บท 25: Examination

The government was rattled by reports of a new red wormhole appearing.

"High alert, it must be level 5!" declared the highest-ranking officer. Known as the hero of the Red Wormhole for over 40 years, even at almost 70 years old, he remained active in the community.

The government couldn't make any objective decisions; he held the highest position and couldn't be removed until Wormhole 3. He had pledged to lead the world to avoid the fate of the first wormhole.

"Just set it to red alert; all world rankers must be here!" commanded the highest officer. He was incredibly nervous about another red wormhole, considering seeking guidance from a saint to interpret the prophecy.

"THE GOD WILL MAKE A HERO IN TIMES OF NEED!" Thousands of heroes had already perished, but the prophet had yet to be born.

"IT WAS BORN, ALREADY!" she said on the second visit to her. That's what she told me.

*sigh* The officer pondered deeply, the situation unchanged despite the passing days.

"Sir, should we lower the alert?" inquired a staff officer to the highest-ranking officer.

"Are you an idiot? It was the red wormhole; it's the most dangerous one that exists!" the highest officer snapped at the staff officer.

Days passed since the appearance of the red wormhole, and there was no news or information indicating another's arrival; only the 1000 world rankers were preparing to explore it.

"Along with the student who is going to get the top 10 must go with the world ranker! There are 20 Avalon Schools! You must have 10 students per school!" commanded the highest officer.

Their plan was to educate the new generation about the red wormhole and how to navigate it.

At the Avalon School Branch in the Philippines, similar to others, today was the day of the school examination.

And there was a mysterious prize for the top 10 students.

"Do you know the score for the monster you kill is the highest?" someone asked.

"Really?"

The school was abuzz, with many spectators rooting for the students taking the exam. Parents, friends, and others were present.

A young man gazed at his new bracelet; his face was visible on the screen.

"Felix, did you receive it already?" Milo asked me if I had my new bracelet, while Shakiro handed me a new combat suit.

"Thanks, guys!" I expressed my gratitude to them.

The craftsmen were really hard to approach, not because they were unapproachable, but the queue was incredibly chaotic. If someone were to bump into me like another swordsman, I'd likely get crushed or trampled.

Looking at my surroundings.

Today is a different day than usual. The school is livelier than expected, all the government officials are here, the best world rankers are here, and the drone is 10 times more than the entrance exam due to a certain incident. The Avalon campus is full, business is booming, and everything is like a tourist attraction.

We've received new bracelets for the permanent students, exclusive to those who've completed half a year. These bracelets denote our status as permanent students and come with a new feature—a map. Oddly, the map doesn't display the locations of the goblin queen or the ogre. Drones mapped the area, with over a thousand deployed every 100 meters to monitor the student situation.

Every student group must be accompanied by a drone.

Using a combat suit, like usual. It was very different when we did a physical test; we don't even use it. So that's why our group has taken a lot of damage.

I almost forgot—Alisha has recovered and is now in the same section as us. As a part of her apology, she was given the chance to switch to our section. Previously, she was the only person in our group not in our class: Ginger, Elina, Mel, Alisha, and myself. A reward was proposed, but it was more of a compensation due to the incident. We discussed it and agreed it should be given to Alisha. She requested an exchange block as the reward, which requires Avalon's permission.

I can see that Ginger and Alisha became best friends, but Mel and Elina also got close; even Sonia and Steve are her package friends for making Elina a friend.

We are currently in the outdoor open ground, adjacent to the blue wormhole. All students are on a mission to exterminate monsters, although officially it's deemed as killing them. In truth, the government aims to select students they deem noteworthy and invite them to join their team as sponsors.

This time, all the first-year students are in my group, but it's composed of randomly assigned members.

Following this, we'll spend an hour discussing the details of each person. However, I am aware that today is the physical exam day.

"Today's exam is similar to the entrance examination, but to pass, you must accumulate a certain number of points. The rules differ from the entrance exam as you need to kill monsters for points. Here's the list of the points needed," said the instructor, displaying the objective list.

We can simply eliminate a monster and then exit using a bracelet.

The sooner a student's name appears on the finishing list, the easier it is to secure a sponsor. But even if I don't secure a sponsor, staying at school is beneficial; the institution provides food and clothing. Although my clothes are worn out, they serve their purpose.

[Killing the following monsters will earn points: Octopus Lord, Hob-Goblin, Goblin Queen, Spider, Ogre, Minotaur, Shadow Wolf, Unique Monster.] You earn 10 points per designated monster and 1 point per normal one. Points can also be accumulated by assisting others.

"There are designated areas for these monsters, so mark them now to avoid conflicts among students."

Digitally, you can view monster territories, their habitats, and locations. Additionally, the wormhole appears like a vast island on the map. I think I created it as a planet; probably this is just a small fraction of that.