The act of defeating the monstrous text sprawled across a blank sheet of paper, using the accumulated knowledge and theories in one’s mind.
Ah! The written exam! A truly splendid ordeal, befitting its bitter name.
It’s a moment where one can prove how diligently they’ve planted themselves in a seat, a chance to validate their efforts without shedding a single drop of blood. For some, it’s a time to prove themselves and vent their pent-up frustration.
“Ten minutes remaining.”
The voice of Juyeon, the exam proctor, seeped clearly into the ears of the students.
Only one proctor was overseeing the exam in their class—Juyeon alone.
Yet, not a single person dared attempt any form of misconduct. No one even considered it.
Even when Juyeon had her back turned, they all knew that any foolish act would undoubtedly be caught.
“...”
Like watching a gas stove burner from the outside, Rohan carefully double-checked whether he had written his name and student number correctly.
He had already verified it countless times, but after confirming once more that his personal details were written cleanly and correctly, he returned his focus to the remaining questions.
‘Just two more questions left...’
The end of the written exam was in sight.
To maintain his concentration up to this point, he had even settled for a light meal of nutritional supplements at lunch.
The slight hunger kept his mind razor-sharp.
There were a few questions he struggled with due to gaps in his knowledge, but overall, he felt that he had managed quite well.
“Five minutes remaining.”
On a side note, Noah Frozenheart had been sweating profusely since the beginning of the exam.
As soon as the first subject ended, he immediately slammed his head onto his desk. Ichinose didn’t seem surprised at all and simply started feeding him snacks.
It was his first time taking theory so seriously.
The stress of being tested on both his knowledge and weak points seemed to be eating away at him.
“Exam over. Put your pens down and place your hands on your heads.”
A collective rustling followed.
Not a single student attempted to squeeze in extra time.
They all knew that any such act would be met with Juyeon’s unrelenting enforcement.
“Hm.”
After gathering all the exam papers, Juyeon carefully counted and checked the names written on each one.
Then, she slipped them into a thick envelope.
Seeing the utterly exhausted Rohan and Noah, she smiled faintly.
“You all did well. Rest until departure. Stay in the classroom until the designated time.”
With the envelope tucked under her arm, Juyeon clicked her heels against the floor as she exited the room.
The moment the tension was released, the students let out sighs that were practically groans.
“Wow, that was brutal.”
“Uweeeeh...”
Rohan and Noah slumped over their desks like melting slimes.
“Noah, you worked hard.”
“Give me a hug...”
“That’s a bit difficult. But I’ll feed you a snack instead.”
Ichinose spared no praise for Noah, who had tackled his studies for the first time with such sincerity.
And then, there was another person.
Someone who had constantly bombarded her with messages asking questions—Rohan.
Knowing how much effort he had put in, Ichinose briefly glanced in his direction.
── Rohan. Your next words will be... "Just let me rest quietly. What else do you want?"
── “Just let me rest quietly. What else do you wan— huh?”
── Hahaha!!!
Gilbert let out a triumphant yell of joy.
Having poured everything he had into the exam, Rohan had no energy left and simply covered his ears.
‘Impressive.’
Ichinose smirked as she withdrew her gaze and turned to tend to the exhausted Noah beside her.
A fleet of transport ships stood ready on the grounds of Orion Academy, awaiting departure.
These were high-speed aerial vessels, manufactured by the Sephia Archipelago, a nation renowned for its mastery of flight. Despite their ship-like appearance, they soared through the skies at incredible speeds.
“Attention.”
Each class stood before their assigned transport ship, listening intently as the evening sky began to darken.
“Before departure, I will explain the details of the practical exam. Questions will be taken afterward, so focus.”
Juyeon cast a glance at the paper in her hand before continuing.
“First, each student will be paired at random. Weapons are restricted to the standard Orion Academy-issued gear. If you have a compelling reason to use your personal weapon, you must notify an instructor.”
Of course, making such a request would likely incur a heavy penalty.
Even in Abyss City, no students had ever been permitted to bring personal weapons into an exam setting.
“The monsters on the island are only those covered in class.”
This confirmed the baseline assumption of the test—that students had already learned how to handle and identify the creatures they would encounter.
That simple statement made the exam’s reality feel far more tangible.
“Food and water must be acquired on your own. That said, some students will attempt to survive purely on mana to compensate for the short duration of the test.”
Juyeon snapped the sheet in her hand, flattening the wrinkles before continuing.
“However, since this exam is based on Monolith anomalies, the instructors will be making certain ‘adjustments.’ You are expected to fail and learn from those failures.”
In other words, while the exam had a fixed end, the scenarios presented would mimic an unpredictable crisis.
Rohan immediately understood what she meant by ‘adjustments.’
“A small amount of food and water has been hidden throughout the island. In some cases, they will be made publicly available as supplies.”
“Handling those situations will be your responsibility.”
It was clear.
This test was designed to incite conflict.
“Given the nature of the exam, disagreements and even controlled skirmishes between students will be tolerated.”
“However...”
Juyeon’s sharp gaze flared, exuding a pressure that warned all of them.
“Do not attempt to kill each other.”
Her voice carried an undeniable weight—one that embedded itself into their consciousness.
Behind him, Dick audibly gulped, tension evident in his posture.
“Instructors and officials will be monitoring the exam at all times.”
Juyeon’s gaze swept over every single student in Class 1.
Even with instructors present, blind spots would inevitably exist, and the concern in her eyes made that clear.
“There is only one rule you must always remember.”
“If you are injured, do not be stubborn—immediately fire your signal flare. The instructors will not allow casualties in this exam.”
She softened her stance, lowering the pressure in the air as she ran a hand through her red bangs.
“Now, I will explain the grading criteria.”
The test was simple in concept—treat the island as a Monolith dungeon and survive.
The evaluation categories included:
Juyeon folded the paper and slipped it into her jacket.
“This concludes the briefing. I will now take questions.”
The moment she finished, Ichinose raised her hand.
With a nod of approval, she spoke.
“Will the assigned pairs be balanced by combat roles, such as a frontline and a support?”
Juyeon shook her head.
“In theory, balancing partners that way would be ideal for fighting monsters.”
“But this exam is purely random. No such adjustments will be made.”
“...”
Ichinose took a moment to process the response.
“To this day, Orion Academy’s training has been based on certain conditions and assumptions.”
“But dungeons—especially Monolith anomalies—shatter those assumptions.”
In a Monolith scenario,
“The Monolith’s anomalies don’t ‘balance’ things for convenience.”
“If a pair of students both specialize in support, they must develop their own survival strategy.”
“If a pair consists of two aggressive frontliners, they must adapt accordingly.”
Ichinose nodded in understanding.
“I see. Thank you.”
Juyeon shifted her attention.
“Next question.”
Several more rounds of Q&A followed.
Once no more hands were raised, Juyeon led Class 1 onto the transport ship.
“The flight will take some time. You may rest until your name is called.”
***
Inside the transport ship, partners were determined randomly via draw.
Each student reached into a box and pulled out a number.
If two students drew matching numbers, they became partners.
“Your number?”
“Number 12!”
Since the class size was even, no one would be left unpaired.
“Next.”
It was Rohan’s turn.
He stepped forward, reached into the box, and closed his eyes.
‘Please...’
‘Let me get someone I can actually communicate with.’
── Rustle.
His fingers grasped a slip of paper.
As he pulled it out, Gilbert’s piercing gaze fixated on him.
“What number?”
Juyeon prompted.
Rohan unfolded the slip.
“Number 3.”
Gilbert clicked his tongue in frustration.
Rohan, meanwhile, exhaled in relief.
“Number 3 was already drawn.”
“Who is it?”
“Look to your right.”
Following Juyeon’s instruction, Rohan turned.
A girl with closed eyes held up her number.
On the paper—"3".
His assigned partner for the island survival exam was...
Ichinose Yui.
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She opened her crimson eyes and met his gaze.
“Let’s do our best.”