Three days later, outside the Academy’s transfer station, Lake, along with the rest of the first-year students, gathered in neat rows, organized by their classes.
Lake, standing in line with the Sacred Class students, released a soft sigh.
’In the end, they only managed to survive a little under half an hour...’
He was slightly disappointed with everyone’s training results.
Originally, he had hoped that they could make it past the thirty-minute mark before the start of the exam, but unfortunately, they had fallen a little short.
’I’ll have to revise their training program...’
While Lake was already planning his next lesson with a frown, everyone else wore grim expressions.
Lake had the advantage of foresight, but he hadn’t shared any knowledge of the upcoming exam with anyone. Everyone was walking into this exam blind, and they naturally felt unprepared, no matter how hard they had trained.
Besides, they all knew that the instructors wouldn’t make this exam easy, especially since it was their first practical exam and the Academy’s first major event of the year. So felt nervous, while others tried their best to steady themselves for the battle to co.
Instructor Alec stood in front of Lake and the rest of the Sacred Class students. Seeing their somber expressions, he shook his head helplessly.
This happened every year, so he knew it wouldn’t be easy for them to shake off their nervousness. They would have to overco it through first-hand experience and repeated battles.
While everyone waited for the exam to start, Principal Ralph slowly walked in front of them.
Whoosh!
With a violent gust of wind, Lake felt a wave of mana sweep through the entire field, covering every student. Principal Ralph, standing before them, nodded with a warm smile.
"Haha! Out of the twenty-three batches of students this academy has nurtured, you all can be considered the best!"
Hearing his words, everyone was slightly taken aback. They knew they had advanced quickly under Lake’s training, but they didn’t expect such high praise from the Academy’s Principal.
’What happened to keeping us humble?’ They all silently thought.
"Heh, you brats must be questioning why I dare to praise you so much?"
Everyone was slightly startled when Ralph suddenly pointed them out but didn’t say anything.
"Hmm, while I am really proud to inform you of your great achievent, I get even more excited when I think about training such wonderful students!"
As Principal Ralph spoke with a warm smile, the other instructors had small smirks on their faces. A few students also picked up on the hidden aning behind Principal Ralph’s words, and a sense of foreboding filled them.
"Alright, that’s enough of the small talk. I don’t plan to keep you here for long. This ti your exam has been changed to suit your rapid developnt. Instead of a group-based hunt, your first exam will be similar to your Martial Course Entrance Exam."
"You will be thrown into a dangerous environnt and have to hunt various beasts or achieve certain objectives to accumulate points. You are considered to have passed the exam so long as you’ve acquired a thousand points."
"This ti you’ll also be able to form a team to pass the exam as a group. Up to a five-man team can be ford with the sa goal of a thousand points to pass the exam."
As everyone heard Principal Ralph’s words, surprise flashed across their faces. Hunting in an open area sounded dangerous, but compared to the conditions of the first exam, there was now a lot more freedom in how they could operate, especially considering the knowledge they had gained after the first month of classes.
Many students were already thinking of various strategies and team compositions to get the best results from this exam.
Kate, who was listening carefully, also had a slightly surprised expression. She didn’t expect the Academy to provide such favorable conditions to their students, considering their usual style.
As she thought about this, Principal Ralph continued his speech with a light expression.
"All the relevant information for the exam has been sent to your wristbands. You can look over the notes and special objectives when you arrive at the exam site. Before you leave, I’ll give you a basic rundown of everything."
"The exam will take place within an active Field and last for three days. When you arrive through the teleporter, you’ll be at the Field Stronghold just outside the Field. That place will also be your main base of operation for the exam period."
"For the purpose of this exam and the safety of each student, the Academy has hired the assistance of several high-ranking guilds. When you arrive, you shall see several hunters awaiting your arrival on the other end. These hunters, along with your class teacher, will be your guardians whenever hunting out in the field."
"They won’t usually act unless they judge that your life is in danger, at which point, you would have been considered to have failed the exam."
Everyone’s expression turned dark when they heard Principal Ralph’s last words. Although the condition of failing seed simple, everyone understood the deeper aning behind it. The fact that death was even a possibility in this exam made them unsure of how to feel.
"This also brings to my last point. Although you may have the protection of the hunters during this exam, I don’t want any student to take comfort in this." Principal Ralph’s face turned serious.
"A field is a dangerous place, and even with the protection of hunters, accidents can still happen. If you feel that the situation in front of you may be even a little overwhelming, do not hesitate to back out or run away! Your life is more important than any exam or any goal!"
"I wish that every student will take these words to heart when entering any field or rift in the future!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Hearing everyone’s shout, Principal Ralph nodded in satisfaction before waving his hand.
"Alright, the rest of the information can be found in your wristbands, so I won’t delay you any further. The ti is now 10:05 AM. The exam officially starts at twelve, but I don’t recomnd leaving the Stronghold imdiately. Take your ti to go through the information in your wristband and co up with a detailed plan of action. Gather your allies and don’t be afraid to work together."
"Although I called you all the best, I hope you can take this exam as a chance to earn that title!"
"Finally, I wish you all a great hunt!"
When Lake heard the Principal’s final words, a small smile appeared on his face.
’I’m sorry, Principal Ralph, but I’m afraid this won’t be a hunt, but a massacre.’
....
A few minutes later, Lake stepped outside of the transfer station, taking a mont to readjust to his surroundings.
"Hah..."
"Why do you already look exhausted?" Kate asked as she ca out of the transfer station behind him.
"I’m not particularly good with teleportation..." Lake said as he recalled his past experiences.
He really wasn’t good when it ca to things like portals and teleportation. Whenever he entered a teleporter, he would feel a little dizzy after exiting it.
When he had entered the rift a few months ago, he also felt an extrely disorienting feeling that caused him to throw up his insides.
Kate had a look of surprise on her face when she heard Lake’s reply.
’So there are things that even he isn’t good at...’ As she thought of this, a small smile appeared on her face as she walked ahead.
Seeing Kate leave, Lake didn’t pay it any mind. She was probably going to start analyzing the data the instructors had given them on their wristbands.
Taking a minute to compose himself, Lake looked around the crowded streets. Many students were walking around, talking to their friends or scrolling through their wristbands.
There were few buildings outside the transfer station, most of which were made of wood. The streets were dirt and gravel, giving Lake the impression of a dieval village.
After looking around for a bit, Lake found a quiet corner and sat down. Turning on his wristband, he began to go through the information the Academy had provided.
The first thing he read was about the Myriad Bay, the Field where the exam would take place.
It was a uniquely ford Field that encompassed a large bay along with the woods and hills surrounding it. The bay itself was ho to various creatures, including Rank Two Beasts, but the students were restricted to the woods and hills where the lower ranked creatures also lived in abundance.
After reading through the information on the Myriad Bay, Lake looked through the rest of the notes. It mostly contained information about team formation and recording of points.
Since most technology wouldn’t work in the Field, the wristbands couldn’t be used to scan the creature carcasses like in the entrance exam. Instead, the accompanying hunters would record the strength of the monsters students killed and assign corresponding points.
Creatures below Rank One were only worth 1 point, while those above Rank One were worth 10 points. Lake realized that this setup encouraged students to work together to challenge stronger enemies rather than fighting a thousand low-rank ones.
Lake looked at the last bit of information regarding living in the Stronghold. Several inns were set up as temporary dorm rooms based on students’ classes. Lake was located in the Sacred Dorm with the rest of the Sacred Class students.
Besides the dorms, the buildings were mostly shops and living quarters for the hunters. The Academy had an agreent with the vendors of the Myriad Bay Stronghold, allowing students to exchange monster parts for equipnt.
Other hunters would also be roaming around in the Stronghold and the Field, as the Myriad Bay was an active Field.
After reading through everything, Lake was ready to explore and gain more information about the surrounding through the fates of the local hunters when he suddenly sensed soone rushing towards him.
When he confirming their identity, Lake felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he hurriedly tried to escape.
"Hey! Don’t run!" A slightly angry voice shouted out as the flutter of wings drew nearer.
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