Chapter 541: Hunting Assessment!
Chapter 541
After so many days, so many classes and so many weeks, it was finally time for the assessment which would determine the students that would be participating in the tournament scheduled to take place the following week.
For this, the first-year students, regardless of colour bands, had all been summoned into the huge training hall for an announcement of some kind.
The atmosphere inside the hall was thick with unease, curiosity, and excitement, as every student knew this would decide who got to shine and who would be left behind.
Right now, Grey stood beside Finral, Ray, and Liam, while Thalos was positioned just a foot away behind him, his sharp eyes already scanning the hall with caution.
A few minutes later, the direct descendants walked in and, as usual, they claimed an entire area for themselves. Their cold expressions and arrogant frowns painted the usual picture of superiority. Everyone instinctively shifted to give them space.
After all the students had gathered, the massive doors creaked open and a female walked in. She didn’t have any striking features that made her stand out at first glance.
She had average looks, a small nose, and long black hair with yellow tips. Her most noticeable feature was a pair of deep, mesmerizing yellow eyes that seemed to pierce through the crowd.
They scanned the hall slowly, accompanied by a chilling yet quiet smile that sent shivers down the spines of those who met her gaze.
"Huh? Who’s this newbie?" Finral muttered under his breath with a confused expression.
Grey wasn’t planning to react or care, but then suddenly, something buried deep within his pocket began buzzing violently, causing his eyes to widen in horror.
He quickly slipped his hand inside to confirm, and his heart dropped. It was the device Duke had given him—the one that buzzed whenever a member of the Morning Sun was nearby. And right now, it was buzzing louder than ever as the female made her entrance.
’C...crap! Don’t tell me she’s the spy sent from the clan to capture me? Fuck!’ Grey’s heart pounded like war drums as his gaze darted back to the woman at the front.
Meanwhile, Albed’s lips curled into a wider grin. ’Oh? Someone in this crowd is a Midnight member, huh? I didn’t expect to find another one aside from myself here.’ She thought but casually shrugged, deciding not to make a scene.
"Good morning, y’all. My name is Albed, and I’ll be standing in for Instructor Kent. Due to an emergency, he’s been called back by his clan to assist them, so I’ll be conducting this assessment in his place." The female’s voice was calm yet commanding, instantly drawing attention. Heads nodded across the hall.
’I wonder what this assessment will be,’ Thalos thought with a grim look on his face, narrowing his eyes at Albed.
"As you all know, the tournament is next week. We cannot afford weaklings to represent us. The principal himself will be present to watch the tournament, and so we must prove that you are capable and worthy of being seen by him.
That is why this assessment has been carefully designed for you all," Albed explained, her yellow eyes glinting faintly. Some students nodded nervously, though the direct descendants merely scoffed with arrogance.
"Can we know what this assessment is all about already?" A student called out impatiently.
Albed tilted her head slightly, then nodded. "Sure. For the past few weeks, the academy has been working on something that will make this assessment possible. For this test, you all will be teleported into a beast world."
The hall instantly erupted with murmurs and gasps.
"Rest assured," Albed continued, her smile widening, "there are no overly strong beasts that would overwhelm you. This has been controlled for your benefit."
"What are their ranks?" Rivock’s voice cut through the chatter.
"They aren’t below or above the Sky Rank. So yes, you all will be hunting Sky-ranked beasts," Albed replied casually.
The moment the words left her mouth, the majority of the students gasped in horror, their bodies stiffening at the thought of being pitted against such creatures. The tension in the hall skyrocketed, and even the confident ones found themselves holding their breath.
"B...but...but sky ranked? That’s too much for even us!" A blue band student shouted in horror, his voice trembling as his face went pale.
’Why is the academy suddenly going the extra mile?’ Mada thought with furrowed brows as he listened carefully, suspicion written all over his face.
"We might die! Sky ranked beasts are too much even for us." Another blue band student protested, his tone sharp with panic. A few others nodded in agreement, their fear spreading through the group like wildfire.
Albed didn’t raise her voice. She simply stood still, her sharp eyes sweeping across each of the students as she listened to their protests.
She waited patiently for them to finish, her silence putting more pressure on them than yelling ever could. Once they were done, she finally spoke, her voice calm yet piercing.
"Now, I can vividly recall when I said that this tournament doesn’t allow for weaklings. So if you know you cannot participate in this assessment, and therefore cannot enter the tournament, kindly step aside.
We are not going to force anybody to participate, nor are we going to punish anybody for refusing. So speak now and let us know exactly what we are doing." Albed declared coldly, her words echoing with finality.
On hearing her words, nearly half of the blue bands—including Thalos slowly moved aside, choosing to withdraw. The remaining half stayed rooted where they were, determination etched onto their faces.
There had been about fifty blue bands in total, but with half of them stepping out, only twenty-five remained willing to face the assessment alongside the others.
Liam’s legs trembled. He wanted badly to step aside as well. His hands clenched and unclenched as he wrestled with the decision, doubt filling his heart.
But then his eyes shifted toward Finral, Ray, and finally Grey. None of them had moved even an inch. They stood like unshakable statues, their auras steady. That sight alone forced Liam to stay rooted in place, even if his heart hammered wildly in his chest.
"Now, I suppose that the rest of you who aren’t moving want to take part in this assessment, right?" Albed asked, her piercing gaze locking on them. The students nodded stiffly.
"Great! So in that case, let me continue." She said, her tone lifting slightly. "You will be teleported to a beast-infested world where none of them are below the Sky rank, but none are above it either. And you will have just one hour to hunt ten of them and retrieve their cores.
After that, once the hour is complete, no matter where you are, you will be teleported back into this room. Take note! Stealing will not be tolerated. We know those of you who are capable of hunting such beasts and those who would struggle, so do not think you can cheat your way into passing this assessment."
’Ten beasts in one hour huh? Kek! No problem.’ Grey grinned inwardly as silent sparks of lightning began to crackle around his fingers before dying down just as quickly. His confidence was unshaken.
"No complaints, huh? Good." Albed nodded with satisfaction. "This is only the first phase of the assessment. The second phase will come three days after this one is completed. So, without further ado, I wish you all good luck."
She clapped her hands, and the ring on her finger immediately shone with a radiant light.
The blue bands who had chosen to stand aside quickly moved further away, watching with mixed emotions as the bright light consumed the others. In just a few seconds, the participants vanished from sight, leaving the hall almost completely empty save for the remaining twenty-five students.
’Grey! I have no doubt that you will pass this assessment, but can you truly return safely—especially with the fact that your enemies, the direct descendants, are with you? I only hope nothing bad happens.’ Thalos thought with an inward sigh, worry weighing on his heart.
’I need to find out if the clan really sent another member here without my knowledge. I did not have the leisure of checking each and every student.’ Albed thought to herself as she exited the room, her expression unreadable.
The remaining blue bands followed soon after, quietly heading back to their quarters, each of them unsettled by the dangerous challenge ahead.