Final Test

Ch 15

POV Krauss

As the time went on the area only became more and more crowded with people. Seeing that it was almost time for the test to start, I started searching for Charlotte's figure in the crowd. Luckily, I found her quickly enough.

"Hello Miss Charlotte."

She just nodded at me instead of replying.

"Since you are here I suppose you agree to the deal?"

"I do."

"That's good then."

Just then another announcement rang around.

"[Attention to all examinees. The exam is now going to begin. Those who have not gathered near the front gate are considered disqualified.]"

As you would expect, there were a few who didn't show up and were disqualified already. It might be due to the fear of dying during the test, foul play, or maybe simply oversleeping, who knows? The fact remains that they didn't manage to show up and were disqualified.

A few seconds after the announcement a large magic circle appeared in the sky and suddenly the mana in the air was disturbed which caused me to experience a dizzying effect.

When I regained my senses after a few seconds an old voice echoed through my mind.

[Good afternoon everybody. First let me congratulate you who managed to reach this stage. This itself proves your talent is enough to enter the academy. But talent is not the only thing required to become strong. If you want to qualify the next test you will have to show your actual combat skill, mental tenacity, and quick thinking.]

Only when the voice stopped and I looked at the dazed faces of the people around me did I realize that the same thing was being said in everyone's minds. I looked back to where the magic circle had appeared and what entered my vision were two people standing in the air as if it were solid ground. One was standing upright with a sheathed sword at his waist, and the other one with a smaller figure and a sliver beard held a staff with a glowing crystal orb as its centre piece.

Instant Movement and Mind Web. That old man with the staff is a mage and the other one is a fighter, a swordsman probably, judging from the blade on his waist.

Although I had met with mages and fighters multiple times living in the palace, this was the first time I got to witness their spells and arts first-hand. Right then a different voice echoed in my head. It must be the sword-wielding person.

[We both will be the judges of the final test. Let us begin.]

With that voice echoing in my head, the ground beneath me started to glow with white patterns. As soon as I saw the runes I held Charlotte's hands and the next second with a flash of white light and a nauseating sensation the surroundings around me warped into what looked like a dense forest.

Nothing like a teleportation array to make you feel sick.

There are ways to stabilize an array to make it more comfortable, but with this large array it was already commendable that it was able to properly teleport everyone without harming anyone.

I looked at the person standing beside me, luckily I held her hand or I would be left alone in this place.

Only after regaining my faculties did I notice the additional bracelet on my hand. A similar one was on Charlotte's wrist too. Just then another voice echoed in my head, "[The objective is to collect 100 tokens for each refinement level you are by killing the monsters. You have a full day to complete this task. Your performance is being monitored.]"

I turned to Charlotte. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Then let's quickly finish the job." I wanted to complete the task before Helen's assassins came after me.

"Life detection~"

I used this detection spell once again and the various bugs and plant life lit up with a dim light. Slowly I increased the radius of detection.

"15 meters that way, a rank 2 monster." I pointed as I felt a stronger signal than the surrounding beings.

""

With silent movement, Charlotte quickly rushed and before the snake could respond she killed it with her shortsword.

After killing the snake a small light orb rose from the dead body and rushed towards Charlotte's bracelet. Before she could react it merged with it and six lines were formed on her bracelet.

So the counting is automatic? I couldn't imagine what kind of massive array and how much energy would you need to count every single monster killed.

Just like this continued killing the monsters while moving in a single direction. Charlotte was using only low-level combat arts so I buffed her with a few spells which I knew to make things easier. Even rank 3 monsters fell in front of us. Although things were going well I had a bad premonition in my heart.

I tried asking Charlotte and she also agreed. This test was way too easy. Not only for us but others as well. A team consisting of a few adept and apprentice warriors could easily pass this test, not to imagine the high warriors.

But regardless of what I felt we continued slaying monsters as per the instructions given. We didn't speak much but our cooperation became better as time passed. After some time I realized how the tokens were distributed, for killing a rank 1 monster you would get 1-3 tokens, 5-7 tokens for killing a rank 2 monster and 9-11 tokens for killing a rank 3 monster.

After a few hours, we managed to find a river and followed it upstream. We did meet a few other people but there was no conflict between us.

By dusk both me and Charlotte each had bracelets with more than 300 thin lines on them.

"There's a cave over there," Charlotte said while pointing towards a cliff face.

"Alright, let's wait out the rest of the time over there."

Now all I had to do was be careful of Helen's assassins and it would be fine. I kept casting force detection at regular intervals to make sure no one was in the vicinity.

** ** **

"Damn, do it faster."

"Young master all of us are really tired now."

Shit. I still have only 100 tokens.

"Don't even think of taking a break. What did I prepare the potions for? Just drink and get back in the battle."

All of this is because of that Adept magician. Once I get out of this place I will tell my cousin to punish all of them. How dare they refuse a noble's orders.

As soon as we were teleported to the testing grounds all of those third refinement warriors followed that mage and left our group. They were supposed to make me pass this damn test. I will definitely have their heads once I leave this place.

** ** **

In the forest five cloaked figures were rapidly moving while stepping in the shadows.

"Was it ok to abandon that noble?"

"Don't forget our priority is to have the head of the third prince. All other things can be ignored."

"But we don't even know where he is. The signal is too weak."

"That is why we need to move faster. We only have a day. If we miss this chance, trying to kill him in the institute will be multiple times more difficult."

** ** **

In a room filled with moonlight in the tallest spire of the castle, an old man with a white beard and a middle-aged looking man are seated while looking at multiple floating screens.

"Are there any interesting students this year Siegmund?" The old man asked while not taking his eyes off the screens.

"An excellent assassin. A genius prince. A girl with no cultivation. Other than them the overall level of the students itself is higher than previous years."

"Oh. That girl entered the test? Did any team take her in?"

"She joined a team of apprentice warriors. Bottom of the barrel characters."

"How many tokens did she collect till now?"

"15. At this rate, she will surely lose. If she joined with her brother she could have at least gotten a few more. Was it not unfair to tell her to collect 100 tokens as well?"

"We already bent rules to let her attempt this test. It was her choice to go through with it. Phase 2 of the test has still not begun. Let us wait before judging." The old man replied in the same unconcerned tone.

"That's true."

"What about the assassin and the prince?"

"They have already completed the task as is expected. Although there seem to be a few rats after the prince."

"Since the strongest two are in the same team let them be. The difficulty is too easy for them normally."

"Yes, sir. But what if he really is not able to handle it."

"Then to help them have the motivation should we start phase 2?" The old man said before putting his hand on an engraved crystal on his table.

At that moment an announcement rang in everybody's minds.

"[Congratulations to the 478 people who have successfully met the conditions to qualify. Phase 2 will now begin. Killing monsters will no longer provide tokens, but from now on Tokens can be transferred from one bracelet to another. Collecting more tokens than required will benefit you later in the institute.]"

** ** **