Episode 56. Midterm Evaluation (1)

Click.

The classroom door opened, and a large man walked in with heavy steps.

The man, who resembled a beast, Professor Lucas, stood at the podium and scanned the gathered candidates.

“Let’s see… All 253 members of the 3rd-year Warrior Department, is everyone here?”

“Yes. Everyone is present.”

Yuren, the representative candidate of the Warrior Department, stood up and answered.

I clicked my tongue as I looked around the classroom filled with Warrior Department candidates.

‘Seeing it like this, there really are a lot of Warrior Department students.’

More than half of the 472 third-year candidates belonged to the Warrior Department, which specializes in close combat.

‘Out of the remaining 219, half are in the Magic Department, and the rest are in the Support Department and other faculties.’

The Support Department mainly consisted of clergy-like candidates like Iris, who specialized in healing and blessings. The other faculties were for irregular candidates who didn’t fit into either category.

“Everyone knows, but tomorrow is the day of the Warrior Department’s midterm evaluation.”

“……”

At Professor Lucas’s words, tension appeared on the faces of the candidates gathered in the classroom.

The Warrior Department’s midterm evaluation.

While the final evaluation at the end of the semester is conducted by forming ‘parties’ regardless of the department, the midterm evaluation is taken separately by each department.

The weight of the midterm and final evaluations is 3:7.

Although the final evaluation carries more weight, for the candidates whose future hero careers depend on their overall ranking, the midterm evaluation is by no means an exam they can ignore.

“This midterm evaluation will be determined by the points accumulated from hunting monsters within a designated area.”

Professor Lucas placed his hand on the magical tool on the podium.

Light emitted from the tool, and a holographic map appeared in the air.

“There are three areas: a mountainous terrain with forests and trees, a desert terrain with sand and rocks, and a snowy terrain with snow and ice.”

The areas were marked in green, yellow, and white on the holographic map.

“Successfully hunting monsters in these areas will earn you points based on their grade.”

“What’s the highest grade of monster?”

A candidate raised his hand and asked.

“Good question.”

Professor Lucas nodded and manipulated the magical tool.

The holographic map in the air transformed into the shape of a monster.

“Regardless of the type, a Three-Eyed monster is worth 1 point, a Four-Eyed monster is worth 3 points, and a Five-Eyed monster is worth 10 points.”

The classroom began to buzz at the professor’s words.

“Ugh…”

“W-wait, there are Five-Eyed monsters?”

“If it’s up to Four-Eyed, I think I can manage…”

“I’ll go for quantity. Just sweep up the Three-Eyed ones, right?”

“Hey, look at the point difference. You’d need to hunt 10 Three-Eyed monsters to match one Five-Eyed. It’s better to aim for the big ones.”

“How are we supposed to hunt a Five-Eyed monster?”

“Well… skillfully?”

“Come on! Only guys like Yuren can hunt those! We should definitely go for quantity!”

As the candidates were loudly debating which strategy was better.

“Quiet.”

Thud.

Professor Lucas slammed his fist on the podium, and a cold silence fell over the buzzing classroom.

“I’m not done explaining yet, so save your brainstorming for later.”

Professor Lucas pressed a button again.

The hologram in the air transformed into the shape of a giant horse.

A horse with a horn emitting a dazzling blue light.

Terrifyingly developed muscles, white fur covering its entire body, and sparks flying every time it breathed.

And above all.

Three pairs of red eyes covering its face.

Even though it was just a hologram, the pressure emanating from the monster sent shivers down their spines.

“S-six eyes?!”

“Crazy…! A Six-Eyed monster is something only active heroes can handle, right?”

“P-Professor Lucas, you’re not saying we have to hunt that thing, are you?”

The candidates looked at Professor Lucas with trembling eyes.

Professor Lucas looked down at the candidates from the podium and smirked.

“Do you think I’d prepare this material and show it to you if I didn’t mean for you to hunt it?”

“Well…”

The candidates couldn’t continue and just exchanged glances.

“Of course, I’m not saying just anyone can hunt it.”

Professor Lucas looked up at the hologram in the air and continued.

“This monster is a specially trained familiar by Professor Bianca of the Magic Department. It won’t attack unless you attack first.”

“Ah…”

“The candidate who breaks the bell on this monster’s neck can take first place in the midterm evaluation, regardless of points.”

In other words.

If you can break the bell on the monster’s neck, you don’t need to desperately search the area and compete with others.

“And the candidate who successfully breaks the bell will receive an additional reward.”

“Additional reward…?”

“What kind of reward?”

“Hehe. I’ll leave that as a surprise for later.”

Professor Lucas chuckled and teased.

“However, I can tell you it’s quite a valuable item.”

“Valuable item…”

Desire flashed in the candidates’ eyes.

If Professor Lucas himself said it was a “valuable item,” it couldn’t be ordinary.

Plus, if you catch it, you’ll secure first place in the midterm evaluation, so it was impossible not to feel the desire rising.

But that was short-lived.

“Ugh…”

“Even so, a Six-Eyed monster…”

Facing the three pairs of glowing eyes on the monster’s head, the candidates immediately faced reality.

“If it doesn’t attack first, can’t we just sneak up and break the bell?”

“Do you think it’s that easy? And if you accidentally hit its body instead of the bell, you’ll be heading straight to the intensive care unit.”

“Going to the care unit would be lucky, but if you’re not careful…”

“Hey, it’s Professor Bianca’s familiar, right? It wouldn’t kill us, would it?”

“Hey, haven’t you heard that a few people die every year during exams? Last year’s midterm evaluation had three deaths!”

“Crazy… Last year’s students are now fourth-years, right? The strongest since the school’s founding…”

“Exactly. Even among those seniors, three casualties occurred. What about us?”

The candidates started buzzing again.

Professor Lucas spoke in a low voice.

“Quiet.”

His voice, infused with magic power, echoed heavily throughout the classroom.

Professor Lucas looked around at the candidates and spoke.

“As you said, unlike past exams, starting from the third-year midterm evaluation, ‘casualties’ can occur. Simply put, if you act without knowing your limits, you could end up dead.”

“……”

Gulp.

The candidates swallowed dryly, their faces filled with fear.

Professor Lucas clicked his tongue as he watched them.

“Candidate Albert.”

“Y-yes!”

“Where are we?”

“…Huh? Uh… Main Building 1-A classroom…”

“Not that. Where are you currently attending?”

“Ah… R-Reynaldo Hero School!”

“Right. Reynaldo Hero School.”

Professor Lucas nodded heavily.

“You’re not here to get good grades, secure a guaranteed future, or for fame and glory.”

“You’re here to learn how to survive as a hero.”

“I won’t tell you not to be scared. I won’t tell you not to run.”

However.

“If you want to live as a hero, think.”

Ponder, agonize.

Contemplate, reflect.

“What you can do, what you need to learn, how you can survive.”

Professor Lucas looked around at the candidates and slapped the blackboard.

“That’s the purpose of this exam.”

“……”

The sound of the second hand ticking echoed through the classroom filled with over 200 people.

“Each candidate can choose the terrain they want to start in, so think about which terrain is most advantageous for you.”

With those words, Professor Lucas walked out of the classroom.

“Whew…”

“Ugh… Professor Lucas’s pressure is really something…”

As Professor Lucas left, the classroom, which had been silent, started buzzing again.

“By the way, where are you going to start?”

“The safe choice is the mountainous terrain, right?”

“Hey, think about it. Everyone will choose the mountainous terrain, so there’ll be a lot of competition. It’s better to choose the desert or snowy terrain to minimize competitors.”

“But what if everyone flocks to those areas?”

“That’s…”

With one day left until the midterm evaluation.

The candidates’ large-scale game of reading each other had already begun.

* * *

“Dale, where are you starting?”

After class, Yuren quickly approached me.

“I’m starting in the mountainous terrain.”

“Mountainous terrain? Hmm. Isn’t there too much competition there?”

“Well, it’s the easiest terrain to move around in.”

I couldn’t tell Yuren.

The reason I chose the mountainous terrain wasn’t just because it was “easy to move around in.”

‘Actually, if you ask which terrain is easier to move in, the snowy terrain is more comfortable for me.’

Having roamed a continent covered in snow and ice for thousands of years in my past life, the snowy terrain was actually more comfortable for me.

But I chose the mountainous terrain for one reason.

‘This time, I’ll aim for first place.’

The blue lightning-wrapped horned white horse.

In my past life, that monster was first discovered in the mountainous terrain.

‘In my past life, I didn’t even think about hunting it.’

But now, things are different.

‘The reward is tempting too.’

In my past life, Yuren broke the monster’s bell and took first place.

The special reward he received was a sword forged from the monster’s horn.

‘It was a sword that emitted sparks of lightning when magic power was channeled into it.’

Well, it wasn’t a mythical artifact that could grant immense power with just one weapon.

But it was still a much better sword than the standard-issue iron sword I’m using now.

‘Sorry, Yuren, but I’m taking the sword this time.’

After all, Yuren will inherit the legendary sword “Dawn” passed down through the Helios Family after graduation, so he can afford to give this one up.

“Dale… are you planning to go for that monster?”

Did he sense my thoughts?

Yuren asked with a stiff expression.

“Yeah. I’m planning to go for it.”

“……”

Yuren sharply glared at me as I answered nonchalantly.

“…No.”

Yuren chewed his lip with an anxious expression.

“No matter how good you are, I can’t give up first place.”

“Well, then you just have to break the bell before me.”

“…Alright. See you tomorrow, Dale.”

With those words, Yuren turned and walked away.

“Hmm.”

I tilted my head as I watched Yuren walk away.

‘Yuren was more obsessed with grades during his candidate days than I thought.’

Maybe because I always thought Yuren would naturally take first place.

Seeing Yuren so fixated on first place felt oddly refreshing.

“Well, that doesn’t mean I’ll give it up easily.”

Imprinting the image of the holographic “One-Horned Beast” in my mind, I stepped out of the classroom.