109 – To the exam site
The temple where the first year students finally arrived was literally a place that could be described as a historic site.
All kinds of piles of stones were roaming around, and unknown patterns were engraved on the tombstones erected here and there.
Traces of the efforts of archaeologists felt precarious, as if they would soon disappear, covered in a wind blowing from somewhere.
Among them, what catches everyone’s attention is, of course, the largest stele in the center.
If you look down, there is a staircase that can be climbed by four people standing side by side.
Through it, you can move to the place where the most important ancient artifact of this temple rests.
And this underground space is also the main place for today’s practical test.
Pair. Match.
After a brief tour of the temple, Nordic caught his attention by clapping with his flat hands.
As everyone’s eyes gathered together, he opened his mouth as a representative, giving an eye to another examiner standing next to him.
“Now that you’ve briefly toured the temple, let me tell you about today’s exam in earnest. Now, focus on the video in front of you.”
What the examiner was showing was a map depicting the structure of the underground, and it was quite large.
Hearing that the test would be held underground, he lightly dismissed the thoughts of the cadets who assumed that there would be no big problem in exploring since the space was not large.
“This is the rough structure of the basement of the temple where you guys will be taking the test. However, even this is only a simple drawing of the road, and you must overcome the dangers lurking here and there with your own hands.”
Belle’s eyes narrowed as she mingled with the crowd and focused on the story.
This is the most difficult part of this exam.
Excluding the structure inside the temple, it does not tell you important information such as traps, dangerous objects, and the number of enemies.
There is always nothing more tricky than dealing with an unknown enemy.
“Sometimes it could be a monster or an unexpected trap. You just have to jump over all of those obstacles and get these ‘markers’ that will randomly spawn all over the place.”
The structural diagram floating in the air disappeared and what appeared was a very small object resembling a decorative dagger.
Judging from the fact that it was created, everyone guessed that it was more like a phenomenon created by magic rather than an object.
“However, a total of six groups entered simultaneously to take the exam. And the number of marks created inside is three. In other words, keep in mind that you cannot bring half a joe.”
“Instructor, are all the groups that did not bring the mark eliminated?”
A female student who had been listening to Nordic raised her hand cautiously and raised her question.
At this he pointed at the cadet as a good point and shook her head.
Right after that, the video floating in front of me changed again.
“No, right before the exam, the representative of each group will wear this magic tool. Through this, the examiners will be able to check and score your status in real time. It is safe to say that the mark is a way to give additional points here.”
“That means…. Does that mean that even if you’re in a group that didn’t bring a mark, you can still get a high score?”
“I guess it depends on how active you are.”
Conversely, even if you are lucky enough to form a group with other cadets with good skills and succeed in obtaining a mark, if you do not show outstanding performance, your high score will be withdrawn.
A sigh broke out among some of the cadets who noticed this.
At best, I was assigned to a good group, so I thought I would eat the practical test every day, but this kind of structure.
I can see the will to never create a spectacle where someone without ability climbs up, fearing that someone might not be at Delos Academy.
“Please show off good performances in your respective positions. So that’s all I have to say.”
After that, another examiner came out and gave some precautions, and then they split up into groups that had been prepared in advance and waited for their turn.
Among them, the order in which Team A-7, which Bell belongs to, was assigned is the following.
‘4.’
Bell frowned at her, thinking that number somehow sounded hideous.
She felt sorry for herself as she could not pass it off as superstition because she knew the danger that was about to come.
He smiled wryly as he watched Aden, who was also assigned to the fourth order, shake his hand gladly from afar.
* * * *
All the videos being sent inside can only be seen by the examiners, and the cadets just have to spend their boring time waiting.
In the meantime, there were great people who slept comfortably, and there were meticulous students who checked the magic tools or items they brought.
In this way, each member’s temperament was revealed in Group A-7, which Bell belonged to.
“Fortunately, there seems to be no problem.”
“Yes, mine is the same.”
Elisha and Pareon were busy checking their respective bottles before going down to the basement.
Lone’s side was reviewing the ancient letters written on the notebook she had brought.
Normally, even in the middle of this, Belle might have been lying peacefully on the grass alone, snoring at her, but today she was different.
‘Five first-aid potions, three catalysts, one smoke grenade to hinder tracking, and one elixir to strengthen the body when in a hurry…. Everything I packed is properly inside.’
Looking through the items in the small leather bag, he confirmed that he hadn’t forgotten anything and shook his head.
In many cases, the number of items to be used for the test is fixed depending on the type, and unauthorized items cannot be brought in.
So, even though I checked with the examiner in advance and brought as much as I could, it felt quite lacking.
I didn’t even know it was because it wasn’t just an ordinary test and I knew the dangers that would come later.
‘Still, I survived thanks to Tina.’
From noble mtl dot com
In particular, potions, catalysts, and elixirs that were difficult to obtain will be of great help in an emergency.
Knowing that this was all thanks to Tina, who joined the herbalism club and made several connections, Bell decided to thank her later.
Since the first year cadets, who were on fire because of this exam, wiped out all the items in the general store in the academy, most people would not have been able to afford this much.
This catalyst was even made by Tina with herbs she had been saving for later use.
I was grateful to her for taking care of her friend since she must have been in a hurry to write, but on the other hand, I also thought that Bell was really foolish.
How can you make such a choice ahead of such an important test.
He smiled bitterly at the thought that the debt in his heart had become even heavier thanks to this.
It would be nice if I could just jump in and out with a bracelet and a meal like Marie did.
“Turn it off, help me….”
“Radish, water….”
Fluff.
While I was thinking such nonsensical thoughts.
Bell’s head turned when a voice sounded like it would soon become a corpse.
There, with this, the third sight was already unfolding.
The cadets, almost crawling out of the entrance to the basement, were lying flat at the end of the stairs, crawling like slugs.
When the cadets who entered for the first time came out to the ground in a state similar to that one, it was so noisy.
Some of the cadets shuddered in fear, asking what the hell was going on underground.
‘It must be difficult.’
Bell knew at least that they weren’t making a fuss.
From what he remembers, there are golems underground as well as guardian spirits that roam the temple, so I know it’s quite tricky.
Even if no followers appeared, it would be a difficult test for sure.
Even the ships would be complicated as they had to assume not only the enemies that originally existed in the temple, but also battles with the same cadets.
‘Anyway, let’s go with this.’
Bell waited for the examiner’s words, assuming that they would be next in line since all of the groups that entered the third group came out.
Eventually, after checking among the examiners who were looking at the cadets crawling out one by one, Nordic came forward, put his hands on his hips, and shouted to the crowd in a loud voice.
“Group A-7, Group A-13, Group B-2, Group C-11, Group C-12, Group D-1! Joe, whose name has been called above, please come forward!”
Groups belonging to the fourth order called by him rose from their seats and approached the entrance to the basement.
Among them, there was a group in which Aden, who had waved to Bell earlier, belonged, and a group in which Marie and Tina belonged together.
“What, were you also fourth?”
“Hmph, yes. I won’t look at you even if you ask me to, so be prepared.”
“Uhehehe, I didn’t expect to fight Bell’s Joe. Wouldn’t you have helped if you knew this was going to happen?”
In contrast to Mari, who was declaring war, Tina playfully joked and told each other to cheer up.
Aden seemed to be busy talking about something with his team members.
‘I’d rather be fortunate.’
Meanwhile, Bell looked around at her members, ignoring Marie’s provocation, and nodded her head in satisfaction.
But with this number of people, it would be easy to seek help in the event of an emergency.
Anyway, what he had in mind was more followers who might appear at any time than practical exams, so right away these members felt more like colleagues than rivals to be antagonized.
Looking around the fourth group gathered in one place, Nordic drew the attention of the audience by presenting the magic tool shown in the video earlier.
“Good. Will everyone come together? Representatives of each group will wear the magic tools described earlier. Once it’s confirmed that you’re all wearing them, I’ll send you to the basement exactly 10 seconds later. After that, it completely depends on your ability as explained above.”
“Yes.”
Despite what they had heard through the previous test, the cadets nodded their heads in unison as if they had finally learned.
At the same time, a woman came up and put a magic tool that looked like her bracelet on Bell’s wrist.
When it was confirmed that each group’s representative was wearing a magic tool, Nordic looked down at the clock’s second hand and counted the time.
1 Second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.
At the moment of reaching the 10th second, his tightly closed mouth opened and he smiled.
“Then, good luck. Gentlemen.”
Like that, the new model of a total of twenty-four cadets disappeared in an instant.