Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (5)
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"...W-What? How are you this fast...!"
"You guys are just too slow. Why the hell are you treating this survival like some long-term marathon?"
[Class 7: All Eliminated]
The message that Class 7 had been eliminated popped up right as the last one fell.
That left five classes total, including ours.
The other seven classes had been leisurely building their camps without any defenses and got wiped out pathetically fast.
'How does no one prepare for an early rush?'
Of course, it wasn't incomprehensible.
Why had eleven out of twelve classes, like they'd made a pact, focused solely on fortifying their positions?
'They all think there's a temporary alliance until Class 1 is taken down.'
They figured they were safe as long as the common enemy was still around.
No need for distant scouts or heavy guards when Class 1 hadn't been eliminated yet anyway.
Thanks to that, we'd swept more than half in the blink of an eye and were now kicking back on their ready-made camps.
"Any injuries on our side?"
-About five hurt. Four eliminated.
While resting, I double-checked Class 1's remaining numbers—not just vegging out.
With four eliminated, we were down to twenty-seven total.
Compared to the damage we'd dealt, it was basically negligible.
"Alright, let's do a full gear check and rest up. Hold position until further orders."
-Got it.
Click.
I cut the communication spell and immediately unrolled the map of Survival Island.
'Right now, our class is split into three groups.'
Group 1: Me alone.
Group 2: Tatakum, Marren, Airi, Karan, Heila.
Group 3: Rastel leading the rest.
Split into these three chunks, we kept sharing intel via comm spells and picking off classes one by one.
A straight-up brawl in open fields might've gone against us due to numbers.
But hitting kids who only built houses without defenses? Dividing into three strike teams was ideal.
I'd planned for four eliminations; nailing seven was a massive win.
Plus, with things flowing this smoothly, we'd get more than just thinning the herd.
[As the number of remaining classes decreases, forbidden zones will be designated.]
[A forbidden zone is an area where staying 30 seconds or longer results in automatic elimination. Designated areas will have red ground.]
[Forbidden zones are randomly designated, so keep movement in mind.]
'Perfect.'
The payoff for that insane early rush was finally here.
'Now we can eliminate them even faster.'
I hadn't worried about stamina because of these forbidden zones.
With fewer people but the same island size, searching would've taken forever.
Forbidden zones were the tempo controller to keep the midterm from dragging—a penalty zone scaling with remaining players, widening as numbers dropped.
The smaller the safe area, the easier to encircle them.
'And the randomness is key.'
Not just empty spots—pure RNG.
Meaning even perfectly built camps could get hit.
"You hear that?"
-Yeah, calling about the forbidden zones?
"Yep. Some unlucky bastards probably have one on their camp. Hit 'em. Don't overcommit—Group 2 only."
-Roger. Later...
-Geon-ho, I'm working hard here—what, no praise?
I'd just issued orders and was about to move when Marren piped up in the comm.
'Yeah, I'd been wondering when you'd say something—you've been dead silent.'
She'd been grumpy about splitting up from the start.
Never linked up with me once, so she must've been dying to see me.
Marren holding back for the team's sake? Pretty admirable.
Like watching a spoiled kid suddenly mature. Something warm welled up inside.
"Keep it up and maybe we'll have a date somewhere nice?"
-Yay!
-Hey! You crazy? What about our engagement ceremony—making dates with other girls...!
-Jerk, playboy—nothing for me? You kidding?
Marren was thrilled, but then Heila and Airi jumped in.
'So damn cute.'
Part of me wanted to call them one by one, grab those asses, and let one rip.
But no time now, so I swallowed the urge.
"Of course. Engagement with Heila, and that date we missed with Airi."
-...Fine.
-This is a one-time pass, got it?!
Click.
No more delays—time to end comms.
I had to catch the ones fleeing forbidden zones, so I got up.
"We'll wrap this in 24 hours."
No intention of lingering on this shitty island.
Same time, Midterm Evaluation Professors' Observation Room.
"...How the hell do we even explain this?"
"Looks calculated from the actions alone. Impressive."
Everyone there was uniformly awed by Class 1's strategy.
"Thought they were just blindly hitting nearby at first."
"Figured they'd get crushed later by fortified camps."
"But using the forbidden zones' randomness to counter that..."
It wasn't just leaning on RNG luck.
Fewer players meant more zones inevitably.
So camps were bound to get tagged eventually.
"Kids resting after building get paranoid watching classmates drop around them."
"Tension skyrockets. First midterm too—how stiff are they?"
"Reading and exploiting group psychology... At first-year level?"
All twelve classes dictated by one guy.
Unprecedented in Hero Academy history.
Past prodigies were still greenhorns as freshmen.
Only after trials and growth did they become 'heroes'.
But Kim Geon-ho was different.
Entered with the wastrel label, now shining bright.
'Killing giants? Personal power explains that.'
But dominating team fights? Not just 'strong'—general material!
He had the traits of an ideal leader, from top-rated Class 1 no less.
"Match pace is too fast."
"Yeah."
As awe faded to objective analysis...
The island, packed with twelve classes hours ago, now down to two.
Class 1 and Class 12.
Some distance between them—would take time to clash.
Even so, Class 12 beating Class 1's full main force? Unlikely.
"Can congratulate you early, Professor Ran."
Even Class 12's prof beat her to it.
All profs waiting for the obvious result...
Click.
"Huh?"
Click, static buzz!
Screens cut out, island portals severing one by one.
Sudden magic block and portal cutoff.
Meant one thing.
"Prep to head to the island now!"
Intruders.
Shwaaaaa.
Shwaaaaa.
The rough night sea waves dragged at everything on the shore.
Thud, thud.
A stranger stepped off a rowboat onto the sand.
His leather boots were soaked and wrinkled. Same for the leather pants over his jeans.
"Ugh... Hate places like this."
The man adjusted his wide-brim fedora, fiddling with the revolver on his hip.
Using such an honorable weapon for slaughter? For the greater cause, unavoidable—but he hated it.
"Alexander! Come!"
Whoosh!
Neighhh!
Whatever, had to do it.
He muttered, stuck fingers in his mouth, whistled to summon his steed.
Snort, whinny!
A brown horse breathing heavily.
Three times normal size—not your average nag.
"Back to the wild life of shooting on the plains. No choice."
He mounted up, slowly riding into the island.
Or tried to.
"Cowboy type, huh? You'd manage."
"...Who the hell are you?"
"Hunter."
If not for the interruption.