Earth's Greatest Magus
chapter-2356

The group exam has started, and true to tradition, it took the form of a virtual challenge, designed to test the acolytes' strategic skills and teamwork under pressure. This year's scenario was a siege war, set in a sprawling virtual city that mimicked an existing city on the border to fight the invading orcs and elves forces.

Each hall sends its 20 best acolytes and faces a daunting task: to recruit and prepare civilians, build defenses, and hold the city against overwhelming odds for two weeks.

For Emery's Hall 6 and the allied Hall 9, this exam felt particularly significant. As top-ranking halls, their scenario was anything but easy. Both halls would be thrown into battles against overwhelming odds: tens of thousands of savage orcs and Magus-level elves. But unlike previous exams, this time the halls would be forced to operate separately—each fighting the same scenario but isolated from one another. It was a calculated move by the academy, likely designed to prevent the powerful alliance between Halls 6 and 9 from giving them an unfair advantage. However, despite the academy's attempts to make things "fair," this time the playing field felt different.

In the past, they had often been handicapped by the constraints imposed on them, but this time was different. With the alliances they had forged with the other half-blood halls and their allies, they had cultivated a much stronger group of acolytes. Hall 9's strength lay in its overwhelming power, led by Shinta and her enhanced half-blood group. Meanwhile, Hall 6 thrived on Hardy's intelligence and his group's highly disciplined coordination. Titus and Armenius excelled in rallying and reforming the civilian army. Their leadership helped turn ordinary citizens into a capable militia, effectively holding the line against the orc waves that came crashing day after day. Evalice, Bellana, and Ullong led the elite teams to strike swiftly and hard, taking down key orc leaders and weakening enemy morale.

The onslaught was relentless. Orcs poured in greater numbers with each passing day, and though Hardy's strategies kept the defenders alive—making clever use of traps and hastily built siege weapons—things grew more dire. The orcs' war chief and his troll brutes began tearing through defenses, crushing the gates, and breaking down walls faster than the acolytes could rebuild them. Every night saw frantic repairs as the defenders tried to stay one step ahead of the destruction.

The situation escalated even further when the elves entered the fray. Their leader, a Magus-level warrior, led the elven forces with devastating force. Hall 10 of the Navarro faction fell swiftly, unable to withstand the onslaught. Their 20 acolytes were eliminated, leaving their city overrun. Soon after, Hall 7 of the Arkaland faction followed, their defenses crumbling despite their best efforts.

Hall 9 of the Half-Bloods featured the formidable duo of Shinta and Rajh, who fought side by side against the elf Magus. Meanwhile, Hall 6 relied on their heavy hitters: Ha Ron and King Rig, both of whom had earned high ranks—20 and 31, respectively—in the personal exams. Along with Blaine, their combined efforts managed to restrain the Magus, keeping him at bay while Hardy, ever the strategist, orchestrated an intricate plan. Slowly but surely, he rotated additional acolytes into the fight, gradually encircling the elven magus and wearing him down until they could secure a hard-fought victory.

[The Group Exam concluded]

The challenge was grueling. The scale of the battle, with Magus-level opponents and hordes of orcs, was more than many Halls could handle. Yet the fact that 5 out of the top 10 Halls managed to complete the scenario was nothing short of astonishing.

Hall 5, from the prestigious Arcanum faction, clinched the top spot, unsurprisingly. Their mastery of arcane formation spells proved perfect for such a defense-based challenge, allowing them to hold off the overwhelming numbers with magical precision and strength.

Right behind them was Hall 1, led by the disciples of the Star Tower Lord. With their five golden-rank acolytes, they possessed not only immense raw power but also brilliance in strategy. Their top-tier acolytes were taught across multiple disciplines, giving them an advantage in every area of the challenge. Their blend of a sharp strategist and a capable commander ensured their second-place finish.

While these two Halls were predicted to dominate, the next three rankings were unexpected. Lucius could barely contain his excitement as Hall 9 of the Half-Bloods secured third place in the exam rankings, surpassing many expectations. Meanwhile, Emery was quietly pleased with Hall 6's impressive fourth-place finish. Both Halls had proven their strength, and the competition was fierce, but it was Hall 8 of the Mamoon faction that stole the show. Despite having acolytes who were considered relatively weaker compared to the top contenders, their unconventional strategy pushed them into fifth place.

Known for their parasite-based strategies, they had turned the tide of the exam with a ruthless, unconventional approach. Instead of defending their civilians through traditional means, they used their abilities to infect the population, creating an army of mindless soldiers who felt no pain and fought until death. The Mamoon faction's city was a horrific sight—a mix of parasitic control and survival at any cost. In the end, almost none of the civilians survived the ordeal, but the city held, granting Hall 8 an unexpected spot in the top five.

The final rankings were:

[Top Hall Ranking]

[1st Place: Hall 5 - 169,220 Points] [2nd Place: Hall 1 - 161,105 Points] [3rd Place: Hall 9 - 157,330 Points]

[4th Place: Hall 6 - 150,012 Points]

[5th Place: Hall 8 - 149,810 Points] This remarkable achievement by Hall 9 and Hall 6, securing top ranks in the mid-exam group challenge, meant they were exempt from participating in the upcoming group advancement trials. This exemption stirred up frustration within the Nephilim faction.

The Nephilim Hall had been gunning for a chance to settle scores with Emery's Hall after their meteoric rise to the top halls. Having restructured and concentrated their best talents into a single elite hall, the Nephilim had hoped to get their revenge. Indirectly, it became another slap in the face for the Nephilim faction, as they were forced to challenge Hall 10 of the Navarro faction, clawing their way back into the top 10 halls.

The mid-exam ended with a noticeable wave of disappointment among the audience, who had eagerly hoped for some top-tier drama between the top halls.