It was Friday morning, and all the senior high school students had gathered at the southern border of the city. Today marked the final stage of the Mana Exam—the Survival Test. Unlike the earlier physical, energy manipulation and mental assessments, this exam was different. It wasn't conducted in the safety of a school courtyard or gymnasium. This was the real thing.
The test would take place on the outskirts of the forest—specifically on the edges of two hunting grounds. One belonged to the Marlowe Hunting Company, the area Norman had grown familiar with through countless hunts. The other belonged to a neighboring company. It was risky terrain, but not lethal—at least not for those who followed instructions.
Interestingly, Norman's alternate persona—Ramon, the experienced hunter—had been invited to serve as an additional watchguard for the exam. Of course, Norman declined the offer. He couldn't be in two places at once. Besides, being under constant watch would make it impossible to maintain his act as a "mediocre" student.
Several watchguards were stationed around the perimeter, most of them being veteran hunters. Norman recognized a few of them—people he had met during his off-the-record hunting trips. Among them was Fred's team, a familiar group of senior mana university students. They wore the confident, slightly smug expressions of people who thought themselves above the high schoolers they were guarding.
Then, one of the watchguards—a third-tier mana disciple—stepped forward to address the students. His voice was clear, firm, and carried authority.
"Students," he began, "today marks the culmination of your mana training—the Survival Test. This is not another written exam or a choreographed spar. This is where you step into the real world. Out there, beyond these flags, you will face the wild—mana beasts that don't care about your grades or your talent. This test will challenge your strength, your instincts, and your ability to adapt. Remember: survival isn't about being the strongest. It's about being the smartest. Stay alert, watch each other's backs, and use your tools wisely."
The speech was met with a mix of excitement and nervous tension. Some students whispered among themselves, trying to ease the growing anxiety.
Interestingly, he found himself reliving the same experience he'd had as his Roman persona on the first day of the hunt. Most of the senior students were clad in full-body armor from head to toe. Rex, in particular, stood out like a sore thumb. He was dressed head-to-toe in full knight armor, complete with a metal helmet and a massive sword strapped to his back. In contrast, Norman's approach to today's hunt was entirely different—armed only with concealed flying daggers and light armor hidden beneath his hooded sweatshirt. Norman had to resist the urge to laugh.
"Going to war, Rex?" Norman mumbled to himself.
Just then, Ellie appeared beside him. "Want to team up?" she asked casually.
There was no rule against forming teams. In fact, the test allowed it. Each student was equipped with a hunter's bracelet that tracked individual performance—recording the number and type of mana beasts defeated, as well as time spent in the forest. If any student found themselves in danger, they could use the attached emergency flare to end their test immediately.
With the bracelet handling the tracking, students could freely decide how to divide kills among the team members. It was fair and allowed both solo and team-based strategies.
Norman hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. On one hand, going solo would let him avoid suspicion and keep his full abilities hidden. On the other, teaming with Ellie—an acknowledged second-tier mana disciple—would likely improve his survival test score. And if questioned, he could always say his higher score was because of her.
It was the perfect alibi.
"Alright, let's team up," Norman said with a calm nod.
"Thanks for helping me the other day, Norman," Ellie said, smiling warmly.
Norman blinked. "Wait—what? How did you know it was me?"
Ellie grinned mischievously. "You just confirmed it with that reaction."
Norman smirked, slightly impressed. "Touché."
A short while later, the principal arrived to give an overview of the scoring system.
"The points are simple," he said, waving a board in front of the crowd. "Early-stage first-tier mana beasts are worth 1 point, mid-stage earns you 2 points, and peak-stage will give you 4 points. Now, second-tier mana beasts…" He paused dramatically. "...earn you zero points."
A confused murmur spread through the students.
"What? Why zero?" one of them asked aloud.
The principal answered with a hearty laugh. "Because I don't want you lot getting yourselves killed. I know how young mana users think—'Oh, I'll just fight something strong and rack up points fast!' And then what? You're carried home in a bag. Only Ellie and a couple others here stand a chance against second-tier beasts. The rest of you? You're lunch."
Then, with an evil glint in his eye, he added, "In fact, if you engage a second-tier mana beast, you lose 10 points."
The entire group fell into stunned silence.
Even the watchguards tried to suppress their laughter at the harsh penalty. Some couldn't help chuckling at the students' dumbfounded faces.
The principal continued. "Now, rankings. First place will earn a full 80 points for this test. Places 2 to 10 earn 70 points. 11 to 20 get 60, 21 to 50 get 50, 51 to 100 get 40, and the rest will walk away with 30 points."
He held up two fingers. "The entire Mana Exam is out of 200 points—120 from the earlier aptitude tests, 80 from this survival test. If you score highly in both, you'll be eligible for top-tier mana universities."
He turned toward Ellie and smiled. "Oh, and don't forget—Ellie and two others will be joining me in the Best Junior Mana User Competition next month."
A student muttered under his breath, "The exam isn't even over yet. The three competitors haven't been selected, but he's already dropping Ellie's name like it's decided…"
"What was that?!" the principal barked. "You think you're better than Ellie? Vice Principal—start the test!"
With a wave of the vice principal's hand, a loud horn echoed across the forest border.
And just like that, the survival test began—students pouring into the wild, their bracelets blinking with fresh activity logs, flare canisters hanging at their hips, and excitement mixed with dread pounding in their chests.
The morning sun beat down on them, but every student knew—the true test was only just beginning.