensed a hint of madness in her.
"...Hey, calm down. You're freaking me out."
But Aria knew it was impossible.
Stuff like that's at least 3rd rank. No way it shows up in a student virtual gate.
Chris patted the shoulder of Aria, who was tearing her hair out in agony.
"Hey, don't sweat it so much. Didn't you see the school paper? Word is that Zien guy's strong despite being dead last."
"What? Strong despite dead last?"
Aria took a deep breath to steady her excitement.
"Just... leave me alone. Get lost, kid."
"Man, what a bitch."
Zien, watching Aria and Chris, let out a sigh.
Already fracturing?
Still, Zien had no worries. He was as confident in handling people as he was in swordsmanship.
Especially kids.
My Previous Life was the Strongest Sword God
Virtual Gate Exam D-1.
10 PM.
Chris received a text.
Sender... Daven?
No direct connection, but Daven was a name Chris knew. His gang's notoriety was infamous among low-rankers.
"Didn't he get suspended?"
Calling him to campus during suspension?
Curiosity piqued, Chris threw on a hoodie.
The night lot was quiet, unlike daytime.
A distant streetlamp illuminated a figure. Chris recognized the silhouette instantly.
Guy's huge.
Unlike pint-sized Chris, tallest-in-class Daven stood out even from afar.
"We that close you'd summon me this late?"
Chris's tone dripped with defiance.
Anger flickered in Daven's eyes but vanished quickly.
"I've got a proposal."
"Proposal?"
Chris's eyes narrowed.
Daven replied with a sleazy grin.
"Yeah, a proposal."
Daven pulled a paper from his pocket and held it under the streetlamp. Chris's initial confusion turned to shock.
"Th-this is..."
"Money. My money. Fulfill one little favor, and it's yours."
"Favor? Wh-what's your angle?"
Chris's voice trembled.
It would. The check was over ten million. Pocket change for Daven, life-changing for commoner Chris.
"One thing I want: betray Zien in the exam."
"...Betray?"
"Yeah, betray. You saw the brackets? Your team's losing anyway. Not thinking you'll beat a top-number, right?"
Daven's stance wasn't pleading—it oozed arrogance, like granting a favor.
"Then what's the point of betraying?"
"I don't just want a loss. Strip their points clean—get 'em disqualified."
Chris recalled the school paper. The principal urging Zien's expulsion. Common in merit-based Arcana.
Probably expulsion if 162nd Zien drops out. That's Daven's goal.
Chris stepped back from Daven.
"If I refuse, why even pitch this? Bribing exam-takers is..."
Daven cut him off with a sneer.
"Refuse? No way—you're broke. I checked."
Chris glared up at Daven.
Snooping family finances too. Big as a bear, slimy as a snake.
"Your moves are pure snake."
Chris's gaze lingered on the check. Temptation or greed to accept? To refuse? His throat felt dry.
"...Gimme time to think."
"No need for an answer now. Mull it over during the exam. Whenever."
Daven smirked at the bowed Chris.
Act conflicted all you want—you can't say no.
To Daven, commoners broke rules and betrayed teams for cash. His eyes bored into Chris.
Obvious.
Two men under the streetlamp, one in turmoil.
The moon dipped without waiting.
Exam day.
Before entering the virtual gate, students got 30 minutes strategy time in the waiting room. Most discussed magic tools and gate tactics.
Of course, Zien tried asking about his teammates' tools.
But,
"Uwaaaah! We're screwed. Monster hunting with these losers? Heh, heh heh. Heh heh. Masterpiece."
Aria cackled unhinged, and
"Hoo..."
Chris sighed with a lost, troubled look.
...Can't blame 'em.
Zien eyed the bracket on the wall.
The Hungry Crow Flock
Chris [Rank 144 / 162]
Zien [Rank 162 / 162]
Aria [Rank 44 / 162]
Event: Monster Hunting
Zone 1 Virtual Gate