Chapter 145: Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145: Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
Back in the present, deep within a corridor of Octovus Hall.
White, Abel, and Roanna stared at their bracelets. Even as they simply moved forward, the numbers on their displays were climbing rapidly.
It was likely because their teammate, Shera Hectorica, was busy eliminating the other students.
“She’s certainly capable, that Shera girl from the Magic Department.”
“She is strong.”
White knew of Shera Hectorica.
“Her mana is Grade S, but word is she didn’t use her full strength during the entrance exam. That’s why I remember her. She should be at the very top of Class B.”
“Grade S mana in Class B…?”
A light twinkled in Roanna’s eyes. She had been quiet until now, but she seemed genuinely surprised.
“I heard the Magic Department freshmen were especially talented this year… but it’s unimaginable for a student with Grade S mana to be in Class B.”
Abel let out a hollow laugh. It was understandable; at their age, those with Grade S mana were geniuses who existed beyond the typical spectrum. Especially as an aspiring Magic Knight, Abel tended to admire those with massive mana capacities.
“Ah, that is true…”
Though the teams were chosen randomly, grades and skills were taken into consideration during the balancing process. For high-ranking Class B students to be placed on the same team meant that White was considered that much weaker to compensate.
“…”
Tears pricked the corners of White’s eyes. She was hit by a sorrowful wave of realization regarding just how weak she truly was.
“Anyway, it doesn’t look like anyone is using large-scale spells. I expected the Magic Department to have used tricks like that by now.”
“Large-scale spells?”
“You know, like using a tsunami to sweep everyone away…”
With a short “Ah,” White nodded. Now that she thought about it, it was a good question. Why wasn’t anyone using them?
If one used magic recklessly, they risked being detected by those with high mana perception. It was standard practice to keep magic usage to a minimum. However, that shouldn’t be a problem for those capable of unleashing field-wide spells repeatedly.
“Dumb Sleazo.”
“What’s with the sudden insult, Miss Friend…?”
“You should have seen it earlier. There was a Cherry Bus.”
“That pretty-looking bug?”
“…”
“Can you not look at me like that? I feel insulted.”
Roanna narrowed her eyes, glaring at Abel with pure disgust. She seemed to be contemplating what she should even do with such an idiot.
There were all sorts of ridiculous creatures within the labyrinth. The ‘Cherry Bus’ was one of the entities implemented specifically for the exam. If a student’s mana came into contact with a Cherry Bus, the creature would track the flow of that mana and fly toward the source. Then, it would latch onto the mana trail and consume both the victim's flesh and their magic.
In the real world, if one entered your body, the only way to survive was to amputate the affected limb. Since these were magical constructs for the exam, they wouldn’t actually eat flesh, but being caught by one meant an immediate fail.
Therefore, using field magic was essentially an elaborate method of suicide.
“I didn’t know that…”
“Princess White is understandable. I’m just disappointed that the guy who studied an absurd amount of magic beast ecology didn’t even know the dangers of this labyrinth.”
“Hey Friend, I can’t help it. That Cherry Bus thing isn’t a magic beast; it’s a monster. I’m not interested in monsters.”
“Yeah, yeah, you zoophile…”
“Shh.”
Suddenly, Abel halted and spread his arms to the side, stopping White and Roanna. White jolted in surprise.
“There’s a presence at three o’clock…”
Even before Abel could finish his sentence, Roanna quickly drew her bow and loosed an arrow imbued with magic. Her light green locks fluttered in the wake of the wind mana.
Spewt—!
[Skreeeeeek!!]
The arrow, charged with pale green wind mana, hit its mark on a demonic illusion hidden in the shadows. The light from the mana illuminated the creature—a monster resembling a bear with long, sharp claws and a slender, wiry body. It let out a piercing cry before dissipating into a cloud of dust, scattered by the wind.
“That was amazing, Miss Roanna!”
“It’s good to have you here, Friend!”
“Don’t fall in love with me, though.”
To White and Abel’s cheers, Roanna curtly flicked her hair and stowed her bow. She was a Knight Department student with exceptional talent for archery, and like Abel, she was an aspiring Magic Knight.
“I’ll be depending on you, Roanna!”
“I will also be depending on you, Miss Roanna!”
“…I will be protecting Princess White. But Sleazo, you’re going to be my meat shield.”
“Meat shield, you say? Haha, that’s funny!”
Abel laughed exaggeratedly, cold sweat dripping down his face. He had a sinking feeling that Roanna might actually use him as a human shield.
And so, they continued to venture through the darkness. Without Shera Hectorica, they had to be extra careful to survive. As they moved forward, they fought through demonic illusions, avoided traps, and navigated the scars of elimination hidden within the gloom.
As her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, White eventually found ways to support them with her wind magic.
*
One hour and a half later.
The trio arrived at the mouth of a specific passageway. Fancy lamps lined the walls, emitting a pale blue light. The atmosphere shifted, feeling much colder and more dangerous than anything they had experienced so far.
“Eheheh, it looks like we’ll be able to reach the destination safely through here—Hmm?”
White had been following behind with a smile, but Abel and Roanna suddenly froze.
In front of them was a single path. According to their compass, this was the only way to reach their destination.
However…
“What is this…?”
As if the ground itself had been mutilated, countless lines of red mana were scattered across the path. They were ‘scars of elimination.’
But the sheer number of them was staggering. The scars were messily engraved across the entire passageway, too many to count with a single glance.
“There’s something up ahead. And this is the only path we can take…”
Looking down at the compass, Abel spoke nervously. The compass marked all nearby paths. Until now, the routes had always split, allowing them to bypass other students or attack from behind.
But this segment was different. Here, the only way forward was to pass through this dark passage—even though it was clear that something highly dangerous stood guard on the other side.
“D-do you think it’s a Predator…?” White asked, her voice trembling.
Abel and Roanna turned to her. A Predator. It was definitely a possibility. The Predator was someone from Class A or of similar strength. That would explain why there were so many scars of elimination in one spot.
White thought of Luce Eltania and Priestess Miya. They were monsters. Class A was a den for monsters like them…
“That means… the Predator didn’t bother wandering around? They just stayed in this one spot?”
They had naturally assumed the Predator would be hunting. No one imagined someone would take on the role of a gatekeeper on a single, mandatory path.
“…Huahh.”
Though she was terrified, White had no intention of backing down. With Abel and Roanna by her side, they might find a way to push through.
White remembered Isaac’s high-five.
“Let’s do well on this exam,” he had said.
She decided to push forward, if only for the sake of Isaac, who had worked so hard to help her.
“I-it’s alright…!”
The only problem was that White’s voice was still shaking.
“We don’t necessarily need to beat the Predator. We could distract them somehow… then quickly escape to the next route.”
“I agree!”
Abel raised both hands with a carefree smile, playing along with White’s suggestion.
“We can’t back down here; it’s the only path, after all. Roanna, what do you want to do?”
“Sleazo, you take the lead and be the meat shield.”
“Hahah, you’re such a terrible friend!”
Abel responded cheerfully to Roanna’s callous remark. Their objective was a high grade. Even if a Predator was waiting, none of them wanted to stop. Furthermore, the points they could obtain decreased as time passed, and they didn't know who their opponent was. They didn't have the luxury of formulating a complex plan.
It was time to move.
The three took a moment to coordinate a simple strategy utilizing their specialties. Abel grasped the hilt of the sword on his belt. Roanna readied her bow. White calculated various formulas in her mind, finalizing her magical preparations.
“…Let’s go.”
Steeling their resolve, they stepped into the dark passageway. Roanna placed a cover over their lamp so they would merge into the shadows.
However, Roanna and Abel quickly realized that a surprise attack might not have been the wisest strategy. Not only was their vision limited, but their position was far from ideal. If they launched long-range attacks and were counterattacked in this narrow corridor, they would be utterly helpless.
Abel felt his foot step into something wet. The floor was covered in a shallow layer of water that submerged the soles of their shoes. They had to be wary of the sound of their footsteps. The three students exchanged nods and proceeded slowly, one careful step at a time.
Eventually, light shone upon them once again. They reached the end of the passage, and their view cleared.
The humid, cold air stung their skin. The ground was still covered in water, with thin shards of ice shaped like crystals floating on the surface. On the high walls, several luxurious lamps cast a pale blue glow over the pristine room.
Sitting in a chair made of ice magic in the center of the room… was a male student.
He had silver-blue hair and his head was bowed. Leaning against his shoulder was the magic weapon, Zhonya’s Staff. The mana stone embedded in the staff reflected the pale blue light of the lamps, glowing like a moon in the night sky.
Abel and Roanna swallowed hard. It didn't take much instinct to realize the man before them was the ‘Predator.’
Meanwhile, White’s eyes were shaking visibly. She couldn't hide her shock.
“You’re here.”
The voice was calm. The silver-blue-haired man raised his head. A blue brooch was pinned to his tie—the color representing the second-year students.
On the surface, with his round glasses and soft features, he looked like a typical, kind-hearted senior. But White knew exactly what kind of person he was. Contrary to his appearance, he was incredibly firm, calculative, and cunning. He was an admirable mentor to her.
“Senior Isaac…?”
“Unfortunately.”
The silver-blue-haired student stood up from his ice chair and planted Zhonya’s Staff firmly on the ground. Then, he took off his glasses.
“You shall not pass.”
This was the only path leading to the Eltra Sea. He could not let a single person pass this point during the joint practical evaluation.
That was one of the criteria for obtaining the ‘Ring of the Abyssal Queen’ from the Abyssal Sea Monster, and it was also the only way to protect everyone from it.
The Predator.
Isaac, the rank one student of Class B for the second-year Magic Department.
The frigid chill he emitted began to bleed into the room, spreading out toward them.