"I know you guys don't understand a thing but don't worry. You're safe... for now," the gleeful voice continued with an almost concealed snicker.
'Did he just snicker? Well, it's Rui... so I wouldn't put it past him,' Jash asked himself inwardly and answered.
He didn't even need to focus on it to know that, it was just easy to recognize the guy's habit, having the knowledge about his character already.
"Now, now, don't panic. This was just a screening test. Well, sort of," Rui said with a shrug, visible only to the excited audience.
"And you might wonder why?" Rui grinned. "Because we made the rules!" He laughed, holding his stomach.
"This bas–" A boy nearly scread, but another boy held him back.
"Calm down. It's not worth it," he shook his head while placing an arm on the first boy's shoulder.
"Okay, okay. Before Professor Zander actually gets angry, let explain," Rui said hastily, sensing the growing dread.
"After the random teleportation, you had to try your best to survive, but many failed... Haa..." Rui sighed, disappointed.
"Anyways, best of luck to you guys. And as I always say it's sotis too late to qui–umm umm," Rui's mouth was frozen mid-sentence.
He struggled intensely to speak, alas, the ice started freezing his mouth muscles, stopping him from speaking completely.
Suddenly, a man clad in the uniform of the Solarnelle Academy with neat gray hair appeared mid-air, not even sparing Rui a glance.
"T-that– Isn't that Vice-Principal Zander!?" One audience mber spoke in disbelief, and conversations broke out imdiately.
Yet Zander himself didn't care the least bit about such chats, it was just the audience trying to have sothing to talk about.
Rather than that, he focused on sending his voice across to the island where the test was actually taking place.
"All of you can notice the subtle glow around your wrists from the suit, right? Only after it changes to white does the test truly begin,"
"Anyone who attacked other examinees within this duration would get a penalty, depending on the extent of damage," Zander declared authoritatively.
Even though the examinees felt it was unfair as it was Rui who selectively didn't ntion it, they still kept quiet.
They didn't have it in them to complain to the Vice-Principal himself, even if they weren't aware of the hidden test.
'Damn! These guys are even assessing our reactions!?' Jash thought in slight surprise despite everything going almost as he expected.
Of course, things change and it was most likely his own show-off that altered Rui's plans to a slight degree.
"But that's all... the end result is all the sa," Jash mumbled to himself, shaking off the unease he was feeling in his location.
Just then, the struggling Rui was freed after getting the scare of his life as he began speaking about the things he omitted.
"The island you're on is teeming with dangers and well-known monsters. Use any ans at your disposal to win against them!"
'Wow, he still didn't ntion that the Academy mixed real monsters with simulated ones,' Jash mused, sarcastically praising Rui.
"Once the glow on your wrists turn white, you'd better be prepared for anything!" Rui continued explaining in a monotonous voice.
His excitent seed to have waned after the encounter with the Vice-Principal, but he soon returned to himself.
"Your main goal for this exam is survival! Survive until the tir runs out while aiming for the highest scores!"
"Ah, right! You're also permitted to attack yourselves but trust when I say this..."
"You won't even have ti for that!" Rui said with a delighted clap that resounded through the minds of all the examinees.
His irritating words only made the examinees grit their teeth and plan revenge on him when they were strong enough, though.
Even Jash was one of them, despite knowing everything, he disliked Rui's way of doing things as it didn't sit right with him.
"I should remind you once again though..." Rui said with a thoughtful tone, a stark contrast to his monotonous or playful tone.
"Ranking or not, passing is all that matters as you'll be accepted into the academy all the sa..."
"Why then did the Academy bother to make this exam different, you ask?" Rui questioned, seemingly with a tone that implied he knew the exact reason why.
His next answer however, really got on almost everyone's nerves, especially because they thought he'd be kind enough to explain.
"Who cares as long as I'm enjoying this! Your suffer–Ahem! I an your battles will be fun to experience, so make sure to go all out!"
'He crossed the line with this one,' Jash thought with a smile, not his normal smile, but a chilling one.
He was human and he too had emotions, surely it would get on his nerves as well.
Jash had almost had it at this point if not for knowing about the hidden assessnt going on since before the first trial even began.
Still, only a few could contain themselves, bursting at Rui's continuous interventions, causing them trouble.
Yet all their complaints were shrugged off by Rui with a, "If your concentration breaks with just this much... sucks to be you, I guess!"
"RUI! GO TO HELL!!" So candidates straight out cursed him while so were even using more vulgar language.
"You cheeky bas–!" A few others voiced in resentnt.
"My my! Are you guys complinting ? That's so nice of you!" the top-hat wearing announcer responded happily to the few insults that were thrown at him.
It seed he didn't mind them at all and that was just how he was as a person.
That's why Jash chose to be the part of the ones secretly plotting against him.
After all, everyone ought to have a weakness and it just so happened that Jash knew Rui's weakness.
"I'd love to accept more complints but I digress. Let's get back to the main topic," Rui continued.
As if right on cue, the glow on the examinees' wrists turned white.
"Woohoo~" Rui whistled at the sight of so many attacks—betrayals from the so-called allies.
It was a sight to behold, with both the audience and Rui equally excited by the disqualification of so many candidates.
Almost imdiately though, all of the examinees' confusion beca short-lived as they soon realized the situation they found themselves in.
"Aaaaahhhhh!!!"
"Nooooooooooo!!!"
"That damn retard!!!"
"Screw you Rix-!!!"
"WHY YOU!"
"Muuummmyyy!!!"
So many different forms of frightened shouts, annoyed curses and screeching cries for help filled the air.
Although they were all awakeners and they could tank the damage if they wanted to, they all knew instinctively that it was impossible.
After all, they wouldn't know just who would attack them?
An ally? A monster? A friend? A stranger from a different race?
It also did not help that if the nano-armor considered it a fatal injury, they would imdiately be teleported out.
Obviously, the thought of getting disqualified without even getting a chance to show off their skills was far worse, even more than losing after a fight.
Also their pride which was brimming with determination, courage and imnse hopes and dreams for the future, would not allow for them to take it easy.
Coupled with that was a thirst to prove themselves worthy of being admitted to the most prestigious academy in the world.
They wanted to prove to everyone, more so to even themselves, that they weren't admitted just because they were of age to attend the academy...
But because they had the strength and willpower to see their academy life through till the end.
"aningless," Jash comnted, knowing what was going on in the minds of these needlessly prideful individuals.
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