Hours, nights, and days passed in the sea of time.
The written exam concluded, leaving behind a catastrophe that shook the entire empire across five continents.
Few passed, and many were expelled. Only 85 students remained from the regular class, which consisted of eight classes. Of the 160 students, 45 were ineligible for the practical exam. This meant that 30 students advanced to the second year, leaving one and a half classes to prove themselves in the practical exam.
From the elite class, which had four classes and 80 students, 12 were permanently expelled from the academy, and 35 had to repeat the year and were barred from taking the practical exam. This left 33 students who advanced to the second year and passed the practical exam. Among them were sons of prominent duchies such as the Cahali de Molière, Cahali, the heir of the Mount Hua sect, and Yuta and his companions. Beatrice, Tom, and Armin achieved a perfect score of 100% for their hard work, and Uta and his friends knew all this.
As for the Legendary class, which consisted of only two classes (40 students), three students were expelled, five had to repeat the year, and only 32 passed the second year. These 32 students secured a place in the upcoming exam, where they would prove themselves before all five continents. However, the upcoming end-of-year exam was only for first-year students, as the second-year exam would be held on Nevam Island in the Eastern Continent, unlike the first-year exam, which would take place on the Western Continent.
The number of successful students was very low, only 95, who would continue their studies into the next year. In addition to the repeaters who passed, the total number of successful students was 560.
At 5:00 AM, the Professors' Base was filled with 20 professors: five from each of the regular and Legendary classes, and five senior professors from the Vrsalkin Academy, who possessed considerable power. A formidable and elite group of the most skilled instructors teaching first-year students, including:
Professor Yusubra, specializing in practical magic and spells, holding the rank of Late Sacred Ruler at the 8-star level of a magician.
Professor Catherine, specializing in theoretical magic and spells, holding the rank of High Sacred Ruler at the 9-star level of a magician.
Professor Yoshika Kiyota, specializing in the history of magic and various types of Kono, holding the rank of Late High Sacred Ruler and being an Emperor-level warrior.
Instructor Kaito Ishikawa, specializing in sword arts and techniques, holding the rank of Elite Class, High Sacred Ruler, and being an Emperor-level warrior.
Professor Tao Shen Pei, specializing in the history of Qi and alchemy, holding the rank of Late Sacred Ruler and being a Master-level alchemist.
Instructor Bao Shen Yi, specializing in sword arts and techniques, holding the rank of Legends Class, High Sacred Ruler. A Warrior of Emperors' Rank
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The professors' expressions were calm, tinged with dissatisfaction. The number of successful students was extremely low—only 560 this year. Although it was only a midterm exam, it served as a sort of elimination round, as the final exam consisted of battles, and the midterm was merely preparation for the final.
The written exam was simply mental preparation for the midterm, which would be about surviving monsters, and the final, which would also be about surviving—not just monsters, but students and monsters disguised as humans—ordinary elites, rising elites, and monsters that had surpassed the concept of elite status and possessed terrifying talent.
"The midterm exam will be on Jeju Island. The number of successful students is very low, not even approaching 600," said Kristoff, the professor of the Legends class, his disappointment evident as he looked at the other professors.
Tao Xin Bi wiped his eyes, sighing a deep sadness at the failure of so many students. The hall, which had been noisy with the shouting and anger of professors discussing their students' results, fell silent the moment Tao Xin Pei removed his glasses.
Tao Xin Pei was one of the academy's most senior professors, making him one of the most respected and experienced both within and outside the academy.
Therefore, the hall fell silent the moment he removed his glasses, which had been a symbol of their irresponsible and impolite behavior.
Several minutes passed before Tao Xin Pei spoke with the dignity and wisdom befitting a man over 600 years old: "Few students passed the written exam this year compared to the results of students over the past 200 years. However, those who passed deserved it, unlike in previous decades. The marking of students' answers this year was more transparent than in previous years."
"I was responsible for marking the students' answers, and the marking was completely fair. So what happened, happened, and we must now focus on the midterm exam and the festival that will be held afterward." A midterm and final exam will be held on June 27th.
"But..." Tao Bo's tone was slightly disgruntled, prompting Yoshika Kiyoto to interrupt him sharply. "What's done is done. Those who didn't pass were at fault for not working hard enough. We need to focus on the midterm exam, which starts at 8:30 AM."
"Right now, we need to concentrate on what's in front of us."
"You're right."
"I agree with Professor Yoshika Kiyoto."
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"Why don't we talk about the content of the upcoming exam?" Kaito Ishikawa's tone was calm as he looked at the other professors.
At 7:34 AM in the central courtyard of the Academy's central wing, there were 560 students.
They were talking amongst themselves, their voices a mixture of excitement, fear, awe, pride, laughter, enthusiasm, and disbelief.
"I passed! I'm going to be one of the second-year students!" "I truly thank God for that."
"Indeed, we succeeded by the will of God. The written exam was extremely difficult."
Elsewhere, where a number of elite students had gathered,
"I barely passed. I got 80%. I would have had to repeat the year if luck hadn't been on my side."
"My father, Count Mark Palfred, would have been furious if I had repeated a year." A sigh of relief escaped him as he wiped the cold sweat that had trickled down his forehead, a faint smile appearing on his face as he looked around.Hui, his friend
"You're right, we barely made it. I only beat you by 5%. But I have a feeling something bad is going to happen in the next exam."
On Sunday, the students placed a hand on the shoulder of a worried young man named Jin-hai.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to us. Who would dare attack the students of the Academy, especially on an island that the Academy has guarded and where students have been tested for centuries?"
A faint smile appeared on Jin-hai's face as he listened to his friend Ming-Tao's words.
Nearby, Yuan Haodong and Swan Hyun were with two students from the Legends class.
"We made it to the 32 successful students, and we'll be with Jia Guilford as the most beautiful student in the Academy."
"Yes, she is beautiful. If she weren't the daughter of the Magic Emperor, Aster Guilford, I would be..."
"Julian, stop daydreaming. Even if she weren't the daughter of the Magic Emperor, Aster Guilford, would you dare to pick a fight with Yuta?" Cassiral has been providing her with all the necessary conditions to increase her strength and comfort since the beginning of the year. It seems they're dating. I saw them kissing a few days ago."
Surprise registered on their faces as they turned their gaze towards Yuta, who was with Beatrice, Lucy Grey, Roici, Tom, and Armin, waiting for the supervisors.
"Yes, this is an elite class year. The students this year have the strongest and most dangerous personalities, without a doubt."
Meanwhile, Lucy glanced at Yuta from time to time while unconsciously holding Beatrice's shoulder.
"Should I confess or not?... I feel embarrassed," Lucy muttered to herself, her voice filled with fear and anxiety, as she looked at Yuta, who seemed oblivious to her gaze.
A sigh of annoyance escaped Beatrice's lips, and she then kicked Lucy's foot.
"Ouch! My leg hurts! It hurts so much!" Lucy cried out. Pain filled her as she clutched her leg, a tear slowly rolling down her cheek, creating a scene that resembled a farcical drama.
Lucy turned her gaze to Beatrice, who was completely ignoring her.
"Mr. Lucy, are you alright?" Armin was helping Lucy to her feet, his voice a mixture of surprise at her startled outburst, evidenced by a slight tremor in his hand, and concern.
"I'm fine, Armin. It's just that someone deliberately hit my leg." Lucy's voice was filled with anger and annoyance as she tried to force a faint smile to mask the resentment festering in her heart.
"I..." Before Armin could say anything, Beatrice spoke, her voice tinged with slight irritation at Lucy's behavior. "So you're upset with me because I hit your leg? I'm so sorry. I should have broken it so you'd think twice before using my shoulder as a stress reliever."
"You grabbed my shoulder so hard it turned blue from the blood you were trying to stop flowing. I'd better..." "Reconsider your own actions before criticizing others, Ms. Lucy Catehalley. If you want a confession, confess to him and stop using me as a sedative to ease your anxiety and tension."
Lucy's face flushed crimson with embarrassment as she looked towards Beatrice, who then took a few steps back.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Confess to who..." Lucy's voice was filled with embarrassment and nervousness as she tried to defend herself, explaining that she had bumped into a man's chest, which was as hard as a rock but also warm and comforting.
She raised her head, her face even redder than before, as she recognized the man she had bumped into: Yuta. "How are you, Mr. Yuta Casseraal? You look more attractive than usual today," Lucy said nervously, her words somewhat incoherently. Yuta grabbed her shoulders, making Lucy even more embarrassed.
Beatrice glanced at Yuta and Lucy, then made a ball of wind and threw it towards Lucy. He made her push towards Yuta again.
Lucy's head was buried in Yuta's chest as she pulled away once more.
"I'm sorry... no... I wasn't... so sorry," Lucy stammered as she moved away from Yuta, who was looking at her in surprise.
"Okay, okay, it's fine if it was unintentional." Yuta headed towards Gray, Ruichi, Tom, and Gian Yijia, who were in front of him and Armin, followed by Lucy and Beatrice.
As they walked towards their group, a girl hugged Yuta's arm, resting her cheek on his shoulder with a beautiful smile on her face. "How are you, Yuta? You look so handsome today. I really hope we can meet at the next test on Jeju Island and spend the next three days together."
Yuta glanced at Previca, who seemed determined not to let go of his hand, and then looked back at Lucy without her noticing. He saw a clear expression of resentment and suppressed anger on her face. His face was clearly visible, and this brought a cold smile to the corner of his lips.
However, he felt a pang of surprise when he looked closely at Beatrice. There was an unseen emotion in her eyes, which puzzled him. "There's a hint of jealousy in her eyes. The plan is still unfolding as I want it to," Yuta thought to himself with a satisfied tone, as he pushed Brevica's hand away.
As soon as they arrived, a sound like a loudspeaker blared. He turned his attention towards the source of the sound, ignoring Brevica, who was being attacked by Ayd.
A few seconds later, the voice of the academy's director, Soliver, rang out. His tone was full of strength, dignity, and profound wisdom as he looked at the students, his gaze finally settling on Yuta Cassiral as he spoke.
[It is the day you have been waiting for. Monday, May 25, 675 AD, is the first day of the midterm exams. This year, 560 students passed the written exam, including 30 new students from the regular class (two and a half classes), and 33 from the elite class.] A new student with a grade of just over half a semester, while the Legends class had only 32 new students, the top of which was Gia Guilford with a 100% average.
[However, she wasn't the only student to achieve a perfect score. Students in the elite class included members of a prominent family: De Moyal, Kathalie McTair, the heir to the Mount Hwa sect and his son, the former Magic Emperor Boswell, Yuta Cassiral (nicknamed "Cold Sky Star"), and Tom and Armin, all commoners.]
[And that's not all! New transfer students Leon, Inuyasha, Nicholas, Christian, and Kazuhiro also achieved perfect scores despite joining recently. So, a round of applause for these hardworking students!]
Applause... Applause...Applause
The central courtyard erupted in thunderous applause, yet their hearts were filled with jealousy, hatred, and envy for having received perfect scores despite being new recruits.
[Alright, alright, let's get back to the important stuff. The midterm exam will be on Jeju Island.]
[The midterm exam will be a three-day survival test on Jeju Island. You must survive waves of monsters and the ever-changing terrain.]
[Everyone on all five continents will be watching, without exception. Therefore, you'd better raise the expectations of the Academy, Versleken, and your families. This isn't a request; it's a command. My words are clear to everyone.]
Signs of tension and awe appeared on everyone's faces, to the point that some collapsed from sheer terror and couldn't easily get up. Several seconds passed before all 560 students responded in unison, their voices a mixture of excitement, fear, anxiety, and tension.
"Your words are clear, Director Soliver."
A smile appeared on Soliver's face upon hearing the students' response, but it vanished as soon as His gaze met Yuta Casseraal's, and he pressed a button without saying another word.
A total of 560 gates appeared, exactly equal to the number of students.
On the other side, the students' faces were filled with awe and anxiety. More than 20 billion humans were watching them, waiting for a mistake so they could pounce on them, the Verselkin Academy, and their families.
The faces of Gowther, Nicholas Christian, Kazuhiro Leon, Inuyasha, Yuta, Gea, Beatrice, and Tom were calm and unconcerned about the test for several reasons. First, if they wanted to defeat their enemies, they were capable of overcoming obstacles and possessing power beyond human comprehension. How could they possibly fail to survive on a more powerful island, facing armies capable of destroying multiple universes? Their enemies were approaching, capable of manipulating narratives and erasing entire fantasy worlds with ease.
As for Gea, Gowther, and Beatrice, they were accustomed to such things, like traveling through forests and assassination missions, especially for Gowther, which forced him to... Constantly facing danger
And Tom, because of the memories of both Alessandra and Zhao Li, had gained incredible experience in all aspects, including survival in dangerous places.
On Roichi's face, signs of worry were still etched. The midterm wasn't just about surviving for three days; it was something much bigger.
The midterm and final exam assessed his worthiness as the third son of the de Molière family and its legitimate heir if he won the succession war. The de Molière family didn't recognize the son of a patriarch as worthy, meaning that Grei could enter the succession war if he wished. Although he had reached the rank of saint a few days prior, they were almost equal in strength.
Grey was extremely excited to head to the midterm, and his aura occasionally surfaced as he glanced towards Roichi, who was lost in thought.
"Roichi, don't worry. Show your skills in the upcoming exam and impress them. There's nothing to worry about. Even your father, Duke Reinhardt, hasn't reached sainthood yet." "When he was our age, he was considered the greatest talent of his generation," Grybi encouraged Roichi, patting him on the back with a sly smile. "But if you're scared, don't worry, there's an alley nearby. Go cry there. And don't worry, since I'm your cousin's favorite, I'll get you the most expensive pacifier in the empire."
Roichi's expression shifted from worry to optimism to anger after hearing Grybi's last words. He glared at him with murderous intent. "Grybi, I'm going to kill you, do you understand?" he said, grabbing Grybi and shaking him violently. Laughter erupted from both of them.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"Thank you, Grybi. Even though you're a bit of a fool and annoying, you're a wonderful person," Roichi's voice was filled with relief, unlike Grybi, who showed signs of annoyance at Roichi's words. However, he decided to ignore him, as the director had one last thing to say before they passed through the gates that would transport them. To random locations within Jeju Island, which spans 400,000 square kilometers.
Jeju Island was approximately 23,000 kilometers from the Western Continent and had a tropical, rainy climate. Therefore, it was filled with dungeons of various types. However, only dungeons of ranks C to X+ were open; the rest had been occupied centuries ago to prevent undesirable incidents.
The Director of Soliver struck a Spirit Stone, which magnified his voice, with his forefinger to clear his throat before speaking in a composed tone.
[Ahem, ahem. It's time for the midterm exam to begin. It will start on Monday morning, May 25, 675 AD, at 8:30 AM and will end at 8:30 AM on Thursday, May 28, 675 AD, lasting for three days.]
[Anyone who is close to death or seriously injured will be automatically transferred to the Academy Hospital. So, there's no need to worry, as your doctors are among the most skilled and renowned in the five continents.] Do your best to survive on Jeju Island and proceed to the gates in an orderly fashion.
The students then proceeded to their assigned gates with steady, awe-filled steps, their anxiety and fear palpable. The pressure stemmed from the watchful eyes of over 20 billion humans and other entities that had intermingled with them for centuries. Added to this was the possibility of death should the teleportation process malfunction, or even before it could be completed. Furthermore, a shameful death would be witnessed by billions of humans and millions of monsters and other entities coexisting with them.
"Three days will be enough to demonstrate my abilities and skills to the world," Jian Yi thought to himself, recalling his rigorous training over the past few days and the fact that his father, the entire Mount Hwa Sect, and the inhabitants of Seonghai Province were all watching him. He had to prove his clan's strength to the world.
Jian Yi wasn't alone in bearing this burden; Gowther, Grey, Ruichi, Lucy, and Jia also carried it, as they came from powerful families in Central Continent. They were the pride of their families. Their loss wasn't just a loss for them, but a loss of honor for their families as well. And the punishment for insulting a prominent family is no small matter.
The students entered through designated gates, wiping away the sweat that poured from the weight that had fallen on their backs.
Every movement was watched by billions of eyes. Mistake, loss, and a shameful death were forbidden. Victory or even a single attempt was the only thing allowed.
The moment they crossed through the dimensional gate, a powerful light erupted, causing them to involuntarily close their eyes and feel as light as feathers.Awe filled their hearts.
Yuta's gaze remained calm as he passed through the wormhole that would transport him to Jeju Island.
However, unlike the other students whose transport locations were random, the destinations Yuta and his companions were sent to were specific, as Yuta had asked Soliver to do so. The location was the center of Jeju Island.
"Alright, let's begin. There's only one day left until the May 26th disaster. It will be a catastrophe that all five continents will never forget," Yuta thought to himself, his voice calm yet filled with caution. What he was about to face was no easy enemy; it was more dangerous than anything he had encountered in this fantasy world.
A bright light flashed again, signaling their arrival on Jeju Island. Although the transport lasted only three seconds, the feeling they experienced was like hours, even days.
Upon arrival, the students who had been transported with Yuta to other classes were vomiting due to motion sickness caused by the teleportation.
Yuta ignored them and turned his gaze toward a tree. The giant was known as the Origin Tree, or rather, the Origin Power of Go. It was a gigantic tree, covering an area the size of three football fields and reaching hundreds of kilometers into the sky.
"Go, the Origin Tree, is the creator of humanity and all beings in this world," Yuta said, his tone slightly sarcastic. He continued on his way without looking back at the tree, having lost his attention.
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Important Note from the Author
Explanation of Power Levels (Sub-Levels)
In this world, there were primary ranks, which were the Kono levels, and secondary ranks for Mana Refiners, Go Masters, and Go himself. There were also sub-ranks for the sub-ranks themselves.
Warriors, Ki users, and Magic Warriors were divided into seven levels:
Beginner
Weapon Master
Expert
Warrior
Emperor
Emperor Master
Saint
Magicians were ranked by stars, from one-star to nine-star, with the strongest being the Magic Emperor. Aster Guilford and the second Master of Magic, whom Belgorod Kethali obtained.
Alchemists had several ranks, each higher than the last, indicating increased alchemical ability. They were divided into eight ranks:
Beginner
Apprentice
Master
Elder
Alchemist
Expert
Expert
Master
Hunter ranks were awarded based on experience, strength, achievements, the size of their Primal Sea mana, and the amount of kunno within their bodies. This was measured using a magic stone, which Yota used to obtain a Hunter Card in the early chapters when he first arrived in Berhis City. Hunter ranks ranged from F to XXX, representing senior and junior ranks. The stages were as follows: F- (unstable), F (stable), F+ (high), and F++ (peak). Dungeons were arranged in the same way.
The remaining levels and information will be covered in later chapters. ____________________________________