Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Shocking! This Is An Undead Apprentice?

...

Legend had it that the dean of Hurst Royal Extraordinary Academy was a Great Mage of unfathomable power, verging on the Holy Sanctuary. He was constantly engrossed in his magical research and rarely made public appearances.

Lynch had been enrolled for nearly three years, and this was the first time he had ever seen the dean in person.

"Future pillars of the Empire."

The dean began to speak. His voice was calm and gentle, yet it seemed to resonate in every person’s ear.

"It is time for the annual assessment once more. I’ll get straight to the point. This year’s practical assessment will be slightly different from previous years." He extended a finger and gestured casually in the air.

In an instant, countless tiny, colored specks of light surged from his fingertip, rapidly interweaving, outlining, and rendering in midair.

In the blink of an eye, a massive, three-dimensional map was suspended in the air above the square.

On the map, mountains, rivers, forests, swamps, and towns were all clearly discernible.

The map was roughly divided into three colored sections. The area closest to Saint Roland was a green zone. Farther out was a yellow zone, and the farthest region—deep within the Dark Forest and swamps—was a red zone.

"Lately, the lands around Saint Roland City have not been peaceful. Goblins have been harassing villages, and Fishmen are stirring on the swamp’s edge." The dean’s tone was flat, betraying no anger or joy. "This provides a perfect opportunity for you to get some practice, and you’ll be ridding the people of a menace at the same time."

"Casper, you can explain the specific rules."

"Yes, Dean." Casper Iron Shield accepted the order respectfully. He stepped forward and began to explain in a booming voice, "The green zone is relatively safe and is the main assessment area for the junior students. Those who feel their skills are up to par may try their luck at the border between the green and yellow zones, but I do not recommend venturing deep into the yellow zone."

"The yellow zone is a cautionary area and the primary assessment ground for upper-year students. The monsters inside are stronger and more numerous. Upper-year students who consider themselves exceptionally skilled may attempt to operate near the border of the yellow and red zones, but entering the red danger zone is strongly discouraged."

His stern gaze swept over the students below, lingering for an extra moment on the faces of a few gifted upper-year students who looked eager to prove themselves.

"All instructors will establish a joint base camp at the border of the green and yellow zones," Casper continued, announcing the rules. "Every student participating in the assessment can receive a Shelter Scroll."

"If a student encounters a danger they cannot overcome during the assessment, they can tear open the Scroll. This will activate an Energy Shield and release a magical distress signal. An instructor will come to the rescue as soon as possible. But be warned: once the Scroll is used, you are considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from the assessment, and your score will be locked in at that point."

"The time limit for the assessment is seven days. You are free to form teams or act alone. Your score will be calculated based on your hunting results—for every right ear collected from a common goblin or Fishman, you earn 1 point. For an elite-level monster, 10 points. For special units, such as Bear Goblins or Giant Fishmen, 30 points!"

The rules were clear and straightforward, and a murmur of discussion immediately swept through the students below.

Just then, a clear female voice rang out from the upper-year students’ area.

"Master Casper. If I may ask, how many points would we get for killing a leader-class enemy, like a goblin warrior or a Fishman Warrior?"

All heads turned toward the voice. The speaker was Amadis, the top student of the Undead System, dressed in black mage robes and possessing a striking presence.

The dean adjusted his monocle, smiling at Amadis. "Killing a Tier One leader, such as a goblin warrior or a Fishman Warrior, will earn you 100 points. As for a Tier Two chieftain-class unit... that would be 500 points."

"500 points?!" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The students below were instantly in an uproar.

points was equivalent to the reward for hunting 500 common goblins. The difference was immense.

At the same time, however, everyone understood that a Tier Two chieftain was no easy kill. The only ones qualified to hunt such a creature were likely the small handful of elite upper-year students, and even they would have to team up to succeed.

Having received her answer, Amadis gave a slight nod and said no more. Her gaze shifted to Catherine, the "Ice Rose" of the Holy Light System.

Their gazes met across the distance, and each saw a clear challenge reflected in the other’s eyes. The race was on to see who could hunt a Tier Two creature.

Once the rules had been announced, it was time to collect supplies and prepare for departure.

Lynch moved with the crowd and received a Shelter Scroll from a teaching assistant, along with a map detailing the terrain and the boundaries of the three colored zones.

He casually tucked the Scroll and map into his clothes, then discreetly transferred them to his Space Ring.

While the crowd was still processing the rules and looking for teammates, he exchanged a quick word with Maurice, gave him a rendezvous point, and then swiftly departed.

Just as he’d expected, he hadn’t been gone from the square for long when three girls in distinctive outfits appeared in the area where the Undead students were gathered, looking around everywhere.

"Maurice, where’s Lynch?" Avril spotted his shifty-looking figure at once and waved, calling out to him.

"Ah? M-Miss Grant?" Maurice stammered, looking flustered. "L-Lynch? He already left. I don’t know where he went..."

"He left that fast?" Avril frowned and stomped her foot in frustration. "I knew it. It had to be him."

"I saw them just now. That sneaky little Fishman Shaman Skeleton and that incredibly conspicuous Bear Goblin Skeleton. Who else would have a combination like that?"

Ophelia patted Avril’s shoulder comfortingly. "Avril, that upperclassman... erm, if he really is an upperclassman, he obviously doesn’t want to acknowledge us right now. The assessment has already begun. We should hurry."

"Yeah, yeah. He’s probably afraid we’ll hold him back," Lilith, the blonde Magical Maiden, chimed in quietly, a hint of disappointment on her face.