There were now three examiners in total. The middle-aged man from the previous exam, a younger woman with a snake-like demeanor, and a young man with a plain face.
The middle-aged examiner spoke into the speaker of the control room.
“The practical exam will be based on teamwork. Teams will be selected randomly and your task will be to defeat a Garmr. Grading will be based on teamwork and efficiency.”
The screen on the wall suddenly lit up and displayed pictures and names of all the examinees in the room. Then, it began randomly assigning examinees to groups of 25.
Lucas scanned the screen carefully to find his name.
Group 20: ….Callia Garner, Lucas Deacon, Bholajun Minju,…..
‘Just my luck…why does it have to be the last group?’
As much as he hated his bad luck, he had to pass this entrance exam at all costs.
‘Wait calm down don’t be too rash. Being last is good since you can see the other participants go first. Think positive!’
Using the pictures of the examinees on the screen, he began looking for his teammates.
He found a boy with sleek hair exactly like the picture, surrounded by many other people.
“Excuse me, are you perhaps Bholajun Minju?”
“Hmph, who are you to talk to me? Don’t you know who I am, you filthy commoner?”
Lucas was taken aback by his tone.
The person next to Bholajun sneered at Lucas and talked to Bholajun.
“Heh, my lord, commoners aren’t well educated, I beg you to forgive this insolent commoner.”
“Hmph, you’re right. I am a merciful lord after all. I will say this once and only once, commoner. I am Bholajun Minju, the nephew of Lieutenant Minju. You may address me as Lord Bholajun.”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Lucas shook his head in disbelief at his arrogant and patronizing tone. He quickly composed himself, however. He was used to these kinds of people, having met them throughout his entire life in the Royal Palace. These kinds of people are the ones with no real power, only the fake belief that they are better than everyone else. There was no need to fear such people.
Lucas did not back down in the face of Bholajun. He looked him in the eye and greeted him curtly.
“Well, my name is Lucas Deacon. I look forward to working with you.”
The examiners looked around the room at all the groups of examinees that the screen had assigned.
The middle-aged examiner spoke again.
“I will now explain the rules for the practical exam. You and your team will work together to defeat the Garmr. A Garmr is the lowest-rank monster, but don’t underestimate it because of its rank. It’s a tricky monster with sharp teeth and an agile body. Its eyesight is bad but its sense of smell is much better than ours. You and your team will be allowed to forfeit the exam if one team member yells out forfeit. Additionally, your entire team will automatically fail the test if all teammates’ life force reaches below 20% or the 30-minute time limit is up. Everyone can choose one academy-issued weapon of their choice, and will be given 5 minutes to devise a plan with your teammates.”
Everyone got up and rushed to get weapons, but Lucas remained seated.
There were 500 examinees in this room, 5 minutes would not be enough time to find his other teammates and devise a plan together.
‘Garmr…a dog-like monster with amazing agility. Its only weakness is it’s bad eyesight…’
Lucas finally got up and went over to grab a weapon. He chose a basic spear and went back to his seat. Bholajun was talking to his minions and did not even bother coming up with a plan or finding his other teammates.
Soon enough, the 5 minutes was up.
“5 minutes have passed. Group 1, proceed to the arena.”
The first group walked up to the arena. The whole arena was suddenly enclosed by a blueish transparent wall the moment all the members entered.
“The test will now begin.”
With the examiner’s word as a catalyst, a Garmr appeared out of thin air. It was clear that this was just a simulation but the realistic Garmr could easily pass off as the real thing.
The terrain also changed to a glade, with untamed grass and muddy dirt.
The first group got in a defensive formation, with almost all the members carrying shields except for the archers in the back. This would have been a good plan in theory, but the group underestimated the power of the Garmr. The Garmr was easily able to break through their weak formation and injure the shielders. Blood splattered everywhere as the examinees screamed in pain. In a normal simulation, they would turn down the pain receptors and mental shock. It was clear by the examinees’ reactions that this was not the case here.
All the group members yelled in agony as the single Garmr ripped their flesh at an astonishing speed.
The warning buzzer in the control room rang out as all the examinees’ life force dropped below 20%.
The snake-like female examiner smirked in amusement.