The council's voice flowed through the air, drawing everyone's attention to the stage as they focused on the solemn council member's speech. The loud noise of talking and walking gradually quieted down.
"Last time, it was announced that there were 997 participants left, but now only 198 remain. As you all know, I mentioned earlier that there is a special 'event' taking place within the division course of the verification test."
'That many? And it's about time he told us what the special event is. The only thing I remember related to it was the pent stone, which lifted all the rules.' Haruo thought before standing up.
"Now, typically there wouldn't be a second half, and the tests would conclude after six. However, an event that occurred four months ago resulted in human capabilities being stronger than before."
"Now, most of you have probably noticed that you've been growing at a faster pace. Just know that this has something to do with the occurrence. I won't delve deeper into this conversation, as I still need to tell you what the second half is about."
He tapped his finger in the air, and a huge screen emerged on the stage with a smooth motion. It resembled Kilian's screen but was a bit larger. The only difference was that it no longer had the outdated 1980s style
.
The screen displayed a large map of a ruined city that resembled modern buildings from the cataclysm a hundred thousand years ago. The structures were all dark and overgrown with dense vegetation.
Multiple monsters lurked in the empty streets, surrounded by abandoned shops and scattered debris. The atmosphere was eerie and unsettling. However, the displays were quickly turned off, revealing a different scene entirely.
"Now, the second test will be a singular test. You all have about six hours until the test ends. The goal for this test is to earn the most points. Those with the highest scores at the end will gain the privilege of choosing their division, as well as receive an artifact and a skill scroll, both ranked A / Rare."
"Not only that, but the person in first place can also lift disqualification for anyone they choose. This means that someone who has failed a test can receive a free pass and still be eligible for a division, but they must be placed in the same division that the winner selects."
'That could have been useful if Ena had failed a test, but she didn't, so I have no reason to aim for first place-' Haruo thought, but the council added something else mid-thought.
"Of course, the top 10 will also receive rewards similar to first place, along with a bonus of five thousand dollars each."
Haruo's eyes widened as he heard that sentence, a grin forming as the thought of the reward made his eyes gleam with excitement.
'Okay, maybe aiming for the top 10 doesn't sound so bad after all, and I could use that money to roll on the fortune wheel now that I think about it.'
He was practically drooling at the thought. Ena noticed this and gave him a look that clearly said she couldn't believe he was so excited over five thousand dollars.
'Seriously? Five thousand isn't even a lot to be drooling over; my allowance as a kid was double that amount,' Ena thought, disbelief evident on her face.
"Now, unlike the first half, which was individual, this time you will be placed in teams. Specifically, groups of three. You can choose a partner to join you, but if you're lacking a teammate or two, you will be randomly assigned." The council member said.
"Now to partner up all you need to do is tap your rings and press on your name. After that search their name and once you search their name tap your rings together"
Ena and Haruo quickly did what he said, making them into a party of two.
"Now, after this, you will be able to see your party members' points and their ranks. Once the test starts, your points will be combined into one total. As for earning points, it's fairly simple."
Both of them listened attentively as the screen behind him displayed an example to help everyone understand more easily.
"Well, for starters, try to find a base where you can set your checkpoint. First, you can earn points by defeating monsters, obviously."
"The second method is scavenging. There will be multiple orbs and other items scattered throughout the city. You'll need to collect as many orbs as you can and bring them back to your checkpoint, where they can be verified for points. There will be different types of orbs, each with its own designated points ranging from 500 to 1,500."
"The third method is targeting. Once you're in the test, there will be specific teams that you need to target. After defeating a targeted team, another one will be designated for you. You can eliminate any team, but focusing on the targeted teams will earn you more points."
"Finally, there's stealing. You can destroy an enemy's checkpoint to claim half of their points. But if you want to be greedy, just stay at their checkpoint for five minutes to steal all their points. Once the five minutes are up, all their points will be transferred to your ring, and then you must return to your checkpoint to register them."
"And for those who have points in their ring, all the enemy has to do is hold their ring against yours for one minute to transfer your points to their ring."
"The test will begin in 30 minutes. Once the time is up, you will all be sent to the ruined city," the council member announced before leaving the stage and closing the screen.
Everyone began searching for members to form parties with. Some were actively trying to create teams, while others appeared to be waiting for the test to determine their teammates.
"Wanna let the test decide who our third member will be?" Haruo asked ena.
"Yeah, absolutely. People here look way too sketchy. Like that person over there..." Ena replied. However, Haruo didn't seem to be paying attention to her words; instead, he was scanning the crowd.
He was focused on a frail kid with glasses. Haruo couldn't see him completely due to the crowd, only catching glimpses of his glasses and face. The kid looked as young as he was, probably around 16 or 17. He was being shoved by a burly man who seemed to be shouting at him.
"Haru! Haru!" A distant voice began to break through, slowly pulling him back to reality as he realized he was still having a conversation with Ena.
"IM TALKING TO YOU DUMBASS!"
Ena exclaimed before slapping him hard across the face, snapping Haruo back to reality. He quickly put a hand on his cheek, a red mark clearly visible against his skin.
"OH MY GOD, WHAT!? Don't just start slapping people just because they're
zoned out! You could just lightly tap them on the shoulder or something!" Haruo exclaimed, rubbing his cheek.
'This was exactly why I wanted to ditch her,' Haruo thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I saw a man with a mohawk" She said her tone calming down to a normal one.
"You slapped me because you wanted me to look at the man with a mohawk!?" He said with exasperation.
"Yeah, that guy seems fishy. I have a bad feeling about him; that mohawk is giving me the creeps!" she said, hugging her shoulders tightly.
He took a deep sigh and opened his mana storage, reaching inside to retrieve what he needed to grab.
"You remember when we were falling to our deaths while a giant stone dragon chased us?" Haruo said, still rummaging through his mana storage, trying to find what he was looking for.
"Wasn't our best moment, but yeah, I do remember. I still can't believe you were so calm in that situation. Where did that composure go? Was it just temporary?"
"Shut up, and I found what I was looking for," he replied, finally pulling out the item from his mana storage.
He pulled out three skill scrolls that he had obtained from rolling the artifact, though they were still somewhat common-ranked.
"Oh right! I almost forgot about those. Why keep them? They're common, like E rank, and they're rarely even useful," Ena said, raising an eyebrow.
"I found out earlier that the fortune wheel, also known as the ultimate rank artifact, has a really useful attribute when it comes to skill scrolls," he explained.
"Every skill has bonus stats and a good enchantment. Besides, we haven't even checked them yet. They might be useful," he added.
"Really!? I thought it couldn't get any better," Ena said, her interest piqued.
They opened one of the scrolls first, both of them leaning in to see what it said. Their brows furrowed in confusion as they realized they didn't know runic yet. With a sigh, Haruo pulled out the Monarch-13 and commanded it to scan the skill. The device whirred to life, casting a soft glow as it processed the information, its screen displaying intricate symbols and translations.
[Skill scroll analysis]
Name: Quick escape {blessed}
Skill description: Creates a low-quality illusion of the user for 10 seconds max.
Skill rank: E / Poor
Ena and Haruo stared blankly at the scroll, both lost in thought as they processed the peculiar description written on it.
"Okay, this one sucks. Seriously, how bad is your luck? It's literally just one sentence. Using this would be such a waste of time," Ena said, her frustration evident.
Haruo raised a finger to signal her to wait. When she opened her mouth to protest, he shushed her with an overly dramatic gesture.
"We still haven't checked the bonus stats, attributes, or enchantments yet. So let's not dismiss it just yet," Haruo said calmly while having a little exaggeration.
"With your luck, I doubt it's going to be anything good," Ena said with a slight shrug.
Haruo instructed Oscar to display the attributes and enchantments. The screen shifted quickly, revealing a new tab with the information.
[Skill attributes and enchants]
Attribute: Extra Diversion {blessed}
Attribute Description: Temporarily multiplies mana by 1.2x for as long as the skill is activated. This skill can be activated twice in a row before a cooldown period begins which is 5 minutes.
Blessing Description:
The mana multiplication has been increased from 1.2x to 1.6x.
The duration has been extended from 10 seconds to 15 seconds.
The cooldown period is reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
Enchants: Silent footsteps.
"See i told you, This is useful. This is practically D rank now, C if were high balling" Haruo said.
"Okay, maybe it's not entirely useless, but I still doubt these skills are going to make a huge difference in the test," Ena said.
"You really don't have any experience when it comes to fighting, do you? It's common knowledge to be prepared and to have every advantage you can get. Imagine it like chess: even if your queen dies, you still have a better position and more points."
He said this before closing the screen and tucking the scroll away securely.
"Every move counts, just like points. Besides, our goal isn't to checkmate our opponents; it's to end in a draw." He explained.
"What? but that's literally the main goal in chess is literally trying to checkmate them?" Ena replied.
"Exactly, I meant it metaphorically. We can't afford to lose, but we also can't take unnecessary risks trying to reach first place. Our goal is just to aim for tenth or ninth, something like that." He sighed.
"That reference sucks; you could've come up with so many better things than that," exasperation laced her voice.
A vein throbbed on Haruo's forehead as he slapped the back of her head, irritation clear in his expression. Making her put her hand on her back rubbing it gently.
"That was unnecessary!" Ena exclaimed, rubbing the back of her head where he had hit her.
"OH, SO NOW IT'S UNNECESSARY!?" he matched her tone as they argued. After a moment, Haruo took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Okay, how about we calm down now? We're not getting anywhere if we keep having this conversation like this. Let's just analyze the other two skill scrolls, alright?" Haruo suggested.
"Okay, so—" A static echo resonated throughout the crowd, abruptly cutting Haruo off mid-sentence.
"Oh my god, these damn announcements! Can't they just do it all at once?! It's not even been 30 minutes yet!" Haruo exclaimed, his frustration clear on his face.
"It seems most of you have formed your teams. For those who haven't chosen a partner or opted for random assignment, the system will now pair you up with others." The council member announced.
The participants began to glow with a blue aura, one by one vanishing until only a few remained. In a flash, they were all transported into a vast chamber, joining the remaining participants. They found themselves separated into groups of three, each enclosed in glass barriers that were soundproof, allowing only those within to hear one another.
Ena and Haruo weren't surprised by the development; in fact, they felt a sense of relief. At least now, they could speak freely without worrying about others overhearing their conversations. They exchanged glances before turning around to see who their teammate would be.
It was the boy that Haruo took noticed earlier, up close he looked taller than he anticipated 5'7 but he was 176 cm.
He had round, rimless glasses and messy light brown hair. He wore a white polo shirt with small polka dots, all buttons unbuttoned, over plain black jeans. The short sleeves reached his elbows, revealing a tight black compression sleeve on his right arm, while his left arm was bare. The unbuttoned shirt showcased the black sleeveless shirt underneath, giving him a casual yet slightly disheveled look.
He wielded two blades: a katana in his right hand and a basic short blade in his left. A pouch hung behind him. His build was fragile and skinny, with no tattoos or distinctive physical characteristics, just an average-looking kid who might seem weak at first glance.
What intrigued Haruo about him were the blades. A unique aura emanated from them, and his eyes lacked a human warmth. Despite his fragile appearance, his posture was perfectly composed, hinting at an underlying strength.
'He looks like he knows how to fight,' Haruo thought.
"H-hi! I'm Isaac Lysander. N-nice to meet you two!" His posture tensed suddenly as he rubbed the back of his head while bowing slightly.
'Was I wrong???'