After spending who knows how long inside the game realm, fighting with my life on the line, fighting greenhorn of geniuses seemed like child play to me, especially when I am rank 2 and them all being rank 1.
Their every action being so predictable.
I weaved through the barrage of spells they were launching at me while keeping my eyes on a certain person, running to the safe area, while converting those who stayed back to fight me.
5 minutes.
All it took was 5 minutes to scatter the assault group of 100 rank 1 students. Few managed to escape while the majority frustratingly looked at their green badge.
As I made my way to the safe zone I saw many students were shouting towards the entrance to the safe zone.
Seems like Kristof has set some kind of limits and conditions on the safe zone with his award. I should have known his highness wouldn't simply let them camp out in the safe zone. There would probably be a time limit inside the safe zone as well. The safe zone should be called a temporary safe zone if my guesses are right.
How long is the duration? That is not my concern. My concern is whether he is in there or out here somewhere.
Seeing me the students gathered in front of the safe zone dispersed.
I by myself can't look for him in this group of 10000, students. I need eyes and ears that did the job for me outside of my own.
I looked among the running students for anyone I recognised and spotted a few of them, from my same academy. Locking onto them I boosted myself with a spell as I ran towards them, with minimal movement to conserve my energy. I will be needed all my energy for what is about to come.
"Ahhh! He is coming this way!" The orange-haired, short girl screamed as she turned around to check behind her for her group of 4.
Instead of noticing I was gaining upon them and tactically slowing down to confront me while conserving energy, they decided to take their chances to outrun me. Using that I picked the group of one by one by striking their leg with a low powered lightning bolt, as I closed the distance.
"Ellis, please let us go man, on the basis of our time together in the combat theories together." The boy whose name I had long forgotten begged as he crawled back.
"Please, don't Ellis. I don't want to starve for the next 2 days. Remember we were deskmates in our arcane studies." The blonde-haired girl in the group sniffed as she clutched her legs in pain.
"Ellis I will do anything just don't..." Before the boy chimed in his dialogue I interrupted them.
"Did you see Phil?"
They were silent for a while before the boy who studied combat theories with me responded. "If we tell you will you let us go?"
"Answer or I will make sure that you will be in pain along with being starved for the next 2 days." I threatened him as a shabby mud stick conjured into my hand.
"Woah, woah, calm down man. He just went that ...." As the boy pointed his hand towards a certain direction I moved forward.
Before he could react I slammed his head onto the floor, with my mud stick. "Ahhhhh!"
I understood he was lying to protect himself and his friends from the wrath of Phil and the other nobles' social circle. Do I care? A little bit, but the nobles social group will have other things to worry once I am done with Phil. Besides as long as these 4 kept their mouth shut no one will come after them.
"Don't lie." I threatened as I looked at the other 3.
Before they could act I held a firebolt above their bleeding friend. "And don't move. You have seen how fast I can move. I bet this bolt can go through his throat before your measly rank 0 spells can reach me."
"You wouldn't?"
"Stop it, this is just an exam!"
"No, please don't!"
All 3 of them screamed as they lowered their arms and cancelled their spells.
"I haven't really touched him yet, and his badge is still normal. Would any of you be willing to convert yourself to heal him once I convert him? Or would you rather watch him be in pain for the next 2 days while he starves and slowly dies?"
I asked them as I observed them slowly. "Good. Now be honest, which way did he go? I believe I won't have to repeat myself of the consequence from lying."
"Ellis, why are you doing this?" The blond-haired girl started to mediate.
Seeing this was going nowhere I drew my hand closer to the bleeding boy's head. "No!"
"Stop! Please stop!"
"I will tell you! I will tell you! Just leave us alone!"
All 3 of them screamed again.
"Where?" I asked again.
"He is inside the safe zone. There! Just leave him alone." The blonde-haired girl cried as she answered.
I cancelled the firebolt as I smiled. I walked away leaving the 3 to deal with their wounded friend.
"You are a monster you know that, a cold-blooded bastard. You doomed us. Now they will never leave us alone for this." The orange-haired girl screamed as she looked at me in anger while holding the bleeding boy.
I stopped walking hearing that. "You are wrong." I said as I faced them.
Seeing my motion forward was halted and turning towards them the girl stood still in fear as the other boy in the group proceeded to quickly heal their teammate, fearing a fight was about to break out.
"I am not a bastard, but a matricide. Get it right." I turned to walk towards the safe zone.
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"There goes our plan of sleeping here for the day." Lewies grumbled as they looked at the clock and the notice next to it.
Somehow strangely whoever tried to grab more than one portion of meal was strangely stopped. It was not because there were people stopping them but like they couldn't move when they were about to get more.
Along with that people were pushed out forcefully from the safe room after 30 minutes.
The rest of us guessed that a high-ranking magi is probably controlling and maintaining the order behind the scenes. But how did he/she know who was coming for seconds or not, and who stayed exactly for 30 minutes? Maybe it is a group of high-ranking magi doing it.
As we argued about our theories, Natasha just remained silent as usual while murmuring something about rules.
As we finished our lunch/dinner of what seemed to be bread and soup of some kind quickly, an unexpected person came towards us.
"Hey, fancy meeting you guys here?" His short white hair rustled as he walked, while the others started grumbling and gave him a stare that clearly said 'Get lost'
"I am sorry for their behaviour Phil. Do you need something?" As much as everyone hated him, I knew not to hold hatred towards him. Especially after what Mr A said about working together. You never knew when you will need the help of each other.
It was just he was raised in a different environment compared to others. Hell, he was probably taught to treat others who weren't nobles as scum. It's not his fault, and I won't hold it against him. They will slowly mature and realise their mistakes later on.
"I also know you probably won't believe me when I say this, but I realised my mistake when Mr A pointed it out. I want to make amends for what I did to everyone and there is no better time than this to apologise to you all." Everyone's attention came towards us as Phil addressed everyone by raising his voice.
"I am sorry for what I have done previously. I am utterly sorry for the sorry excuse I have been to you all. Please forgive me." He straight-up apologised while asking for forgiveness, which shocked everyone there.
"Law, I know it will be hard for you guys along with everyone here to trust me. So just to prove how genuine I am I can tell you the key to this exam." Phil went on as everyone got dead quiet.
"The key to this exam is trusting." After a few seconds of everyone just staring at him blankly he sighed before explaining.
"Think about it. If the first test is about making us realise the value of each other, then the goal of this test must be about teaching us to trust and work together. Even though the predators are starving all they need is one touch to convert us. It won't be long before it gets disadvantageous for us. Before then we have to gather together and work together to push them back." Phil explained.
"So, what are you proposing?" Ian asked
"I suggest we form a group with Law as the leader." Suddenly there was murmuring amongst the students in the hall.
"If you guys are worried about any of us nobles or high standing students abusing our authority in the group, then on behalf of them I will say this..." Phil raised his voice to get everyone's attention.
"Law, if you lead a group, then I promise none of the nobles and high-ranking students will seek to abuse our authority. In fact, you guys can treat as slaves. This is my word. If any complaints about us comes in, you along with the rest can kick us all out of the group at that instant and we will leave without any complaints." Phil proclaimed. As soon as this was said everyone in the hall received a shock.
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By the time I arrived in the safe zone I saw few people running out and few walking in. Seeing me come the people who were about to walk out stayed in, while looking at what I assumed was a clock in worry.
I picked a person I vaguely recognised who was already out and questioned him while keeping an eye on the safe zone for Phil.
30 seconds.
All it took was threatening him with starvation and pain with a sample of the low powered lightning bolt before he spilt the beans. Comfortable people were the easiest to gain information from. Threaten their comfort a bit and they will spill everything; this was one of the few lessons I learned the hard way in the game realm.
"He went with those guys..."
Oh, seems like he is following the group of 7 Star Elites of the academy. This is bound to get more troublesome.