The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter
chapter-148

༺ Joint Practical Evaluation (5) ༻

A flood of pink flames erupted. It was the fire magic from the Heart Paladin, Shera Hectorica.

Shera easily defeated every student she encountered. There wasn’t a first-year around who could stand against her flames.

However, what she desired was not to eliminate insignificant first-year students. There wasn’t any fun to be had in trampling ants after all.

Shera grunted in annoyance.

“Where are the Predators…!”

In this place, as vast and complex as a maze, known as Octovus Hall, the goal of every Paladin was the same.

Hunting the Predators. They had to focus particularly on the ice element.

Though it wasn’t something that could be discussed beforehand, the Paladins understood that they needed to target the Predators upon hearing the exam rules.

Their objective was to thwart the plan of The Black Monster, The Nameless Hero, and uncover his identity.

If he participated in this exam, they concluded he must be a Predator.

This was because, during last year’s Märchen Academy Magic Department first year exams, demons often appeared, and the Black Monster appeared each time as well.

If the Black Monster was a student, there was a high probability that he was now a second-year student.

Even if the Black Monster was not here, there was no loss. There were still opportunities remaining.

“…!”

It was while they were traversing Octovus Hall, that they arrived at a vast space.

Suddenly, a strong flow of mana swept through like a whirlwind, brushing against Shera’s skin. The mana was emanating from the corridor on the opposite side.

Shera widened her eyes in surprise and looked towards the other side.

A female student with rose-gold hair walked towards her, swaying gently. As she spotted Shera, she stopped, her expression indifferent.

A second-year blue gem brooch was attached to her uniform ribbon. Five blue magic circles floated above her head.

A smile spread across Shera’s lips.

“Luce Eltania…”

Finally, an opponent who could entertain her had appeared.

When encountering the Predator, one must choose to either fight or flee.

However, Shera knew from her extensive combat experience that she could never flee from a confrontation with Luce Eltania.

It was what she had hoped for.

Shera deployed her orange magic circle.

There was no need for conversation. As if following an unspoken agreement, the two poured forth elemental magic at each other.

* * *

White’s pocket watch was different from what I remembered. The reason for this was still unknown.

The discovery of a new variable stirred a multitude of complex thoughts in my mind.

However, I had to set those thoughts aside for the moment. It was gradually becoming time for the Abyssal Sea Monster to emerge. I could tell from the watch on the exam bracelet.

After dispelling the ice chair with defrost, I moved towards the passage leading to the Eltra Sea.

While walking, I continually observed the Paladins using my [Clairvoyance].

Presumably, they were out hunting Predators like me.

When the exam began, except for the sociable model student the Clover Paladin, the rest of the Paladins quickly left their teams and began eliminating students at a terrifying pace.

They seemed to be operating under the assumption that I had joined this exam.

‘They must think I’m at least a second-year student.’

Last year, various demons appeared during the Magic Department’s first-year exams, and each time, the Black Monster also appeared.

Moreover, during the joint practical evaluation, including the Eltra Sea where the Abyssal Sea Monster appears, all destinations were under barriers, and access was controlled.

Last year, the Black Monster acted as if he knew the exam schedule. The Paladins might have thought he would do the same this year.

In other words, there was a sufficient possibility that the Black Monster was hiding his identity and intervening in various exams to hunt demons.

However, fortunately, they overlooked one fact.

‘Octovus Hall is much larger than they think.’

This place was a facility created by hollowing out the bottom part of a vast island.

Usually off-limits, most people were unaware of its internal structure, including the student council president, Alice Carroll.

Octovus Hall was a vast, maze-like facility, making a compass essential.

Here, the compass was specifically for the exam. It only pointed towards the destination, and its only other function was to display a map.

Even with a compass, if the Eltra Sea was not set as the destination, it would be useless to the Paladins except for its map function.

The fact that the Paladins hadn’t yet come my way, even though the Abyssal Sea Monster was due to appear soon, proved that they were lost in Octovus Hall.

In that regard, the goddess of fortune was on my side.

Of course, when the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared, anyone would be able to feel its strong mana and determine the direction of the Eltra Sea.

‘By the time everything plays out, it’ll already be over.’

When the Abyssa Seal Monster appeared, the test bracelets lost their function and broke down completely, due to its passive skill [Mana Drain].

As a side note, from what I remember in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, the academy found it difficult to track the location of each and every student, so they primarily focused on monitoring the locations of those who had been eliminated.

In other words, unless I made myself conspicuous, I was unlikely to arouse suspicion from the academy’s faculty.

When the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared, it wouldn’t be long before all the exits of Octovus Hall were automatically sealed.

To prepare for the appearance of demons, Hegel Magic Tower developed a robust protective magic last year.

It was difficult for anyone in Octovus Hall, including myself, to easily break through.

“The right timing would be.”

After the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared.

To escape to Eltra Sea before the exits were sealed.

It meant I needed to time my exit well.

The exam proctors who had waited at the Eltra Sea coast were to have retreated to the gathering point under the condition that no students were present once the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared. I had already successfully met that condition.

Returning to the current situation.

The Heart Paladin had encountered Luce Eltania. If there were no variables, Luce was likely to win.

The other Paladins were wandering in the wrong direction. Diamond Paladin had defeated a group and had taken their compass.

It was a compass leading to the Eltra Sea. The direction the needle pointed was where I intended to go, and it was identified as ‘Eltra Sea Coast’ on the surface of the compass.

Since the Paladins needed to know the direction to the Eltra Sea, it was apparent that the Diamond Paladin had located the required compass.

As a side note, the naive Shera, excited about catching a Predator first, seemed to have rashly embarked on solo action.

She left her team as soon as the exam started, not knowing that her team’s compass was pointing towards the Eltra Sea coast.

“Well, it should be fine.”

Fortunately, the Diamond Paladin was in the wrong place quite a distance away. she had to go around in circles to find the way.

Indeed, today, the goddess of fortune was on my side. I wouldn’t be hindered by that girl.

As I thought about this and continued forward.

“…What?”

…I stopped in my tracks without realizing it.

I focused on [Clairvoyance].

Suddenly, I caught my breath at the extraordinary actions of a female student, Alexa, marked with a golden diamond pattern on her forehead.

She was charging rapidly towards my intended path, breaking through walls.

BOOM

BOOM

The booming sounds reached here and were getting gradually getting closer.

The air vibrated noisily as if there was an earthquake. The ground also rumbled loudly.

Students scattered throughout Octovus Hall were all startled and stopped in their tracks.

No way, that’s insane. Who destroys the exam hall while taking an exam…?!

I never expected her to rudely carve a path like this. Even the Italian explorer Columbus would have admired such audacity.

The thick walls were being blasted open. I could break trees or rocks with my fists, but the Diamond Paladin was on another level.

Cold sweat ran down my cheeks. I regained my composure and quickly crossed the corridor.

As expected, the exam proctor went to stop the Diamond Paladin, Alexa.

However, she attacked the proctor with rock magic and knocked him out. It was a merciless strike delivered expressionlessly.

She’s accumulating quite the stack of penalties…

‘She’s really going all out.’

Alice probably didn’t enroll her to draw such attention.

I take back saying the goddess of fortune was on my side. She was capricious.

If I continued this way, our paths would inevitably cross. I was bound to encounter her on the way to the Eltra Sea.

But rushing to the Eltra Sea first wasn’t a good idea.

My position was still being monitored by the exam bracelet, so clumsy actions were strictly forbidden.

Moreover, there were exam proctors outside the exit. I couldn’t go out until the proctors had retreated to the gathering point.

So… what should I do?

Firstly, I couldn’t avoid a confrontation with Alexa.

Her path was straightforward.

From that point on, it was logical to recall all the traps and useful features of the joint practical evaluation to formulate a strategy on how to ambush her.

“Huh?”

Then, something unexpected happened.

A man, with an arrogant smile, blocked the path of the diamond female student, Alexa.

“Tristan…?”

It was the vain, blond nobleman, Tristan Humphrey.

* * *

Bang!

In a wide space lit by lamps on the walls, at a point where several paths intersected.

A powerful rock magic broke through the wall, and Alexa, a female student with a square diamond pattern on her forehead, emerged.

“Ha!”

“…?”

A sudden short chuckle stopped Alexa in her tracks.

Amid the dust raised by the collapsing wall, a blond male student stood facing Alexa directly.

“I’ve heard there were many insolent juniors…”

The dust quickly settled.

The brooch on the blond student’s tie flashed once with an aquamarine light.

“But I never thought I’d see someone foolish enough to destroy the very purpose of the exam.”

He was a Predator. Tristan Humphrey, ranked second in Class B, a second-year of the Magic Department.

Alexa’s rock magic circles, etched in the air, targeted Tristan.

Tristan swiftly deployed four wind magic circles, all aiming at Alexa.

The clash of mana waves created a fierce gust that swept over them.

“…”

Alexa sensed Tristan’s mana and realized she was stronger. However, Tristan’s fearless demeanor made her feel a sense of doubt.

Being overwhelmed by fear in the face of a strong opponent meant never reaching a higher realm. This was a lesson Tristan Humphrey had learned after being effortlessly swept away by Luce Eltania’s magic in last year’s end-of-semester evaluation.

Looking back, it was true. Before Luce appeared at the end-of-semester evaluation, the audacious commoner, Isaac, had faced many foes, including A-class students and Tristan himself, without hesitation. No trace of fear was seen in him.

The sheer willpower. The determination as if saying, ‘I will defeat you all’ shimmered in his eyes, Tristan remembered it well.

Reflecting on this memory during the winter break, Tristan had to admit that Isaac was inherently superior. It was a realization that came with gritted teeth.

Thus, he trained relentlessly. He didn’t want to lose to Isaac. Tristan’s winter break was filled with grueling training.

His will surged fiercely, determined to overcome whoever or whatever crossed his path.

Tristan could sense how strong his junior, Alexa, was through her mana. Yet, he smirked as if finding her laughably insignificant, as if unable to even feel fear.

“I, the superior one, shall personally teach you a lesson!”

Tristan laughed heartily, “Kahaha!”

Soon after, he choked and coughed, seemingly catching his breath.