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Although Ash still carried the hardest part of every battle, the others were finally able to contribute properly.
As the sun began to set on the last day, the examination officially came to an end.
That night, after his teammates had gone to sleep, Ash quietly left the cave one last time.
He flew through the night sky until he reached the Scorpicore's territory.
The giant beast was already waiting for him.
"So," she said, "you survived."
Ash smiled as he took the monocle out of his storage ring.
"I won."
There was a hint of smugness in his voice as he handed the artifact back.
The Scorpicore took the monocle and immediately hung it back around her neck.
She snorted.
"Don't look so pleased with yourself."
Ash simply smiled.
"A deal is a deal."
"You kept your promise."
"So did I."
The Scorpicore looked away with an annoyed expression.
Losing a wager to a human child was far more humiliating than she had expected.
Especially after she had ordered her strongest underlings to attack him throughout the week.
Not only had Ash survived...
He had defeated every one of them without killing a single beast.
Ash reached into his storage ring once more.
This time, he took out a large bowl filled with vanilla ice cream.
He placed it on a flat rock in front of the Scorpicore.
"Still..."
"Thank you for letting me study your artifact."
"This is a small gift."
The Scorpicore looked down at the bowl.
Without saying a word, she lowered her head and licked it clean in a single motion.
Her ears twitched happily.
A satisfied expression slowly appeared on her face.
Ash couldn't help but chuckle.
"I'll see you again someday."
The Scorpicore waved her tail dismissively.
"Just don't forget the recipe next time."
"I won't," Ash replied.
With that, he took to the sky and disappeared into the darkness.
The Scorpicore watched until he was completely out of sight.
Then she looked toward the surrounding forest.
A low growl escaped her throat.
"I really need to train those idiots."
"How did every single one of them lose to one human pup?"
The nearby magical beasts lowered their heads the moment they heard her voice.
None of them dared to answer.
Meanwhile, the Scorpicore happily licked the last traces of ice cream from the empty bowl.
No matter how annoyed she was about losing the wager, she had to admit one thing.
That strange frozen dessert was worth it.
The following morning, every surviving group was enveloped by a Warp Step.
A flash of light filled Ash's vision.
When it faded, he found himself back inside the White Griffon Academy's Main Hall, exactly where the examination had begun a week earlier.
He looked around the hall.
Several Professors were already speaking to different groups, pointing out the mistakes they had made during the examination.
Some students stood with their heads lowered after being scolded, while others quietly listened to advice on how they could improve.
Ash slowly scanned the hall.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
There are far fewer students than before.
Compared to the first day of the examination, nearly half the students were missing.
It seemed that many groups had been eliminated within the first few days.
Once everyone had assembled, Headmaster Linjos stepped forward.
The hall immediately fell silent.
"Welcome back."
"I am pleased to see that some of you managed to complete the entire examination."
He paused before continuing.
"Unfortunately, I also have some disappointing news."
"This mock examination carries no academic points."
The moment those words left his mouth, groans spread throughout the hall.
Several students looked completely defeated.
Linjos calmly waited for the noise to die down.
"This was never an examination meant to determine your grades."
"It was a lesson."
"A final warning before your real examinations and before you eventually step into the outside world."
He slowly walked through the rows of students as he spoke.
"During this week, I hope all of you realized one important truth."
"The outside world does not care about your family name, your noble title, your bloodline, or your social status."
"A magical beast certainly doesn't."
"When an enemy attacks you, they won't ask whether you're a noble or a commoner."
"They won't give you time to introduce yourself."
"They will simply try to kill you."
His calm voice echoed throughout the hall.
"I also hope you discovered another important lesson."
"A team cannot function without trust."
"Many groups collapsed before they even fought their first battle."
"Not because they were weak..."
"But because they refused to work together."
"Some looked down on their teammates."
"Others refused to listen."
"And some believed they could accomplish everything alone."
He stopped walking and looked around the hall.
"A battlefield has no room for pride."
"If you cannot rely on the people beside you, then you are already halfway to defeat."
Many students lowered their heads in shame.
Linjos continued.
"This exercise was designed to teach cooperation."
"You were expected to learn from one another."
"To cover each other's weaknesses."
"To help your teammates improve."
"Not simply survive until the seventh day."
He glanced toward several students standing near the back.
"I also noticed that a few groups spent almost the entire examination hiding."
"They believed that avoiding every battle was the safest way to succeed."
He shook his head.
"That is not why this examination exists."
"You learn nothing by hiding."
"You only delay your next defeat."
"Although this examination awards no academic score, any student who deliberately ignored the spirit of the exercise will receive disciplinary point deductions."
The hall became even quieter.
Then Linjos smiled slightly.
"Now for the good news."
"While this examination itself is worth no points, exceptional teamwork and leadership will still be recognized."
"The Professors carefully observed every battle throughout the week."
"Students who genuinely helped their teammates grow, protected their companions, or demonstrated outstanding leadership have earned merit points."
"These rewards will be shared equally among every cooperating member of their team."
"I believe that is the fairest outcome."
He paused once more before looking across the survivors.
"And finally..."
"I would like all of those who successfully survived the entire seven-day examination to step forward."
Only a handful of groups moved.
Ash and his four teammates stepped out together.
Looking around, Ash realized just how few students remained.
Compared to the crowd that had entered the forest a week ago, less than half had survived until the final day.
Many had been eliminated during the first few days of the examination.
Linjos looked at the surviving students with a satisfied expression.
"Congratulations."
"You endured an entire week inside the forest."
"More importantly, you adapted."
"Whether you succeeded through skill, teamwork, determination, or leadership, you proved that you could continue fighting even under constant pressure."
He gave a small nod.
"You should all be proud of that achievement."
A quiet sense of accomplishment spread among the surviving students as the rest of the hall looked at them with expressions of surprise, admiration, and, in some cases, envy.