Chapter 83: Elaris Island Exam 23
The entire area suddenly went dead silent. Every student was interested in who would come out on top next.
These next two results would change the meaning of [Fate] itself.
The moonlight above slowly began to illuminate the area around them with much more intensity. It was like this entire island was made for this moment.
[Finals...]
The [Game-System] changed its screen; everyone’s eyes glued to it.
Cassien had a deep smile, as did the princess and the awakened Cid Forge, after his knockout from the Aether Core’s attempted use. Olivia’s face looked more emotional, similar to every other student within Class-1C.
But now the question had arrived...
"Who won?"
————————————
First: Class 1__
————————————
Second: Class 1__
————————————
Third: Class 1B
————————————
Fourth: Class 1D
————————————
Everyone’s eyes remained, no one blinking, their vision slowly beginning to rise.
————————————
First: Class 1__
————————————
Second: Class 1A
————————————
Third: Class 1B
————————————
Fourth: Class 1D
————————————
Their vision then began to approach second place, and that’s when they realized...
The impossible had become possible.
"Then that means..."
Even the instructors couldn’t fathom that reality.
————————————
First: Class 1C
————————————
Second: Class 1A
————————————
Third: Class 1B
————————————
Fourth: Class 1D
————————————
The [Game-System’s] voice returned.
[With that, it concludes the Elaris Island Exam.][Thanks For Participating!][We’re looking forward to the players coming by next year!]
Silence. No celebrations, no cheers, no proud remarks made. Because nobody could process what they were looking at.
"Class-1C won..."
The class that had always been stuck beneath 1A and 1B throughout previous generations. The class nobody expected to take first place. The class everyone considered talented, but never dominant.
They had done it.
Then, the entire area exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"NO WAY!"
"CLASS-1C WON?!"
"HOW?!"
"YOU’RE JOKING!"
Shock spread throughout every class simultaneously. Several students from Class-1A stared at the screen as if it were broken. Others immediately began arguing with one another.
"That has to be a mistake!"
"We got almost everything right!"
"How did they beat us?!"
The instructors themselves exchanged glances. They seemed quite surprised, though they tried to hide it from the public.
Olivia stood completely frozen, her lips parted slightly, her hands trembling.
"We..." she whispered, the reality finally settling in. "We won?"
Cassien looked at her, then smiled. "We won."
The words sounded simple, yet for Olivia, they carried something much more meaningful.
For years, Class-1C had chased after the shadows of Class-1A and 1B, no matter the age group.
For years, they had always been third-rate.
But now?
They stood at the top.
A laugh escaped Olivia.
Then she did it again.
Soon enough, she was smiling so brightly it almost seemed unreal. "We actually won!"
The rest of Class-1C erupted immediately afterward. Some students hugged one another, others jumped around like idiots, and a few simply stood there, staring at the screen because they couldn’t believe it.
Cid Forge folded his arms, a rare grin appearing on his face. "Fucking hell... we’ve lost."
Cassien laughed quietly.
Meanwhile, across the crowd, Aiysha stared at the results with an expression that could only be described as annoyance. Then her gaze slowly shifted toward Cassien.
"You actually did it... even with only two days."
Cassien didn’t smile, nor did he frown. For once, he was feeling an emotion he just wasn’t used to.
’I won...?’ At first, he tried to remain calm, but once it settled in, his thoughts changed. ’I did it... I changed [Fate]!’
His heart began pounding irrationally as he clutched his chest.
"I-I’ve done it."
’This means I can change what happens to me. This is great... It’s amazing!’
Aiysha clicked her tongue. "I hate that he’s right."
But deep down, Aiysha understood Cassien hadn’t simply won.
He had manipulated the entire exam from beginning to end.
And it worked.
From the start, everything had continued connecting piece by piece.
This wasn’t just proof that Class-1C had won. It was proof that [Fate] could be changed. That the story wasn’t absolute.
Cassien Artfold didn’t have to remain the bastard side-character destined for exile.
For one of the first times since entering this world, Cassien had beaten the script.
[Rewards Will Now Be Distributed.]
As the rewards began processing before everyone’s eyes, Cassien couldn’t stop smiling.
’So it really is possible... I can change the script.’
His heart pounded.
’Since coming here, I’ve had others reverse the way the story should’ve gone. But never was it me. Never have I fought against [Fate] itself.’
’But I won... I’ve defeated the very thing that creeped up on me!’
Cassien’s breathing became uneven. It was over. He had won.
The villainous deeds he had committed were all worth it in the end, because everything had worked out.
[Ding!]
The sound of the system pulled everyone back to reality.
A new screen appeared.
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Reward Distribution In Progress...]
A countdown slowly began appearing underneath the interface.
[Rewards Calculated.]
Every student immediately looked up.
[Class Ranking Reward Bonus.]
[Fourth Place: Class 1D.]
[Reward: 100 Academy Contribution Points Per Student.]
[Third Place: Class 1B.]
[Reward: 250 Academy Contribution Points Per Student.]
[Second Place: Class 1A.]
[Reward: 500 Academy Contribution Points Per Student.]
And then it came.
[First Place: Class 1C.]
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Every eye focused on the floating screen.
[Reward: 1,000 Academy Contribution Points Per Student.]
[Rewards Can Be Exchanged For Coins.]
[One Point Is Equivalent To One Silver Coin In The Real World. Head To The Main Office To Claim It When Ready.]
[You May Withdraw A Certain Amount And Keep The Rest With The Academy For Any Desired Time Period. You May Also Withdraw It In Full.]
’I see... so it’s kind of like a bank,’ Cassien thought. ’Quite effective.’
Amelia quickly noticed something within her line.
"What happened to those three girls who always used to hang out together? Where were they last?"
Theodore looked at Amelia. "I don’t remember..." He looked around. "They’ve probably already boarded the cruise out of anger." Theodore attempted to confuse Amelia, and it worked.
"Makes sense." She laughed quietly.
Then the instructor intervened.
"We’ll be boarding the cruise again shortly. I hope you all had a fun time, and we’ll be back by tomorrow night. Usually, the exam should have lasted six days, but as you know, we encountered some difficulties in continuing it."
She smiled.
"And after the island exam, you all get your winter seasonal break."
Everyone on the island, even those who seemed quite upset, smiled brightly.
"That means you guys get four extra days off! Well, technically three, because we’ll arrive back on the night of the 22nd."
Cassien smiled.
’Even more prep time...’ His thoughts had already drifted elsewhere. ’For the fight between Cid Forge and Theodore Lancaster.’
Afterward, Cassien’s personal interface appeared, accompanied by some news he remembered from the beginning of the purge.
[...]
