The third starting point, once filled with the sounds of magical incantations, explosions, and groans of pain, now fell silent. A low voice echoed.
"You... just wait. You think you can get away with this...!"
Bang!
The last remaining Deva spewed curses with a venomous gaze, but the compressed fireball did not wait for his words to finish.
The now empty third starting point.
In the space ravaged by battle, six gray bracelets lay abandoned.
Aster gazed at the scene and muttered softly.
"10 gold deducted."
10 gold out of 320.
There were a total of 100.
"...I feel accomplished."
It was satisfying.
Although he had already beaten up thousands of minions of the black and white zone, today's 100 felt a bit special, didn't it?
The bracelet's defense mechanism, which activates like a ghost when magic is used, meant that not a single bit of magic could be mixed with the punches.
So, if you hit without using magic, it's over, right?
'Not quite.'
The bracelet's defense mechanism only reacts to magic.
Therefore, physical collisions inside the Trial Chamber are strictly regulated. The magic eyes were broken as soon as the test began for this very reason.
So, it's special.
'The exquisite control of retracting magic just before hitting.'
What if you accidentally trigger the bracelet's defense mechanism?
'You won't even get to hit.'
Is that all?
Without Damian, he had to control his strength well.
If he accidentally hit too hard, what if? It would be so sad if an accident happened. In such a case, the victim and the perpetrator might even switch places!
Of course, the victims here are not them.
Anyway.
Aster brushed off his hands and smiled.
"Today, I'll let it go with just 10 gold."
To be precise, he couldn't hit any more.
If he had given them a good beating, it would have been a virtue to eliminate them cheaply with magic, right?
There's also a test, after all.
Still.
'Six bracelets.'
Aster collected the bracelets of the eliminated participants and put them in his pocket.
About 20 minutes since the test began.
A long time if you think it's long, a short time if you think it's short.
While he was causing chaos at the starting point, other participants were probably running through the Trial Chamber with fire in their eyes.
Those who were a bit faster might have already reached the first door.
If you think about it, 20 minutes at the starting point was a significant waste of time...
'But six is different.'
Who could collect six bracelets 20 minutes into the test?
There might be a few.
He had forcefully taken them by force, but there are always those who read the situation well, are quick-witted, and seize opportunities.
Anyway.
'I should start moving now.'
Aster briefly organized his thoughts.
Originally, before the test began, he had two choices to consider.
First, to maintain a middle ground and proceed to avoid troublesome matters. Second, to cause a big commotion to get Professor Falun's reward.
'Now that I've caught the three idiots and the three who were recruited, I have no choice but to go with the second option.'
If only the three idiots had attacked, he might still be pondering.
But since they recruited the students at the third starting point, he couldn't just let it slide.
So, the second choice.
But the method is the problem.
"Ugh."
Aster squatted on the ground, scratching his head.
'It's not hard to stand out, but the reward I demand is the problem. Professor Falun can easily give a recommendation, but...'
What about the other two professors?
That's the problem.
'If I go to them with Professor Falun's recommendation, they won't accept it. Professors are independent.'
Each professor respects the others, but only to a certain extent.
There's no sense of camaraderie, and they don't share much familiarity.
If he went to them with Professor Falun's recommendation, they might say, "You got Professor Falun's recommendation? That's great. So what?"
So, there's only one way.
'In the end, Professor Falun has to move personally to get the recommendations...'
Would Professor Falun move for just any reason? No.
So, it has to be something extraordinary.
"Hmm."
Aster suddenly looked up at the ceiling.
An artificial cave.
The blueprint is already in his head.
Normally, a blueprint would only be used as a map to find the way, but as a troubleshooter, Aster saw more.
'Basically, it's underground and shaped by earth magic. But the structure is not much different from a building. So, there are pillars to maintain the foundation...'
A strong temptation.
'Should I... collapse the Trial Chamber?'
Just breaking four spots would be enough.
It's not impossible.
Is there a more impressive performance than this? No, there isn't. No one would even think of collapsing the Trial Chamber.
But.
"Damn."
A low curse.
'It won't work. In my past life, I was in Deculan, and in this life, I'm in the royal knight corps. No, not just the royal knight corps. Families that send their children to the academy would swarm like a pack of dogs.'
As mentioned, the bracelet's defense mechanism only activates with magic.
If he really collapses the Trial Chamber, he becomes a public enemy of the eastern continent.
There were a few other methods that flashed through his mind, but thinking about the results, they were all disastrous.
In the end, Aster stood up.
"What's the point of thinking more?"
When it comes to this, it's best to take action.
If it were a real battle without constraints, he might be good at it, but this kind of scheming is not his forte.
He could break and destroy better than anyone, but becoming a public enemy of the entire eastern continent is something he should avoid.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that moment.
An assistant, who was repairing the magic eyes from the outside, exclaimed, "Oh!"
On the screen.
A gray-haired boy walked out of a section where the magic eyes were not broken.
"He's out! But... it's just Aster?"
While focusing on the repairs, the assistant had not taken his eyes off the exit of the third starting point. When the assistant exclaimed, Professor Falun said nonchalantly.
"A little while ago, I received a message from the elimination zone. Six students from the third starting point were eliminated from the test."
"Ah... Still, I hope there were no serious accidents, um. Right?"
"Who knows. It depends on how you look at it. There's no issue with their health, but they reported bruises all over their bodies."
The assistant tilted his head.
"Bruises?"
The Trial Chamber is a rough test, but thanks to the defense mechanism, injuries were quite rare.
But bruises? Magic students don't fight like street brawlers.
Moreover, physical collisions are strictly prohibited!
No, even if they weren't prohibited, it wouldn't fit the image of mages, who pursue knowledge and the principles of mana. Even if they were students.
But.
Professor Falun's next words shattered the assistant's shallow prejudice.
"They hit without triggering the defense mechanism. With their bare hands."
"..."
"Technically, it was an unrelated dispute. We should have intervened, but we couldn't respond appropriately without a clear view."
The assistant's face turned black.
Bruises.
If it were a dispute among academy students, it wouldn't be a serious issue.
The involved students would be taken to the student affairs office for punishment, and the negligent assistants would receive a scolding.
But, it's during the test.
'Hmm.'
In the end, a report was inevitable.
Then, suddenly.
"Um... But, were all six like that?"
The assistant looked at Professor Falun, suddenly curious.
He almost let it slide without asking about the details, but Professor Falun's tone seemed peculiar.
Professor Falun nodded.
"Yes, all six."
"Who...?"
Professor Falun, who had been staring at the screen, turned his head at that moment.
"Ah, I... I'm sorry."
"Yes, fortunately, you seem to be sorry. Focus on the test and keep your mouth shut."
The assistant bowed deeply at the stern voice.
A colleague assistant, who was in charge of communication with the elimination zone, whispered to her.
"It's Aster."
"Aster?!"
"Yes, he took on all six by himself. It was clearly malicious."
An unexpected name.
He thought maybe the six had a heated argument and fought, but one person, especially a black and white zone vagrant, taking on six?
'Well, considering he fought in Dolanpe, it's not that hard to understand...'
Either way, it was astonishing.
He took on six undergraduate students by himself.
No, just taking them on isn't enough. To avoid triggering the bracelet's defense mechanism, he must have been far more skilled than the six.
"Anyway, he will definitely get a reward."
"..."
The assistant tilted her head at her colleague's words.
"You didn't see Professor's expression just now. His lips curled up when he heard about the six eliminations."
"..."
"Twelve have been eliminated so far, and he eliminated half of them. Considering the ones he will eliminate in the future, he will definitely get a reward."
The assistants understood the psychology behind Professor Falun's offer of a reward.
In that sense, Aster was the perfect candidate for Professor Falun's intentions.
By simple calculation, 6 eliminations in 20 minutes. At this rate, he could eliminate 18 in an hour, which is one-sixth of the total.
"Hey! What are you two chatting about! Hurry up and get over here!"
"Yes, sir!"
"We're coming!"
At the distant call of the assistant professor, the two hurried over.
An assistant who was fixing the magic eyes was assigned a screen for grading.
She was assigned 10 screens.
Unlike the large main hologram device that Professor Falun was watching, her screens were small and insignificant, with 10 locations densely packed.
'Come to think of it, didn't Aster enter with the Blando family's admission ticket?'
Thinking about it, Aster's uniqueness wasn't that strange.
A vagrant from the black and white zone. Yet, if the Blando family gave him an admission ticket, it was only natural.
Then, suddenly.
She glanced at the assistant professor and manipulated the hologram device assigned to her.
The 10 screens split into 11, and the newly added screen flickered. When the screen stopped and focused on one person,
"What... Ah!"
The assistant involuntarily gasped and quickly covered her mouth.
She glanced around for a moment.
Then, she quietly watched the young master of the Blando family.
The young master was blocking a path, facing off against a group of students.
The students were shouting with their necks red, but the sound was inaudible due to the magic eye's function.
However, their expressions were so aggrieved that the emotion was clearly felt.
After all...
The assistant looked at the space between the young master and the group of students.
In the center of the standoff...
A bundle of vines was standing there.
But, upon closer inspection, it wasn't vines. It could be described as follows:
About 2 meters tall, or rather, 2.5 meters due to the vines.
The arms and legs were so thick that they looked like a single mass unless examined closely, but the movement revealed it to be a bipedal creature.
So...
'Golem.'
Yes, it was a golem.
'He's... wrapping the golem in vines and controlling it as a whole. Or rather, he's not controlling the golem, but the vines... What is this, exactly?'
It was a scene that was hard to comprehend.
Even if the output was set low for the students, to wrap a golem in plant magic and control it as he pleased...
It wasn't impossible, but it required a monstrous level of skill.
Moreover...
'...! ...! ...!'
The movements were not slow.
Every time the vine golem moved, the students were shocked and retreated.
Of course, the students were doing their best to counter with magic, but the golem's original defensive field remained intact.
It was a situation where the students had no means to counter.
'Ah... Plant magic doesn't trigger the defensive field. The bracelet only reacts to magic, but the golem's field is different.'
It was a clever exploitation of the system's weakness.
Meanwhile, the young master of the Blando family was smiling brightly.
Through the screen, the sound was inaudible, but it felt as if his laughter was right in her ear.
At the sight, the assistant sighed softly.
'Such is a genius.'
Even she couldn't control a golem with vines.
Such a feat was in the realm of innate talent, regardless of magical prowess.
'I am not a genius.'
It was a fact she had long realized, but she was reaffirming it.
However, she wasn't discouraged by the student's abilities. She had long understood the limits of talent, which was why she had shifted her career to become an assistant.
She might not be a genius, but as a competent person, there were things she could do.
Guiding students correctly and teaching them what geniuses take for granted.
Education was a domain that geniuses, who can see through things without a process, could not handle.
The assistant reaffirmed her resolve.
The rest of the test proceeded smoothly.
Despite Devian's unpredictable actions, the situation was similar to previous years.
As the test progressed and some time passed,
Beep! Beep!
"!"
A red light and an alarm sounded in the space.
"What the...! What's happening! Who did what?! Check it quickly!"
"It's not us. It seems to be from the control device inside the Trial Chamber!"
"What?!"
The control devices for the Trial Chamber were in two places: one here and one inside the chamber.
The latter was located behind the final gate...
But, a malfunction in the control device inside the chamber?!
"Professor, the test must be stopped. If there's a problem with the control device..."
An assistant professor urgently advised Professor Falun.
Nothing had happened yet, but who knew what could happen.
If the settings of the golems were altered, or if the settings of the bracelets linked to the control device were disrupted...
'That can't happen. It can't happen.'
In the worst case, it could lead to casualties.
But, why?
"It seems it's too late."
"Wh-What?! What do you mean...? What are you doing! Quickly inform the students and stop the test!"
The assistant professor issued an urgent order at the sight of Professor Falun shaking his head.