1 Second Invincibility in the Game Chapter 41

The joint exam is conducted in teams of three. Only the first 70 people to pass the previous exam can select a token, and those with a token beco team leaders. Naturally, those who do not make it into the top 70 are out.

With around 300 people passing the second exam, it ans that over 90 people won’t even get a chance to participate in the third exam. Having secured a token, I checked the ti leisurely. There were 40 minutes left until the start of the third exam. Although few, examinees began to enter, including Erucel.

Erucel started complaining imdiately.

“I couldn’t find you anywhere. You could have waited at the second exam site if you were done. I was just standing there aimlessly!”

He still didn’t know I was in the magic departnt. With so many examinees, the knighthood departnt must have also divided people for the exam.

“Stop talking and grab a token.”

“A token? What’s that?”

“…You’ll find out soon enough.”

When Erucel picked up a token, I faintly smiled. Now, he beca the leader of another team. Since we’re not on the sa team, he won’t be able to ss things up properly.

“It’ll start soon.”

I was observing the people entering when I locked eyes with a woman who was glaring at intensely.

Feeling uneasy, I kept my mouth shut, and she quickly turned her head and disappeared. Erucel, oblivious, mumbled next to .

“Oh, co to think of it, we t by chance during the exam.”

“Shut up and focus on the exam.”

As ti passed, the entire hall filled with examinees. While everyone waited with puzzled expressions, Professor Rockefeller appeared and scanned the crowd.

“Is everyone here?”

He maintained his sharp gaze, forcing a smile. The examinees, thinking he was being kind, gave him so mild complints. Little did they know he would soon drop the act.

“Those who arrived early received a token numbered from 1 to 70. Congratulations. You are qualified to form a team. Each team consists of three mbers. Once the token holders recruit two people, you are permitted to take the third exam.”

More than half of the examinees started murmuring. Their faces clearly showed they didn’t understand what he ant. A female examinee raised her hand and asked Rockefeller a question.

“So, what about those who don’t have a token?”

“Beg to join soone who does. For you empty-handed ones, that’s the only way to take the third exam.”

“But… There are 70 teams, and each team has only three mbers. Can we accommodate everyone here?”

Rockefeller sighed in annoyance and answered.

“There are 323 people who passed the second exam. Only 210 will take the third exam. The remaining 113 who aren’t chosen by a leader will be eliminated.”

A male examinee raised his hand and began to protest.

“Wait a minute, Professor! Is it fair to give such benefits just for arriving early?”

Rockefeller’s eyes, which had been gentle, began to sharpen.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“Of course! None of us were late, and we arrived exactly on ti. This is unfair!”

His expression fully transford into that of a sly fox.

“Answering the questions of these blockheads one by one is tireso.”

His irritable tone and expression shocked the examinees who had thought he was a kind professor.

“Excuse ?”

“Alright, since teaching is my job, let explain kindly. But first, let ask you this: Do you rush to a battlefield where life and death are at stake without any preparation, just to arrive on ti?”

Rockefeller conjured a chair with magic and leaned back into it.

“A soldier might. All they need is a head to take orders and a body to carry out missions. But a leader is different.”

He continued his explanation.

“A leader must prepare in advance, know the dangers of the place, and devise strategies. The ones with tokens demonstrated these qualities by arriving early.”

“But if you had told us beforehand, I would have gotten a token too…”

“Really? If this answer isn’t satisfactory, let ask you.”

Rockefeller sneered at the examinee.

“Do you think you would perform well if you got a token now? You likely wasted ti chatting and barely made it on ti because it was cold, didn’t you?”

The examinee flinched, his shoulders trembling.

“Do you think subordinates would follow a leader who carelessly rushes to the battlefield without preparation? I wouldn’t even want you as a subordinate. Soone like you, who only complains and disrupts the atmosphere, is just a pest.”

Token holders gave the questioning examinee cold stares. Watching this, I thought Rockefeller was incredibly ruthless. He had publicly declared that the examinee was unfit to be a leader or even a soldier. After this, no leader would want to team up with that examinee.

anwhile, Erucel spoke to .

“Brother, I’ll drop my token. Will you take on your team?”

“Why would I?”

“Well, it’s right for siblings to take the exam together.”

I sneered at the transparent idiot.

“Why? So you can follow and get eliminated too?”

“…!”

His face fell as if the world had collapsed. It must have been a shock. He had probably planned to sabotage in both the first and second exams, but now, his last chance, the third exam, was slipping away too.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know? You really are stupid.”

I turned away from my foolish brother, who was gasping like a goldfish, and listened to the rest of Rockefeller’s speech.

“Now, you have 1 hour and 40 minutes to form your teams. Once your team is complete, request a professor to guide you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, examinees began gathering around those with tokens. Even after 30 minutes, no one approached . So looked interested but quickly turned away with disgusted or fearful expressions.

But I was confident. As ti passed, the available spots would dwindle, and eventually, soone would co to as a last resort. I only needed one useful person. The other spot could be filled with the one I had already considered.

An hour passed as I waited.

…Why isn’t anyone coming?

They’d rather be eliminated than join . Looks like it.

With only 5 minutes left, I anxiously moved to scout team mbers myself. I had soone in mind, even though I was reluctant to involve him, fearing it might ruin the story. He was a playable character, after all.

“Hmm.”

There shouldn’t be any issues. If the player didn’t pick or control him, he would fail on his own. Even if he died, it wouldn’t impact the main scenario.

“…No, I really don’t want to et him. Should I give up?”

Tick-tock

The ticking of my pocket watch felt unusually loud.

The person I was looking for was a short man nad Limberton. It wasn’t difficult to find him. As expected, he was acting like a creep, hitting on a woman.

“Seems like neither of us will take the third exam. How about a cup of tea together?”

“…I have a boyfriend.”

“That’s just a common excuse won use to brush off guys, isn’t it? I don’t believe it anymore.”

The woman made a face of disgust. Then, a man, presumably her boyfriend, approached and kicked Limberton in the head.

“I can hear that disgusting voice from a mile away.”

“Whatever, he’s gross. Ignore him. Let’s go.”

After they left, I approached Limberton.

“Get up.”

“Gah!”

“Are you conscious?”

“Ow! My head!”

I extended a hand to the guy clutching his head in pain, speaking softly.

“Let help you up.”

But his response was so disgusting that I almost retracted my hand.

“So, 73 won left to hit on.”

Just hold on a little longer.

Despite the physical revulsion, I had to endure. Even though he was repulsive, he was a playable character and better than an average person. I helped him up and made a proposal.

“Seems like no one is accepting you. Want to team up?”

“I’d appreciate that. Do you have a token?”

As he dusted off the snow from his face and t my eyes, his expression turned to shock, and he stepped back.

“H-Hersel?”

“Hello. Nice to et you.”

“Nice to et you, my ass! Are you here to tornt again?”

Oh, right. I had forgotten. When I first fell from the cliff, his recollection also surfaced.

‘I attended that jerk’s funeral, and the staff at the mansion were all smirking. Of course, I laughed too. That’s why I went. At a ball, he called a hick and poured wine on my head. It’s all karma.’

He must still resent deeply.

“So, will you join or not?”

“What? Am I crazy to join your team?”

I tried to be charitable and threw a bait for this disgusting guy, as he had so decent skills for the third exam.

“It’s a pity. I have so valuable information. The better you do in the third exam, the better the dorms. There are many pretty won, especially this year. A lot of talented female applicants.”

I planted the bait and turned my back. True to form, the woman-crazy Limberton took the bait.

“Ahem, considering the situation, I’ll accept your proposal. If that’s the only way to pass.”

He pretended to be serious but couldn’t hide the twitching of his lips.

“Rember, I can’t forgive you. I’ll tolerate you only for a while, okay?”

Reaching the limit of my patience, I narrowed my eyes and snapped.

“You think you’re tolerating ?”

This guy was hopeless. I moved to find soone else, but he scurried after like a fly.

“Hey, don’t be so harsh. I admit I was wrong. Just give a chance, Hersel!”

“This is your last chance. Annoy again, and you’re out. Got it?”

Limberton nodded vigorously, keeping his mouth shut. Despite being disgusting, he was easy to handle.

“Alright, just follow .”

“Is it just the two of us?”

“Don’t worry. We’re going to get soone I have in mind.”

I took Limberton and approached a tall man in a full robe standing alone in the corner. Recruiting the last person wasn’t difficult. Showing him the token, he nodded in agreent.

With the team ford, a professor guided us to an iron door marked with the number 70.

“Enter.”

After stepping through the door, it shut firmly behind us with a bang.

“Hersel? I can’t see anything.”

“Be quiet.”

At that mont, Professor Rockefeller’s voice echoed from all directions.

– You took your sweet ti. Team 7, you’re the last ones.

Did he have to point that out specifically?

– Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll explain the third exam once, so listen carefully.

Even though I knew it, I paid attention to remind myself of its seriousness.

– Your task is to escape from here within three days. Collect hidden coins along the way. Both escape ti and the number of coins collected will be scored.

– Good luck surviving in the dungeon. Try not to die from monster attacks or traps.

It was a real dungeon where one could die from monster attacks or traps.

Fwoosh!

Torches on the walls flared to life. Simultaneously, high-pitched screams echoed through the walls.