Parallel Memory
chapter-49

***Meanwhile other students***

They had been trying to find food and drinkable water immediately after being teleported to this dungeon.

Some students met each other on the first day and decided to team up. While others fought each other for food and water.

While some students managed to get something to eat from the forest, other students had been starving for the whole day.

[ "I can't go on. We had no food and water for the whole day and I have been fighting all the time too." ]

[ "Sh*t! Why only goblins, why not Red Bull. We could eat them but not goblins." ]

[ "I can't go on for long. We need to find a place to sleep." ]

Unlike Zero, most students were caught unprepared for the survival test.

Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian, the three of them were lucky to meet each other who was friends on their day but also kind of unlucky because none of them possess any survival skill.

In this test, students have to find edible vegetation but three of them don't know what they can eat and what they cannot eat.

They also have an option to hunt monsters for their meats. However, not every monster can be eaten; some don't have meat while some are poisonous and some look like a human.

So, finding monsters that can be eaten was also difficult. They traveled for the whole day and only encountered goblins.

However, even if you have hunted edible monsters like Red Bull and Dark Bear, there was a need of butchering them.

It will be difficult for inexperienced students like Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian to obtain meat from monsters. They had to skin the monster and also remove bones and other inedible parts.

The test was particularly harsh on those students who always did indoor training and didn't have much experience in dungeons.

The three of them gave up finding food and walked in the middle of the night in search of a suitable place to sleep.

While searching, they were stunned by what they saw in front of them.

Portable grill with water bottle near it and a huge tent to sleep in. There was also a tiny smell of roasted meat in the air.

Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian couldn't comprehend what they are seeing for a moment because the scene in front of them was too frustrating for them.

The three of them have been suffering for the whole day with no food and water and here was someone who had been treating this place as a camping ground.

Bringing in his tent, having a grill and water bottle indicated that the person had all the equipment for surviving in wild.

They can't help but be angry at the owner of the tent.

What was the point of their suffering? Is it not that all students have been suffering like them? Is it only them that have been suffering for a whole day?

How can someone prepare all this stuff without having any prior information? How can this test be so unfair?

All those questions were popping into their head and they felt betrayed by someone.

It is like they had been trying their best not to waste water in a desert but someone was swimming in the pool.

They, however, knew that the frustration and anger they felt were not important. What they wanted to do next was what was important.

[ "I say we rob the guy." ]

Floyd suggested to his friends.

[ "Let us just ask him to help us. I don't want to make enemies unnecessarily." ]

Timothy responded, feeling that robbing was too much and getting food without trouble was much better.

[ "Idiot! Today, he might help you but what about tomorrow and the next day. He, himself wouldn't have that much food and water. There is also a probability that he might not help us at all." ]

Floyd scolded Timothy. He felt Timothy was stupid for thinking that another student is going to help him.

This was an exam for god sake, it was every student for himself. If not for Timothy still being useful to him, he might have already abandoned him.

[ "We shouldn't miss this perfect chance to sneak attack while he is still sleeping. Why should we ask and share when we can take all his stuff." ]

[ "What if the person is a powerful student like Hiro and Zion. There is no way I can win against them." ]

Hussian cautioned Floyd.

[ "What are the chance of that person being one of the Top students? And even if that person is Hiro, we three can probably beat him. He might be strong but we outnumber him." ]

Floyd bragged. Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian were from a different class than Hiro. While they do know that Hiro is powerful but they didn't think he alone can beat them all.

Then Floyd started to explain the plan to his two teammates.

*****

-BRRRIIIIINNGG! -BRRRIIIIINNG!

[ "Ahhh..." ]

Suddenly waking me up in the night was the alarm sound. I thought that some monsters might have entered the area accidentally.

However, instead of a monster, I found three students. I quietly observed them. While they were not approaching me but I could see that they were planning something.

From the mana aura that I sense, I could tell that three of them were at Rank-E -. They are probably average students of Ace Academy, that is they were neither too powerful nor a weakling who is stuck in Rank-F +.

However, I don't see their sneak attack working on me. Reason?

[ "Status" ]

===Status===

Name: Zero Elea

Rank: E +

Strength: D

Speed: D

Stamina: E +

Mana: D

Luck: B

Charm: A +

- - > Skill:

[ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]

A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.

Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.

- - > Art:

[ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]

Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword slash will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.

[ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]

Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice related skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.

[LVL 6: Dual Art: Beginner ]

A unique Art created by Zero. The Art combines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has been combined.

= = = = = = = =

Yeah, I rank up last week and reached Rank-E + which was the same as Hiro. Not only that, my proficiency in Cryomancy Art has finally reached the Proficient level. The skill that I comprehended when reaching the Proficient level is called Ice Embodiment.

Ice Embodiment skill allows users to embody ice, having a natural affinity and physiology of ice.

They would be able to take the form of any entity or object made of ice, like Yuki-Onna (Snow Women).

At the pinnacle, users are all-powerful in ice magic, possessing absolute and limitless control and immunity of ice, doing absolutely anything with it.

This is a powerful skill that I can use to increase my defense and attack power. My body gets covered in ice making my defense higher and I can manipulate the ice on my body to become anything I want. I can make it into a sharp object for attacking.

While using the Ice Embodiment, the level of control on ice energy increases tremendously. The only drawback of the skill was mana consumption.

Even when I have a higher mana capacity than other people, I can only last one minute using this skill.

Another skill was called Cryo Bomb which was also incredibly useful. The user can create explosive constructs with freezing properties.

Instead of a fiery blast, the bombs raptly disperse heat, freezing liquids and coating objects in ice, including icicles to impale the target.

I can also set up the Cryo Bomb like a landmine and if the enemy comes near it, either it will automatically attack the enemy or I can activate it with my mana.

After a few seconds, they started making their move. I know that they are either here to steal or defeat me.

If they are here for other things, they wouldn't be so sneaky, and also I don't think the students are that kind-hearted to spare someone who is sleeping and have all these resources.

I already implanted the Cryo Bomb near the entrance of the tent. I was just waiting for them to come near and activate the Cryo Bomb.

-THUD! -THUD!

-BOOM! -BOOM! -CRACK!

The Cryo Bomb was activated. I went out to see whether the enemies have been defeated.

When I came in front of the tent, I found two students frozen fully but the last one was only frozen in half of his body.

Most likely he was behind those two students or he used some kind of defensive artifact to protect himself.

Whatever the reason may be, he lost his chance to defeat me. He can hardly defeat me at his full power, not to mention he is half-frozen right now.

[ "Yo-You!" ]

Floyd shouted in anger.

[ "Yes! What is it?" ]

[ "How dare you? You will pay for this." ]

[ "Maybe. But not this time." ]

I replied to his loser speech. They tried to sneak attack me and now they are blaming me for attacking them. Can you be more reasonable?

-SWISH! -SWISH!

Suddenly, two lights shone on the two frozen students' bodies, and the two students who were completely frozen disappeared.

It might have been dangerous for them if they had stayed like that for a few minutes. The students were thrown out of the dungeon.

Now, only a half-alive enemy is left.

[ "Time for you to join your friends." ]

I got closer to Floyd.

[ "Pl-please, spare me! I will do everything you say, please!" ]

Floyd had thrown away his pride. If he is eliminated here, he will surely fail. He didn't want to be outcasted by his classmate, he was one of the Top-100 students in the Academy.

[ "You should have thought that when you attacked me." ]

It might have been me if I was caught off guard or if they were stronger than me. Would they let me off if I was the one in their position? I don't think so.

And it was not like they are dying for real. They will just fail the exam and might need to repeat the year or Ace academy might even conduct another exam to pass them.

Anyway, I was not interested in knowing what will happen to them.

[ "No, please, no. My parents work for a gold-graded guild. I will give you ten thousand Ethan coins." ]

[ "Not interested!" ]

-CRIIIIICK!

I put my hand on his unfrozen shoulder and started to freeze him and soon after he also disappeared.

( Please let this be the end for today. )

I don't want to be interrupted again. I once again jumped on the bed and slept.

Please let me have a good sleep!