The next test to take was the written exam. Knowing not a lot about this world, I can only say that I’m going to face a lot of questions that I’m not ready to answer.

*An hour later*

“…Fuck.”

It took me an hour to finish, with barely enough time to pass on to the teacher my paper. Each participant has an hour to take the exam, and by then the academy is preparing for the line up for the last test.

I was able to answer most of the question since most of it is Senior high to college level education. Having been lived through the hardships of a college life, I simply had to apply my knowledge and experience down on the test. From the math and simple sciences and even a strand of religion mixed into the test, I got enough confidence to answer everything.

The only subject I had trouble with was mostly about this subject called alchemy as well as the magic related subjects and a basic quiz on the properties of a hunter’s life. It took me mostly 70% of my time trying to figure out shit about this questions. .

“…Goddam it, I just remembered how fucking stressed test can be sometimes. ”

Having done the exam, I made my way to the cafeteria to eat my lunch that master prepared for me. Along with the other participants who just finished the exam, the cafeteria was piled up.

“…” I ate my lunch for about fifteen minutes and simply left after that. By then, I had the time to walk all over the academy to see what it looked like. And after walking around for twenty minutes, I was able to see only a small portion of the school.

“This place is really big.” I said as I saw a lot of the benefits that the school had to offer.

From a gym, to a running field, a simulation test room, a hundred classrooms, and even the cafeteria itself was big. It was like a private university that caters to nobles and the like. Thinking deep of what the school had to offer, I was curious about the tuition fee of this place.

After asking the information desk, I was told that around 200,000 qoril was the minimum tuition for a student for the first semester. A student can get a 5% discount if he pays in full, but if he pays in installments, not a lot can be done but pay for the original price.

“…Eh?” I was frozen in shock as the number of 200,000 came running into my ear and out the other.

“C-can I even pay that amount?” I asked myself as I thought over and over at the numbers.

I can’t doubt that this school was technically a school for rich kids. But one way to diminish the tuition was simple. Gain a scholarship from the academy itself.

To gain the scholarship, one way to apply for it is the process of having proved your talents given by the results of this entire exam.

A student is ranked the moment he is accepted into the academy. As long as you were in the top 10 of that ranking, you are offered a scholarship.

Having learned this, a fire burned in my heart…

So far, I’ve done well with most of the exams…the only way to have a chance at that scholarship right now is to do well at the sparring match. Given by how the test is made, the sparring match is done and scored by how much you can take down a participant. The maximum amount of taking on a participant and winning is around ten matches.

If I can guarantee a ten win streak, I can increase my chances at getting a scholarship.

With that said, I have to check my scores at the simulation test. By now, almost everyone mentioned in the book, should be done with the simulation. Those five people should be eating their lunch now. If I can see that my score is around the top, I can feel at ease with my chances at taking the scholarship.

So I went to the simulation test.

“…Ah there it is.” I said as I looked over at a screen placed by the door at the simulation test. There, a list of a thousand names were put into it and were ranked by how much time they had taking down the orcs.

“Okay, starting from the first place…”

I looked over the top ten students that were able to gain a high rank by taking down the orc the fastest.

1. 1. Audrey Yagami / Time: 14.09 seconds

1. 1. Jessabelle Morrison / Time: 23.18 seconds

1. 1. Jason Emory / Time: 30.49 seconds

1. 1. John Bishop / Time: 32.50 seconds

1. 1. Conner O’niel / Time: 44.01 seconds

1. 1. Jessica Young / Time: 56.13 seconds

1. 1. Robert Oliver / Time 01 minute; 4.45 seconds

1. 1. Soril Remus / Time: 01minute; 6.09 seconds

1. 1. Oliver Cracker / Time: 01 minute; 15.02 seconds

1. 1. Rudy Tumble / Time: 01 minute; 54.01 seconds

“Hmm, 8^th place…It’s higher than I expected.” I thought I would be around the 17^th place since this school was very high-end, but seeing as how my place is in the 8^th, my chances of getting that scholarship has only gotten higher.

And looking at the other participant’s time, I was quite amazed to see that the first place went to one of the grand nieces of my master. Audrey Yagami.

Having been told that I should befriend her by the request of Madam Kotomi, I guess it would be great that my position is in the top ten. That way, I wont intrude her mood if she thinks too little of me when I approach her.

But either way, I have to focus back on gaining that scholarship. What I worry the most is my results on the written exam. I feel like I’ll barely have the score to pass that test, so I have to do well in the last test.

*A few moments later*

We were all lead to a stadium that was still apart of the academy and when we entered, we were meet with a few square stages placed on the field. It was clear to see that this was the place where the sparring matches were going to take place.

The stages were small but a lot. About 24 boxes fitted in that ground and each box had a referee looking over his position.

By then, we were given out numbers on what box we would fight on as well as our own numbers to simplify our tags.

The number I was given was [Ring-08 Tag:#A12]

I was the 12^th person to fight in the 8^th ring.

By then, I looked over at the ring and saw already that the fight had already started.

Standing by the ring, I looked at the number of people who were fighting. They were all around the same age as me and seeing how they fought, I can say that they were quite experienced. Some were orthodox while others had this unorthodox at their fighting styles.

Using magic, throwing dust to blind them, burning the ring with flames, anything just to defeat the person that they were paired with.

But either way, the ring was able to take the damage from the hunters. Being surrounded by a force of magic that seems cancel their attacks from the spectators, this force of magic was keeping the people outside the gate safe.

The rules of this test was pretty simple. Fighting in the ring last for five minutes.

For each spar a participant gets to win, he gets to rest for five minutes before moving on to the next assigned battle. Because during that five minute rest, it will be decided which ring they move on too.

As well as for winning, if both hunters are unable to take each other down under five minutes, the referee who takes scores for their fight will decide the winner. So to guarantee a win, a K.O. is necessary. And to make it even more competitive, the moment the participant loses for the fifth time, he is immediately rejected from entering the academy. Making sure that your win is over 6 matches is a must. And If a number of hunters are able to get a 10 win streak, the scores that they’ve attained over the fights they went through will be the deciding factor of their ranks in this test.

Each time a person gets in to fight, their information is plastered on another screen. It dictates their rank and their level. Sometimes, a few F-rank ranks would fight against other hunters that have higher ranks but mostly it was the F-ranks who would lose in the fight.

A lot of E rankers were participating in this test, and almost every F-rank they would encounter, loses the minute they took the moment to fight.

Now as I continued to watch the people fight one by one, I could already see that some were desperate for their win. Some people were cheering from the sidelines almost like this place was a betting cage. But soon after, my number was finally called.

The moment I entered the stage, the referees offered me to pick from the set of weapons by the corner. Once I pulled out a shield and a sword, I turned back to find that on the opposite end of the ring, I could see a large-build man. Muscular just like me but more profound in his muscles. He seems to be looking more rugged compared to some of the rest of the other fighters and the weapon he carried was a longsword almost the same height as he was. He was simply carying it with ease.

“…hehehe, well, looks like I found myself an easy mark.” he said as I smiled from ear to ear.

“And why is that?” I asked.

“…You’re an F-rank, I didn’t think I’d get lucky to get an easy win like this.” he said

“Is that so?” I asked as I readied my position and pointed my sword at him. I saw his status, he was a E ranked, level 15.

“Well, then at least go easy on me.” I said as I smiled the same way as he did.

But the moment I said that, he came charging in with a large swing that reached the very cages of this boxed ring. He only did this with his one hand, but I reacted well enough to simply duck down and step in closer to him. I used the shield in my other hand and made the efforts to clench it hard and as soon as i got close enough, I went in and dug down on his stomach.

*Thud!*

“!?”

My shield was able to hit something solid, but to my notice I saw his other hand grabbing the shield.

“…Well, aren’t you a bitch.” he said as he pulled me in along with my shield and threw me over to the cage.

“You think you even have a chance against me!?” he yelled.

“No. Fucking. Way!” he said as he started swinging his sword around.

In an action to defend against him, I simply blocked each swing he made with my shield.

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

Each swing was heavy each time it meets with the shield…it keeps on getting chipped away bit by bit until finally, my shield broke.

“Well, looks like you can’t hide anymore. Time to end this.” he said as grabs his sword with both of his hands, and swings it down at a force capable of bending metal.

But I didn’t really cared for it…

All I saw was the slow swing of a turtle.

He was slow…he had no technique…it felt so imprecise…it was nothing like how brother Cecil would fight.

It felt embarrassing just seeing him look so smug with his unpolished skills.

It was so Ultimately slow in fact that I had this inkling feeling inside me to simply take him down by stabbing him in the neck. I wanted to end it all…but I couldn’t.

So I thought that I simply had to just knock him out…that’s it. I don’t need to kill him.

So as he made his swing down with both hands, I simply did what had to be done.

I let go of my sword and went in with my fist.

I gripped them as tight as I could, I simply fought on with just my fist.

*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*

Heart.

Stomach.

Chin.

Ribs.

These were the four areas I struck before he could even complete his swing on me.

“…Kuhfk!!” he felt the pain. Unknown to what just happened, he realized that he was having a hard time breathing…

And he fell to his knees only to see me with a bored look on my face.

“…” he was speechless…as if he froze on the mystery of his position.

And to end it all, I had to hit him one more time.

A strong right to his temple.

*Thud*

The fight ended as the first competitor laid unconscious on the floor.

And I realized something after fighting him.

I realized that not everyone I meet is a true fighter.

Some don’t have techniques, some don’t have the skill, sometimes you just meet people who are smug enough in their reality in thinking that a bigger rank is enough. That being a bigger level is good to squash someone who was weaker looking. But I digres.

The person who I fought today was simply a moron blinded by the illusion that he was a fighter.

It felt more like I was fighting child instead of a grown man.

But either way, I won. Its not a fulfilling win, but I won either way.

So I moved on.

“…What’s my score?” I asked the referee.

“Uh…8.9/10” he said.

“Okay, whens my next fight?” I asked.

“just wait for a minute while I look for an available slot.” he said.

As the medic came and picked the unconscious man from the ring, the referee finally gave me my next fight.

[Ring-12 Tag:#A12]

“Hmm, okay then.” I said as I made my way to the next ring.

As I walked, I could see the shocked faces of the people who saw the fight. I can already imagine the thoughts that rumbles in their mind.

“How is it that an E rank was defeated by an F-rank?”

“Its not possible.”

“F-ranks are way weaker than that. He’s clearly an F rank right!?”

All these questions seemed irrelevant to me.

After all, although my level is small, my stats alone is not the same as the one updated at the hunter’s card.

[Profile:]

Candidate: NPC

Mission Status: In Progress

Level: [6]-[ >5,567 exp until to the next level…]

Strength: 20

Endurance: 22

Intelligence: 15

Agility: 21

Mana: 60/60

Despite my low level, it will not reflect the ideals of my efforts in fighting a true monster like Brother Cecil.

Its because that it has been a while since I hunted in a dungeon, my card was not yet updated. Its one of the flaws of the hunter’s card as it does not keep updated at your true status from the day to day hunt.

One of the ways to do that is to take the simulation test as the machine itself records the levels of your current status. The machine is capable of reading the bodies capabilities and because of that, not a lot of people are able to hide their true strengths.

Another way to take notes of your growth is to go to the church that is under the religion of God. They are capable of reading your very strengths as well and they are able to update your profile. This is mostly involved in the magic side of things.

But having the mission system by my side at all times, I don’t need to go check my own growth. But it is a problem if I down go to the hunter’s association to finish the quota given by my rank.

As I made my way to the next fight, I was able to see the line up and was able to see who I was fighting next.

It was a Random Dude named Hamilton. An F rank that was level 10.

Either, looking around, I think I can easily win this one too.

*A few moments later*

I won.

And over to my next fight.

I won again.

And to the next.

I won again.

Until finally at my 7^th fight, I came across a woman that was carrying two short blades on her hand.

“…My name is Jessica Young, and I am here to claim victory against you.” she said.

After hearing her name, I remembered her to be at the 6^th place at the simulation test.

“I’m Soril Remus, nice to meet you too.” I said as I bowed to her direction.

Jessica young was a lady who was not mentioned in the book. I don’t I can remember her name. But seeing her placement in the simulation test, and her very presence alone, I can see that she was strong.

Finally after six fights, I can finally get serious.

So I brought out my sword and I stared at her with the same expression I make everytime I fought Brother Cecil. It was time to take my lessons to heart in this fight.

A lot of spectators were watching beside the cages…screaming and excited for what was to come.

They have seen our fights. Both talents that seems to have potential…

But as they shouted, all I could feel was the gaze in her eyes as she looked with the intent to bring me down. Liked a fanged tiger out to jump at her prey, she was very clear with her intentions.

And I can’t help but smile in the appreciation of her true spirit in this battle.

I hope she won’t disappoint.