l eventually arrived at the second exam after receiving her daily’ Lila-battery’ recharge.
She examined the pure white room, which was made of pure white marble with no furniture or examiner in sight. Each inch of the material thrumd with holy power, and the abnormality didn’t suffocate the witch but amused her.
It is, again, one of several rooms proposed to be built by the Saintess and the headmaster’s efforts. A ’Reality-warping’ room, where everything can be simulated, even the users’ injuries.
An indifferent voice echoed in the room through a speaker installed sowhere out of l’s sight. "Test Examinee #1324. Select your difficulty."
Yep. Just like a ga. l yawned a little as she muttered. "The hardest one."
"Our difficulty followed the magic system with novice, apprentice... wait, what?"
"The hardest one. Adept." l stretched a little. She already missed Lila.
"I-I understand.’ l heard the instructor coughing twice to calm himself. "Please proceed without worries. Any injury suffered in the examination will be non-fatal and heal afterwards. The Academy is not responsible for any ntal trauma or complaints. Then."
l watched as pixels cluttered together, constructed with formulas crafted by 5 Expert-ranked professors. Before long, a three-foot-tall gorilla with a snake tail materialized.
"."
She rely stretched her hand as a magic circle spawned beside her, with a careful step probing out from within as if scouting its prey.
l glanced beside her. The Eagle-eye was a humanoid eagle wearing leather armour, black pants, and a pair of scaled gauntlets. Beneath his hood, one of his eyes was covered with a black strap, as he posed with his hand covering it, his waist slightly bending forward as if containing a power within.
"..."
l held back a laugh, completely ignoring what may have been a ’chunnybyou’ behaviour. "."
A novice a Novice buff were enough for an Adept monster. Or more specifically, the magic would handle all the chores for her summon.
"Do your best. Or I’m going to be real embarrassed."
With a wave of her hand, the Eagle-eye beside her took out a bow, its hand stretching as exaggeratedly as possible, like all it took him imnse efforts to pull the string.
The snake-tailed gorilla rushed at them. l held her chin to observe how it dragged its feet, a particularly slow speed for an Adept monster. Was it specialised in Defense and Strength instead?
No matter. l shrugged.
"."
A whisper that shattered senses slithered into the air like patient serpents before reaching the Gorilla. l observed with interest how its huge body convulsed, its knees buckling from being unable to withstand all its muscles spasming in exhaustion.
Her summon didn’t wait for his recovery, as with a plop, the string released and an arrow bolted through with a boom, the force recoiling loudly and clearly, before it pierced through the monster’s skull, right in between the eyes.
"Alright. Finish." She patted the Eagle-eye’s hood before desummoning the ’Chunni-eagle’, watching how the pixels deconstructed and evaporated from the corpse of the gorilla.
She glanced at the ceiling, imagining the shocks the examiners must be going through. Aside from her, there will at least be three others who one-shot the Gorilla:
The Protagonist Calina Forgevein, the Northern Heiress Rosana Winterscourge, and her Lila.
"That makes sowhat an equal. Plus, I already showed I had a up my sleeves, which was unrecorded in their study materials."
She didn’t wait for the announcent, turning heels for the exit with a foxy smile. "Well, I’m a definite pass no matter what."
Onto the ’Surprise’ Third Exam, then. An excitent reminiscent of her first mana release sprouted.
The real challenge starts from here.
------------------
Right as she stepped out of the White Room, she was guided by a senior student to the grand hall in the centre. It was a sparse space with a high ceiling, an open and bright space carved with more holy runes from the Church.
Observing how the examinees here amounted only to about a hundred, she noticed and approached a familiar blue head.
"Lila!" l gave a big hug from behind, her chest sliding onto Lila’s back. "How’s the exam?!"
She was ’rewarded’ with a muffled, embarrassed yelp. Satisfied, l nuzzled onto Lila’s shoulder, eting a pair of grumpy erald eyes.
"Pass?"
"Pass. Simple and easy." l grinned. "Everyone here has already passed."
Lila blinked, distracted by the soft sensation on her back. "How-how do you know?"
"Hehe. Just listen, listen!"
Eventually, a man’s voice resonated through the hall. It was crude and loud, like a war instructor who stubbornly refused to mince his words.
"All of you here are now qualified for an academy seat. Congratulations."
Chatters filled the hall, confused noises reverberating in the space. So braced for an announcent of their failing, while others anticipated a typical procedural ’welco to the academy’ speech.
None could be prepared for the news of their passes, especially for what ca after.
"However, due to the limits of the Academy, only the top 15 examinees by the trics of the first two exams could enter the Elite Class."
Lila frowned a little. Elite Class? That’s unheard of from Saria’s explanation of the Academy policy.
"Yet after so discussion, our committee has decided to lend out three more spots through another final exam here. Keep in mind, as the na ’Elite’ suggests, there will be suitable privileges that will co with it."
The chatters in the hall grew noisier, blaring with more enthusiasm. They knew not what ’privileges’ the academy would offer, but whether nobles for honours, or as commoners for resources, both could not afford to miss out.
l, using this opportunity, imdiately slithered up her cheek, puffing a hot breath onto Lila’s neck. "Let’s team up, Lila."
[ The Witch of Envy shuddered! Critical hit! ]
[ Favourability: 68 -> 69 ]
"No-no..." Lila shook her head. She refused to rely too much on l. She still had her own strengths to prove!
l chuckled, admiring her girlfriend(?)’s lasting resolve. Alas, she could foresee it crumbling the next second, as she muttered into her ear.
"Rember those privileges the professor has ntioned?"
The temptation sneaked its way to Lila’s mind. What could it be? Access to the Royal Library? A trip to the Eastern Nation? No matter what, there is nothing more vital than her l!
"That included a privilege to select which dormitory building and room you would like to sleep in, your dorm mate-"
"Let’s team up."
No hesitation, no process of monologuing her shock. Lila’s response slipped out, her erald eyes sparkling with a brand new resolve that cast away her insecurity.
She has long since worried if l was arranged to be with a different woman other than her. Given her friend’s unruly personality, would they not sleep in the sa bed the very next day they t? She would prevent this scenario at all costs! It is not like she wanted to do the sa, totally.
l rely smirked before shoving a into Lila’s palm. "Keep it. From now on, we would like every advantage we could have against others who had artifacts on them."
She contemplated whether to expose the System’s explanation of the chanism behind the academy’s little ’trap’, before shaking her head. Lila needed to know no politics, she and her System alone would shoulder that burden.
"It’d be a free-for-all, elimination match set in our chosen venue. Ranks will be determined by order of elimination. Up until the last man standing."
Absolutely. l mocked inwardly before eying the familiar strand of rough black hair through the gaps in the crowd, now strapped in a ponytail. Then to another with golden hair, whom she was all too eager to witness again.
This is the first trap by the Academy. Everyone must have assud by ’lending out three seats more’ that the top 15 in the first and second exams were excluded.
They were not. The protagonist and the Northern Heiress still remained, both of whom should have occupied the top 2 seats in l’s apparent assumption.
In other words, would not all three open seats be filled if three of the top 15 spots remained?
[ It’s a trap! ]
Exactly. l nodded approvingly, snuggling her cheek onto Lila’s neck further. This is already not a ’normal’ exam by the academy’s standard.
Such a bold, daring move that would anger the masses by the new Teacher Head. l judged.
"Just like in the virtual rooms, injuries and deaths will not be actualised in the space you were arranged in. Good luck."
Pixels gathered around l and Lila’s shoulders, indicating a spell to another virtual space.
Right before then, she sneaked a peck onto Lila’s cheek. "I’ll co to you. Hang in there."
[ The Witch of Envy felt reassured! ]
[ Favourability: 69 -> 69.5 ]
"Hm." Lila smiled, blushing and resisting the urge to kiss l back. "Of course."
l put a ’v’ sign and a grin before disappearing with the crowds.
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