Chapter 87

Fairness and Justice. They seem like similar terms, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find they’re quite different in many ways.

First off, fairness. It’s all about helping people take exams regardless of any conditions.

To put it a bit dramatically, it’s like playing sports even if you’re missing a leg or an arm, going up against fully-abled folks.

And then there’s justice. Opposite to fairness, it means that fully-abled folks compete against each other. It involves fine-tuning the conditions so they don’t mess with the balance.

“Why can’t Sivar have the right to attack all by himself?”

“This has been adjusted after discussions with the professors. You guys should already know the reason.”

I’ve heard that United Academy operates on principles of fairness and justice.

Class, background, age, physique, and so on. We live equally without concerning ourselves with such things.

However, even wizards don’t take the same exams as warriors. That’s what justice means.

So, Malboro’s mention of a no-attack condition can be seen in the same light.

“There was some backlash. A few people even suggested excluding Sivar from the exam altogether. But as you can see, Sivar is fully adapted now. That means he’s officially enrolled.”

He didn’t receive his admission certificate from Rod. Still, I expect he’ll get it within two days.

Once he officially becomes a student, I will also earn points and live that way. Of course, they won’t be very high.

I might take actions that could be called accidents here and there, so points would mean nothing. Just getting caught in simple acts of violence would drastically reduce my score.

“So does Sivar have to play defense all the time?”

Luna raised her hand to ask. The lack of direct attack rights means, indirectly speaking, there’s still a chance to attack.

It seemed Luna knew this, and her question was just to confirm it. Malboro nodded in agreement.

“The student is correct. Even if you can’t directly attack, you might at least be able to counterattack. The standards for counterattacks are quite simple. Only the opponent’s attacks or resulting phenomena will be dealt with.”

Malboro explained in more detail. First of all, attacks using my own body are absolutely prohibited.

Even deflecting an opponent’s attack is the same. If a punch comes out when I evade, it’ll be considered a direct attack.

Wasn’t there a time when Rod’s spacious area was suddenly a punched face? That only gets a pass in such rare cases.

Also, throwing anything is banned. They seem to have taken my throwing skills, which were showcased during survival training, into account.

They say that cleverly using the terrain will be allowed to some extent. In other words, I should use my brain.

‘Thinking is a pain.’

I know what a balance patch is, but isn’t this a major balance patch, like limb amputation level?

I’m stuck in a situation where I have to do nothing but defend, while the attacks are up to the other team members.

Probably considered a support role. Of course, if Rize heard this, she would genuinely lament about it.

‘I get it, though.’

As I mentioned before, I’m not just an ecological disruptor; I’m an ecological destroyer.

It’s like a giant catfish diving into a peaceful freshwater area with a huge splash!

The professors have to take measures while not eliminating that catfish, so they must be having a tough time.

“Enough about Sivar; let’s talk about the team exam. The team exam is similar but different from the survival training. You’ll be assigned teams of three to four members, and the job classes will be similar to those in survival training. However, the crucial difference is that, unlike in survival training, you must take down the opponent.”

“Are you saying… it will still take place in the forest?”

“No. That’s not the case. It will take place in a specially designed space. The scale will be similar to that of a forest, and the magic barrier will be reduced as well. But the reduction time will be much faster than in survival training.”

“Phew… Thank goodness. I won’t have to eat bugs!”

Grace sighed in relief and muttered softly. It seemed the shock from the previous survival training was still fresh in her mind.

I, however, did not eat bugs; I was the one who gulped down a wild boar’s heart. Watching me did make her vomit.

Honestly, I found it a bit disappointing. The forest would have been much better.

‘But was it really like this during midterms?’

I don’t quite remember. I only recall the storyline, specifically related to demons, so I’m not sure about the details.

But the more I listened to Malboro, the clearer my memory became. Thanks to the murals probably.

“Also, unlike survival training, there will be collection elements. It’ll start from basic first aid tools to various weapons. The items at the outskirts will have little value, but the deeper you go, the more powerful they’ll become.”

Ah, I think I get the gist of the exam now. It’s a true survival test.

To put it accurately, it’s a battle royale. You drop in a secluded area and gather resources before engaging the opponents.

Even if the farming isn’t sufficient, if you have the skills to back it up, you can manage to take down the opponents. The opposite holds true as well.

“And hidden deep inside, there will be artifacts that can boost your rank. It depends on the user, but I can’t deny they’re excellent tools.”

“Hmm…”

“Should we head inside?”

“No, it’s better to proceed slowly through the magic barrier.”

With so many strategic choices, students were wracking their brains, looking serious.

Not even glancing at me because they know I don’t have the right to attack, which makes their choices a bit more comfortable.

I wasn’t different from them. The lack of attack rights already had my head spinning.

“The evaluation will consider various factors like final rank, number of opponents taken out, number of fights, etc. One thing to watch out for is that teams must not form alliances. If you do, it’ll be seen as cheating and you’ll be disqualified immediately.”

“….”

Some people probably felt pricked by those words. I could sense someone behind me feigning nonchalance.

The theme of survival training was just that—a theme—but this exam’s theme is battle royale.

If I can’t take down opponents, then I’m the one who gets taken down. Fighting is mandatory.

“Then I’ll announce the team members. First, Luna Estelle…”

The announcement of team members, which can be said to be the most important, began. I didn’t care who it was, but I hoped it would be someone I knew.

“Sivar. Grace Aria del Verche. Lee Yeon-joo.”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

“Uh?”

But lo and behold! My wish was precisely granted but in a rather surprising way.

Not just me, but Grace and Lee Yeon-joo beside me also displayed bewildered reactions upon hearing the names.

Luna and Kara also shared the same sentiment. They were equally puzzled as to why it had turned out like survival training all over again.

“That’s all. Any questions?”

“Um…”

If a question arises, it needs to be resolved immediately. Luna timidly raised her hand.

Malboro seemed to have an inkling of the question she would ask. He double-checked the list of team members and spoke sternly.

“It’s not that I mistakenly announced the team members. However, unlike in survival training, there are several factors to be considered in this setup.”

“….”

“What’s important in this exam is not absolute brute strength. That strength can be directed at someone else. Strategic insight is what counts the most.”

So does that mean my strategic insight is far behind that of others?

It’s heartbreaking to admit, but I can’t deny it. I’ve been using just my body without thinking for so long that strategizing is a struggle.

So it seems I was placed next to Grace and Lee Yeon-joo because my rapport with them improved post-survival training.

Luna seemed to have run out of arguments and quietly lowered her hand. Is this right? The look on her face said it all.

“You’re being pretty obvious. If it’s too cozy, then it’s unfair in another way.”

But Malboro smiled, looking genuinely amused. Not a reprimand, but a completely cheerful face.

Of course, Luna had no idea what that meant and just tilted her head in confusion. I was just as lost.

“Any other questioners?”

“Is it true there’s an artifact in the center? Could you roughly explain what it’s like? Also, I’m curious if we’ll have a map.”

A voice came from behind me. I turned slightly to see Antonio raising his hand.

He was someone I had major issues with during survival training. The suicide squad was a bit amusing, though.

“Good question. As I mentioned earlier, you won’t receive a map at the start; you’ll have to collect it yourself. But if you don’t know how to read the map, it won’t mean anything. As for the artifact in the center…”

Malboro trailed off for a moment, then paused to glance at me.

“…If someone obtains it, the bracelet will give an immediate warning. Also, being a powerful artifact, the user’s location will be exposed.”

In other words, you become a public enemy. Just how powerful could it be for the user to be tracked?

Did he sense my curiosity, or was this something he anticipated all along?

Malboro scanned the students and provided a very fitting example.

“For instance, giving Sivar the right to attack could be seen here. It’s more of a privilege than an artifact, but…you probably get the gist without me saying more.”

“Is there really such a thing?”

When it was mentioned that there could be a right to attack granted, the atmosphere in the classroom dampened drastically.

As feared, if I get direct attack rights, the game ends. Even when we all charged at once during survival training, we got wiped out.

“Check for yourself. I only provided an example. As I’ve stated repeatedly, alliances are absolutely forbidden in this exam. However, temporary, for strategic purposes, implicit alliances are permitted.”

Sounds like a call to be smart about angles. That’s how it sounded to me.

Eventually, Malboro listed various rules, and then the class ended.

Since the exam was the very next day, there wouldn’t be any classes today. I guess I’ll just have to train.

“What a coincidence. We’re on the same team again, just like last time.”

“Uh, yeah… Is there something going on?”

Once again, Grace and Lee Yeon-joo found themselves on the same team post-survival training. They looked as baffled as I was, surprised by this twist.

They didn’t seem displeased, but if I go purely by difficulty level, it’s clear this situation has risen above the last.

The biggest factor is that I’m without attack rights.

“Ha… I wonder when I’ll team up with Sivar? I at least want to try it once.”

“It might be tough for your sister and me, right?”

“One day it’ll happen. That’s what I want to believe.”

I could hear Kara whining from the side, genuinely envious of Grace.

If I were to end up on the same team as Kara someday, um… that might really be a balance breaker.

Not to mention we’d probably have overlapping roles, making it a headache to achieve teamwork.

“Plus, we’ve got to fight this time. I really don’t want to go up against him. Can I even break through?”

“Long and short, you won’t know until you try. I’m okay with it.”

“That’s a fair point. I’ll just have to give it my all. So, should we head out for training?”

Today’s schedule wrapped up simply with a basic workout. I couldn’t afford to wear myself out since tomorrow’s the exam.

The first day back in school uniform after attending class.

“You’re here. Did you not have any classes today?”

“….”

This was Rize welcoming me on my first day outside the dormitory.

‘Why is she still in Gwonseong mode?’

It’s all good, but I wish she’d come back to Saint mode for a while.