Chapter 240: The Champion (1)

Upon hearing this, excitement rippled through the crowd. Everyone was eager to see who the ten students were.

It was obvious—they had to be the strongest and most talented among them all.

No one wanted to miss the chance to connect with them.

“All right, let’s begin,” Ronald’s voice rang out again. “For ranks ten and nine, take a look!”

As soon as he finished speaking, two names appeared on the magic screen—Tina and Tira.

“Tina and Tira? Could they be the twin princesses of the Elf kingdom?”

“Wow! I knew they were talented, but I never expected them to reach ninth and tenth place. That’s incredible!”

“Absolutely!”

The students buzzed with praise. Staying in the top ten was no easy task.

After all, their opponents weren’t just monsters or the clock—they were also other students.

Many harbored dark intentions, preferring to target their peers rather than the monsters.

Whether Tina and Tira belonged to that group didn’t matter. In the end, only the winners were celebrated—not the effort it took to get there.

Feeling the admiring gazes of those around them, Tina and Tira exchanged glances, smug smiles spreading across their faces.

They hadn’t expected ninth and tenth place—but the results exceeded their expectations.

Their eyes shifted toward Monica in the distance, sharp with disdain.

“Do you see her rank?” Tina asked.

Tira gazed at the list of names floating in the sky, a wave of dizziness washing over her.

“I don’t know… there are so many names. But I’m sure she’s definitely not higher than one hundred and fifty,” Tira said casually.

Tina simply nodded, though the satisfied look on her face was unmistakable.

As long as Monica wasn’t in the top ten, that was all that mattered.

“Next, I’ll reveal the eighth and seventh ranks,” Ronald announced.

Instantly, the names appeared, and everyone was surprised once again.

“Runard and Monica? Wow! They’re incredible!”

“Runard… is he the genius from the Blue Sapphire Kingdom? I heard it’s a small kingdom, but who would have thought he’d reach eighth place?”

“And… Monica? Who is she? Why haven’t I heard of her?”

Runard, feeling the admiring glances from the crowd, smiled modestly. But deep down, he felt a surge of pride.

’My strategy worked perfectly. Eighth place isn’t bad at all,’ he muttered, pleased with himself.

Unlike other students who tackled the test with enthusiasm but no plan, Runard calculated every move carefully.

He avoided recklessness, chose monsters he could handle, and never drew unnecessary attention.

Clearly, that careful strategy had earned him eighth place with ease.

He lifted his head and stared at Monica’s name in seventh place, her points just a few dozen ahead of his. Naturally, his curiosity about her grew even stronger.

’Who is Monica? Why didn’t I know there was such a talented girl in the first wave?’ he muttered, rubbing his chin.

Glancing around, he noticed the other students looked just as puzzled.

Only Merlin knew the truth—Monica in seventh place was none other than the villainess herself.

He looked at Monica, standing about six meters away, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

’Everyone’s wondering who Monica is, not realizing the girl is right beside them,’ he murmured.

It was only natural. Monica hadn’t entered the academy as the Elf Kingdom’s princess but as a follower of Tina and Tira.

Merlin, of course, understood the meaning behind the Elf Kingdom’s actions and chose to remain silent.

Still, it was deeply satisfying to see someone considered insignificant outperform those who were expected to be perfect.

His gaze then fell on Tina and Tira, their faces dark with anger.

Even from a distance, Merlin could hear their muttered complaints.

It made him even more pleased, almost to the point of bursting into laughter.

“Dude, why are you laughing by yourself? Are you sick?” a worried student asked from his right.

Merlin: “…”

“Next, ranks six and five!”

Ronald’s voice rang out again, and the names for those ranks appeared before everyone’s eyes.

The students’ reactions were the same—full of noise and cheers. The names that appeared were Leo and Tristan.

They were geniuses from the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia and the Knight Kingdom of Batrum, already famous in their respective regions.

Soon after, the fourth, third, and second places were announced.

The names appeared one by one: Luvis, Luna, and Crystal.

“Wait, Luvis is fourth? That’s impossible! I thought he’d be first!”

“No kidding! He’s the top genius of the Knight Kingdom of Batrum, and only fourth… unbelievable!”

“Crystal is only second? The girl known as the incarnation of the Goddess of Magic? Did the academy get her ranking wrong?”

“And… who’s Luna? She’s from the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria, isn’t she?”

A lively discussion erupted among the students. They were convinced that the top geniuses from each kingdom would dominate the leaderboard.

But reality had other plans. The so-called best ranked fourth and second, and the third-place finisher was completely unknown to most.

Still, the geniuses from the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria quickly recognized Luna’s name.

After all, she was the daughter of Duke Tharot from the western region.

Excitement rippled through them—finally, someone from their kingdom could rival these legendary talents.

Meanwhile, among the crowd, Crystal remained calm. Tall and slender, she had an impassive, indifferent expression.

Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail that perfectly suited her.

When she saw her name in second place, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“I’m only ranked… second? How is that possible?”

She was sure her points—almost seventeen thousand—should have been enough to secure first place.

But that wasn’t the case at all. She wasn’t the only one confused; Luvis was too.

He had fifteen thousand two hundred points and had been certain he would win.

Yet the results told a completely different story… he had only placed fourth!

Only Luna remained calm. Having had a tablet during the test, she already knew she was in third place.

She glanced at Crystal and Luvis, noting the gloomy expressions on their faces.

’Seems they didn’t get the same tablet as I did,’ she whispered mockingly.

Then she lifted her head and stared at the empty first-place spot.

Even without looking, she already knew who would claim it—her beloved fiancé, Merlin Clay.

“Hahaha! You all lost this bet!” Daniel laughed loudly, glancing at the other professors beside him.

The others felt a flicker of annoyance—but when they realized Daniel had lost too, relief washed over them.

At least the bet they had made was null, and the wealth they had wagered wouldn’t vanish.

Just as everyone exhaled, a middle-aged woman suddenly asked a question that froze them all.

“By the way… where is the name… Merlin Clay?”

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