Chapter 9

A few days later, the annual trial of the Belmar Royal Magic Academy finally began. The trial was set up near the Gran Forest, in a newly established, well-equipped camp. Qualified students would set out from here and undergo a week-long trial without any supplies or support.

"Students, the annual trial is about to begin. The test involves clearing the mutated monsters from the forest. Your performance will be recorded based on the drops you collect from various monsters. The more you collect, the better your score will be, and drops from powerful monsters will earn you higher points!" Dean Lind stood on a high platform, making his final motivational speech in a loud voice. "After the test, the team that comes in first will receive the reward of a job change using the Grand Duchy's magic array! The academy will provide all the materials!"

Dean Lind's words immediately excited all the participants. Although it was a tradition, the thought of being able to undergo a job change in the best possible state was enough to make these young, ambitious people lose their composure.

However, there were also those who felt uneasy.

"The content of the test changes every year, and I didn't expect the difficulty of our year's trial to be so high. The damn mutations have made the monsters stronger."

"But it's also an opportunity to undergo a job change! Using the Grand Duchy's magic array is a tradition, but I didn't expect the academy to provide the materials this time. If we had to prepare them ourselves, even if we had the chance to change jobs, it would take at least a few months!"

The students had various expressions; some were happy, some were worried, some were ready to go, and some were calling their friends. Even Mide was slightly moved.

In his previous life, the reward did not include the materials for a job change. It seemed that with his rebirth and the change in his attitude towards his surroundings, the world had also changed. This was probably the butterfly effect.

A butterfly flapping its wings could cause a storm on the other side of the sea. A small variable could, through layers of influence, ultimately lead to a significant change.

Was it because of the change in factions? Mide thought, glancing at the distance.

At that moment, Fenrir Seth also turned his head and looked at Mide with a gaze that seemed to see a dead man.

Then, he grinned and made a slashing motion across his neck.

Fenrir's team was also very strong. Unlike the proud Fina, the Seth family had already spent a great deal of effort to send three highly qualified family servants into the academy when Fenrir entered. In other words, from the beginning, he had brought in a team capable of winning the trial.

Now, these servants had all become 18th-level students, surrounding Fenrir like stars around the moon. Mide had no doubt that if needed, they would be willing to lower their own levels or even sacrifice their lives to help their master achieve a good score.

However, in Mide's view, this was not a real team, but just a haughty young man with three hunting dogs. They might be powerful in direct confrontations, but they couldn't handle the ever-changing environment of the wild.

What he was more concerned about was whether the assassin from his previous life's memory would change.

After all, the reward for the trial had changed.

If his change in faction caused the Seth family to bring in more and stronger assassins, what would he do?

A sense of helplessness and urgency enveloped his heart, but he quickly adjusted and recovered.

"Whatever happens, there's no point in regretting it. I'm already by Fina's side, and the next step is to actively gain strength and make up for the regrets. Even if everything ends up unrecognizable, I won't regret it!" Mide subconsciously glanced at his left arm in the glove.

He hadn't told anyone that he had become a Ghost Knight. This was his biggest trump card, and the longer he kept it hidden, the more initiative he would gain.

"In the name of the Dean of Magic, I declare the trial has now begun!" Dean Lind announced loudly.

With the sound of a long horn, countless students rushed into the Gran Forest, as if they were not about to undergo a combat trial but a competitive race.

However, this was a reasonable judgment. After all, during the three years, many tasks had to be completed in the forest, so there were many areas that the students were familiar with, relatively safe, and easy to hunt. They knew the types, numbers, attack methods, and terrain of the monsters in these areas.

By occupying these areas in advance, they could efficiently clear the monsters, giving them an advantage in the trial.

However, Fina's group did not move.

Fenrir's team and a few other elite teams with 18th-level members also did not move.

This was not out of the nobility's leisure or the gentleman's humility, but because there was no need.

"Rarely does the Gran Forest face a situation where there are more people than monsters. I wonder how it will turn out?" Lillian said sarcastically, then looked at the red-haired girl, "Miss Fina, which direction should we go?"

"East," Fina said succinctly.

That was the path leading to the deep, venomous ruins of the Gran Forest.

Even in the face of the trial, the future Queen of Magic Bullets maintained her style, choosing the most difficult route from the start. This was based on her confidence in herself and her trust in her teammates.

"Mide," the red-haired girl glanced at the black-haired boy and added, "Don't hold us back. If you have any problems, speak up."

"Understood," Mide replied with a smile.

With these words, even the usually suspicious Lillian would not refuse Mide's request for help. Although he estimated that his combat power with the Ghost Hand exceeded theirs, the subtle care from the Storm Queen still made him feel warm.

This was a team, despite being in the early stages of cooperation, it had a pure and flawless bond.

The other elite teams, seeing Fina choose the eastern route, unhesitatingly chose the western route to enter the Gran Forest—joking, they did not want to face the Storm Queen head-on. Even at level 19, even if they were called elites, they were nothing in front of the red-haired girl.

Fenrir's eyes flashed with resentment. He was not afraid of the monsters in the venomous ruins and had a desire to compete with the Storm Queen, but thinking of Fina's methods and the orders from the family head, reason ultimately overcame his impulse.

"We go in the middle!" Fenrir growled, "Eliminate any other teams we encounter along the way!"

As the last team entered the forest, the week-long trial officially began.

"Quick, hurry, I've lured a group of goblins!" A student ran while shouting anxiously.

This student was a 16th-level fighter, lean and fast, with a speed that surpassed most people due to long-term training. However, the goblins, after mutating, were also fast, though they couldn't catch up, they kept a distance behind. Moreover, the monsters' endurance was clearly much stronger than that of the pampered students, and in the long chase, the goblins gradually gained the upper hand.

The scorching sun shone through the trees, casting the goblins' bloodstained weapons in a particularly terrifying light.

"The monsters are in the trap, let's go!" Three other students, who had been lying in wait in the trees, finally appeared after the goblins passed.

The student responsible for luring the monsters stopped, turned around, and threw a lit grenade at the goblins.

The grenade, along with the ones already planted in the grass, caused a violent explosion, scattering the goblins' originally neat formation.

"Go, kill them all!" Ignoring the smoke, the students surrounded and attacked, using their respective skills.

This was a lucky team, familiar with the terrain and the monsters' abilities, and they had successfully set a trap.

Some teams, however, found themselves in unfamiliar environments, struggling to move. Even worse were those who had almost defeated the monsters but were interrupted by other teams. The two teams argued, and even came to blows internally, though no one died, there were injuries, forcing them to withdraw.

In the large camp outside the Gran Forest, Dean Lind sat in the central tent, with other main officials of the academy and many 25th-level job changers constantly coming and going.

This was the second day of the trial.

"How is the situation?" Dean Lind looked at the detailed map of the Gran Forest on the table and asked a returning job changer.

"Report to the Dean, so far, four teams have withdrawn, two disputes have occurred, and there are three injured, none seriously. The withdrawn teams have been brought back, please do not worry, sir," the job changer replied.

Dean Lind nodded slightly and asked, "Which teams are making the fastest progress so far?"

The job changer immediately answered, "Report to the Dean, so far, Fina and Fenrir's teams have advanced the most. Fenrir's team has already entered the depths of the Gran Forest, while Fina's team has cleared several areas of the Thunder Ruins."

"Sure enough, the 'Storm Queen' is leading."

"Fenrir's performance is also good. It seems the Seth family's planning over the years has paid off."

"Fenrir might catch up. Isn't there a 16th-level rich kid in Fina's team? Over time, he will definitely drag them down."

"You don't know, that's not a rich kid. A week ago, during Fina's test, a student named Mide passed the Flame Challenge!"

The officials of the academy discussed among themselves.

"You may go," Dean Lind nodded at the job changer, "Remind the others to do a good job of protection. The outcome depends on the students' abilities, but there must be no safety issues, especially for Fenrir and Fina's teams. This concerns the honor of our magic academy."

"Yes, sir." The job changer left.

The academy had arranged many outdoor battles, but a week-long survival trial without supplies was a first for the students, posing significant risks. Although there were many commoners among the students, more were nobles. If anything happened, the academy would face unimaginable pressure. Therefore, the academy had secretly arranged many 25th-level job changers to monitor the entire test.

The main 30th-level powerhouses sat in the camp, ready to respond to emergencies.

Dean Lind was very satisfied with this arrangement. At least, there had been no problems in the past ten years. Although the queen's faction and the senator's faction seemed to be at odds this year, hadn't it always been like this before?

I believe the trial will go smoothly, Dean Lind thought.