The final test was about to begin.
The nerves on all the students in the waiting room were at an all time high.
Well some were more or less calm like Liam and Liana or the other top prospective students like Abigail, Lysander, and Violet.
But most strudents didn't know that Theo and Selene were the most nervous about the last test.
Because a demon would appear and something that even an individual on the expert tier would struggle fighting against and none of them including Theo and Selene were not ideal candidates to deal with an enemy of a higher level.
The next test was a designated monster subjugation.
Monsters around the forest would spawn and few were stronger than others.
More specifically they were all at the peak of Adept tier, which most of the prospective students would find impossible to tackle.
So twenty groups were formed from the remaining 200 prospective students in a random systematic fashion.
10 people on each group.
It was like in the game as well. 200 in the end remained for the final test. Because the second test weeded out those that were lucky on finishing the because of Theo and Liana's unexpected intervention of destroying everything in their path.
The groups would be cut into two spaces as well. 100 hundred one space and another hundred in another space.
Selene Theo Liam and Liana were guaranteed like in the game to be transported into the same space no matter what happened in the previous scenarios like in the game.
Because the demon slightly tweaked to make it so that three of them were transported as they were the prime targets that the demons wanted to get rid of no matter what.
And they also made it so that many of the students coming with them would be on the weaker side as well.
So Theo and Selene couldn't ask for support from Violet, Patrick or Fia.
They would need to persuade all 100 students to hopefully follow them, if not, they had to do so by force and authority.
And their plan to convince them would likely get them in trouble but it didn't matter as long as they could save all of the students that would be trapped with them against the demon that was planning to hunt them down.
The problem was that the demon was only a part of the trouble. All the supposed peak Adept tier designated monsters were empowered by demonic energy and now all at the beginning of Astute tier, which would be hell for the students who barley have any experience on dealing with monsters above their respective tiers.
There were also minions of these designated monsters which were no mean pushovers. Because each every one of them were gad at least ten minions.
So they were essentially dealing around 200 monsters.
Something a bunch of teenagers wouldn't be able to handle.
Nonetheless they had no choice but to go through and fight the tide of monsters.
Some people would ask 'Why not ask help from the Academy'.
Selene and Theo's reply would be because it would alert the demons still lurking within the academy island and eliminating them would be far more harder if the word got out. The last thing they want was to make the demons hiding within the Union Islands flee, losing the chances of them eliminating them.
Not only that Selene and Theo would be pushed into the forefront, making them a bigger target than they already are.
And finally, they wanted Liana and Liam to get more experience on dealing with demons.
It was a risky move, endaring a hundred lives, yes, but it was for the greater good.
There was also the fact that the supposed demon that was meant to terrorise them already dead, it was likely that a replacement for them was found.
The demons would never pass up the chance on killing future threats fortheir cause after all.
Theo and Selene were going to guarantee that all hundred students will get pass this scenario no matter what.
They prepared throughly for this event. The only option was to win flawlessly even with new variables in play.
They were the best of the best after all.
****
Theo and Selene open their eyes after getting flashed once more by the magic circle.
They appeared on a field, a meadow to brmore specific and on a walking distance in front of the hundred students was the forest where the designated monsters held their positions.
The students stayed still and waited for further instructions from Olivia Montague, which sadly. Never came.
The space they were I'm was an enormous artifact that creates a separate space the user envisions.
It was perfect for making trials such as the last two test they took.
And only trusted proffesors and the heads of the academy, The headmaster and vice headmistress were the only individuals allowed access to such important device.
It took years for the demons to sneak a small, almost, powerless yet dangerous remote controlled demon to parasite the artifact.
The demonic parasite would slowly grow in strength and contaminate a part of the artifact enough to interfere with one space at a time, giving Gremory a Demon capable of bending space and time a chance to sneakily send a Demon Count any stronger would easily be discovered by the academy.
Theo and Selene could only pray that the demon their encountering was something they were familiar with.
But first things first. Convincing the hundred students to stay together and ignore the test.
Theo infused his vocal chords with mana and shouted with unrelenting command.
"NO ONE MOVE!"
The students planning for their next action froze because of Theo's thundering voice.
Theo with Selene in tow walked forwards while not forgetting to use his intimidating aura as he postioned himself in front of the hundred teenagers.
"The test is canceled. Demons have invaded and isolated us from the real world."
After Theo's calm annoucncement. The crowds suddenly burst into confusion and panic.
"Demons!? No way!"
"How? Union Academy has dozens of masters and a few grandmasters guarding it."
"There's no way. Is the Prince ok?"
Doubts from the students was blatantly voiced.
They found Theo's claims to be absurd and unlogical.
Liana who grew up in the academy stepped forward, hurt by the fact that Theo was allegedly accusing Union Academy, where she grew up, careless and incompetent as they let a demon slip pass inside into the most prestigious Academy of the world.
"I find your accusations unfounded, Prince Theodore. Where is your proof to back up your words."
Liana glared at Theo with seething anger.
She looked like she was prepared to pounce at Theo if he kept up with his accusations.
"I'm sorry, Liana, I understand that you and a most people here find my words unbelievable. But notice that after we arrived, not a single word of instruction was given to us by instructor Olivia"
Theo said with a calm demeanor as he already played this scenario happening in his head hundreds of times.
"He's right, Miss Olivia usually gives us instructions after we arrive at the testing area."
"Yeah, but how is that connected to having a demon present in the test?"
"Yeah that makes no sense"
Doubt still clouded the prospective students' mind, but one individual stepped forward and it was none other than Liam Grace.
"I, for one, believe Theodore Ignatius. There's an ominous aura coming from the forest if you look hard enough."
Liam also had superior intuition.
Theo smiled at Liam's support as he already expected Liam to step up.
The community called it Hero intuition where he would sense trouble minutes or even hours away before it's arrival.
It was especially potent in detecting dangerous events involving demons.
Even in the game, Liam was actually the first one to warn the prospective students of the dangers that lay within the forest but most people weren't convinced with the lack of evidence and support.
Liana herself was doubtful of Liam's claims but she would then proceed to apologise in tears to Liam after the tragedy, which was initially how their trust and 'friendship' was formed, which also made it easier for Liam to connect with Theo and Selene in the game.
Most students after Liams claim glanced at the forest.
Many of the strong individuals within the hundred students felt a small chill after a few seconds of focusing their sense towards the forest, but it was clear that most of the students were still doubtful as losing this test decided the future careers.
Their families also poured many resources on their children, failing was something they would never want to risk.
Knowing this, Selene stepped forward and spoke in a clear tone, enough for the hundred teens to hear her voice.
"I have a proposal. All of us would stay here for an hour. If nothing happens, then we apologize and take responsibility. We will even compensate any student that were wronged because of our actions."
Theo spoke right after Selene as he placed his right hand on his chest.
"We swear in the name of Ignatius and Aventus that we are only thinking of the betterment of all prospective students participating in this test."
Silence took over the prospective students.
Selene and Theo's standing in the world trumps any other person in front of them, maybe with the exception of Liama who was the adopted daughter of another Pinnacle.
However, unlike, Liana, Selene and Theo had enough importance and weight that they could terrorise a small sized country.
Many of the students present were of high standing, but they were nothing in front of Theo and Selene.
Offending them was equal to saying goodbye to their entire bloodline, only Liana who was close in authority and an eccentric like Liam would have the guts to not follow their words when they already staked their name and promised responsibility.
Going against then was foolish, even if they had to risk their future and potentially get brooped by the Union Academy.
Theo and Selene themselves underestimated their influence. The prospective students might have doubted the duo, but a single threat from Selene and Theo would have made most of the teens throw their hands up in the air and give in to the duo's demands.
Nonetheless, Theo and Selene finally achieved their objective of convincing the hundred prospective students.
Now it all comes down to their next course of action and that was to defend for their lives.