After 11 days of fighting and facing death at every turn, from exploding dungeons of varying ranks to entering energy-free zones due to the island's constantly changing environment,
80 first-year students from various classes in the regular, elite, and legendary sections were disqualified.
The reasons for their disqualification included poisoning, serious injuries, and attacks that would have resulted in their immediate deaths.
These reasons were related to their participation in the exam. Despite this, the results were very satisfactory for the academy.
The number of successful students was significantly higher compared to previous years, to the point that this generation was dubbed the "Golden Generation" in many areas across the five continents.
However, Jeju Island remained relatively calm and free of fighting during the last three quarters of the day. Students had fled to the island's center in the first quarter of the day due to its stable terrain and lack of toxic, energy-free zones.
During this time, they formed teams and engaged in several organized battles against waves of monsters, holding their ground when the battle was in their favor and retreating when necessary.
The first-year students were cautious and avoided any dismounting, which significantly reduced the number of students eliminated.
This earned them the well-deserved title of "Golden Generation."
They were, after all, the elite, and it was only logical that they acted like them, thinking rationally rather than engaging in reckless behavior for the sake of reputation.
Meanwhile, the students were resting in the island's center, away from the constantly changing outer and inner areas that led them to dangerous places.
Furthermore, over the past few days, a relationship developed between students from three different classes.
The developmental barriers were completely removed from the minds of the Elite and Legendary class students, and they treated each other amicably.
During battles against monsters that had escaped from dungeons, all the students demonstrated their abilities and skills. The Exceptional
This caused the young nobles and lords from powerful clans and sects to be impressed by the general skills and strength, and especially the abilities of the ordinary class students.
At the same time, the young nobles and lords proved why they were called the elite, as their recognition of the ordinary students' skills without any resentment or complexes demonstrated that talent comes from blood and lineage.
The elite truly acknowledge their own weaknesses and the talent and abilities of their rivals, and their constant desire to reach higher ranks.
However, what made them acknowledge their abilities was through continuous battles against monsters since the beginning of the midterm exam.
Therefore, it can be said that the relationship between the first-year students improved significantly, and the integration of elite and legendary students was a key factor in facilitating cooperation.
The fact that Armin and Tom were among the strongest first-year students, despite their common origins and lacking any support,
encouraged students of common origin in the elite and ordinary classes to showcase their abilities and skills
without fear of the looks of the inhabitants. Five continents, where some commoners outperformed highly influential noble students in terms of skill, combat abilities, and survival fundamentals.
"Amazing! We finished the midterm exam and showed the world our skills, right?" exclaimed a student from an elite class, his voice brimming with enthusiasm as he clenched his fist tightly.
The same was true for his equally excited companion; they had endured a great deal during this time.
Therefore, their excessive excitement, or even dancing with joy, was understandable.
"Yes, we've completed a tough part. Now all that's left is to return to the Vrselkin Academy and get some much-needed rest."
Annoyed, a student closed his eyes as he listened to his lazy friend's words. He then threw a punch at his friend's face, sweat beading on his forehead with rage.
"Ow! My head! How dare you, you son of a bitch, hit me? I'll kill you!" the student roared, clutching his head.
His friend grew even angrier, breathing rapidly, a red glow in his eyes. "You, you filthy lazybones! Why..." "Your endless laziness is ruining these moments. I'll kill you!"
He said this while kicking his friend, but not hurting him.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise. Believe me. It's a promise. Just stop," he said, covering his head with his arms, trying to shield his face and hide his laughter.
Until his friend revealed his secret and kicked him hard, sending him flying several meters to the ground. He glared at him angrily, biting his lip as if vowing severe punishment.
His friend got up, wiping the dirt from his face, and charged at him, landing a punch in his companion's stomach.
"How dare you kick me? Do you want to die that badly?" His voice was sharp as he dug his hand into his friend's stomach, sending him flying several meters backward.
He looked at him in disbelief, as if to say, "So this is how you betray me, my friend?" But he ignored it and continued to hit him.
"Yes, you dog!" "Disgusting! How could you think I wouldn't betray Tar?"
After several minutes, they both sat down by a nearby tree, smiling faintly.
It was as if no fight had happened between them just moments before. They had been friends for a long time and were used to this kind of banter.
"We finally succeeded, my dear friend Seok," Soo-ho said calmly, placing his hand on his stomach from Seok's earlier punch.
Seok picked two fruits from the tree. They resembled peaches, but their taste wasn't sweet; it was quite tart.
He gave one to his friend Soo-ho and ate the other without saying a word. He was overjoyed by the taste of the tart fruit.
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He had qualified for the midterm exam, and the world would see his talent and abilities. This would bring him the attention of many people.
They would invest heavily in him, providing him with resources to support his family, even though he was... He was lazy, yet he did everything.
To eradicate his family's poverty, he stayed up nights to join an elite class, hoping to develop faster and secure a high position in the future.
Anyone who joined an elite class, even for just one year, was accepted anywhere they went.
Mercenary guilds and faction leaders would flock to him from all directions, even before he had a chance to prove himself. And what do you know of the world after he revealed his incredible talent?
"You're right, Soo-ho. We succeeded and secured our future and our family's future from just one year.""We're not just high-ranking figures, but also globally feared, like the sons of great dukes or powerful clans and tribes. Our lives will be dignified and easy."
Seok closed his eyes, trying to rest, his heart filled with sadness and longing. "Mother, Father, and little sister, I miss you so much. I haven't seen you for over seven months. How are you? Are you well?"
After saying these words, he fell into a deep sleep, having created a protective dome around them that completely concealed them from discovery by anyone, regardless of their means.
However, someone several levels stronger than him could easily detect him if they focused precisely on the mana concentration points.
Seok's ability to create domes that completely isolated those inside from the outside world was meant to provide him with a moment of rest after great hardship and toil.
Meanwhile, Lucy and Beatrice were wandering in a forest near the Origin Tree, only 12 kilometers away.
Their glances Beatrice remained calm as she strolled with Lucy, who seemed distracted.
"Damn it, damn it! I haven't seen him in days. Yuta Casseraal, where are you now?"
"Wait a minute. I haven't seen Gia in this time, even though Yuta, Beatrice, and I stayed at the island's center to avoid poisoning. That means she'd be at the island's center too."
"Are they on a date on the island? They look so alike. They're the perfect couple," Lucy muttered to herself anxiously, biting her thumb.
Beatrice kept glancing at her indifferently before casting a magical spell over his head, causing a fountain of water to gush from the rune gate she had created.
A look of surprise crossed her face at the cold water. She shrugged, breathing rapidly as if she had been drowning and was trying to take in as much air as her lungs could hold.
He remained like this for several seconds before she returned She snapped to her senses and looked towards Beatrice, who was staring back at her with an unreadable expression.
"Lucy, we're not in a position to indulge in romantic thoughts. We're in a place where death lurks around every corner, and high-ranking monsters are waiting for any moment of weakness to kill us. So focus, and when we get back, confess and end this."
Lucy snapped her fingers, and the water instantly evaporated as if it had never been there, while she looked at Beatrice with annoyance.
"You're lucky to be a lonely girl that Yuta doesn't treat coldly. I saw him take you to your room when you sleep in random places to replenish your depleted energy," Lucy said irritably as she plucked a leaf from her hair.
Despite this, Beatrice's expression remained unchanged; it was calm, which only made Lucy more irritated by Beatrice's indifference.
However, Lucy's indifferent gaze didn't last long; it became sharp as an aura emanated from her body.
Beatrice snapped her fingers again. Suddenly, a dome appeared out of nowhere.
A look of surprise crossed Lucy's face as Beatrice created the dome.
However, Lucy's expression returned to calm in a split second as she drew her sword. The world outside the dome had stopped.
Moreover, she sensed a sinister intent to kill, not just from the monsters floating in the air.
"Someone has manipulated time and stopped it. We must devise a plan to expose and defeat this villain."
Beatrice nodded in agreement as she unleashed several high-level magic spells, channeling her accumulated energy.
A powerful explosion occurred, obliterating an entire area of approximately 5 square kilometers.
Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom!
The forest became a barren wasteland, devoid of any vegetation or life. Almost no living creature remained.
Only Lucy and Beatrice and 26 others, all dressed in black with white masks bearing the symbol of a black scorpion with its pincers raised in an attack stance, were enveloped in a cloud of dust several meters high, obscuring everything within and everything happening outside.
"Something's wrong. What we're facing isn't a monster; it's human," Beatrice said calmly as she looked down at the site of the explosion.
The dust cloud on both Lucy's and Beatrice's faces was filled with confusion at the presence of the Scorpion Organization's followers within the territory of the Ferclesn Academy, one of the world's greatest powers and the most prestigious academy in the human realm.
It's one of the top four academies in the five realms: humans, celestial beings, demons, and dragons.
Therefore, it was only natural that they would appear shocked, bewildered, and confused. Even the Demon Kings and rulers of the underworld hadn't dared attack the students of Ferclesn Academy.
How could mere humans make Ferclesn Academy their enemy? To them
The Scorpion Organization was extremely dangerous. Its 1260-year history allowed it to infiltrate its soldiers into every corner of the Ordinary World and beyond.
Therefore, it made sense that they were able to penetrate the internal system of the Vrselkin Academy and dared to attack its students in full view of the inhabitants of all five continents.
"How are you, Mrs. Lucy Kethali, daughter of the Magic Lord Belgord Kethali, and Mrs. Beatrice Azwasen, granddaughter of the former Magic Emperor Boswal Azwasen?" the leader of a group of 25 spoke respectfully, looking at them from behind his mask.
Lucy and Beatrice exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions unwavering, as if to say, "Who is this fool, and what does he want?"
A hidden annoyance flickered behind the mask as he drew a sword, emitting a dark green aura imbued with his murderous intent.
"It was an honor to meet you, but "It's time for you both to die."
"The soldiers of Haghua, students Lucy Kethali and Beatrice Azwasen, do not let them leave alive. The founder of the Scorpion Organization, the venerable Heaven-Breaker, has returned and ordered the killing of everyone on the island without exception."
The words of the group leader echoed throughout Jeju Island, leaving students and professors in shock and panic.
The same order applied to the inhabitants of the five continents; their faces were blackened, as some had children taking exams on the island.
This left many mothers and siblings of students participating in the exams in a state of despair.Some were crying and some were praying. And some fainted.
In the poor neighborhood on Sunday, a little girl, about six years old, dressed in tattered and torn clothes, approached her mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably. She was slapping her thighs and clutching her head in despair, tears streaming down her face as she held a torn and dirty rabbit toy.
"Mommy, my brother Seok will come back. He won't die. My brother won't die.
...I won't see my brother again, will I? Please say something. I love my brother so much."
"I don't want to lose him. He's the only one left after our father died a few months ago because of monsters." The little girl's voice was composed at first, but she couldn't hold back the tears that flowed freely from her eyes as she hugged her mother, who couldn't answer her questions because she didn't know what to say.
Nevertheless, the mother composed herself, wiping away her tears and gently patting her daughter Yi Rim's head as she comforted her and gave herself a break. False hope, perhaps he'll return, perhaps not.
"Don't worry, your brother Seok is a dome user, and the professors at the Verslekin Academy have acknowledged that his dome abilities are truly astonishing. They've never witnessed a dome like this before."
"That's why he'll be fine until the academy arrives to help. Their students are already inside the academy."
"You saw his skills with your own eyes during the few moments we watched him bravely fight monsters and create domes to defend and heal his companions. His friend Soo is with him too, so don't worry, they'll help each other and survive."
Yi Rim nodded wearily, her eyelashes growing heavy as she drifted off to sleep in her mother's arms. Her mother's face was filled with worry, longing, and sadness as she murmured, her voice filled with false hope, "My son, come back. Come back to me safe and sound. I don't want a life of luxury and ease. I just want you to come back alive. That's enough for me to live." Among my sons