Chapter 47: So, how’s the ocean doing?
Eleven thirty.
Thirty minutes before the exam began, those chosen as prey had to immediately flee and hide in the forest. The hunters wouldn’t move from their spots until the clock struck exactly twelve.
So that’s what the prey did. They all fled into the forest, some scattering to go it alone, while others decided to form groups.
Eiros was one of those who chose to move on his own. With Soul Essence flowing through his legs, he shot forward at speed, weaving past tree after tree and tangled vines.
Around him, he could still sense the presence of other students who’d also been assigned as prey. Even so, whether it was him or the others, they all seemed content to ignore each other and go their separate ways.
The forest on the right side of the academy was massive. There was a fairly tall mountain range within it, though still reasonably climbable as a hiding spot, and not far from that mountain was a waterfall spilling down, forming a river that wound through nearly the entire forest.
With mountains around, there was bound to be some cave worth hiding in. That’s what Eiros thought at first, but...
’If I thought of it, then everyone else probably thought of it too.’
It wasn’t just the prey who’d want to hide there—the hunters were likely thinking the exact same thing.
So where should he actually go...?
With no map and only a basic understanding of the forest, Eiros, like the other prey, was going to have a hard time deciding where he ought to hide.
’Ten minutes left.’
Eiros had already run deep into the forest, far enough to work up a sweat. By then, he couldn’t hear any sound around him except the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind.
The chirping of birds was the only sound left, silence swallowing everything around Eiros.
He let his gaze sweep across his surroundings for a moment. The bushes grew tall enough that he could just decide to hide in them. But there was an unspoken rule that the forest on the right side of the academy was also home to Awakened-tier monsters.
Eiros then looked off into the distance, where a few trees towered so high they dwarfed the ordinary trees surrounding them.
Without a shred of hesitation, Eiros shot forward, easily climbing one of those trees, his ordinary physique boosted by Soul Essence, making anything difficult far easier to pull off.
Up in the tree, his view opened up considerably. The wind blew stronger too, and in the distance, Eiros could just make out other students running around near the river—some climbing the mountain, others tucked away in the bushes.
A few monsters were visible as well.
And then... that’s when it happened.
The clock hands struck twelve, marking the start of the exam.
***
"Pay close attention. There’s a reason Estiel always says this current generation is the golden one—and the most chaotic."
A woman with long white hair and sharp red pupils stared at a cluster of holographic screens displaying countless locations across every section of the forest.
An unusually large number of supervisors were on watch this time, making sure the first-years didn’t run into an accident like the one before, with even three professors dispatched directly to serve as observers.
The woman, her expression coldly indifferent, crossed her arms. The hunters were now starting to move from their positions, chasing after and searching for the prey in hiding.
Overall exam scores were determined by how many points each student managed to rack up. For example, prey who survived for each passing minute earned one point, while hunters who successfully caught a prey earned ten points.
That wasn’t an unfair setup, since the fastest way to earn points was, quite plainly, to be a hunter—being prey was mainly meant to net some extra points before eventually racking up plenty more as a hunter later on.
There were also bonus points awarded depending on how well a student performed. If they pulled off something impressive and showed off their strengths, they could earn extra points on top of the base score.
Right then, several hunters were starting to run into prey. Some got caught up in fights along the river, others found themselves in the middle of chase sequences.
While the woman stayed focused, she suddenly heard the calm, cheerful voice of a young man beside her.
"So? Do you think there’s anyone interesting among this year’s students, Calice?"
The woman, Calice, glanced over with her cold red pupils. A small, crooked smile formed on her face as she looked at Estiel, who’d shown up in unusually loose-fitting clothes.
"...This is the first time you’ve come specifically to watch a student exam in progress."
"Don’t blame me! I already told you, this year’s the golden generation, the best one yet."
Calice shrugged at that, letting out a small laugh before turning her focus back to the holographic screens.
"So, who’s got you interested this time?"
"...Hm?"
"I know you wouldn’t have come here without a reason, Estiel. There’s got to be someone who caught your attention, right...? Especially... with those eyes of yours, what exactly did you actually see?"
Estiel’s smile froze for a moment, his expression going strangely flat, before his usual cheerful energy came rushing back and he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, how would I know?" His lips twitched. "You know perfectly well that after I use my power, I have to wipe my own memory of it. It’d be pretty bad if I accidentally meddled with fate, right...?"
Used to Estiel acting like this, Calice just gave a small smile.
"Alright, alright, but I still believe there’s got to be some student who caught your interest enough to bring you all the way here."
"Tch, why are you being so stubborn about this? I already told you, I don’t remember!"
Estiel let out a long sigh, clearly not wanting to keep going with that topic. She glanced at the holographic screens—a few prey had already been caught, and even some of the strongest students among the first-years were starting to get pulled into fights of their own.
She gave it only a brief glance before turning her attention back to Calice once more.
"So, how’s the ocean doing?"
Calice glanced at her, and her expression turned grim, as if she might actually be sick.
"Don’t ask me that. I only just got back from that disgusting place, and now you’re making me think about it again?"
"Hey! I was just curious!"
Calice pressed her fingers to her temples.
"Well, how should I put it? It never gets better, it just keeps getting worse. I set up a temporary barrier, but it won’t hold for long. I’ll be heading straight back there the moment this exam wraps up."
"Hmm..." Estiel mulled that over for a moment, a small smile briefly crossing his face before it widened into a proper grin. "I see... Well, as expected, of course you’d be swamped, being the Tower Keeper of Defense and all."
Estiel glanced back at the hologram, spotting a familiar figure. His interest shifted instantly.
"Ohh..!!"
He perked right up, completely ignoring Calice, who looked like she was being crushed under the weight of it all.
***