Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Final Exam (1)
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"......"
Dain stared at the scene before her.
It was hell unfolded in the truest sense.
"Uwaaak! Save me! My arm! My arm!"
"Mooommm!!"
The students were crying and screaming in chaos. A noble fleeing from a hellhound, a commoner student slipping while climbing a tree.
And the horrific monsters chasing them.
'......Sorry.'
Dain offered a silent apology in her mind.
'I'm really sorry, guys. I didn't mean for it to turn out like this.... I just threw it out as a joke because I had no idea what that senior would do to the students....'
But the guilt lasted exactly three seconds.
Even if she hadn't suggested it, that creative lunatic of a senior would have turned this island into hell some other way.
If she hadn't mentioned demonic realm monsters, he probably would've synthesized chimeras himself or set up a ton of traps to make it even more gruesome.
'Yeah, this is second-worst instead of worst-case. Thanks to my strategy, a sliver of humanity was preserved.'
With that shameless self-justification complete, Dain slapped her cheeks twice.
'Get it together. No time for sentimentality.'
The goal was to survive for two days—48 hours—with five lives. Lose all lives or forfeit, and you're out.
So the safest strategy was to form groups of moderate size, cover each other's blind spots, and hunker down.
It was theory drilled into them in Academy tactics class until their ears blistered, so those kids knew it in their heads too. The problem was that the "enemies" defied common sense.
-Grrrrr! Woof!
That hellhound. Name was Poppi or something.
The thing that acted like the world's tamest country mutt in front of Kasian was now rampaging as the Cerberus of hell, eyes blazing red at the sight of easy student prey.
"...."
No, it was a mad dog all along. It had just met an even crazier dog and behaved.
Kieeeek!
At that moment, two ghouls reeking of rot caught Dain's presence and charged.
Slash!
No time to think. Dain's sword reflexively cleaved the air. Brilliant golden sword aura erupted from the tip, slicing the ghouls' necks like tofu.
The charging ghouls vanished into dust without a scream. Such an anticlimactic end. Dain shook the fluid off her blade and thought coolly.
'What. Not a big deal.'
Her fear threshold had already shattered during the last black dragon raid. After facing a house-sized dragon about to blast her with breath right in front of her eyes, ghouls the size of humans just seemed like rowdy drunks.
'Looking at it this way... this body's a total cheat. So this is what being a talent monster feels like. Just two months of training and I'm this good.'
Suddenly, she recalled the original novel's settings from her past life.
Now she understood why the major events in the romance fantasy she read happened in the 3rd and 4th years, after Dain and Yuria graduated—not 1st or 2nd.
'If they'd hit before then, the two would've swept them away with annoyed looks.'
Dain surveyed the forest with a bitter expression. Dozens of 4th-year students had their formation crumble against a few low-grade demons, screaming and fleeing.
They weren't weak. They were the Empire's elites. They'd just never faced demons outside of textbooks.
And yet...
500 years ago, these things poured out by the thousands, tens of thousands? And these were the trash mob lowest-grade demons? Legion commanders leveled mountains?
Dain's imagination painted a horrific past.
'Ahh... what kind of battles did you fight?'
Awe for Kasian, the man who survived that hell, welled up.
No wonder the peaceful Academy felt like a kindergarten playground after rolling through that era. And the man who survived that hell had marked her as his adjutant.
"Ha... It's such an honor I'm tearing up. I just wanna graduate peacefully..."
A miraculous moment where respect and resignation surged together.
Dain glanced at the bracelet on her wrist. Other students' had "5". Hers had none.
Instead, a clear infinity symbol (∞) was etched on it.
She recalled Kasian's words from earlier.
[Dain, Yuria. Your special class has different rules.]
[Unlimited lives for you two. Took a ton of work making those artifacts.]
[Your pass condition isn't survival. Take down the boss monster in the island's center. Fail? No going home.]
[Downside: the artifact won't block all shock. It'll hurt coming back from the entrance.]
"Son of a bitch....."
Even thinking back made curses spill out. This wasn't a blessing—it was a curse.
But Dain quickly steeled herself. No time for cursing.
'These guys are one-shots for me anyway. The boss can't be that strong.... right?'
Even if it was a boss, she'd seen Kasian slay a demon up close that day. No way it was stronger than the black dragon.
"Goal's set."
Dain gripped her sword tighter.
But she couldn't go alone. No room for complacency. Who knew what insane thing that mad senior had unleashed as the boss.
Increase numbers. And luckily, she had someone in mind right away. Another victim trained just like her, with the power to break through this mess.
"Yuria."
She had to find her. Form a party, take the boss's head, clock out early. That was the way to live.
On the cliff above.
"KyaAAaAaA!!"
"UwaaAaAk!!! Save me!!"
Screams from students and monster roars echoed from the forest. Arms crossed, I nodded along like savoring the sound.
"Mm... good. Very lively. Youth. Seems to be going well enough."
"Lively? They're screaming, you psycho."
Erendel clicked her tongue with a disgusted look.
"You'll give the kids panic attacks. Already fainting left and right? Some teleport back to the entrance and won't even re-enter."
"Let 'em. Blame their own weakness."
I scoffed.
"Besides, they need that crisis sense to grow. People unleash superhuman strength right before disaster. How do you think I got strong back then?"
Obviously, I didn't get special perks right after dropping into this world. I grew by rolling in dirt, breaking bones, vomiting blood.
The Empire's rising star should inherit that tradition, right?
"See? Most are whining, but some are already adapting."
At the end of my gaze, Yuria was squashing hellhound packs flat like pancakes with gravity magic. That refreshing smile every time one burst... priceless.
She looked calmer the bloodier she got—bloodlines don't lie. A born battle maniac.
"Of course. Takes after her master."
I inwardly beamed at Yuria's exploits.
"Even the shitty personality's a spittin' image. Treating magic not as research but as the virtue of destruction—identical."
"What?"
"Praise. Excellent talent."
I grinned and looked away. In the forest's other side, a familiar figure sneaked toward Yuria.
Dain.
"Predictable."
Her game was obvious. Solo's a hassle, so team with firepower queen Yuria for a straight dash to the center.
Rush the boss, wipe it, go home, wash feet, sleep. Rational as hell. Who'd wanna camp in a demon-infested woods? Especially bed-loving Dain.
Other students? Maybe not. But current Dain and Yuria could wreck this island's ecosystem. One-sided slaughter against demons, guaranteed.
But...
"Can't let 'em off easy."
Daring to cheese their once-in-a-lifetime graduation exam with exploits and bullying... Unforgivable as a true educator. Easy wins breed the poison of arrogance.
"Might as well implant real trauma... er, vigilance. Failure's the mother of success, right? Gotta crawl the floor to know the sky's height."
"......"
Erendel's brow twitched. Bad premonition.
"You... what'd you unleash as the 'boss' in the center? Extra barrier, black dragon heart as cost—not your average demon..."
I tapped my demon sword's hilt.
"Just called an acquaintance. My sword's original owner. Sandbag No. 1."
".....?"
Erendel's brain short-circuited.
Demon sword's original owner?
Only one demon fit in her mind.
Tough, tenacious enough to be the training partner for the hero party—the era's top slaughter squad. Worthy of "sandbag".
"Don't worry. Told it to stand put and only fight challengers."
"You... you crazy bastard..!!"
Crimson-black smoke rose from the island's center.
Boom!
A gravity orb crushed the last ghoul's head.
"Hoo... boring."
Yuria shook off her staff and smacked her lips. Corpses littered around, but it wasn't enough. These were too weak to vent two months of beatings from Master and that mad war hero.
"Yuria over there?"
Someone emerged from the bushes. Dain.
"Ah, Your Ladyship? You're alive?"
Yuria lit up.
"Good. Thought you'd croaked somewhere."
"Harsh... I'm not dead. Fine as hell. Unlimited respawns anyway."
Dain brushed off her clothes and approached.
"More importantly, Yuria. Party up with me?"
"Party?"
Yuria tilted her head.
"Yeah, you and me together? We'd blast to the center easy. Grab the boss, end it quick. I reek—bugs in my hair or something."
Dain's offer tempted, but Yuria shrugged it off.
"Eh... need? I can solo fine."
She nudged a corpse with her foot.
"And I don't wanna end quick. Wanna pop more here. Stress relief's nice? Boss later."
"......"
Dain stared at Yuria. Madness in her eyes.
'This girl's nuts too.'
Only normal one in this zone was her. How could popping monsters trump going home fast?
But Dain didn't quit. She had past-life boss-wrangling skills honed to perfection.
"Yuria. Think about it."
Dain feigned seriousness.
"What's killing a hundred small fry? Think your master—who beheaded the Demon King in history books—would approve?"
"......Pardon?"
"Their standards are sky-high. These low demons? Puppy-tier."
"....."
"Prove your real skill? Bag the center boss. That war hero prepped it. Gotta be huge."
"Oh...."
Yuria's eyes sparkled. Persuasive. One big kill beats small fry—efficient, impactful.
"Show you smashing it flashy? That's praise-worthy."
She grinned.
"I like it."
"Right? Smart thinking."
Dain sighed inwardly. Recruited. Firepower junkie DPS secured.
Teacher's pets are easy. Name-drop Erendel, done.
Of course, cold sweat inside.
'Truth? No clue on the boss... Whatever, we'll smash it together.'
Thus, the duo headed center-bound, united.
The two pushed toward the forest center.
Scattered demons ambushed midway, but no match. Dain blocked and slashed with aura; Yuria bombed with magic.
Thus, they pierced the demons to the ruins at the forest heart.
Another barrier shrouded the ruins—like a coliseum.
At the circular arena's end, beneath a crumbled pillar, a massive figure in jet-black armor stood statue-still.
Boss vibes screaming. Blue glow flickered from the black helm; it gripped a greatsword man-sized.
Thud.
Earth trembled. Suffocating killing intent enveloped. Instinctively, Dain opened her status window. She doubted her eyes.
It slowly raised its head and spoke.
"Go home, whelps."
"......"
".........."
No need to say—Yuria and Dain's faces drained pale at the voice.
You madman, what the hell did you summon.