Why was she staring at me? For a brief minute, I was terrified. Wasn't it enough for her to be in the top ten? Perhaps, but who knows.
Anyway, I hurriedly exited the training and proceeded to the canteen, my stomach groaning with hunger. Before going to the gym, I decided to eat something.
The cuisine in the canteen was incredible, I must say.
I only paid 15U for a lunch prepared by the top chef in the city.
"The flavor is excellent."
If this is the quality of food I can get for 15U, I'm salivating at the prospect of the food I'll be able to afford once I'm wealthy.
I promptly made my way to the training ground after indulging a little more.
When I arrived at the training facility, I couldn't help but be amazed. Despite the fact that I have already been here today, it looks fantastic.
" Just how much they spent building it?"
I couldn't imagine how much money went into building this institution. The money required to establish such an atmosphere would be substantially in excess of a couple of billion U.
The gravity chamber alone would have cost roughly 50 million U. The cost to study at the Horizon is approximately 100 million U for a reason. One can have access to top-of-the-line equipment and facilities that are unavailable at other institutions.
It was around 19:00, and the place was mostly empty.
That doesn't imply it'll be like that all of the time.
I walked to the furthest corner of the room to work on my sword skills. It's difficult for me to practice it in public since I'm afraid of getting myself into trouble.
The sound of metal clanging could be heard in the corner of the room as I stretched.
I knew who it was without having to look.
" Thomas."
Apart from the protagonist, who else might it be? He, like other protagonists, is a training fanatic who will train for more than 8 hours a day.
Letting out a sigh, I drew out my sword and began to swing it. I need to practice this as often as possible till I am able to use it perfectly.
Swish! Swish!
****
Jane Doherty's office was buried behind a stack of papers.
"Huh, It's very hard. Why do those old hags leave all the work to me? Fuck them."
'There you are, Jane. The central committee has determined that you will be in charge of first-year student evaluations.'
'Huh? Why should I do such a thing? There are a lot of people with more experience than I do.'
'Jane, what are you talking about? Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to those knuckleheads. You're a lot more determined than the rest of them. I personally recommend you to them, so do an excellent job. 'I personally endorse you since the higher-ups have high hopes for this current group.'
"Tsk, I can't even get a good night's sleep these days."
She is currently reviewing the videos from today's training session and compiling a report on the students' performance. This will assist the Union in identifying and recruiting highly skilled individuals.
However, this report will not be sent to Union at this time. It will be a record, and these reports will be given to the Union first, and then to the general public, at the end of their graduation.
Horizon adheres to a strong code of conduct. No one, including the Union, should try to recruit students before they graduate. There may be some back-channel communication, but that isn't a concern as long as they aren't discovered.
Jane was going through all the all videos according to their rank in today's training session. She saw Thomas's team video first. She was very astonished.
His swordplay was graceful, and his handling of the monster was outstanding. The plan they devised to defeat the beast was flawless. They killed one as a group, and the second one is handled by Thomas alone.
"No matter how many times I see his swordplay it never gets old for me to watch him demonstrate his swordplay. It's quite lovely. I'm curious where he got it."
In any case, Thomas received a perfect score. The rest of the students were given grades based on their performance.
The team of John Collins is up next.
"I'm curious how this one turned out."
Everybody knows what kind of personality he possesses. As a result, she made it clear that everyone should work together. That's understandable given his background.
She was amazed by their team's performance while viewing it. His swordplay was very graceful.
"It's not bad. I expected him to cause a commotion, but he handled it admirably."
Even though he was visibly frustrated, he didn't allow it to affect his team's performance. Knowing Jane, he carefully followed her instructions.
He, like Thomas, was the sole survivor of the second monster.
The squad of Ivy Morris is up next.
She can also wield a sword. Her swordplay, like the first two, was incredibly graceful. She also killed the second monster alone just like the first two teams.
"Unlike the two, she still has flaws in several areas. If she puts in more effort, she will improve. Their performance as a team is excellent. Nonetheless, there is room for her to develop."
She should concentrate on honing her tactical and analytical talents. Then she will be a formidable opponent.
Jane finished her analysis on Ivy Morris.
Andrea Lewis is the next person on the list.
She utilizes a bow, unlike the preceding three. She is a sharpshooter. Jane was also impressed by Andrea.
"Her agility is exceptional. And the accuracy with which she fires her arrows is admirable. The way she handled the monster is praiseworthy."
She is not a close-range fighter like the other three. Without assistance, it will be difficult for her to do. It's admirable how she made use of the rest of the group.
Given her background, this is unsurprising. Her father is the guild master of the human domain's most powerful guild. As a result, her tactical knowledge appears to be quite solid.
The performance of the next two teams was also on par with the first. Jane finished their reports promptly.
The seventh team is up next.
It features Trina Mason.
"Oh, she came in seventh place, which I didn't expect."
Jane is aware of Trina's existence. Trina's intellectual understanding matches that of the professors, but not in terms of combat skills. She is really lacking in that part.
Jane began watching their team's video.
"Hmm. Their strategy and approach were sound. They should improve their execution, but it's a fantastic team effort overall."
Trina's performance had an impact on Jane as well. Jane, too, was aware that she was here as a result of their parents' persistence, and that she was here to make additional connections. Everyone has varied reasons for wanting to be a part of Horizon. There is nothing that can be done.
"Huh? Why are there just four people participating in the raid? What happened to the other one?"
Jane finished watching their team video but was unable to locate the other.
Then she goes through her papers to determine who their fifth member is.
"Rank 1983, David Foster."
Her rage was at an all-time high.
Then she discovered him relaxing on top of a tree, watching the rest of the team.
"What in the world is he up to?"
She observed him, he never bothered to join the raid team.
"I'm not sure how I missed you throughout the admissions process, but after viewing this, I'm going to have to toss you out."
She's enraged right now. She despised students who squandered their parents' money and were reliant on others. From Jane's perspective, it's understandable.
After eliminating one monster, the video is coming to an end.
"Is that all there is to it? According to the report, both monsters were eliminated. Let me have a look."
She looked for their entire video but couldn't find it.
She saw Trina leave as soon as the first monster was defeated, and the rest followed suit.
"But that guy is missing here."
Then she rewinds the video to see if he left from there or not. After that, she caught a glimpse of him descending down the tree as everyone else was departing and headed in the opposite direction.
"Wait, Don't tell me he is the one who defeated it?"
****