"Whoa!"
The students in the lounge erupted, their hands shooting into the air.
"As expected of Hector! Two hundred monsters in fifteen minutes!"
"How did he even do that?"
"His time management was a work of art."
His teammates in the waiting area were even more ecstatic, chanting Hector's name. Drenched in sweat, Hector high-fived each of them.
'—Student Hector Moore. 200 out of 200 monsters eliminated within the time limit. Student Hector Moore and Team 1 have acquired 200 points.'
Watching from the lounge, Simon let out a hollow laugh and sank back into the sofa.
'Incredible.' The feeling was overwhelming. A Dullahan forged from a Guardian was on a completely different level.
'Of course, that's not the only reason,' he mused. 'It's strong because it's Hector's summon.' Instead of encumbering his Dullahan with heavy armor, Hector had covered its entire body in dragon scales, making its movements lighter and faster. No other Guardian Dullahan could likely perform at that level.
"That's amazing," Lorraine muttered, her face a picture of admiration.
"I couldn't even breathe for the whole fifteen minutes," Toto said, his voice trembling.
"Heeheehee..."
Simon turned to see Eshe clasping her hands together, literal hearts in her eyes. "Ah, seriously, the class president is so cool! I wish I could just bury my face in that sweaty, broad, firm chest just once!"
"Get a grip, Eshe," Simon said with a weary smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toto glance down at his own narrow chest.
"This is the problem." Fitzgerald had appeared beside them at some point, pushing his glasses up his nose. "The difference between a Dullahan made from a Guardian and one made from a regular Abaddon is absolute. We can't win like this."
Fitzgerald was also one of those who hadn't managed to secure a Guardian in the Frigod Autonomous Region.
"So what are you going to do?" Simon asked.
"This is clearly a test that favors Dullahans. But," a glint of light reflected off Fitzgerald's glasses, "to beat that Guardian Dullahan, I have no choice but to play to my own strengths."
Toto's eyes widened. "Fitz! You're going to use the Siren Chimera after all!"
"Of course..."
A female student appeared from behind and smacked the back of Fitzgerald's head with a textbook. "Nice job spilling all our secrets to the enemy, you walking exposition machine!"
She grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and began to drag him away. Simon and Toto just smiled awkwardly and waved at his retreating figure.
The exam proceeded at a breakneck pace. Team 1, Hector's team, finished with a total score of 520 points. Teams 2 and 3 followed with 400 and 410 points, respectively.
As the data accumulated, the students began to get a feel for the numbers. A well-made Abaddon Dullahan could net around 40 points. A Guardian Dullahan could potentially score 100. But there were far too many variables: unforeseen formula mistakes under pressure, lack of proficiency in operating the Dullahan, a poor understanding of aura and slashing attacks, and the unpredictable reactions of the monsters themselves.
"Why!" a student roared in frustration. He had been clearing monsters efficiently with his Guardian Dullahan, but in the final moments, the remaining creatures scattered and fled in all directions.
"Why is this only happening to me!"
Simply having a Guardian Dullahan wasn't enough. They were far more difficult to create than regular ones. This student had rushed to complete his in time for the exam, and as a result, one of its legs was faulty. He had wasted too much Jet-Black just chasing down monsters, running back and forth with his greatsword. In the end...
'—Student Joseph Varga, 65 out of 100 monsters eliminated within the time limit.'
Even with the same type of Guardian Dullahan, scores varied wildly depending on the user. It was better to use a perfectly crafted Abaddon Dullahan than a half-assed Guardian one.
Watching the string of consecutive zeros, Eshe remarked, "Thinking that 40 points for Abaddon and 100 for a Guardian was a safe bet was a huge miscalculation."
"You're right. Quantifying the scores is meaningless," Simon agreed with a nod. "Each Dullahan has a different personality and level of completion. Your own judgment is what matters most."
Despite some early stumbles, Hector's Team 1 held the top spot with 520 points. And then...
"There they are!"
The infamous Group 8 made their appearance.
"Now, White. Remember this." Aseraz snapped her fingers. "I'll respect your decision to use your Innate Ability Summon instead of a Dullahan. But the problem is time. Erase the fifteen-minute limit from your mind."
Lately, she felt she'd spent more time studying how to utilize White than on her own studies.
"What's important for you is the 'first four minutes.' Don't worry about pacing. Just focus on using all your strength within those four minutes and then collapsing..." She trailed off, her expression hardening.
"Are you even listening to me?"
White was staring blankly at the ceiling.
Aseraz snapped her fingers again, more irritably this time, but it was no use.
"Damn it." She heaved a heavy sigh and covered her forehead with her hand. 'This isn't why I came to the Summoning Department, to deal with an idiot like this.'
She was fuming, but there was nothing to be done. Group 8 was taking the test with only four members. If even one of them messed up and got a zero, it would be the equivalent of two people failing on any other team. She couldn't afford to give up on a single one of them.
Aseraz turned to her other teammates. "Begin."
At the sudden sound of birdsong, a flicker of light returned to White's dazed eyes. Birds were flying around.
Of course, they weren't real. The other two members of Group 8 were crouched low, waving sticks with bird drawings attached to them, trying to catch White's attention. They were even making chirping noises with their mouths.
"This is so pathetic."
"Shut up and do it right!"
White's gaze followed the drawings, swaying back and forth. In a flash, Aseraz snatched one of the bird drawings, held it to her own face, and thrust her head forward.
"White!"
His gaze snapped to her.
"Four minutes! You have to defeat all two hundred of them in four minutes! Take your time preparing, but once the test starts, you pour out every last drop of your power until you're completely drained! Got it? Do you understand?"
White's head bobbed up and down once. Then, as if his concentration was spent, his eyes went vacant again.
"Ugh, for fuck's sake," Aseraz cursed, turning away in disgust. The other members of his group, all holding sticks with bird drawings taped to them, buried their faces in their palms.
"Did I really come to Kizen for this?" one of them lamented.
"Back home, I'm the pride of my family," another muttered.
"Come on, you guys can't start, too," Aseraz grumbled, then turned to stare off into the distance. 'We have to win.'
Soon, it was Group 8's turn. White was the first to approach the testing area.
"White! Remember! Two hundred monsters in four minutes!" Aseraz and his teammates shouted after him. "Four minutes!"
With the same vacant expression, White walked over and stood before the dungeon keeper.
"Name."
"White."
"Number of monsters?"
White stood there blankly for a moment, as if trying to remember what he had been told.
"Number of monsters?" the dungeon keeper repeated.
White tilted his head, then blurted out, "Four minutes."
"Four minutes? I need a number of monsters, specifically."
"Hmm." White tilted his head again. "Four hundred monsters."
A pained groan echoed from the waiting area, followed by the sharp crack of a wooden stick snapping over a knee. A wave of roaring laughter erupted from the students watching in the break room.
"Is he insane? Four hundred?"
"There goes Group 8, right down the drain! See you!"
"Don't bother seeing us off!"
Considering that an Abadon Dullahan averaged about forty monsters, four hundred was an utterly absurd number. To make matters worse, White had opted to use his Innate Ability summon instead of a Dullahan. The students, who had been momentarily stunned, were now laughing openly at the unfolding disaster.
'Hmm.' Simon, however, watched the screen with unwavering seriousness.
Due to his unique Innate Ability, White's preparation took a while. He summoned a creature that resembled a pool of Jet-Black, used his ability to draw the dark energy from it, then inscribed a magic circle on the floor and dropped an empty suit of armor onto it.
A low hum filled the air as limbs began to form on the armor, and White's original creation, an 'Innate Ability Soldier', took shape.
'So that's his technique.'
Simon had seen it during the Mutants club interviews, but the other students were seeing it for the first time and stared, surprised by its bizarre appearance.
"...Begin," White muttered.
-Student White. The exam will now begin.
Monsters began to pour into the room. In an instant, four hundred of them swarmed the space, turning it into a sea of black.
White slowly raised his arm. "Grow."
The soldier's body swelled into a massive sphere with a low hum. Its humanoid shape vanished, replaced by what looked like a suit of armor stretched over a giant white orb.
The students watching the screen began to murmur.
"What's he planning to do with that?"
"It looks like the technique he usually uses."
White swung his arm violently, and the white sphere mirrored the motion.
Any monster that collided with the sphere was instantly crushed into a bloody pulp. White swung his arm back and forth, again and again.
The swollen soldier tore through the exam area with a frantic energy, a blur of whooshing sounds. With every pass, more monsters were obliterated, disappearing into smears of gore.
Fifteen minutes later.
-Student White, within the time limit, has eliminated all 400 of the 400 monsters.
-Student White and Team 5 have acquired 800 points.
Everyone watching was rendered speechless.
"Huh."
"...What did I just see?"
Hector's team, which had been in first place with 520 points, was knocked from the top spot. White's team soared into the lead with a standalone score of 800.
"Yeah! I knew it!"
"We believed in you, White!"
Group 8 was ecstatic. Aseraz, up next, calmly dispatched 250 monsters with his Dullahan, earning another 500 points. Between just the two of them, their team score was already 1,300. The remaining two students played it safe, each taking down 40 monsters for 80 points, bringing their team's total to a staggering 1,460.
They were now unstoppable.
"This is... a huge problem," Lorraine remarked, her expression darkening as she watched the screen.
And as if on cue, it was their turn.
"Team 6! Group 10 and Group 4, step forward!"
It was finally time for Team 6, Simon's team.
Their strategy was simple: Simon would go last. The rest of the order was up to individual preference. However, coming immediately after Group 8's dominant performance, their morale had taken a hit.
"Alright, this is Kizen! Our goal is first place, no matter what! Let's give it our all!" the leader of Group 4 shouted, trying to inject some energy into the group.
"Just do what you can," Simon said calmly. "Let's leave with no regrets."
All eight of them placed their hands in the center.
"Let's do this!"
With a shared shout, they threw their hands into the air, steeling their resolve.
The students stepped back as the dungeon keeper approached. "First person, enter."
The first to go was a member of Group 4, the student whose hunter father had given them a detailed breakdown of the monsters.
"We have to catch up," he muttered, his eyes closed. 'If the Student Council President, Lorraine, and our leader can just get close to White and Aseraz's scores...'
"Number of monsters."
At the dungeon keeper's prompt, the student's eyes shot open. "Eighty monsters, please."
Eshe looked startled. "...That's a lot. Are you sure you can handle it?"
And then...
-Student Rorington Coloccini, within the time limit, has eliminated 61 of the 80 monsters.
-Remaining monsters: 19.
-Student Rorington Coloccini and Team 6 have acquired 0 points.
A collective groan went through the waiting area. The student who had requested eighty monsters collapsed in frustration, tearing at his hair. A cold sweat broke out on Simon's brow.
'They're all too focused on the previous team's score!'
Going later was an advantage, but it had a clear drawback. When a competitor before you performed exceptionally well, it was easy to get fixated on their score and lose sight of your own capabilities. Having just witnessed White's 400 and Aseraz's 250, everyone's sense of scale was completely warped.
"Everyone, let's just calm down," Lorraine urged, clapping her hands to break the tense atmosphere. She was thinking the same thing. At the words of Kizen's future leader, they all nodded, their expressions grim.
Next up was Toto, who took down 40 monsters with his signature Death Worm. Eshe fought hard, eliminating 60 with her Abadon Dullahan. The members of Group 4 also performed admirably, each taking down between 40 and 70 monsters.
And then...
"Woooooah!"
"As expected of Lady Nephthys's daughter!"
With her Abadon Dullahan, Lorraine eliminated 100 monsters with 20 seconds to spare. The stage was perfectly suited for her specialty—single-undead control—allowing her to truly shine.
The mood in both Group 10 and Group 4 instantly ignited.
"Group 10 might actually be able to compete with Group 8!"
"Do you think they have a real shot at this?"
The students in the break room leaned forward, their eyes shining with excitement as the situation grew more intense.
Finally, the team's ace stepped forward—the leader of Group 4, the only one among the eight with a Guardian Dullahan.
"Name."
"Vicente Borromeo."
"Number of monsters?"
The Group 4 leader closed his eyes. The goal was first place. It would be difficult, of course, but if, by some miracle, Simon could match White's 400—or even surpass it...
"Two hundred monsters, please!"
A buzz of anticipation went through the break room. Two hundred was the same number Hector had challenged. In the waiting area, however, his teammates looked worried.
"Are you sure about this, leader?" a female student from his group asked.
He gave her a confident thumbs-up. "Just trust me."
With a flourish, he summoned his Dullahan.
-Student Vicente Borromeo, within the time limit, has eliminated 182 of the 200 monsters.
-Remaining monsters: 18.
-Student Vicente Borromeo and Team 6 have acquired 0 points.
He had poured every last drop of his Jet-Black and strength into the fight, but it wasn't enough. The Group 4 leader collapsed, his face ashen.
"Leader!"
"Are you okay?"
The medical team rushed over with a stretcher, but he waved them away. "I'm... fine."
He tried to walk on his own, but his legs gave out, and he fell to his knees before Simon, who was waiting behind him.
"...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, his eyes trembling. "I didn't want to put this pressure on you, but I just wanted to create even a sliver of hope..."
"It's okay. You did well." Simon offered a faint smile.
"President." The Group 4 leader looked up at him, his gaze unsteady. "It's not my place to say this after I ruined everything, but our team score is shot. So just—"
"I know." Simon nodded calmly. "I'll just do what I can."
Finally.
It was Simon's turn.
The students who had been dozing or lounging in the break room surged toward the monitors, eager to see one of the big names in action.
"Does the Student Council President have a Guardian Dullahan, too?"
"Nah, it's just a standard-issue Abadon."
"No, no, I heard he has a Guardian. Just the body, though, no head."
"What? Then what's the point?"
Simon stretched his arms, then double-checked the magic circle he had prepared before walking to the front of the exam area.
"It's that boy!"
"Elder, you should get up. The second-year Student Council President is here."
The main event had arrived. As Simon Polentia appeared, a hush fell over the crowd.
"This should be interesting. I wonder how many he'll call for," Grelion mused, crossing his arms.
"I'm so curious!"
"Me too!" the twin professors, Lin and Lune, chirped, clapping their hands together like excited birds.
Aaron simply watched the screen, a cigar held silently between his lips.
"Name," the dungeon keeper stated.
"Simon Polentia."
"Number of monsters."
The moment had come.
Simon glanced back. Team 6's current score was a meager 360. Though some members had done well, the two zeros had completely tanked their chances. To catch up to Group 8's 1,460 points, they needed—
1,100 points.
It meant Simon had to hunt 1,100 monsters all by himself.
"Think he'll call for over a thousand?"
"No way. Even White only did four hundred."
As the crowd murmured, Simon finally spoke.
"I'll just do what I can."
His words implied he wouldn't concern himself with the team's ranking, but would focus only on his individual score. Hearing this, the Elders and Crows clicked their tongues in disappointment.
"How pragmatic."
"I suppose that's the extent of his ambition."
The dungeon keeper gave a slow nod. "Number of monsters."
Staring straight ahead, his eyes filled with a grave intensity, Simon finally opened his mouth.
"10,000 monsters, please."

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