(Arin's POV)
The Academy's Grand Hall this morning did not smell like a classroom; rather, it reeked of a mass torture chamber. Long, heavy sighs echoed from every corner of the room, creating a heartbreaking orchestra of despair.
Hundreds of wooden desks were lined up neatly with military precision, separated by a one-meter distance that felt like a gaping chasm. Directly above every student's head floated a giant transparent eyeball made of pure mana.
The Watcher's Eye.
It was high-level surveillance magic. The object would blink red and screech loudly like a siren if it detected any suspicious eye movement or the slightest attempt to open magical notes.
Silence dominated this gigantic room. Only the scratching sound of pens on paper and the noise of frustrated head-scratching filled this anxious air.
I sat straight in my chair, twirling a pen casually in fingers that still felt slightly stiff from yesterday's "hellish" training.
Around me, I could see other Class C and Class B students breaking out in cold sweat. Some of them chewed their pen tips until they broke, their faces pale as death while staring at the questions before their eyes.
For those who had relied solely on muscles and crude mana explosions all this time, this strategic theory exam was a nightmare. But for me? This was a playground for the imagination.
I stared at the question sheet in front of me, a thin smile curling on my lips.
[Question Number 12: Defense Case Study]
"A squad consisting of three fire element mages is surrounded by five Mud Golems in a swamp area. Explain the most effective elimination method!"
The standard textbook answer would surely be: "Use high-temperature fire magic (above 1000 degrees) to solidify the mud into hard ceramic, then destroy it with explosion magic."
But that was a foolish answer. Burning wet mud required an unreasonable amount of mana. An average mage would run out of energy, aka mana exhaustion, before successfully killing the third golem.
My hand moved quickly to write an alternative answer, pouring out the logic of efficiency I had learned from survival.
"Do not attack the Golem, but attack its footing. Use simple earth magic to change the density of the mud under the Golem's feet to liquid completely. Mud Golems have a specific density far greater than water. They will sink under their own weight within fifteen seconds. Mana Consumption: Less than 5%."
I moved on to the next question.
[Question Number 25: Monster Anatomy]
"Name a fatal weak point on a Wind Wyvern other than cutting its neck!"
Most students here only knew how to blow things up. They forgot that monsters were biological creatures. They had nerves, organs, and evolutionary defects that could be exploited.
I wrote fluently: "A precise blow to the gap in the third scale under the left wing's armpit. There lies the vagus nerve node connected directly to the heart. A physical impact as strong as 50kg at that point will cause instant cardiac arrhythmia and total motor paralysis. The Wyvern will fall from the sky without needing a single spell."
As my pen danced nimbly across the paper, I felt a shadow fall over my desk.
An exam proctor in dark blue robes stopped beside me. It was Professor Samuel, one of the senior lecturers on magical theory known for being rigid and meticulous.
He stared at my answer sheet with a deeply furrowed brow, clearly suspicious because I was writing too fast while other students were still struggling on the first page.
The floating eyeball above me swiveled down, scanning my paper along with Samuel's eyes.
The old professor leaned in slightly, reading my answer about the Wyvern. His eyes widened behind his thick glasses. His mouth opened slightly, about to say something, perhaps to reprimand me that it was not the answer found in the textbooks.
However, as a true academic, Samuel knew that anatomically, my answer was correct.
"Student Arin..." Samuel whispered softly, his voice barely audible so as not to disturb the other students. "Where did you learn this nerve node theory? The academy library books do not discuss details this deep."
I did not turn my head; my eyes remained focused on reading the next question.
"Books are written by mages who attack from a safe distance, Professor," I answered flatly yet politely. "My answer is written by a person who has to stand right under the monster's claws to survive."
"Is that so?" Suspicion appeared in Samuel's eyes. "Have you actually fought a Wyvern directly?"
"I have never fought a Wyvern," I explained casually without shifting focus from the exam sheet. "However, what I can do is combine all the anatomical knowledge I have learned, then simulate it logically in my brain."
"Simulate? And you are certain that is the correct answer?" Samuel tried to test me again, this time his tone more challenging.
I stopped writing for a moment, then looked into the Professor's eyes.
"At least according to my logic, it is correct. That is precisely the point of this exam, isn't it?" I asked back. "Real combat simulation questions are very dominant in this exam. It demands that students create strategic answers as creatively as possible, not just memorize books. Isn't that right, Professor?"
Samuel was stunned. He did not answer my question. He stared at me for a long time, a gaze that slowly changed from suspicion to something resembling pride and admiration.
He straightened his body, then walked away shaking his head in disbelief. A thin smile was carved on his old face.
Suddenly, Professor Samuel spoke to the entire class in a loud voice.
"I have glimpsed at your answer sheets. Most are truly disappointing."
The students jolted in shock, their faces growing even paler.
"You are too fixated on books," Samuel continued, his eyes gleaming intelligently. "Very well, I will give a small hint for taking this exam. Do not get trapped in rigid question patterns. Think more openly. Throw away your rote knowledge. I demand creative logical strategies as solutions."
The students looked at each other in confusion, then hurriedly rechecked their answers in panic.
Samuel's words gave an imaginary checkmark in the air for me. Indirectly, he confirmed my hypothesis and validated my answer in front of everyone.
I glanced at the giant hourglass at the front of the hall. There was still time to double-check. I could not afford to lose a single point. In a world where I had no mana, my brain was my only magic.
"Arghhhh! My brain is melting!"
Erika walked out of the exam hall while pulling her own black hair in frustration. She looked messier than she did after fighting a real monster.
"Why did they ask about the eating habits of Swamp Trolls?!" Erika complained to me as we walked toward the academy's north gate. Her voice was full of suffering. "Who cares if they eat purple moss or green moss? If you meet a Troll, just burn it! Problem solved!"
"Purple moss is poisonous to humans, but a potent drug for Trolls," I explained casually while adjusting my golden gloves. "If you burn a Troll that has just eaten purple moss, the combustion smoke will contain deadly neurotoxins. You will die of gas poisoning before the Troll is charred."
Erika's steps stopped abruptly. She stared at me in horror, her mouth agape.
"Wait... so the answer 'Burn until it becomes dust' is wrong?"
"That is a suicide answer, Erika. You just killed an entire squad on your exam paper."
"NOOO!" Erika groaned long and hard, leaning her head on my shoulder limply as if her neck bones had vanished. "Forget it. My future is bleak. I will become a beautiful beggar under a bridge."
"Save the drama," I said, patting her head gently, then pointing forward. "The real exam is just beginning."
We arrived at the Northern Forest Border Post.
The atmosphere here was vastly different from the exam hall earlier. Hundreds of students gathered, wearing full combat armor. Physical tension felt thick in the air, replacing the mental tension from before. The clinking of sharpened weapons and muttered protection spells could be heard everywhere.
Instructor Karim stood tall on a wooden podium, accompanied by several medical mages including Doctor Edna who waved lazily at me from the medical tent.
"Listen closely!" Karim's voice boomed without the aid of a loudspeaker, silencing the students' commotion.
"The Second Stage of the Exam is Survival. Your task is simple. Enter the forest, collect as many Golem Cores as possible. Points are calculated based on the type of Golem you defeat. Wood Golems are one point, Stone Golems five points, and Iron Golems twenty points!"
Karim held up a small silver badge.
"Remember, use the badge your homeroom teacher distributed last week. That badge functions to detect your position."
The students began putting on the badges shaped like small silver metal shields. I pinned mine on my left chest, right over my heart. It felt cold and heavy. There were intricate rune carvings on its surface.
"This badge is your life," continued Karim in a serious tone. "If you receive fatal damage, this badge will activate emergency summoning magic. A Harpy Eagle Spirit will carry you back here for rescue, but that means you are disqualified."
I tightened the straps of my armor. This was not just an exam; it was a war simulation.
"One additional rule!" shouted Karim, his eyes sweeping over the crowd of students sharply, as if challenging our courage. "Killing each other is prohibited. But... stealing opponent points is allowed by any means other than killing."
The crowd buzzed.
That was the green light for combat between students. A green light for theft, ambush, and dirty tactics.
"Arin," whispered Erika, her silly face from earlier vanishing instantly, replaced by a serious expression. Her combat mode was active. "What is the strategy?"
I scanned the surrounding area with sharp eyes.
I saw the Upper Category group in the distance. Karl Benzzi and Elian Delphine looked relaxed, surrounded by their loyal followers. They did not look in my direction, too arrogant to consider me a threat.
But what caught my attention was a group of Class B noble students near the forest entrance. There were five of them. They were not looking toward the forest, but looking straight at me.
When our eyes met, one of them smirked thinly, then immediately looked away and whispered to his friend.
My instincts rang loudly, telling me something was very wrong.
"The strategy is mobility," I answered softly to Erika, ensuring no one was eavesdropping. "Do not stay in one place for more than five minutes. This forest is vast, but I feel we will be the 'center of attention' today."
"You mean we will be popular?" asked Erika innocently.
"Yes. Very popular among people carrying sharp weapons."
Suddenly, the sound of a long trumpet was blown, echoing to the treetops, vibrating in every student's chest.
"THE EXAM BEGINS!" shouted Karim.
Hundreds of footsteps pounded the ground simultaneously until it shook. Students scrambled into the darkness of the dense forest like a flood released from a dam.
"Let's go!"
Erika and I ran side by side, leaving the safety of the guard post.
The real exam was surviving whatever had been prepared by those who hated me inside there.