Chapter 210 |
[Entrance Exam (6)]
The children who had finished the third exam were slowly making their way back to the exam venue.
Upon entering the venue, they looked at each other with eyes that seemed to have something to say.
But as they noticed the surrounding gazes, they turned away from each other.
They couldn’t risk exposing information to others, even by accident.
«Did you do well?»
On the other hand, Eunha, who had arrived at the exam venue earlier, greeted his approaching friends.
He faced them with a nonchalant attitude.
«Hey, Hayang.»
«Can you set up a barrier around us? To prevent sound from leaking out?»
«Sure, I can do that. Just a moment.»
Once all the friends had gathered, Eunha called for Hayang.
Understanding his intention, she didn’t care about the surrounding eyes and deployed a dome-shaped barrier.
The blue barrier surrounding their heads was soundproofed to prevent any sound from leaking out.
«Don’t be on guard against each other. Who’s the sheep and who’s the wolf among you? Is that really important?»
«Hmph! I don’t care who my opponent is! Bring it on if you want to fight.»
«…Yeah, it matters to me. We might end up in the same group in the exam venue, right?»
Parang and Minji’s reactions were opposite.
Eunha glanced at the other kids. They weren’t speaking directly, but their tense expressions were quite evident.
The fourth exam was like that—a test where they had to suspect each other.
Even though they were close friends, the examinees, who had been warned about the exam, harbored a bit of caution.
Even Jin Parang, who behaved as if he didn’t care, was seen checking the expressions of the other kids.
«If we meet each other in the labyrinth, will we fight, even if we’re in the same group?»
«That won’t happen!»
The friends answered immediately.
Strangely, their breaths were in perfect harmony despite not making any prior agreements.
They looked at each other.
They found it amusing how they had been wary of each other.
There was no need to be cautious.
They all wanted to pass together, after all.
«Right? Let’s share information then. Let’s strategize so that everyone can get good scores.»
The kids nodded.
Gathered together, the children who had finished the third exam took out the cards they had received from the supervisors.
Eunha and Hayang were sheep.
Eunkyuk, Seona, Minji, and Jin Parang were wolves.
The division between sheep and wolves seemed appropriate.
After confirming each other’s roles, the children pocketed the cards as if nothing had happened.
«From now on, we’re neither sheep nor wolves.»
«Eunha, then what are we?»
«We’re doggies.»
«…»
«…It’s a joke. From now on, we’re monsters that eat both sheep and wolves.»
Eunha explained to the kids.
All the kids listened attentively.
The fourth exam was the same as previous years at Player Academy—an exam to navigate a maze.
However, this year, examinees were given the roles of sheep and wolves to create suspicion and cooperation among them.
Just as Eunha finished explaining, the exam supervisor began his explanation about the fourth exam.
«Candidates will form groups with randomly assigned candidates and enter the maze!
The positions of the summoning points will vary for each group, but the exit and summoning points will all be at the same distance.»
The maze transformed at regular intervals.
Examinees were allowed to use any means necessary except for illegal activities to pass the exam.
This much was common knowledge for the examinees who had analyzed the exam information.
«While I believe that you’ve already received information from your proctors after completing the third exam, let me explain once again.
This exam has different evaluation methods based on the roles you have.»
«First, the person playing the role of sheep must navigate the maze with the necklace distributed inside the exam venue. If you pass the maze without the necklace, you will be penalized in your exam score.»
«On the other hand, the person playing the role of the wolf must snatch the necklaces of the candidates playing the role of sheep.
Your exam score will reflect the number of necklaces you have apart from your own when you successfully pass the maze.»
The reason the kids had been wary of each other was to protect their own necklaces.
Each child had no idea who was the wolf and who was the sheep.
The kids playing the role of sheep had to be cautious of wolves within their own group as soon as they entered the maze.
Wolves had to cleverly lead the sheep and snatch their necklaces before leaving the maze.
Nobody knew how many wolves were in their group.
Anyone they met in the maze could be a target to be cautious of until wolves revealed themselves or sheep chose not to wear their necklaces.
«Sheep cannot have their necklaces snatched. But wolves can snatch the necklaces.»
This statement meant that wolves could also fight among themselves for necklaces.
Wolves had to keep in mind that they could be betrayed at any moment if they collaborated too closely.
«In the maze, there are resting spots with refreshments prepared at regular intervals.
Wolves with revealed identities cannot use the resting spots, but wolves whose identities are concealed can use them. However, wolves are prohibited from attacking sheep during this time.»
Furthermore, the supervisor added,
«When you first enter the maze, there is only one mana flow indicating the exit. However, additional assistant supervisors, introduced at regular intervals, will create confusion in the mana flow.»
The content that might be advantageous for sheep could also be advantageous for wolves.
Wolves were informed that if they didn’t manage to exit the maze on time, they would receive the lowest score regardless of the number of necklaces they had.
«So, sheep should run hard to survive, and wolves should use their heads.»
The supervisor finished the explanation, chuckling as if it was none of his business.
Shortly after, the kids moved to the underground auditorium in the lecture hall.
The maze was awaiting them.
☆
The final exam at Player Academy.
The supervisors, who had been managing the exam venue since morning, were taking a break in the control room.
Among them were supervisors who had assisted with the third exam.
All of them had fatigued faces.
«…But it’s the last one. We should reduce the exam to three stages from next year… or so I hope.»
«There are talks that there will be up to five stages next year.»
«Ugh…»
The supervisors fell silent at the remark uttered by the chief supervisor passing by.
Supervising over 900 examinees was no easy task.
Especially in the fourth exam, where examinees’ actions were left to their discretion, they couldn’t take their eyes off.
They had to ensure that the examinees didn’t commit illegal acts and had to monitor the monitors vigilantly.
«Wouldn’t it be better not to conduct such exams in the future? It’s so difficult to handle if problems arise.
The academy has its policies, but aren’t the examinees not academy students?»
«We can assess the examinees’ situation handling abilities and problem-solving skills through this exam.»
The chief supervisor responded calmly.
The final exam was a test to see how examinees found the exit using various methods and to observe their way of thinking.
And not only that.
He adjusted his posture and glared at the kids fumbling inside the maze.
In this exam, teamwork and deception of the examinees could also be evaluated.
Players didn’t fight monsters alone.
A player who fought monsters alone was either someone who had given up on living or someone obsessed with fighting.
Even those who were confident in their strength generally leaned toward party play, except for special cases.
The academy wasn’t here to educate fools who overestimated their abilities and thought they could do everything alone.
It was a place that provided education on safely killing monsters.
The chief supervisor could assert that.
A strong player, one who lived long, was someone who poured all their power into attacking even a single goblin when they had to.
That was how important teamwork was.
However, it wasn’t advisable to trust others too much.
It wasn’t uncommon for people who had fought together to suddenly turn their swords toward their partners.
Players had to step onto the battlefield with the possibility of being betrayed by their colleagues at any time.
The only thing one could trust was oneself.
Yet, to kill monsters, one had to trust others.
One should never forget the mindset of walking on a blade’s edge.
That was the nature of this exam.
Groups mixed with sheep and wolves.
Examinees had to work together to find a way out of the maze while constantly suspecting each other, unsure if their comrades would betray them.
They had to cultivate the eyes to distinguish truth from falsehood while mastering the skill of deceiving others to survive.
«Oh my, I can’t tell if that group is lucky or not.»
A supervisor pointed at a monitor where some kids were arguing.
They were all in groups consisting of sheep only.
Despite the absence of wolves in their groups, they still doubted if anyone was a wolf among them.
They argued loudly each time their pointing directions contradicted each other.
«But isn’t this exam advantageous only for the wolves?»
«We can’t say it’s only advantageous for wolves. There are fewer wolves than sheep. For example, that group. One wolf and eight sheep.
Can the wolf move recklessly in that group?»
Sheep couldn’t be robbed of their necklaces.
However, sheep could resist wolves.
Any action other than robbing the necklace didn’t violate the rules.
«Oh, a wolf has appeared.»
«They snatched a necklace right at the beginning. They’re going to be eliminated.»
Some supervisors tsked as they watched another monitor.
Wolves that took necklaces from sheep couldn’t be in the sheep’s groups.
According to the rules, wolves had to wear the necklace they snatched.
In the end, wolves had to prove their identity to the examinees they met.
But that wasn’t all.
Isolated wolves had to find an exit while avoiding pursuing sheep for revenge.
If a wolf had excellent mana control abilities, finding the exit shouldn’t be difficult. However, that wolf got lost in the maze right from the entrance.
«Wolves need to use their heads. If not, they’ll end up like that.»
The supervisors diverted their gazes from the respective monitor.
In other monitors, wolves were gradually appearing too.
The revealed wolves sometimes wandered in the maze, meeting other wolves and forming cooperative relationships.
They were in the lucky group.
«Come to think of it… What happened to Alice’s group?»
The chief supervisor, who was watching a monitor, wondered.
The girl who had shown amazing abilities in the second exam.
He had secretly hoped to see what she would achieve in the third exam, but he felt only disappointment.
She was too kind.
She had received a B+ grade because she had helped other kids.
With her skills, she could have easily received an A+.
…No, that wasn’t it.
The chief supervisor changed his mind soon.
There could only be one person who received an A+ in the third exam.
Examinee number 759, No Eunha.
He had solved the problem of Player Shin Seoyoung, whom he had invited for the purpose of cheering for the examinees, during the second exam.
Practically, they couldn’t monitor the entire academy premises, so they didn’t know what had happened at that time.
But they knew his skills exceeded the supervisors’ expectations.
«…Let’s display examinee number 759.»
The chief supervisor hadn’t seen his performance in the second exam. There wasn’t enough time to check the recorded footage.
So, he wanted to see how No Eunha, examinee number 759, would perform in the fourth exam.
«They’re still at the beginning. They seem to be discussing their strategies with their group members.»
Both of them were sheep.
They were in a situation where they had to be cautious of wolves.
The situation seemed to be unfolding in an interesting way.
The chief supervisor decided to keep a close watch on the two of them.
However, his relaxed attitude crumbled in an instant.
«….»
«Examinee number 759, No Eunha! He suddenly started running!»
«…That can’t be.»
No Eunha had said something to the kids who were in a meeting, then suddenly started running alone.
He intended to find the exit on his own.
It was a foolish thing to do.
Even if one started in a group in this exam, there was no rule against escaping alone.
However, he was a sheep.
Would wolves in a pack just let a sheep that had separated from the group go?
Look at that.
How foolish.
Too foolish.
Hadn’t revealed wolves or packs of wolves started chasing him?
No matter how talented he was in mana control, could he resist that many kids?
«…»
No Eunha remained unfazed as the wolves aimed for a coordinated attack and sprang out in front of him.
He leaped over them, landing with flawless movements, almost like a gymnastic routine.
He never once stopped, as if he could already see the exit.
«Oh!»
«The maze has transformed!»
Supervisors exclaimed in surprise.
The maze had transformed just in time.
Regardless of his skill, there was no choice but to find another path now.
«….»
But he didn’t.
He quickly jumped in before the walls shot up to the ceiling. In the eyes of the chief supervisor, it seemed like a suicidal move.
No, not that.
The chief supervisor tilted his head again as he watched him resume running.
He wasn’t giving up his life; he was just confident in his abilities.
…Still, it was arrogance. Arrogance could lead one to self-destruction someday.
The chief supervisor evaluated his actions. However, strangely, he didn’t feel like he would self-destruct.
It was truly odd.
«Oh! Examinee number 346 is moving alone too!»
What was going on with this year’s promising talents?
The chief supervisor chuckled as he watched Jung Hayang, who had left her group and was now walking the maze alone.
Unlike No Eunha, Jung Hayang wasn’t running. She was passing through the maze at her own pace.
«…I’m envious. She has a lot of mana.»
«She’s just using mana indiscriminately.»
Jung Hayang pushed away wolves rushing at her with magic.
Her detection range seemed to sense the presence of kids far away and easily avoided traps set by lurking wolves. Moreover, she was heading straight for the exit via the shortest route.
«The maze is transforming again!»
Once again, the maze transformed.
Jung Hayang didn’t falter.
She reached out toward the walls appearing to block her path, causing a malfunction in the spells.
She jumped over the walls like a rabbit.
«…That’s a technique you learn in a high-level academy.»
She seemed to have realized something.
She clapped her hands and spread them wide. Then, wherever she directed, paths were created through the walls.
Paths that led straight to the exit.
A skill falling under advanced mana control.
It involved intervening in others’ magic.
The supervisor who hurriedly inspected the altered magic looked visibly dismayed.
«…She just scattered her mana.»
Everyone was left speechless.
She didn’t just pick the lock; she shattered the entire door.
«…Isn’t this cheating?»
«…As long as it’s not illegal activity, it’s allowed.»
The chief supervisor, who said so, had a complicated expression.
He hastily ordered the supervisors to restore the maze and continued to observe the monitors.
At that moment, No Eunha and Jung Hayang met near the exit.
«What are they going to do?»
«If it were me, I’d be cautious, thinking the opponent might be a wolf. Prevent them from moving.»
«Since peer evaluation applies, wouldn’t they compete to be the first to reach the exit?»
The supervisors’ expectations were all wrong.
The two of them walked towards the exit, chatting amicably.
«…Are those two friends?»
The chief supervisor asked, bewildered.
«They both… came from the same school.»
Silence fell in the monitor room. It was a feeling of ‘What is even happening here?’
In the meantime, the two of them finally found the exit.
«…They made it.»
The chief supervisor opened his mouth with a disappointed voice.
Only 8 minutes had passed since the exam began.
The first and second ranks of the 031st cohort were determined simultaneously.