Seeing the serious expressions on the students' faces, the professor nodded with satisfaction.
"Alright, you all will spend 2 days inside the dungeon before being teleported out. Since you'll be sent to the same dungeon at the same time, you're allowed to work together."
Immediately, his tone turned serious.
"And if you can work together, that also means you can steal each other's kills. After all, the person who earns the most points will secure the highest ranking. So, not only do you have to watch out for the monsters, but also the person next to you."
After Liam finished speaking, he smirked and looked around at the students, who were now eyeing each other with caution. As soon as they heard his words, almost everyone subtly moved away from their classmates.
A few students looked worried when they found out they had to stay in the dungeon for two days. They weren't prepared for this at all. Everyone thought it would be a one-on-one battle for the ranking assessment.
"Alright, that's enough for now! Get ready. I'm teleporting you all inside the dungeon."
Having said what he needed to, Liam raised his right hand, and the ground beneath the students trembled slightly. In the next second, they all vanished.
.....
Kyle felt the world around him twist and change, but having experienced this sensation before, he easily adapted. Also, unlike last time, he didn't feel nauseous.
As he looked around, he found himself in a dark and damp cave, stretching hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Other students were appearing one by one in the same spot. As soon as they arrived, everyone scattered in search of monsters, eager to earn points.
The cold air brushed against Kyle's skin as he sprinted forward with excitement. He knew he wouldn't be able to beat Alec, Carcel, Mia, and Lara and get the top rank, but he was determined to have a high position in the class!
'Hehe, it seems I am going to stay in the Academy for a long time!'
After a few minutes, strange green creatures emerged like a tsunami, flooding the cave and surrounding the students from all directions. They had short stature, long hooked noses, bat-like ears, and hideous smiles.
"What's that?"
"Goblins!"
"Kekekeke!"
The goblins' laughter echoed through the cave, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
Startled by the unexpected situation, the students at the front stopped running and gathered together to attack the goblins. With their backs against each other, they raised their weapons and struck the nearest goblin.
"Attack! Kill the goblins!"
They shouted, their weapons clashing against the goblin's defenses.
Many groups were formed as students bravely fought against the goblins. Amidst all the groups, one stood out for their exceptional prowess.
At the forefront was Alec, unsheathing his sword with grace and precision. With every goblin that crossed his path, he swiftly struck them down using his elegant sword style. In a display of sheer power, he unleashed one of his most powerful sword techniques. Instantly, a swirling vortex materialized at the tip of his blade, obliterating more than five goblins in a single attack.
Carcel watched Alec from the corner of his eyes, and seeing him go all out, he didn't hold back and used one of his powerful attacks. In an instant, his spear thrust forward like a bolt of lightning and killed numerous goblins in its wake.
Lara and Mia were both standing behind them, sending arrows and casting powerful attacks on the goblins.
The other students witnessed their seamless teamwork and the staggering number of goblins being killed. They were left in awe and disbelief. Yet, this awe only fueled their determination to improve their own skills. Although goblins were considered common monsters, their heightened senses and tendency to hunt in groups made them dangerous.
Meanwhile, Kyle and Nine had formed their own group, fighting the goblins at the opposite end of the cave. However, when Kyle witnessed Alec and Carcel's extraordinary fighting styles, a singular thought consumed his mind.
'Ah... I need a sword Art!'
He indeed had a sword, but he never learned a proper fighting art. That's why Kyle decided to get a perfect sword art for himself after the ranking assessment.
'Hmm, should I copy Alec's art? No, it's too elegant for my style.'
Nevertheless, because his rank was (F+), the (F)-Rank goblins were nothing in front of him. He randomly slashed his sword without any pattern on the defenseless goblins while sending a few fireballs in between.
His mana was already (F+)-rank, so he was now able to form more than 10-15 fireballs before exhausting his mana. If somehow any goblins still passed his defense line, he would punch and kick them without mercy, sending them flying.
Nine, who was fighting alongside Kyle, was having a little difficulty. But when he saw Kyle's wild fighting style, he was once again shocked. Because even though Kyle was throwing fireballs here and there without a specific target, for some reason, his attacks would always land on a goblin.
He wasn't sure if Kyle was pretending to be inexperienced or if it was dumb luck.