Extra's Re-awakening: System Errors Made Me Too OP-Chapter 49: Final Evaluation

"What?" Rai blurted out as he read the paper that was sealed inside the folder given to him. It was his evaluation and his score from all stages of the Soul-Hunter exams.

"Candidate Rai Voltia, you have been successfully evaluated and we are pleased to inform you that you have successfully passed the Soul-Hunter’s exams with a score of 70/100. Your interference in another candidate’s match has awarded you with a penalty of thirty reduced points."

Rai chuckled as he read the first line of the letter. A seventy out of a hundred? Really? He knew there were higher forces behind his score, and he could already guess who. The Soul-Hunter’s exam, the grading, even the challenges were decided in a joint meeting by the captains of the fourteen Soul Squads, or at least the tenth captain and above.

The common link between them was that they were all nobles. And like Alaric, they feared that an X-rank Soul-Hunter who was just a commoner might surpass them one day. So, they deliberately lowered his score or at least, that’s what Rai believed.

"As a fully verified Soul-Hunter, your access to the Soul-Squads placed in the range of your scores has been made available. However to join an Soul-Squad you have to be chosen by one. The Soul-Squad under your range of score includes;

• The 8th Soul-Squad

• The 9th Soul-Squad

• The 10th Soul-Squad."

"Holy shit... Even if my score in my exams were deliberately lowered, these Soul-Squads available in my score range are amongst the top ten Soul-Squads in the kingdom, I wonder if any one picked me..." He said, then quickly moved on to read the final sentence of the letter.

"However, after careful evaluation by all the captains of the Soul-Squads aforementioned in your score range. None made the decision to enlist you into their Soul-Squad."

Rai sighed.

"Of course, I should have known. If they are indeed one of the high ranking Soul-Squads, that means they all belong to the noble class of the kingdom. Damn it all.."

Even with a perfect score, the choice to enlist him into a Soul-Squad lay entirely in the hands of the captains. The only exception was Arthur — the captain of the First Soul-Squad who would have accepted him without hesitation. The other nobles, however, were a different story.

"So I wasn’t part of the ten candidates that got selected huh." Annoyed, Rai was about to crumple the paper in his hands and toss it aside when his eyes caught a particular sentence.

"After a brief evaluation period, you have been chosen successfully by the captain of the 14th Soul-Squad."

"What? The fourteenth Soul-Squad? They aren’t part of the Soul-Squads listed in my score range, so who are they?" He thought about it for a moment as he reached the end of the letter.

The Fourteenth Soul Squad wasn’t among the squads available to recruits who scored between seventy and a hundred on the association’s exams.

Now that he thought about it, there hadn’t been much information about the Fourteenth Soul Squad, even in Path of Ascension, at least up to the point he had reached. The captain of that squad was a mystery to everyone outside the association, and their influence was far less than that of the other Soul Squads.

"The 14th Soul-Squad huh, well I guess it’s better than nothing." Rai sighed, feeling a bit disappointed by the results of his evaluation. He had always preferred to work alone, free from rules and other people’s pace.

But when he thought about the high costs of getting dungeon rights and hiring miners, especially since every dungeon was owned by the Soul-Hunter’s association he knew going solo wasn’t practical. Joining a Soul-Squad would save him time, money, and trouble, even if it meant giving up some freedom.

Besides, he saw it as a good thing. If the guilds within his score range were dominated with nobles, they would surely make things difficult for him, treating him like an outsider.

He could already imagine the backtalks, the pride, and the constant motives to kick him out. Joining a squad made up mostly of commoners would make things much easier. At least there’d be fewer eyes watching him, fewer people looking down on him, and a better chance to focus on his growth and strength.

"Huh?" He murmured quietly to himself, whatever it was, it seemed urgent.

Inside the envelope was a single-use tattoo bearing the mark of the Fourteenth Soul Squad. Beneath it lay a small plastic card with the squad’s location written on it. Rai took the card out carefully and studied the address printed on its surface.

"So we are expected to proceed to our designated Squads as soon as possible huh." He murmured silently to himself, it seemed urgent.

The discovery that the Inner Soul was involved with the orange gate, along with the sudden appearance of the Primordial Demons as described by Mazmuth, greatly troubled Arthur. Because of this, the Soul-Hunter exams were rushed, which led to the current round of evaluations. As a result, the scores were mostly decided by how well each Soul-Hunter performed during the second stage of the exams.

"Well, I guess it can’t be helped. But I thought each Soul-Squad had their units within the association? If that’s the case why am being given a location to the 14th Soul-Squad?"

There were many different units in the association for each of the Soul-Squads, but there was one major problem, access. Dungeon breaks were unpredictable; no one could tell when or where they would appear. To reduce the number of casualties and respond quickly to emergencies, the association spread out several Soul-Squads across different parts of the kingdom. This way, they could handle any sudden outbreak before it got out of control.

The top five Soul-Squads, however, had their bases remain within the main association. This was done to prevent any possible preemptive strike against them, as the association was considered the core and brains of all the Soul-Squads combined.

The other Soul-Squads that were stationed across the kingdom still has their units within the association. These units acted as communication links and backup forces, making sure that every squad stayed connected and could respond quickly when needed.

"Alright." Rai left the association, following the path provided in the plastic card towards the base of the 14th Soul-Squad. Due to the urgent matters at hand, each new recruit were all expected to go to their squads as soon as possible.

..

30 minutes later

Finally, he arrived at the base of the 14th Soul-Squad, located on the outskirts of the kingdom in the Starling District.

The Starling district was a remote village at the outskirts of the kingdom, it’s populace was dominated mostly by individuals belonging to the commoner class. It was a small but beautiful village compared to the rest of the villages that resided within the kingdom.

Their main source of livelihood was fishing, though they sometimes hunted to supplement their needs. Compared to other villages where commoners lived, they were quite self-sufficient and capable of fending for themselves. In fact, the commoners living in the Starling district were considered some of the wealthiest among them.

"Is this the place?" Rai asked as he stood before a large building. Its design was simple yet beautiful, and to the eyes of the commoners, it looked absolutely breathtaking. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The building’s exterior was a sight to behold, standing as a testament to both architectural brilliance and the mastery of essence wielded by its members. Rising proudly against the skyline, the squad building’s structure is a symphony of soaring spires, graceful arches, and intricate carvings that seem to dance in the light of the sun.

The main entrance is a grand portal, framed by towering columns adorned with enchanting runes that pulse with ethereal energy. Massive doors, crafted from ancient oak and reinforced with Soul-Techniques that offered protection, stood open, inviting visitors into the heart of the Soul-Squad. Crafted on the doors of the guild was the number "14" which represented the insignia of the Fourteenth Soul-Squad.

"W-whoa...is this Soul-Squad really owned by commoners?" He muttered as he stepped into the building. Truly, this was the perfect example of the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover.

However, the moment he pushed opened the front door, he immediately came to realize that the beauty of one’s property does not reflect that of his or her personality.