48 hours had passed since the annual test started, and conflicts between students were becoming more and more frequent. This had caused numerous deaths among the students. Most of them died not because of monsters or wild beasts, but because of other students. The longer the students stayed on the island, the higher their chances were of encountering other students.
Vale, who had used the eclotus eyes plants, knew that a fight had broken out around the lake among the students who had met each other there.
Currently, he was still resting around the river with Frida. The two of them had decided to keep watch over each other while they slept. Even though Frida still suspected Vale, she had no other choice. She could have chosen to sleep somewhere else that she thought was safe, but what about the other students?
Frida herself did not feel that there was a truly safe hiding place on the island. There were many students who possessed great tracking magic techniques. That's why she had decided to trust Vale, but without lowering her guard.
"It is estimated that more than 30 students have died. Now there are approximately 150 students who are still alive. The sixth year class has only two classes, with 42 people in each class from previous years," Vale calculated in his mind.
"That means only 84 out of the 150 students could be alive after the annual test. There are still many people who will die. In that case, this test may be far from over," Vale said in a deep tone.
The head of the Academy, Sir Joseph Putin, had never mentioned the duration of the test. He couldn't have possibly forgotten to mention it. This meant only one thing for Vale: the test would last until only 84 students remained in this dimensional fraction.
"You're wrong. The Academy still needs helpers and free workers to replace those who die every year. The survivors are about 100 students," Frida countered Vale's calculations.
Vale turned to Frida, who had just woken up from her sleep, and asked, "When did you wake up?"
At first, Vale maintained his false admiration in front of Frida, but Frida dismantled the lie by questioning everything about herself.
There was no way a Frida's big fan wouldn't know anything about Frida herself, right?
Unfortunately, Vale really didn't know much information about Frida, so his false admiration was exposed.
In the end, the two of them talked without using any false attitudes or expressions.
"I woke up a long time ago. I also heard you talking about the eclotus eyes plants that you spread. You still haven't introduced yourself clearly. Tell me, who are you and what do you plan to do in this annual test?" asked Frida.
Vale knew that Frida had always been suspicious of him. The girl was seemingly highly alert towards someone she didn't know.
"Honesty and a little lie should be enough to deceive her," Vale whispered in a very low voice.
He then introduced himself, "My name is Vale. I've forgotten my middle and last name, so just call me Vale. I'm a student of class 5D. You probably know there is a noble girl in my class. Her name is Brenda Martine. The truth is I love her, not only because she is beautiful, but because she is a noble like you. I think I can get closer to her if I make friends with you."
Frida raised her eyebrows in surprise. She didn't expect Vale to be so honest about his intentions. Frida didn't think Vale was lying, and she thought his goal was very realistic.
"Heh, you planned to use me to pick up a girl?"
"Yes, I planned it. Do you have a problem with that?" asked Vale in a sarcastic tone.
Frida ignored Vale's sarcastic tone and continued to ask, "What about the eclotus eyes plants? What do you plan to do with them?"
"I feel that it is a waste to hunt monsters every time. So, I thought about watching the students with high points and ambushing them. I can also use the plants to gather information," Vale replied shortly.
"That's a pretty good plan. Hey, how about we make a deal?" Frida offered. The girl thought that she had figured out what kind of person Vale was.
Frida assumed that working with Vale would not be too bad. After all, Vale was just an orphaned student, and his talent was also quite low. Frida thought that even if Vale was smart, he shouldn't have anything that could threaten her life.
"A deal? What kind of deal?" asked Vale as he stroked his chin. Vale's original goal was to make friends, but since it had failed, making a deal with Frida was not a bad thing.
"I can give you treasures, knowledge books, magic techniques, and I can even introduce you to Brenda. In exchange, you should help me," Frida explained.
Frida never forgot that what she faced was not just Holman or Laura, but all the noble families who wanted her to die. Even if she succeeded in killing Holman and Laura in the annual test this time, there would still be many other killers sent by aristocratic families to finish her off.
Therefore, Frida realized that she needed to gather other allies besides the royal family. The royal family alone was not powerful enough to defeat all the noble families in the Windeast kingdom, and the Academy presented the most suitable place to recruit such allies.
Despite Vale's lack of natural talent, Frida saw his resourcefulness and hardworking nature, which made her believe that Vale would achieve success regardless of his innate abilities.
"Help you? You want me to involve myself in the internal conflicts of the Windeast kingdom? I may not know much about your kingdom, but I do know that getting involved in such a conflict would put me in danger," Vale replied, hesitating to accept Frida's offer.
Even before meeting Frida, Vale had been planning to befriend Brenda, and he had considered all the risks involved, including being caught up in the conflicts surrounding her. Although his plans had changed when he shifted his focus to Frida, Vale had already weighed the potential risks.
In this world, nothing could be achieved without taking risks. Vale's willingness to take risks stemmed from his reliance on the system. The system had always been a dangerous and mysterious entity for Vale, but he couldn't deny that it had been immensely helpful to him.
"You're already involved since you saved me. Do you think Holman will let you go now?" Frida's voice took on a threatening tone, trying to persuade Vale to agree to her offer.
Vale fell silent for a moment, contemplating his options. He then turned to Frida and said, "You're right. I'll agree to cooperate with you."
Frida smiled and extended her right hand. Vale grasped her hand, and they shook hands, sealing their newfound partnership.