Teachers POV
"How have the Elite Class combatants been faring?"
"A total of 34 eliminations so far, Mr Stonehard. So strange movents by the Novice and Apprentice combatants, but nothing worth concern."
"Very good." A bald man nodded. "Keep watching. The strategy is a success."
The teachers were in a confined room with large monitors at the front. The only semblance of life ca from the sunshine streaming in from outside, bringing warmth to the otherwise hushed, strict atmosphere.
A bald man stood in the centre of tables and monitors, his brows dark and stern as they knitted tightly together. His eyes stared fixedly at the monitors, unmoving, unlike his ’subordinates’ who lazily yawned with another student being ’chopped off’ in the exam venue.
One mont later, the door to this confined room was kicked open, the force of which vibrating through the space and breathing life into the stillness. The teachers, except the bald-headed one, all turned collectively to the assailant.
A tall woman with a short, shag-cut hair stood in the doorway, a light purple lock of hair fluttering down to cover one of her eyes. She wore a tuxedo that draped over her shoulder, revealing the rolled-up sleeves from within. The muscles beneath spoke of training and discipline, a perfect imagery of soone born for war.
Her peculiar, sharp rainbow eyes scoured the room like a panther until they landed upon the man, still focused on the screen.
"Making the rounds here, already?" Her steps, sturdy and authoritative, approached the man. "This is a school, not a military camp, Baldy."
"I have the authority here, Samantha." The man remained undeterred, his voice still carrying weight to face his equal. "The Cardinals ordered as the Teacher Head for a reason. I refuse to betray their expectations."
"Sure enough. If things royally screwed up, it would be yours instead of their fault." To every teacher’s surprise, the woman walked past the man, not even glancing at the examinees or the ’Baldy’ she (and they) mocked.
"Then, I suppose you have a better suggestion?"
"Nah." Samantha plopped down at a seat, sighing. "Too lazy to judge. Too troubleso to comnt."
The man’s eyes finally swayed towards the woman, frowning with a hint of disappointnt. "If it is you, you would’ve already beaten those so-called novices into shape."
That’s what Colin Stonehard, the new (baldly) teacher head, was trying to accomplish. Secretly orchestrating this surprise exam with the top 15 examinees, he demonstrated a complete ’beatdown’ by showcasing the top ’Elites’ dominating the elimination free-for-all.
Not only would it ’beat’ those at the bottom into shape, but also stroke the egos at the top. A typical, traditional military strategy, disguised as a surprise exam.
"Oh, please." The woman’s hand reached into a portal that she conjured from mid-air, with a naturalness that the teachers had been used to.
"I have my curiosity. Go on." She brought a bottle of tequila and a cup from within, before settling it onto the table with a clink. "It is rare to see soone openly mocking our academy’s honour after all."
"Ha?"
Ignoring Colin’s gasp, her eyes flickered at one of the screens monitoring l and Lila, scouting the forest hand-in-hand.
Everyone’s focus was on the elites or the battle between Calina and Rosana, but no one seed to realise that those very elites were being swayed by these two.
"Ah." She watched as another duo froze in front of them, before dashing away. " spells. Seems like it’s a too. Is that why she’s so confidently sleeping in our exams?"
She popped open the bottle’s lid before sighing. "Can’t believe she also got a full mark on the second exam. So either a bumbling, lucky fool or..."
The war veteran, the Archon-ranked mage, and the teacher poured the ’blasphemous’ liquid into the glass. "A calculative spy from the Witch of Pride’s army."
Colin’s brows rose at the sight of Samantha casually sipping her alcohol. "Already scouting out a hidden talent, { Voidguiser }?"
Colin had nothing personal against those below the Elites. He rely used a surefire, foolproof thod to shape the students into shape. The ’three open seats’ were a brief hope that there would be a Diamond among the trash, but in his years of war, he knew better than to expect the unexpected.
Unfortunately, the unexpected happened in the very next mont.
"Mr Stoneheart! Just now, three confird Elites were down! Position is the top 5th, 6th, and 14th in our evaluations!"
"What?!"
Colin’s gaze snapped to one of the monitors, where 5th, 6th, and 14th students were ’sliced’ before dissolving in pixelated forms.
"Status! How were they killed?!"
"By-by Calina Forgevein, Mr Stoneheart."
A sigh of relief escaped from Colin. "Must have been not smart enough to be caught in a battle between her and the Northern Heiress. So amateurish. We will reevaluate their-"
"Mr Stoneheart! Another downed by Rosana Winterscourge! This ti, it is 13th!"
"Ugh-uhm..." Colin coughed twice, pushing down his embarrassnt. "Tch. Another amateur. Youngsters these days are so careless. Prepare to-"
"Mr Stoneheart! Another downed by Calina Forgevein! This ti-"
"Oh, what in the fu-"
The bald Teacher head slapped his mouth, his heart bumping in a raging tempo, as if multiple war veterans were miraculously defeated out of nowhere simultaneously.
His eyes scanned across the monitors, his military mind awakened by the unusual circumstance. Most of the combatants were surrounded by other ’corpses’ of the ’non-elite’ examinees. And judging by how many are falling so quickly...
The military veteran held his chin, contemplating. "Were they lured? Did the non-elites plan amongst themselves for a suicide charge?"
A ’clink’ broke through his train of thought before he turned to Samantha, who offered a tequila glass.
"Need a drink?"
"..."
The New Teacher Head deeply sighed before pulling up and sitting in a chair beside Samantha. "You have an idea what happened?"
"Scouting a battlefield is the most basic of basics, even in a school setting."
Samantha smirked as Colin received the cup. "Failing your experience is not a good look on your future prospect, Baldy."
"You’re as harsh as ever." He chuckled in defeat. "So, who was it?"
"Examinee #1324, or l Sakura."
Colin frowned. " magic?"
Samantha shrugged. " magic. She didn’t exactly hide it in the Second Examination."
"Ah, . Of course." His gaze turned to l and Lila. "That holder rely weakened the Adept-ranked monster, but never controlled its mind."
He gulped down the cup in one taste, before groaning at the spicy taste. "Lack of information, again."
"That’s a greenhorn’s excuse."
"Shut it. You think I want this job if not for the Cardinals’ incessant whinings?"
Colin’s expression distorted.. He was ordered to be here, but was not requested or invited. Sothing about ’nurturing talents urgently for the future’.
The oddies always have a perfect capability to misplace wrong talents in the wrong positions. Have a drunkard like him as a teacher? He gasped when he first heard about it.
"Sure enough." Samantha yawned, understanding Colin’s turmoil. "I didn’t want to be here if not for her either."
Her eyes darted at the ’spy’ she suspected. She expected a peaceful retirent in her 30s. She would not allow any variables to disrupt it.
"Uh... Mr Stoneheart...another..."
"Ah. Don’t report to ." Colin’s hand brushed in the air against the other teachers, as if slapping off a troubleso fly. "Just evaluate the exams as you would. Use this exam as a reference to judge the students’ personalities and potential. I’m done with this."
"Uh... okay..."
In other words, slack off as much as you would!
The other junior teachers hoorahed internally. So threw their hands in celebration, so already taking out pokers and alcohol from within their desk drawers.
As seen from this scenario, no teacher in the room was willing to be there.
------------
l POV
[ Um... Host? ]
"Hm?"
[ The teachers were bringing out popcorns and champagne right now...]
"Really? Fantastic!" l nodded approvingly. "The less audiences knowing what I did, the better."
[ ... ; ; ]
l puffed out her chest as she was led by Lila at the front. She was already taking this sudden examination as a joke, even moreso when she was told the news by the System.
"Why so upset, System?" l mumbled playfully. "You should be happier at such a wonderfully demonstrated professionalism!"
[ Nothing... oh! ]
l’s eyes blinked at the sudden change of attitude. "What now?"
[ I just received new information about the cultists in the ruins! It seems Knight Saria and Nyxia is in there as well! ]
"Fantastic." The Witch’s golden eyes glimred with excitent. "Tell more about it."
[ Right! The Radient Knight figured the ruins were already raided empty, and...ah? ]
l tilted her head. "Sothing happened?"
[ The-the... please hold on a second... ]
The Witch of Lust scowled. Did the System just panic? Or sothing else-
Master.
A familiar voice interrupted her thought, as l’s lips curled up. The System won’t answer, but her most reliable spy will.
How’s the ruin?
Yes. The cultists have emptied everything, but... there seems to be portal... or... it is best if you see it yourself.
Oh. l raised a brow. Send an image.
Of course.
And in an instant, l’s vision turned to a narrow cave, the dampening air seeping into her nostrils.
In the middle, a tiny rift was literally cracked open mid-air. Its blinding white glow vibrated uncontrobly, as if the realm within threatened to be gushed like lavas.
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