Lukas spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing.
After checking into his assigned dorm room, a modest single with a bed, desk, and window overlooking the training grounds, he lay down and stared at the ceiling. His roommate situation was simple: he didn't have one. Perks of being from a marquis family, he supposed.
[You have been idle for 1 hour]
[+1 to all stats]
[You have been idle for 2 hours]
[+2 to all stats]
By evening, his stats had climbed to 25 across the board. He was now stronger than most first-year students before even taking the entrance exam. The thought was both amusing and slightly concerning.
A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Lukas Grant? Entrance exam briefing in the main hall. Ten minutes."
Right. The exam briefing. In the novel, this was where the academy explained the test format, a practical combat evaluation in the Crimson Waste. Students would be dropped into a monster-infested zone and graded on how many they defeated and whether they survived.
Simple enough.
Lukas made his way to the main hall, a massive auditorium filled with nervous-looking students. Most were chattering excitedly, showing off family artifacts or boasting about their training. He found a seat in the middle section and waited.
Ace Reinhardt sat near the front, his expression focused and serious. A few rows behind him, Princess Seraphina sat surrounded by attendants, her golden eyes scanning the crowd. When her gaze passed over Lukas, it lingered for a moment before moving on.
Great. He still had her attention.
The headmaster, an elderly man with a beard that reached his waist, stepped onto the stage. "Welcome, aspiring students, to the Royal Academy. Tomorrow, you will face the entrance exam, a test that has remained unchanged for centuries."
He waved his hand, and a magical projection appeared above him, showing a barren landscape dotted with rocky outcrops and twisted vegetation.
"The Crimson Waste. You will be transported to different sections of this region at dawn. Your task is simple: survive until sunset and accumulate points by defeating monsters. Bronze-rank monsters are worth one point. Silver-rank monsters are worth five. Gold-rank monsters are worth twenty."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. Gold-rank monsters were no joke, even trained knights struggled with those.
"You will be provided with a communication crystal," the headmaster continued. "If you are in mortal danger, crush it. You will be immediately extracted, but you will fail the exam. The passing score is ten points. The top ten scorers will receive special privileges and resources."
Simple enough. In the novel, Ace scored forty-three points by defeating multiple silver-rank monsters and one gold-rank. It was enough to place him third overall, behind two prodigy nobles who'd been training since childhood.
Lukas wasn't planning to compete for the top spot. He just needed to pass and avoid drawing too much attention.
[Daily Skill Lottery Available]
[Would you like to draw?]
Lukas mentally selected yes.
[Drawing...]
[Skill Acquired: Enhanced Perception (B-Rank)]
[Enhanced Perception: Detect hostile intent, sense danger, and perceive movements with greater clarity]
Not bad. A solid utility skill that would help him avoid unnecessary fights. Perfect for keeping a low profile.
The briefing ended, and students began filing out. Lukas stood up to leave when someone blocked his path.
"Lukas Grant."
He looked up. It was one of the nobles from earlier, not the one he'd fought, but one of his friends. He was shorter, with sharp features and cold eyes.
"Can I help you?" Lukas asked.
"Stay out of the way tomorrow," the noble said quietly. "What happened today was a fluke. In the Crimson Waste, accidents happen. It would be unfortunate if something happened to the Grant family's failure."
A threat. How original.
"I'll keep that in mind," Lukas said, stepping around him.
The noble grabbed his shoulder. "I'm serious. You embarrassed my friend. That has consequences."
Lukas looked at the hand, then at the noble. His new Enhanced Perception was already working, he could sense the hostility radiating from him, the tension in his muscles, the way his other hand hovered near his belt where a dagger was hidden.
"Let go," Lukas said calmly.
"Or what?"
He met the noble's eyes. "Or tomorrow, I'll make sure everyone knows you threatened a fellow student the night before the exam. I wonder what the headmaster would think about that."
The noble's face paled slightly. Threatening another student was technically against academy rules, even before enrollment. He released Lukas's shoulder and stepped back.
"This isn't over," he muttered.
"Whatever you say."
Lukas walked away, ignoring the stares from other students who'd witnessed the exchange. So much for keeping a low profile. At this rate, he'd have a target on his back before even entering the Crimson Waste.
Back in his room, he collapsed onto the bed.
[You have been idle for 3 hours]
[+3 to all stats]
[Current Stats: Strength 28, Agility 28, Mana 28, Endurance 28]
He was getting stronger just by existing. At this rate, he'd be comparable to trained knights by the end of the week. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Tomorrow would be interesting. He wasn't going to hide his abilities, if monsters attacked, he'd fight back properly. But he also wasn't going to go out of his way to hunt gold-rank creatures or compete for the top spot.
Just pass the exam, stay alive, and let the protagonist have his moment.
That was the plan, anyway.
---
Dawn came too quickly.
The Crimson Waste was cold and barren, with red-tinted rocks jutting out of cracked earth. A thin mist clung to the ground, making it hard to see more than a few meters ahead. Lukas had been dropped in a random section along with the other students, each of them separated by at least a kilometer.
The communication crystal hung around his neck, glowing faintly. His sword was at his hip. His stats were sitting at 29 across the board after another hour of sleep.
[Idle Growth Paused - Combat Zone Detected]
[Good luck, Host]
Great. Even the system was being cheeky now.
Lukas activated Enhanced Perception, and immediately the world sharpened. He could hear rustling behind nearby rocks, sense movement in the distance, and feel a faint hostile presence about fifty meters ahead.
A monster.
He moved carefully across the cracked ground, his hand on his sword. The presence grew stronger, something was definitely ahead. He peered around a rock formation and saw it.
A Crimson Hound. Bronze-rank. About the size of a large dog, with dark red fur and glowing yellow eyes. It hadn't noticed him yet.
One point. Easy enough.
Lukas drew his sword slowly. Basic Sword Mastery kicked in, guiding his stance. The hound's ears twitched, it sensed something. It turned, snarling.
He struck first.
The blade cut clean through its side. The hound yelped and collapsed, dissolving into particles of light. A small bronze token appeared where it had been, proof of the kill.
[+1 Point]
One down. Nine more to pass.
Lukas picked up the token and continued deeper into the Crimson Waste. Over the next few hours, he encountered more bronze-rank monsters, hounds, goblins, a few stone scorpions. Each one fell relatively easily. His stats were high enough that bronze-rank creatures couldn't put up much of a fight.
[+1 Point]
[+1 Point]
[+1 Point]
By midday, he had fifteen points. More than enough to pass. He could find a safe spot, wait until sunset, and call it a day.
But then Enhanced Perception screamed at him.
Danger. Close. Very close.
Lukas spun around just as something massive emerged from behind a rock formation. A bear-like creature with pitch-black fur, purple glowing eyes, and claws the length of daggers.
A Shadow Mauler. Silver-rank.
Five points if he could kill it, or zero points and possible death if he messed up.
The creature roared, the sound echoing across the barren landscape. It charged, moving faster than something that size should be able to move.
Lukas dove to the side, rolling across the cracked ground as its claws tore through the space he'd been standing. Rocks shattered. The ground cracked.
This was serious.
He raised his sword, his heart pounding. Basic Sword Mastery and Enhanced Perception were both active, guiding his movements and reading the creature's attacks. But this thing was strong, probably stats in the forties or fifties.
It charged again. Lukas sidestepped and slashed at its flank. His blade bounced off its hide with a metallic clang. Its fur was like armor.
The creature swung its paw. He blocked with his sword, and the impact sent him skidding backward, his arms screaming in protest.
This wasn't working. He needed a different approach.
Enhanced Perception picked up on something, a faint glow beneath the creature's chest. A weak point. If he could strike there...
The Shadow Mauler charged again. This time, Lukas didn't dodge. He ran forward, sliding under its massive body at the last second, and thrust his blade upward into the glowing spot.
The sword sank deep.
The creature roared in pain, thrashing wildly. Lukas yanked his blade free and rolled away as it collapsed, its body dissolving into light particles.
A silver token clattered to the ground.
[+5 Points]
[Current Score: 20 Points]
Lukas sat there, breathing hard, his hands shaking slightly. That was way harder than the bronze-rank monsters, and that was only silver-rank. He couldn't imagine fighting a gold-rank creature right now.
He checked the sky. Still a few hours until sunset. He had twenty points, double what he needed to pass, and enough to probably place in the top fifty students.
Good enough.
Lukas found a relatively safe area behind some large rocks, sat down with his back against the stone, and decided to wait out the rest of the exam.
[Idle Growth Resumed]
[+1 to all stats]
Even in a monster-infested wasteland, the system rewarded him for doing nothing. He almost laughed.
This was going to be an interesting three years.