Chapter 97: 97 Written Exam.

’What in the world am I witnessing right now?’. Jin blinked several times, trying to process the panels that blocked his vision.

He barely held a groan from escaping his lips, noticing an unbelievable scenario the system had created for him.

This was the first time Jin saw the system offer two different choices.

The first one was a scenario involving the Main character, the Hero. He was tasked to help the main character awaken his power.

It was good enough. Considering the Hero who would participate in many events in the future as the one who holds the fate of the world in his hands, lending a bit of help was the thing he could do.

However, he was having a hard time accepting the second choice. His heart pounded so loudly that it could burst anytime, killing him on the spot.

Jin’s eyes narrowed as he inspected the two Quests closely. Their terms were horrible, and the same was also true for the reward.

’Hero favour? Calculating? What the hell was that?’. Jin nearly howled his irritation but swallowed it back, seeing the second quest reward. ’World Quest completion rate…’.

He contemplated the panels hovering before him, which leaned toward the path of the Villain route.

The path he had carved from zero, finally showing a sign of a bright future, he hoped.

Parents who supported him, comrades in arms willing to plunge into the abyss together.

With that many hands, Jin was sure he could cut anything that stood in his path. Not until the system showed him the quest.

All this time, the system always showed him a way, which he followed, succeeded in, and gained unfavourable strength to keep living.

But those fragments started to shatter into crumbling pieces, and he began to doubt whether he could trust the system.

“Jin?”.

A stinging pain assaulted his nerves and awoke him from his lament. Jin turned to the source and found Iris pinching his cheek.

“What’s the matter?”.

“I can’t believe it,” Iris exhaled, holding back her twitching cheek. “Let’s go; we should follow the senior’s instructions. ”

“Senior?”.

Jin looked around and noticed many kids his age walking in lines, followed by several people in black uniforms.

He glanced at the Elven girl on his side, then at Silvia and Lucya. “Alright, let’s go”.

To make sure that everything that happened was not a dream, he peeked through his side, and saw the flickering panels that awaited to be accepted.

Shaking his head to eliminate negative thoughts, Jin shoved the problem aside and focused on the matter before him.

They ventured down the cobblestone street that stretched toward several routes, knowing how vast and grand the place was.

Jin recalled from above that the academy was nearly as big as a town, yet it was still inside a city. He couldn’t fathom just how much wealth was spent to build it.

After passing the main academy, the candidates were escorted toward the east side. They walked past a tranquil garden before arriving at a colossal building.

The building resembled an ancient auditorium, with towering marble pillars spread evenly on both sides to support its huge frame.

“Here we are”.

A handsome blonde guy stepped forward before the candidates. His courtesy and smile made every girl who barely knew this place squeal in delight.

“As I said earlier, the written exam will be held here, in this theatre”.

Many eyes followed the senior’s instructions, looking toward the towering building that could accommodate hundreds of people.

“You might know this, but please follow our instructions so it wouldn’t cause chaos, understood”.

The candidates nodded simultaneously, and then each senior held a candidate line before a rumbling sound resonated within the area, coming from the building’s opened door.

They gulped to moisten their barren throats, holding onto a frail hope that began to falter when they faced the real challenges ahead.

Cold sweat gushed out from their stiffened body, but they were already here, arriving to fight for a spot within the prestigious academy.

A wave of unease started to shift to blazing determination, and the senior also noticed the change in the candidate’s demeanour.

“Okay, Line A, please follow the senior before you”.

With that as a cue, a line beside Jin walked away, entering the building. It takes no more than a minute before the handsome senior shouts.

“Next line, please enter”.

Thankfully, Jin’s group was in the same line, with Lucya occupying the front of his group, which stood in the bareback.

Jin, who stayed within the last line, entered the building with rows of seats and a long, joined table that goes way down like a staircase.

He followed the instructions, and then he could finally sit on the corner with Iris, Silvia, and Lucya on his left.

“Here is the answer and question sheet. Be sure to pass it to the people on your left.” A senior woman handed over some documents to Jin before passing them away.

After ensuring everyone in the line had been given, the woman pushed the black-rimmed glasses up and walked toward the other line with a document that appeared out of thin air.

’She must have a storage item, or skill’. Jin turned to his side and saw the Elven girl’s ears deflated. A gloomy aura shrouded her expression.

“What’s the matter? Scared of not getting passed?”.

Jin playfully teased the rough girl who usually would retaliate, but she nodded obediently, which put him off the chart.

“I’m nervous. Seeing hundreds of these people, also battling for the same purpose, made my stomach churn.” Iris placed a hand on her stomach and lowered her gaze with furrowed brows.

“Hey, Iris”. Jin reached out and took Iris’ free hand and interlocked their fingers together.

“Relax, take a deep breath and remember your effort and the promise with Nina”.

He tightened the grasp, transferring the heat from his body to her cold, trembling hand.

Iris’s gaze trembled as the warmth around her hand spread toward her body and thawed the ice in her heart.

“Me too”.

From the other side, Silvia’s melodious voice rang in the area, comforting not only the distressed Elves but every person nearby.

She grasped Iris’s other hand, prompting the girl’s cheeks to blush in embarrassment for being treated like a child.

“This is embarrassing, but thank you, both of you”. Iris sheepishly nodded and parted her lips in joy.

Jin let his hands interlocked, glancing at the other candidates, hoping to find the people he remembered from his memories.

His estimation from the kids in this place was about a hundred or more; it didn’t even touch two.

Some trembled from nervousness, while others tried to gain connection to hide their tightened pitch. Also, some kids sat straight, their gazes sweeping over the crowd, with a cold glint.

The number of kids was understandable, for the ones who would send many people to this academy were none other than those from the Eira Kingdom and the West side, where the Holy Empire resides.

The rest were from the east, from a faraway, separated land where a Demi-human lived.

For the other two Kingdoms, which exclusively chose to close their interactions with others, no single candidate was sent except for Iris alone, who was considered a stray.

“Everyone, attention please”. A calm, dignified voice echoed inside the room, attracting the restless candidates toward the stage in front.

The buzzing atmosphere in the room turned eerily quiet as the middle-aged man on the stage announced the test.

“Let’s begin the test, follow my instructions”.

Jin and the other candidates ripped the brown envelope in their hands. Inside, they found two pieces of paper and followed the next instruction.

He filled out the answer sheet with names, seat numbers, and a little background information, such as his occupation, etc.

Holding a pen and attending this kind of event brought back a memory from his previous world, replicated in his eyes: ’I feel like going to high school again.’

“Have you guys finished?” The room was deathly silent, and the silence seeped through the man on the stage. He observed each face of the candidates, their gaze brimming with spirit.

“I will give you one hour to solve those fifty questions, which starts now!”.

The silent room buzzed with pens scribbling on papers as the candidates squeezed their brains to solve the problems that presented themselves.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep