The students' excitement quickly turned into despair.
At first, they thought they had won when they saw Xerox cut off the Wolverine leader's wing.
But they soon realized they were wrong.
Even with one wing gone, the Wolverine leader was still powerful enough to kill everyone.
They hoped Xerox, who had managed to cut off the wing, would finish the job.
But he wasn't moving.
The Wolverine leader was closing in on Xerox, who had collapsed on the ground.
The students started to understand something was wrong.
They guessed it had to do with that powerful attack Xerox had used.
A Rank-2 shouldn't have been able to unleash such a strong attack without consequences.
The Wolverine leader opened its jaws, its sharp teeth gleaming, and moved in to bite Xerox.
Lying there, Xerox watched the creature's massive mouth getting closer.
He closed his eyes, bracing for the pain he was sure was coming.
But the pain never came.
Before the Wolverine leader could strike, its body dissolved into light particles and vanished.
A loud sound echoed through the air.
-DING! -DONG!
"Exam concluded! Fifty-two students survived!"
Xerox slowly opened his eyes.
He thought he had been killed and teleported out.
But when he looked around, he realized he was back on the training ground of Eclipse Academy.
Other students were there too, lying on the ground, looking as dazed as he felt.
It dawned on him that he hadn't been eaten.
The exam had ended just in time to save him.
If it had gone on for even one more second, he would have been dead.
Relief flooded through him as he realized how close he had come to dying.
The other students began stirring and talking.
"What happened? Did we survive?"
"Is the exam over? I didn't think I was killed."
"My body just turned into light while I was still fighting!"
The chatter quickly quieted as the sound of footsteps echoed across the field.
-THUD! -THUD! -THUD!
The professors appeared one by one.
Among them were Professor Layla and Professor Lance, their faces calm but their eyes sharp as they looked at the students.
"Finally, the practical exam has come to an end. Congratulations to all the students who survived!"
Professor Thomas stepped aside to welcome the Vice-Principal, who was going to give a speech.
The Vice-Principal stood on the podium, cleared his throat, and began.
"Ahem... You've all done an excellent job surviving in the dungeon for five days. We've been observing your actions, and I must say, we're impressed by the power and determination you've shown."
The speech continued with praise and an explanation of the exam's purpose.
The Vice-Principal spoke about the responsibilities we carry and encouraged us to work even harder.
The speech lasted half an hour.
Afterward, we were told to meet our homeroom teachers to receive feedback and results.
I joined the other students from my class as we followed Professor Layla to her office.
Among us were Aerox Sun,Trival Maxpad, Lily Paypal, and Silvana.
Only about ten of us remained from our class.
Most of the hundred students had been eliminated during the Wolverine battles.
While we were walking, Lily came up to me.
"Xerox, I want to thank you again for your help during the exam. If you ever need my help, I'll do my best to assist you."
I chuckled.
"It was an honor to help the goddess."
"Ah! Please don't call me that. It's embarrassing,"
she said, her cheeks turning red.
Her reaction made me want to tease her more, but before I could reply, I felt a sharp glare from Professor Layla.
(Alright, alright. No need to glare at me. I was just joking a little.)
We walked in silence after that until we reached the office.
Students were called in one by one, and finally, it was my turn.
"Xerox Zee,"
Professor Layla said as I entered.
"Your score in the practical exam is 183. You've done well. You're among the top three in this exam."
I was stunned.
Top three?
I couldn't believe it.
Being ranked third in the entire first year, especially in the so-called Super Generation, was beyond my expectations.
Professor Layla explained,
"Your written exam rank was 26, which dragged your overall rank down. You need to focus more on your studies."
Rank 26 in the written exam wasn't bad at all.
Considering my struggles, being in the top 30 felt like a miracle.
And Rank 7 overall?
That was incredible progress for someone who started in the 900s.
"With your current progress,"
Professor Layla added,
"you might reach Rank-3+ before the Tournament of Academies. That would be enough to secure a spot as a participant. Don't get complacent during the summer vacation. Train harder."
After hearing my final score, I couldn't help but grin.
Rank 7 among the first-years, considering where I started, felt like a monumental achievement.
Professor Layla handed me the result sheet, her expression calm as always.
"Your practical exam points are impressive, but your written scores need work. I expect more focus in the classroom, Xerox."
I nodded, pretending to look serious.
"Of course, Professor. But I think my practical score proves I'm more of a hands-on learner."
Professor Layla raised an eyebrow.
"That's not an excuse to neglect theory."
I decided to push my luck a little.
"Maybe I just need a better tutor. Someone as brilliant and inspiring as you, Professor."
I gave her my most innocent smile, though I couldn't hide the teasing tone in my voice.
She paused for a moment, staring at me with those sharp eyes that could freeze a wolverine mid-flight.
"Flattery won't improve your rank, Xerox,"
she replied, though the slightest twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her amusement.
I smirked.
"It's not flattery if it's true. Besides, you don't seem the type to be swayed by compliments. I just wanted to be honest."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but I noticed her suppressing a smile.
"Honesty is admirable, but I suggest focusing that energy on your studies instead of... charming your professor."
"Noted,"
I said with a mock salute.
"But if you ever need someone to carry your books or help out, I'm your guy."
"Xerox,"
she said, her voice firm, though there was a spark of humor in her eyes,
"get out of my office before I assign you extra homework."
Laughing, I stood and bowed slightly.
"As you wish, Professor. Have a nice vacation!"
I left the office, still grinning. Teasing Professor Layla was always a risk, but it was worth it to see her momentarily flustered.
As I walked to the dorm, I looked at the result sheet again, feeling proud.
Professor Layla might have thought I could do better, but to me, going from the bottom to the top 10 in one term was amazing.
In the dorm, I sat on my bed and thought about the upcoming break.
We had one month off, and I planned to return home.
I wanted to see my parents and help them grow stronger.
Now that I had plenty of money, I could support them and their guild.
I decided to buy Rank-Up Potions to help them reach Rank-5, even though they cost around a million coins each.
I planned to head home in two days, but before that, I needed to finalize some business plans.
I had an idea to launch an online ecommerce platform.
"Hehe... Time to put my employees to work. Just kidding,"
I muttered, grinning to myself as I started planning.