Chapter 319
Student Council Trials (5)
Henry found himself in the middle of a puddle, where the low-hanging fog seemed slightly thicker. His eyes dropped to his clothes, which had immediately become muddy and dirty as a result, before he calmly stepped out of it.
He maintained a vigilant expression as he straightened, unconcerned with his exterior and far more focused on his current situation.
He was in a completely random spot. He could have been near another participant with bad intentions, or even a group of deadline creatures.
He couldn't afford to waste time cleaning himself up. Slowly, he drew out his sword, making sure he was ready for action at all times.
His sword was a jian.
It was also known as the gentleman.
This was one he had possessed for a long time, his first true love... Even if it came with it's... Unsavoury memories that were best forgotten... But he would never forget...more like he couldn't. The jian was slender and unassuming at first glance—a straight, double-edged blade that seemed almost too calm to be dangerous. Its steel carried a soft, silvery sheen.
It was a straight, double-edged blade around seventy to seventy-five centimeters in length, narrow enough to be fast, yet with enough width near the base to maintain rigidity for thrusts.
The blade possessed a stiff spine and a gradual distal taper, with the balance sitting roughly two to four centimeters forward of the guard. This made it responsive, easy to redirect, and fluid in mid-movement.
The guard itself was small and flat, just wide enough to protect the hand without catching or slowing transitions. The grip was one-handed and oval-shaped, wrapped in dark ray skin, while the pommel provided subtle counterbalance rather than sheer mass.
Its overall weight was around nine hundred grams—light enough for precision, yet solid enough to bind and control another blade.
It was also an upgradable mech that could grow alongside him, as long as he could afford it, and was currently a low peak tier weapon.
It was perhaps his vigilance—drawing his weapon early—that saved him and allowed him to react in time.
Suddenly, without hesitation or any sloppy movement, his wrist flicked. His sword flashed through the air as a sharp *clang* rang out, saving Henry from losing his head. At the same time, he jumped backward to create distance, his eyes laser-focused.
On the deadline creature in front of him…
…
Ari, the woman, and Jeremy watched with interest as the floating surfaces continued to show different situations. Some depicted students in groups, working together—either against other participants or against deadline creatures. Others showed lone individuals, weaving through the forest with diligence, while some were already engaged in battle, whether with another student or a deadline creature.
The situations were constantly changing and progressing, with no new "deaths" yet as the trials continued.
"How long is this going to go on for?" Jeremy asked. He had been enlightened in the previous chapter, yet confusion still lingered.
The woman smiled. "Until they all die or… you know."
"But at this rate, it could go on for hours upon hours. Won't they get tired and hungry?" he asked, confusion clearly plastered across his face.
"Oh no," Ari muttered under her breath.
The woman's face brightened, and she let out a smug chuckle. "Hmm, hmm, hmm. You see, this is where you're wrong, my boy—and where you fail to see the brilliance of path formations, especially one of high quality. This particular formation causes time inside to move faster than outside. It might feel like time is passing normally in there, but in reality, it's moving at around three times the speed."
She gestured at the mirrors. "So it might be two hours out here, but—" she waved her hand, "—you can do the math for how long it feels in there. The feeling of hunger progresses the same way. In other words, they won't feel any more hungry than usual, even with time moving faster. And with us being ascenders, we can last much longer."
She paused before adding, "That's also another reason we hand out the badges. If we see a student struggling with that, we pull them out—just in case they actually die of hunger."
Staying close again — same structure, same tone, just smoothing grammar and flow while keeping everything you wrote.
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Jeremy had an impressed expression. "Wow… I didn't know these things were actually that impressive."
"Of course they are! They're fascinating and useful for all sorts of things. With this illusion formation, we can hold trials like this without worry. Or even in your second year, depending on what you choose, you could practice against the dead—"
"Ahem," Ari interrupted.
The woman instantly seemed to realise and corrected herself smoothly, "—ly environment and practice fighting with others in mock situations."
Jeremy nodded. "Mm. They aren't too bad, I guess. But it's way too much of a drag to study it. It's so jarring how much you need to think. So as impressive as it is, I'll probably just leave it to the professionals."
"Well, that's part of the charm! Not everyone can put in the hours or years it takes to create one. It's extremely complicated and demanding, as it requires so much from each individual. Not to mention having to charge it periodically with mana while maintaining its conditions. It can't even be moved once it's placed down. So much about it drives people away…"
She paused, her voice softening slightly.
"But… that moment when you see all that effort, all that time and research—when you finally see the results of your hard work and it actually functions—it's… beautiful."
She said it with a smile.
Jeremy, who had been studying her face, felt a blush appear as he watched the excitement she showed while talking about these things.
"So you like them old, huh?" Ari muttered.
"Hm?"
"Oh, it's nothing! Hahaha! Anyway! It's pretty impressive… how much effort is put into it," Jeremy said, scratching his head.
"Of course! Don't you know? In theory, anything is possible with a path formation. Anything! If not for all the restrictions and the prominence of dead paths, we could literally do anything—bring back the dead, travel through space, create new things and concepts. If not for the sheer amount of paths and the insane complexity of it all, we could do anything."
"We…" Jeremy thought.
As the words made his temperature rise, he heard a voice from a distance. It was clear and lovely, and as he turned—along with most others—he saw a girl running toward them.
Her blonde hair caught the light beautifully as she ran. Coming to a complete stop, breathing slightly heavily, she tucked a bit of hair behind her ear and said, "I've completed most of my tasks today, so I decided to come watch."
It was Snow.
After another Student Council member offered her a seat, the beautiful girl sat down next to Ari. She glanced at the mirror-like surfaces, seemingly searching for something. Her eyes paused on a particular one, brightening for a moment before dimming again.
The ever-watchful Ari noticed immediately, her brow furrowing deeply as thoughts raced through her mind. She murmured, "Snow… could it be…"
Snow heard her words, and her face turned as red as a tomato. She frantically waved her hands. "No, no, no! It's not what you think. Don't worry!"
Ari remained silent, her expression unreadable, her thoughts hidden.
Seeing this, a bit of the blush faded from Snow's face. "No, seriously… it isn't what you think."
Ari glanced at her one more time. "I hope for your sake… that it isn't. Because if so…"
"I… I… I… understand," Snow said with a small smile, then looked back.
"At least… I hope I do."