Chapter Nine

Ren's POV

Soon after the professor initiated the simulation, my surroundings started to change. Green, lush trees began appearing from beneath my feet, followed by soft and crumbly soil that caused my feet to sink.

My visibility slowly started getting blocked by the towering trees that began sprouting from the ground at an incredible speed. Extending my hand forward to touch a tree, I was immediately surprised by the realistic sensation that spread through my fingers. It didn't feel like I was touching a bunch of codes, but an actual tree.

‘How interesting…’

Just as I was being mesmerized by how realistic the trees were, a notification popped up in front of me. Seeing the notification, I quickly swiped left to discard it and fell into deep thought. The game was simple. Each student had one point, and every time a student was killed, their point was transferred to the killer. The last ten people with the least amount of points would be automatically eliminated and fail the course.

The only way to gain points was through completing hidden tasks available on the map or to kill as many students as possible. At the end of the test, there would be a ranking list that ranked the students according to their performance. Taking a good look at my surroundings, no one was in sight.

In fact, although the professor never mentioned this to us when briefing us on the rules, I already knew that everyone was going to be separated from each other.

Although it sounded easy, it was not. If it were that easy, what sort of test would this be?

The lack of information provided by the professor was intentional because this essentially meant that there was only one rule. And that was to survive.

In my case, a sleek black katana rested on the side of my hips. Swinging it a couple of times to adjust myself to the weight of the sword, I nodded in satisfaction.

It felt identical to the katana provided to us by Mrs. Wang. Sheathing the katana back into the scabbard, I fell into deep thought as to which way I should go.

I plunged my katana into the ground and sat down on a rock to waste time. I wasn’t trying to hide in the shadows to barely pass, no, I had other plans in store. To get my revenge on these stuck-up bastards looking down on me.

Quickly, ten minutes had passed since the test started, but there was no sign of anybody. Just as I was about to go look for them on my own, I noticed several shadows surrounding me.

Good! This was what I had wanted, to let them ambush me. I knew they were going to underestimate me since I possessed no Arkana. Analyzing their movements, I assessed that they were just mid to low-tier ranked students because of their clumsy movements.

Thud!

A sharp throwing knife was stuck deep into the rock I was just sitting on, but it was too slow to take me by surprise because of the otherworldly speed Mrs. Wang had always attacked me with. It was like they were moving in slow motion compared to my instructor. Pulling out my jet black katana from its sheath, I took a huge step and propelled forward in the direction of the kunai with a grin on my face.

‘This is going to turn out to be a piece of cake!’

With just a few steps, I caught up with the bastard who threw the knife at me. He was in utter disbelief at how I caught up in a couple of mere seconds. Using his shock to my advantage, I carved out his arms and legs in two swift motions, rendering him useless.

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The student let out a blood-curdling scream. Good. This simulation also stimulated the feeling of pain, otherwise, it wouldn’t be fun.

‘I think I’m quite the sadist… feeling pleasure in the pain of others.’

There were three more students left who had tried to ambush me. Approximating their positions, I made my next move. I was going to lure them all and deal with them at once; otherwise, it would turn out to be a bit of a drag and a waste of time since I had a plan to follow.

How do I lure them all at once? Simple, taunt them. They all think I’m inferior to them in every way, so just call them out and their pride will make them take action instead of logic.

“Why don’t you all attack me at once instead of hiding like some cowards! Ain’t I just a Manaless, Arkanaless bastard? What’s the point of hiding, or are you just that scared of me?”

It was that simple. With just a few words, they all came into the light from the shadows of the thick cover of the trees. This would make it much easier to kill them than to slowly hunt them down one by one and waste time.

‘These dumbasses, they just played into my hands and they don’t know it yet.’

With one quick slash, I got rid of the blood that dyed my black katana red. This made them glance at each other nervously, but one of them took charge and yelled, “It’s just one guy and it’s a three vs. one. We’ll obviously emerge victorious!”

This boosted their confidence and they charged at me at once. Before their attacks could connect, I jumped out of the way and moved back to where the rock was. I glanced at the knife plunged into the rock and got a devious idea, even for a demon.

As I pulled out the knife, I told them, “To make it more fair, I will only use this kunai to kill you.”

“Ren! How dare you look down on us? Have you forgotten that you’re just an orphan at your time at the palace?”

The grin on my face faltered slightly but was quickly replaced with deadly determination. I threw the kunai at the head of one of them with deadly accuracy and speed, giving him no time to react. Without wasting a second, I lunged at the one standing in the center. Unsheathing my katana, I plunged it into the guts of the one in the middle.

The one remaining couldn’t believe what had just happened. Two of his partners were taken down in an instant.

“Y-you said that you wouldn’t use your ka-katana!”

“Oh really now, did I promise? And a piece of advice, dumbass: never trust your enemy, especially if it’s a demon. We’re all lying, treacherous bastards.”

As I said this, I decapitated him in one clean motion and cleaned the katana in another.

Ding!

[Student Ren has earned 4 points!]

A pop-up was displayed right in front of me but when I reached out to touch it, it dissipated into nothing as if it was never there.

I continued through the forest, heading toward the center of the map. The simulation was vast, but I moved with purpose, my senses heightened. I knew others would be drawn to the center as well, seeking the hidden tasks and the chance to score more points.

After another fifteen minutes of navigating through the dense forest, I heard a rustling sound behind me. Instantly on guard, I drew my katana and turned to face the noise. A figure emerged from the shadows, another student. This one seemed more composed, with a determined look in his eyes.

Without exchanging words, the student attacked, launching a flurry of strikes with a pair of daggers. I parried the blows with practiced ease, countering with swift, precise movements. The student was skilled, but my training with Mrs. Wang had honed my reflexes and instincts to a razor’s edge.

The clash of metal echoed through the forest as we fought, each trying to gain the upper hand. My katana moved like a blur, deflecting the daggers and launching counterattacks. The student was relentless, but my experience and training gave me the advantage.

I watched his movements carefully, predicting his next attack. As he lunged forward with both daggers aimed at my torso, I sidestepped and delivered a quick, powerful slash across his chest. He staggered back, blood seeping through his shirt.

The student growled in frustration and came at me again, this time with a more desperate energy. I parried his strikes, feeling the force behind each blow. He was strong, but his attacks were becoming increasingly erratic.

I patiently waited for him to make a mistake, an opening I could exploit. However, his skill with the daggers was impressive; he didn't falter for quite some time, maintaining a relentless assault. His expertise in swordsmanship was evident in every precise movement.

Finally, as he aimed a strike at my ribcage, his form slipped. His balance was slightly off, leaving him vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, I sidestepped his attack, allowing his momentum to carry him forward and out of position.

In one fluid motion, I brought my katana down in a swift, diagonal arc. The blade sliced through the air with deadly precision, catching him across the chest. He gasped, stumbling backward, his daggers falling from his grasp.

Without giving him a chance to recover, I followed up with a series of rapid slashes. Each strike was precise, aimed to incapacitate rather than kill. He tried to parry, but my speed and the force of my blows overwhelmed him.

In the next few seconds, it was over. The student collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around him as he gasped for breath. I stepped back, wiping the blood from my katana with a quick flick of my wrist.

Ding!

[Student Ren has earned 1 point!]

Another notification popped up, but I ignored it, focusing on the task at hand. I sheathed my katana and continued toward the center of the map, the forest around me eerily silent.