Chapter 38

EP.38 End-of-Semester Evaluation (2)

'Survival rules haven't been used in a long time...'

Her light green, two-tailed hair fluttered in the early summer breeze.

Kayah Astraing, the second-ranked student in the first year of the Magic Department, was wandering around the old Merhen Academy grounds, wand in hand, maintaining a defensive stance.

The 'Fel Card' was to be found using mana detection. However, no matter how much she wandered, she could only feel the mana of nature, not any peculiar mana.

Moreover, she had to be prepared for attacks from other students, so she couldn't just focus on mana detection.

During the class assignment evaluation, the mana particles were easy to detect. So, even while preparing for battle, it wasn't too complicated.

This end-of-semester evaluation was different. The mana of the Fel Card was far more difficult to detect than mere mana particles. Focusing solely on mana detection would make it hard to maintain a defensive stance, creating a dilemma.

'Would Sir Isaac be in the same situation?'

...No, he probably wouldn't. Sir Isaac is an incredible person.

Kayah gathered her thoughts and concentrated on both mana detection and maintaining her defensive stance.

If she were to get lost in such a situation, she would never catch up to Isaac in her lifetime. She wanted to become strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the person she admired.

'Focus, focus...!'

I'll breeze through this test.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the sky. It was the sound of small particles colliding.

Kayah looked up and saw the scoreboard that Professor Fernando had mentioned. The mana particles engraved by telekinesis were gradually changing shape.

Then,

Fel

[1st (Red) Matteo Jordana Fel Card +1]

An unexpected name appeared on the left scoreboard, which ranked students by the number of Fel Cards they possessed.

'Already found it? And by that guy?'

It's a blow to my pride.

Come to think of it, students ranked 1st to 5th could track each other's positions.

Kayah raised her left arm and examined the bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet had the words 'Fel' and 'Elimination' engraved on it.

When she touched 'Fel,' the mana particles inside the bracelet flowed out and formed a map on top of it. Someone had stored a certain magical rule in the bracelet.

The level of telekinetic magic was so impressive that it made her exclaim in admiration. Even Professor Fernando, a skilled telekinetic mage, couldn't match the functionality of this bracelet.

There was only one person on the island who could wield such high-level telekinetic magic.

'Is this the magic of the Hegel Tower's Master?'

Aria Lilius, the Master of the Hegel Tower. It must be her.

The mana particles were representing the old Merhen Academy grounds in a simple manner. Kayah examined the map.

Among the light yellow mana particles, her position was indicated by a light green particle.

A red mana particle was slowly moving from a certain location. It seemed to be Matteo Jordana.

So, that's why '1st' was marked with 'Red (赤)'. It meant that Matteo would be indicated by a red mana particle.

'Matteo Jordana is here... and apparently, he can't go to the outskirts or the Karlis Hall. The entire old academy grounds aren't the test area.'

The Karlis Hall is the iconic building of the old Merhen Academy.

It stands majestically on a high hill at the end of the grounds, overlooking the old academy.

Perhaps they anticipated that including the building and the outskirts would make the test area too large. The map didn't show them.

Upon reflection, the transparent and massive barrier that divided the test area didn't cover the entire old academy grounds. Even with the naked eye, one could tell that the outskirts and Karlis Hall were excluded from the test area.

Well, this is just a simple reference.

Kayah touched the 'Fel' part of her bracelet again. The mana particles flowed back into the bracelet like sand.

"Still, this..."

When she heard the explanation, she had a vague feeling.

"Getting a Fel Card early puts you at a huge disadvantage."

The Fel Card is undoubtedly difficult to find. Even Kayah, who was confident in her mana detection, felt this way. How much more difficult would it be for other students?

Therefore, if you enter the top ranks, you'll become a target for many students.

The structure of this test is clear.

The early stage is a stage for the top students. Of course, there will be students who try to attack top students, but they won't be many. The outcome is as clear as day.

Once the top students pass the test, the lower-ranked students will engage in a battle royale.

As time goes on, the old Merhen Academy grounds will become a battlefield for weaker students.

In other words,

If you enter the top ranks early, you'll inevitably become a target for many students, including the top ones.

Ultimately, it's a game of wits.

'Especially if a somewhat ordinary or weak person somehow ends up in the top ranks early...'

They'll definitely be eliminated faster than anyone else.

Conclusion. Carefully considering whether to take down Matteo and steal his Fel Card was necessary. Even if she did, her name would just be added to the top ranks, making her stand out.

No matter how strong Kayah was, she couldn't win against a group of skilled students. She needed to think and act carefully.

"There's a lot to think about..."

She was already busy with mana detection and maintaining her guard, and now she had to play a game of wits.

Her head was about to explode.

Meanwhile, in a certain abandoned market on the old Merhen Academy grounds.

Elemental magic was being mercilessly cast at a man.

Whoosh─!

Bang bang─!

Whirr─!

"Tch...!"

The target was Matteo Jordana, the only one with a Fel Card, currently ranked 1st.

"Ha! You're just flailing uselessly in front of me!"

「Wind Generation (Wind Attribute, ★1)」

The arrogant blonde noble, Tristan Humphrey, shouted from the rooftop of the abandoned building. The area around him was dominated by Tristan's wind.

The four students Tristan had gathered using his social status were also in position, ready to attack Matteo. They were from B Class to C Class.

5 against 1. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Matteo was smiling calmly.

"You're weaker than me, Tristan. You can't do anything unless you outnumber me."

"Provocation won't work, Matteo Jordana. My goal isn't just you! It's to achieve the best score in this end-of-semester evaluation! To make it clear to you and that E-class commoner how great I am!"

"E-class commoner? You mean Isaac?"

"Of course! Who else could it be? Ha! He's probably struggling to survive right now. Hehe, just imagining it makes me feel good!"

Matteo scratched his head awkwardly. Thinking about it, Tristan usually talks like a thug or a third-rate villain, but he doesn't actually bully people. Not even those he dislikes, like Isaac.

Whenever someone upset him, he would say, "I'll prove how great I am with my scores, hehe," showing a surprisingly diligent image for someone so arrogant.

That's why, Tristan was secretly a likable guy.

"Is that so? Then, should I surrender?"

Matteo's deep voice carried a playful tone. Raising his arms slightly, he recreated a moment from the class assignment evaluation, which made Tristan's subordinates laugh.

Snap. Crossed veins appeared on Tristan's forehead. The word 'surrender' was now his biggest sore spot.

Just thinking about the class assignment evaluation still made him shudder!

"Alright, I'll kill you! Matteo Jordanaaa!!"

Tristan shouted at the top of his lungs and stretched out his arm toward Matteo. A green magic circle appeared in front of him.

Whirling wind. Tristan launched a powerful vortex at Matteo.

At the same time, Matteo created a thick rock wall in front of himself.

「Rock Whirl (Wind Attribute, ★4)」

「Rock Wall (Rock Attribute, ★4)」

Whiiiiii─!

Crack crack crack─!

The [Rock Wall] remained firm even after being hit by Tristan's [Rock Whirl].

"Tch...!"

「Wind Blade (Wind Attribute, ★3)」

Tristan then launched a sharp wind blade, [Wind Blade], but the result was the same. It was a stark contrast to how Isaac's [Ice Wall] was easily shredded during the class assignment evaluation.

Matteo's defense was solid. Tristan guessed that even if he used his most powerful magic, he wouldn't be able to break through Matteo's defense.

'Can I only break through with elemental reactions?'

Tristan glanced at his four subordinates. Using them, he could employ [Elemental Synergy] to enhance the power of his magic through various elemental combinations, which could potentially break through Matteo's defenses.

While Matteo and Tristan's group were engaged in a psychological battle,

Rustle rustle rustle───.

A new name began to appear on the scoreboard in the air.

Matteo and Tristan's group looked up to confirm the name.

Elimination

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +1]

Not on Matteo's scoreboard, but on the 'Elimination' scoreboard next to it, which ranked students by the number of eliminations.

The name of the top student in the first year of the Magic Department was engraved.

'Top student? But only Matteo has a Fel Card. Why is there a 'kill (Kill)'? Did he just kill someone?'

Tristan was confused. The purpose of this test was to collect 'Fel Cards.' Did the top student eliminate another student for no reason?

Suddenly, a question popped into Tristan's mind.

'Why is there an 'Elimination' ranking?'

Considering the structure of the test, wasn't such a ranking unnecessary?

While he was pondering, a shocking scene unfolded before his eyes.

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +2]

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +4]

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +8]

In the blink of an eye, Luce's elimination count skyrocketed.

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +10]

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +12]

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +15]

It didn't stop. For some reason, she was on a killing spree!

"The top student, this monster...! She's going berserk, isn't she?!"

Cold sweat trickled down Tristan's cheek.

Matteo and Tristan's group swallowed hard and urgently pressed the 'Elimination' section on their bracelets. A map made of mana particles appeared before their eyes.

'Blue'. A blue particle indicating Luce Eltania's position caught their attention.

...The slaughterer was heading this way.

"Damn it! Everyone, run! Luce, Luce Eltania is coming this way!"

"Tch!"

Tristan shouted loudly at his subordinates, eyes wide open.

No matter how arrogant he was, when faced with a monster he couldn't possibly defeat, the best course of action was to run.

Only then did he realize why there was an 'Elimination' ranking.

The prestigious Merhen Academy always had exceptional students who defied norms, like Dorothy Hartnova, the Witch of the Stars, or Alice Carroll, the Student Council President.

Even if the Merhen Academy's educational policy was survival of the fittest, they couldn't just let the test balance be completely destroyed.

So, for various reasons, but the biggest reason for the 'Elimination' ranking was:

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +18]

To give students a chance to run as soon as a predator appeared.

...

[3rd (Green) Kayah Astraing Fel Card +1]

"Finally found it!"

The underground storage of the Deuros Hall was cluttered with old junk.

Kayah, pushing through the dust, felt a faint but peculiar mana.

After searching the box where the mana was detected, she finally found one 'Fel Card.'

Kayah looked at the card, feeling a thrill of excitement.

'Kayah, you found a Fel Card already? Your skills are growing day by day.'

Imagining Isaac's sarcastic praise, Kayah's expression softened.

"Hehehe."

With an excited face, she put the Fel Card into a small pocket in her robe. It was a card case provided by the school.

'Now I've got the hang of it, Sir Isaac!'

40 minutes after the test started.

Finding the Fel Card was more difficult than expected, but it was manageable. As other students narrowed their search areas, they would eventually find the Fel Cards.

However, the test would increasingly take on the form of a battle royale.

'The top student is the biggest problem.'

Luce Eltania. She was hunting students indiscriminately, regardless of the Fel Card. According to the scoreboard she had seen before entering the building, she had already eliminated 34 students.

It seemed she was deliberately finding and eliminating students. She was detecting the mana of students, not the Fel Card. Otherwise, her elimination count wouldn't have increased so drastically.

Was she planning to eliminate all competitors to search for Fel Cards at her leisure? Or... was she just killing because she wanted to?

Either way, it was a chilling thought.

'I want to face her with all my strength...'

Kayah had always thought this when she saw Luce. As the second-ranked student, the gap to the top student always felt insurmountable, making her feel frustrated.

But she needed to think realistically. Her current goal was to collect five Fel Cards within the time limit and achieve a good score in the end-of-semester evaluation. That was the way to surpass the top student.

Kayah left the Deuros Hall. The shape of the scoreboard in the sky was changing.

Fel

[1st (Red) Matteo Jordana Fel Card +1]

[2nd (Purple) Siel Carnedas Fel Card +1]

[3rd (Green) Kayah Astraing Fel Card +1]

[4th (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Fel Card +1]

Elimination

[1st (Blue) Luce Eltania Elimination +44]

[2nd (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Elimination +1]

Luce Eltania was still going berserk.

Siel Carnedas, the third-ranked student in the first year of the Magic Department and Kayah's A Class classmate, seemed to have entered the top ranks while Kayah was searching inside the building.

Tristan Humphrey appeared to have eliminated a student who had just obtained a Fel Card and stolen the card.

The number of students obtaining Fel Cards was gradually increasing. As expected, the top students were dominating the rankings.

'What is Sir Isaac doing?'

However, Kayah's attention was more focused on Isaac than on the top-ranked students.

While his actions were unpredictable,

If he managed to obtain a Fel Card and enter the top ranks, despite being perceived as weak,

No one could predict how chaotic the end-of-semester evaluation would become.