Elite Mages’ Academy (Web Novel)
chapter-213

Chapter 213: Task Start

Objectives

1. Successfully pull off the amphibious assault. Once the orc encampment is taken over, everyone will obtain 500 points and 10 credits. The reward will be given to the entire class. Even if one were to die, as long as the task is completed, the reward will still be given.
2. After securing the depot, the orcish troops will launch a counterattack. In that period, do everything possible to defend the position. The counter will start from the point the depot is secured, and for every day it is held, 20 points will be awarded to everyone. If the depot is held for over a month, 20 credits will be awarded. This task will only reward those that are alive. Once the student dies or the orcish troops take over the depot, the counter will stop.
3. The final task of the battle. Hold the position until Dawn City sends reinforcements. Once the reinforcements arrive, all tasks will be completed. 2000 points and 40 credits will be awarded to all surviving students, as well as one Bronze-rank equipment of their choice.

The tasks remained at three, but there were no optional or mandatory objectives this time. It was basically set according to the flow of the entire battle, and as long as one did not die, they would only have to hold on until the end for all the rewards.

Looking at the objectives, the students began to whisper among themselves. Setting aside the objectives, the rewards were extremely lucrative this time.

Based on the earlier examinations, the academy was usually quite conservative with their rewards. Even if one completed every task in the examination, they would usually only get enough to buy a bottle of elementary Lifewater.

However, this time the academy was extremely generous. The first task would net you an eye-catching 500 hundred points, and they did not even need to be alive to get it. That meant almost everyone would be able to get that reward. After all, based on past experience, the first task was often the easiest, which meant it was likely to be accomplished.

The second task was extremely irregular. It was obvious the examination would be extremely difficult just from the fact that it offered rewards based on time. It was hard not to cry at the fact, but as long as they managed to hold on for a month, they would be very well-off after the examination.

The third task was also extremely lucrative. The fact that they would get to pick a Bronze-rank equipment for themselves was an extremely rare chance.

“Wow, the academy must have noticed we were so poor that we couldn’t even afford Lifewater. The rewards are outrageous this time,” someone joked.

“I actually feel like the academy knows a lot of us will die in the examination, so it would be fine even if the rewards are high, since dead people won’t be able to get the last two rewards,” someone else lamented.

This examination would surely overshadow all their prior experiences. Just as everyone was talking about the lucrative rewards, Xiao Lin already had his eyes on the last page of information. He noticed that a map was not provided, unlike last time.

The last page had a very simple statement, but Xiao Lin’s eyes widened when he saw it. He could not help but gasp before slowly reading everything out loud. “In consideration of the fact that the examination is a large-scale battle, even though the academy has adjusted the variables accordingly, the number of students in each class still differs greatly. Therefore, the academy has decided that this examination will be a joint battle for the entire year!”

They actually threw all twelve clases into the same battlefield this time, but Xiao Lin found it to be the logical choice upon closer inspection. The average number of students in each class was around fifty to sixty. For the prior examinations, the numbers were quite normal. However, in a war, those were quite pitiful numbers.

The objectives had also clearly stated that they needed to hold onto the depot against the orc army after they took it over. With their numbers, it was impossible to defend it, let alone for an entire month.

However, if it was the entire year, there would be around eight hundred of them. Even though it was still a small number in war terms, the background information did state that Dawn Academy could only send a small squad thanks to the siege by the orcs. Therefore, it was quite a realistic scenario.

Xiao Lin looked up to the ceiling, sighing to himself. He did not know if that decision would really be beneficial to them. Logically, if the difficulty did not change, their greater numbers would naturally be a boon.

However, even within their own class, they were not completely comfortable with each other. If twelve other classes were added into the mix, would infighting eventually break out?

Everyone else finally noticed the last part as well, and a lot of questions started to arise. Before they could properly decide if they should be happy with it or not, Qin Chuan told everyone the examination was about to start.

The moment the clock struck eight, rays of white light descended from the ceiling, enveloping everyone within it. Everyone’s bodies started to dim, eventually disappearing into the light. The academy obviously did not want to give them too much time to think, probably wanting them to figure out their problems within the simulation itself.

When he opened his eyes, Xiao Lin was already lying on a large wooden warship. He looked around and saw a huge wave over ten meters tall heading toward them. He immediately found the nearest thing he could grab and held on for dear life. His heart pumped as he felt the ship swaying wildly in the waves. Sea water was all over the deck, even flowing straight onto the ship itself. Everyone, even those who had yet to fully materialize from the academy, were completely wet.

After the waves settled, Xiao Lin could finally get a good look at his surroundings. Among the violent waves, he spotted over ten warships moving along.

It was not the first time he was on a ship, but it was definitely the first time he was on a wooden one in the middle of the violent ocean.

Xiao Lin was struggling to get up when the ocean conjured up another wave, so he could only miserably fall down again, holding on to the pole next to him for dear life.

In that sinister environment, something finally happened to that ill-prepared squad. It did not take long for Xiao Lin to hear someone shouting frantically from the head of the ship, “Oh no! Someone fell into the sea! Stop the ship! Quickly stop the ship!”