After the last class, every student started to focus on their training; the library, which was always vacant, is now full and very lively.
Everyone is trying their best so that they can improve their ranks. Because everybody knows, in this academy your rank is extremely important.
If you get a good rank in these mid-term exams, you can get a chance to visit a better guild, and the top hundred rankers will be invited by the strongest guild and can even get the chance to meet high-ranked awakeners.
When everyone is trying their best, a rumor is also spreading everywhere and you have guessed it right—it's about Fade obviously:
"Hey, you know that trash Fade declared an official duel with those who bullied him."
"Eh, is he trying to get killed?"
"Who knows, I just heard about it."
"do you think that trash will win?"
"No, I think he will lose. I think he will end up disabled this time"
"When is that duel?"
"I heard that it is in a month, after the mid-term exams."
All the students have already heard this rumor, and most of them are sure that Fade will lose, except for one:
'According to the novel, that guy will win this duel.'
It was actually because during the physical test Fade will get a fruit that will help him in increasing his strength.
'Isn't it too cliche?'
'anyway, even if I take that fruit, it won't be useful to me; I am already at the peak of D rank'
...
A week later, in the exam hall.
'Hmm, these questions are decent; I can easily pass this one.'
Rio has always been good at studies, so he doesn't really need any cheat like the protagonist to pass this, but obviously, he is not so good that he will score first in the written exams.
After an hour, Rio completed his exam and walked out of the exam hall and saw that Fade had already left the exam hall. Only a few of the students are left who are still writing their exams.
...
The next day
Rio was already standing at the site, where the physical exam would take place. In front of him is a small portal; this is an E-rank dungeon, where the students need to kill monsters to pass this exam.
After half an hour, all the students gathered and Ms. Anna started her speech:
"You all have to enter this E-rank dungeon. To get marks, you have to slay a monster or complete hidden missions in this dungeon. And if you kill the boss monster, you will get extra marks too. The teachers will be monitoring your performance so don't worry about your safety. Now enter one by one."
All the students immediately started to enter the portal on Anna's command and when Rio finally entered the portal, he was transferred to a lush mountain.
'I just need to kill 15 monsters to get in the top 100's; this way I can get benefits and can also ignore the spotlight...'
...
Just after Rio walked a few hundred meters, he already encountered his first enemy.
'It's a giant bear; it is said that a mature one is at E+ rank, but this one is mature.'
The bear also noticed Rio's presence and immediately started to run towards him. This bear is around 1.5 m tall and has sharp nails on his limbs. It has thick skin strong enough to defend against blunt attacks of low level easily.
*clink*
When the bear was only 3 m away from Rio, suddenly a slashing sound came. Rio was already on his way to find the next one.
Behind him, a Giant bear collapsed with a bang sound, and its head was sliced very neatly in a single strike.
Rio glanced at the fallen head of the bear and thought,
'I have gotten fast; even though I didn't use any skill, it was really easy to slice it with pure strength and speed.'
'If it is like this, I can easily get enough points...'
Thinking this far, Rio chose a random direction and started to hunt monsters.
His main purpose is to avoid getting too high of a score, but there's no problem in getting a little bit of spotlight to increase his own rank.
...
Half an hour later.
Just like this, Rio killed 15 monsters of E+ rank with a single slash in just half an hour. It was so easy, as if he were taking a stroll around here.
'I have already gotten enough points by hunting these monsters... this is kind of boring...'
'Now what should I do, There is still an hour before this test ends; let's visit the boss monster then.'
'Although I will not kill the boss, I will just help someone in killing it. I can test my swordsmanship a little on that monster's body.'
...
Central Area.
In the middle of the forest, there are no trees in sight and just an open field with grass on it. It's as if the trees were deliberately not present here.
A young girl can be seen here; she is fighting the boss monster of this dungeon. There's a determined look on her beautiful face.
Although there are few injuries on her body, she is fighting without paying any mind to her injuries.
With her every sword strike, she makes a deep wound on the body of the monster.
After getting a few more wounds on its body, the monster suddenly got enraged; its eyes turned crimson and strong blood lust was oozing out of its body. It started attacking the young girl madly. This was its last effort at survival.
Lia suddenly panicked after seeing this; it was her first time facing a monster like this. This short time of distraction caused the monster to get an opportunity, and the monster immediately gave a punch to her face.
The impact of the punch caused her to lose her standing and she fell.
*clink*
Just as the monster was about to launch its next attack, a shadow flashed by, and a sound of meat slicing came this time.
The boss monster fell, its limbs were sliced neatly, its head was intact, it was left alive on purpose, and a boy with black hair and black eyes was standing near the body.
But before Lia could say anything or ask about what happened, the exhaustion from the previous fight caused her to faint.
"Hmm, looks like I got a little late; anyway, let's just finish this guy."
Rio immediately slashed the head of the monster and left the scene of the incident before the teachers came to take Lia back.
He was on his way to find stronger opponents and encountered this incident, so he just solved it casually. For him, only his sword skills matter; everything else is not of much importance.
'Plot of the novel? Hero? Villains? Who gives a sh*t about them!... Just don't bother me and I won't bother you...'
{Those who walk the path of sword, don't bother with worldly concerns... Swords are meant to be emotionless...} (Source: Trust me bro...)