Chapter 96: From Battles to Stillness

The literal war lasted for a few more hours until night finally came.

This wasn’t just a one-day event; it was going to last for five days, whether we liked it or not. The only way out was to willingly drop out of the practical exam entirely.

Instantly marking you with a zero.

At least when you get defeated, you get to keep your points.

As for our current marks, Kevin and I have already accumulated 70 points.

We took down two high-ranking ones, and the rest were basic. We did it as safely as possible.

We didn’t want to go all out on the first day and turn ourselves into walking targets at night.

There were more opportunities to gain points the longer the hunt continued; there was no point in trying to farm for points as much as the others did.

As for the night itself, we camped inside a random janitor’s closet on the third floor of the seniors’ building.

It was random and quite literally strategically useless, but that also meant nothing would sneak up on us compared to camping in storage rooms.

One single AOE spell, and everyone inside would be out.

And everyone knew that, even big groups had to separate once night came to find secluded spots for themselves and regroup back at day.

“Outside’s quiet.”

Kevin peeked through the small curtained window, looking for any threats or possible objects of interest.

But there was nothing.

For now, at least.

I knew full well something would come; it already happened in the novel anyway, too bad the rest didn’t know what was coming yet.

“What do we do about food?”

“We’ll wait for supply drops, then we move.”

While food wasn’t needed, considering we can use recovery spells, if we wanted to be in the best condition possible, it was required.

Acting like a force multiplier instead of just basic sustenance, I’m sure everyone knew that.

Or well… I hope they did? I’d hate to be the poor bastard who didn’t even know about that basic logic.

“Supply drops?”

“Yeah, they can’t just let students starve, can they?” I laugh, sitting and leaning against the wall as I wait.

[Soul Sense]

Nothing’s even vaguely near us, and I’m 100% sure there would be a supply drop nearby.

Nothing beats unfair information!

As for Corvus… he was still just resting on top of the same building where he was located during the start of the entire hunt.

It was mostly left alone; everyone had a silent agreement not to touch that particular building unless they wanted the whole academy to fail.

A single professor had turned a building into a dragon’s den, how terrifying…

“So… master, why are your dark spells purple instead of the usual… you know, dark?”

“I’ll teach you once we pass, for now, just keep your curiosity in check,” I smirked.

“Y-You mean it!?”

“Yeah.”

Kevin smiled widely, keeping a mental note of the promise just in case I forgot, or well… just avoid bringing up the topic entirely.

Kevin didn’t stop smiling for a solid minute after that.

I could practically see the gears in his head spinning, filing that promise away like it was sacred scripture.

“…I’m never letting you forget that,” he said seriously.

“I know,” I replied. “That’s why I said it.”

Outside, the academy grounds were eerily calm. No explosions, no screaming, no spell light flaring up every five seconds. After hours of nonstop chaos, the silence felt wrong, like the calm before something inevitably stupid happened.

Which, knowing this exam, it absolutely would.

We took turns resting. Kevin insisted on taking first watch even though I could sense everything around us just fine. I didn’t argue. Letting him feel useful was part of training too.

A few hours passed like that.

And obviously…

FWOOOM.

A soft flare of magic lit the sky in the distance, followed by several smaller streaks descending slowly, like falling stars.

“…There,” I muttered.

Kevin’s head snapped toward the window. “Supply drop?”

“Mmhm. Looks like three clusters. One near the east wing, one by the closest dueling grounds, and one…” I narrowed my eyes. “…a little too close to Corvus’s building.”

Kevin winced. “That’s bait.”

“Obviously.”

The academy wasn’t subtle. Supply drops were never just about food. They were conflict magnets, easy points for anyone willing to risk it, and perfect excuses for ambushes.

“Which one are we going for?” Kevin asked.

“None, not yet at least. But obviously it’s going to be the one by the dueling grounds after more time passes.”

He blinked. “But—”

“We wait for idiots to fight over them first,” I said calmly. “Then we take what’s left. Or we intercept the survivors if they’re weak enough.”

Kevin thought about it for a second, then nodded. “Yeah. That makes sense.”

We stayed put, listening to distant booms echo through the night as predicted. Someone screamed. Someone else definitely got blasted through a wall. The usual.

After about thirty minutes, the noise died down again.

I stood. “Alright. Now we move.”

We slipped out of the janitor’s closet and into the hallway, keeping to the shadows. The seniors’ building was mostly empty; everyone preferred ground-level structures at night, which made this place perfect.

As we moved, Kevin suddenly slowed.

“…Master,” he whispered. “Do you feel that?”

I did.

A faint ripple of magic, careful and restrained. Not hostile. Not friendly either.

Someone competent.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Looks like we’re not the only ones playing it safe.”

Kevin’s grip tightened slightly. “Engage?”

I smiled faintly. “Not unless they force it. Let’s just stay covert.”

We rounded a corner and spotted the remains of a supply crate, broken open, most of its contents gone. A few rations were left behind. A vial or two, nothing amazing.

Kevin grabbed what was useful, stuffing it into his pack. “This isn’t much…”

“Don’t worry, a second batch will appear soon near us, and most would be too tired to even try anymore.”

“How’d you know all of this?”

“Gut feeling.”

As we turned to leave, I glanced out a shattered window toward the darkened academy grounds.

Fires burned faintly in the distance, with magic barriers shimmering over a few buildings that had been turned into camps. More dangerously, professors moved like ghosts between the buildings.

Five days of this.

“…This exam’s going to be fun,” I muttered.

Kevin grinned, eyes gleaming in the dark. “Yeah. Fun.”

Somewhere far away, a powerful magical presence flared briefly, sharp, elegant, and unmistakably familiar.

Evelina was still going strong.

I chuckled under my breath.

“Try not to outdo me too much,” I said quietly, already moving again.

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