Chapter 88

Before we dive into the Battle Royale, I should mention that the midterm exam period is roughly 4 to 5 days.

Unlike the final survival test that requires summing up all knowledge to pass, the other exams are more about writing or reviewing.

And let’s be real, while I can talk just fine, I’m still struggling with reading and writing. Being in a combat role is a bit uncomfortable when note-taking isn’t my thing.

[Explain the theory of magic.]

“… …”

I know all about magic theory. Thanks to Godin’s crystal-clear explanation, it’s etched in my brain.

But the letters in this world—especially the common language—are a piece of cake in terms of vocabulary, but the grammar system? Total nightmare.

I’ve been putting in the effort to learn magic, but it’s only been a month, and I’m stuck.

‘… … I guess I should just write as much as I can.’

Better than not writing at all. I grabbed my pen and tried to squeeze out whatever was in my head.

They might overlook my total mess of grammar, right? Plus, writing isn’t that crucial anyway.

‘In Soul World, we just skipped this part and jumped right into Battle Royale.’

Every once in a while, I’d get smacked with the reality that this isn’t just a game. In Soul World, those parts could be skipped.

But since skipping isn’t an option here, unexpected things popped up. It’s been pretty embarrassing each time.

“Alright, I’m collecting your papers now. Please put down your pens.”

“… …?”

Just as I was writing my heart out, the professor announced the end of the exam. I looked down at my paper in shock.

Not only was my grammar questionable, but I hadn’t even finished. Some questions I hadn’t even touched.

A few other students looked disappointed as they reluctantly set their papers down after struggling to finish.

I quietly placed my pen down while gauging the mood. I really didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention.

“Did you write everything?”

“Nope. This exam is a bust.”

“Seriously, why are the questions so difficult?”

As soon as the exam ended, I could hear groans from around me. Honestly, the exam itself wasn’t super hard.

If you actually attended class regularly, all the questions were pretty straightforward. I just ended up failing because I couldn’t get my writing down.

“I just hope we can breeze through this quickly. It’s only worth about 10%, right?”

Kara stretched with a grumble. Like me, she prefers using her body over her brain.

If we have to take these tedious written exams, we might as well do two additional practicals instead. I can’t say I disagree with her.

“But getting a high score feels nice, though. Did you write everything, sis?”

“I kinda just scribbled and called it a day. What about you?”

“I wrote everything. It’s not hard if you just pay attention in class. What about you, Sivar?”

Luna turned to me with her question, and Kara’s gaze naturally followed.

I debated whether I should tell them but decided to just be honest since it really wasn’t that important.

“Didn’t finish.”

“Why not?”

“Can’t read or write.”

“… …”

Luna and Kara’s faces twisted strangely at my answer. A mix of confusion and disbelief.

Let me clarify: speaking and writing are entirely different beasts. Plenty of people can talk well but struggle with writing.

“Hmm… that makes sense. It took me months to learn the common language. Right, Luna?”

“I picked it up in just over two weeks…”

“… … Seriously, sometimes you’re just too lucky, you know?”

Even though Luna can be a bit of a ditz at times, her skills are undeniably impressive.

From her ability to apply condensation and sculpting at a glance to her language talent.

In the Soul World, we could choose various job roles, and that’s likely why.

You could choose to be a mage or one of the ‘Dosa’ positions from the Eastern Empire. That alone showcases her language talent.

“Anyway, don’t be too heartbroken. The practical is the important part. Just do well in that.”

“I swear, it feels like discrimination at times. It’s true Sivar is strong, but denying him the attack rights is too much.”

Kara seems to view my lack of attack rights as discrimination. Being from Tartar, I guess she really feels those kinds of inequalities.

They say it’s for balance, but honestly, it feels excessive. It’s like trying to balance the scales by cutting into them.

But apparently, they deemed it necessary to maintain balance.

Especially since this exam is a Battle Royale, the decision makes sense.

“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to make everyone give up here. Just saying that leaving things as they are is the best option. Don’t you think so, Sivar?”

“… …”

“I’ll take your silence as agreement then.”

I just zoned out for a second and didn’t answer. But hey, a nod is a nod.

Anyway, once the written exam wrapped up, we moved to prepare for the next one. This time, it was the first aid techniques I learned from Lee Yeon-joo.

“Sivar, you’ll get a full score, so you can head back now.”

“Oh.”

This kind of preferential treatment? Count me in!

******

Time passed, and the real midterm—practical exam time—was upon us.

The testing ground resembled a Special Dueling Arena, fitting for an Academy with its spacious grounds.

What lay before us was an incredibly flat ground, but once the exam kicks off, it’ll transform instantly. I’ve seen it all before in the Soul World.

“Everyone’s gathered! We’re about to begin the exam. Rules are basically the same as what I mentioned before.”

Malboro laid it all out again before the test, reiterating various rules.

We’ll be wearing specially-made bracelets like in the Survival Practice, and if we faint, a Barrier will activate automatically.

But unlike the Survival Practice, there’s a key difference: the presence of teammates. Even if the Barrier activates, if your friends are nearby, they can deactivate it.

Thus, you won’t be eliminated and can rejoin the exam. But fainting too frequently will result in automatic disqualification.

So far, it sounds like a pretty standard Battle Royale, right? But then Malboro dropped a bombshell that rocked everyone.

“Additionally, with the agreement of your teammates, you can start from your chosen location. Make sure to reach a mutual agreement before entering the exam.”

“What does that even mean? We can start from any location we want?”

“Doesn’t that mean we could go straight to the center from the get-go?”

Some murmurs filled the air; the news was indeed chaotic. Starting from any place?

In other words, we could potentially begin right at the center where an Artifact could be. Definitely a controversial rule.

But the professors aren’t clueless. With the expected reactions, Malboro continued speaking.

“The ‘center’ refers not to the examination ground’s center but the center of the Magic Barrier. The Barrier will decrease randomly. The center we speak of relates to the last Magic Barrier left.”

So, the center referred to the Magic Barrier, not the testing ground. This one rule quickly cleared the confusion.

As the exam kicked off, the rush would be to grab the Artifact from the center. A strategy aimed at preempting anyone trying to seize it.

‘Even if I get lucky and find an Artifact, it might not matter anyway.’

As I felt during the Survival Practice, there were many frustrating situations. It got pretty bothersome.

Especially when the Magic Barrier of the Battle Royale gets assigned randomly each time I play, forcing me to search everywhere again.

One might wonder why they snatched my attack rights. It’s just a way to keep me from acting like a complete fool.

“Make sure to come to an agreement with your teammates. Any placements outside the Magic Barrier won’t be considered.”

Immediately after that, I headed straight towards Grace and Lee Yeon-joo.

Grace was deep in thought while studying the paper handed to her by the professor, and Lee Yeon-joo stood next to her, examining it as well.

You might be wondering what paper I’m talking about—it’s not a map, just a simple drawing of a circle. As previously mentioned, the actual map is something we need to obtain from within.

“Uh, wouldn’t it be better to just start from the center right away?”

That’s Lee Yeon-joo’s opinion. And honestly, she makes a good point.

Grace nodded in agreement; she seemed to think it was a solid plan.

“Well, that’s good and all, but the crucial part is where the Magic Barrier shrinks. We’re just going to have to leave it up to luck… Hmm…”

Battle Royales come with a variety of tactical strategies. The most important factor is survival.

You need to stay alive to even think about fighting back. Considering this, avoiding confrontation is crucial.

Alternatively, you could choose to target enemies right from the start. After all, you could snag whatever they’ve farmed.

“We should do our best to avoid fighting enemies. Since Sivar doesn’t have attack rights, that really puts us in a bind.”

Grace clicked her tongue in annoyance. One of the strategies now basically feels null and void.

I hadn’t realized it before, but this is clearly discrimination. It can be fair, but it certainly isn’t equal.

“Um… Sivar?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay with not fighting enemies?”

“Yeah.”

It’s whatever. I have no attack rights anyway, so what’s the point of fighting?

When Grace heard my answer, she beamed with satisfaction and turned back to Lee Yeon-joo.

Without exchanging any words, Lee Yeon-joo seemed to pick up on Grace’s intentions and nodded in agreement.

“Great! We’ll need to get into the testing ground first, but we’ve already decided on our goal.”

“What’s that?”

What Grace laid out was a pretty simple strategy.

“Survival.”

“Huh?”

“Just surviving. While everyone else battles, we’ll move with the Magic Barrier.”

That’s right—lay low.

“We just need to hold out until the last Magic Barrier shrinks, and then Sivar can snag the Artifact.”

Well, who knows? It might not be as easy as it sounds.