Chapter 46: The Final Assessment
Chapter 46: The Final Assessment
The first light of dawn broke through the clouds, casting a pale golden hue over the academy grounds. The air was cooler than yesterday, touched with the kind of quiet that only came before something big—like a battle, or in this case, the last day of the entrance examination.
Isolde woke up early.
She had barely slept, her mind still wandering to what happened last night in the forest—the golden-haired prince, the black magic, and the sudden teleportation back to the academy. She still couldn’t believe she had encountered someone so powerful and mysterious. But she had no time to think about that now. She had a test to pass.
Just outside her room, her brothers were already waiting.
“You’re awake early,” Ravi said with a grin, holding out a piece of warm bread with jam. “That’s rare.”
Sedin gave her a short nod and handed her a small leather pouch. “Since this is the final test, we have already prepared a few things that you might need."
Isolde blinked. “You’re giving me a subspace bag? Seriously?”
Sedin replied simply. “You’ve trained enough to use them wisely. Just remember—today’s test is unlike the others. You’ll be fighting monsters. Not a teacher. Not a student. Well, you already fought some of them on our way here so I am not worried about you not doing well..”
Ravi leaned against the wall with crossed arms. “They will return either way if they failed. But I think what brother is trying to say that in case something goes off then that bag holds whatever you may need until we rescued you. And if that happens don’t go off alone if you don’t have to. You’re smart, but don’t be too confident. If someone offers to team up, consider it.”
“Unless they’re shady,” Sedin added quickly.
“Well, yeah unlesss they’re shady,” Ravi said, raising an eyebrow. “You have good instincts. Trust them.”
Isolde smiled at the two of them. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
\-
The examination hall was busier than usual.
This time, it wasn’t just examinees crowding into the wide room—it was professors, staff, and even the Dean himself who stood at the center of the platform, hands clasped behind his back as he scanned the sea of students with calm, knowing eyes.
Isolde took her place in the middle rows, standing beside some familiar faces she had seen over the past days. Even the girl she talked to during the summoning exam waved lightly at her, offering a smile. Isolde returned it with a nod.
Then the head examiner stepped forward—it was Professor Diego again. His robe was different this time. Instead of green with celestial patterns, it was now a solid deep blue, which Isolde guess that it is symbolizing the final stage of their assessment since all of them are wearing similar robes.
He raised a hand and the hall quieted down immediately.
“Today,” he said, voice loud and clear, “you will face your final trial. This assessment is meant to evaluate your combat instincts, strategic planning, and ability to function under pressure.”
He gestured behind him, and a large glowing portal flickered into existence at the back of the room.
“That is the entrance to a real dungeon. Inside are various monsters—trolls, lesser orcs, beast variants, and other magical creatures that fall under Grade 3 or below. You are to hunt these monsters and collect magic stones.”
A few murmurs erupted in the crowd.
“To pass, each of you must retrieve at least twenty stones. These stones can come from monsters… or from other examinees.”
A few gasps this time they immediately knew what the professor meant and that is fighting between examinees is allowed.
"Clearly they are planning to see who is the best from all of us here."
“Yes, you heard me correctly. Stealing is allowed—but only within the dungeon. You are free to team up with others or go solo. However, magic above Grade 3 is prohibited. Forbidden spells and magic that are meant to kill will be blocked by the dungeon system. Use your skills wisely. You may use any weapon you want and you bring an item that is allowed in this assement. When you enter the portal, your whole body will be checked andd you will not be transported if you are carrying something that is not allowed. ”
Again, whispers were too loud to be unheard. Each examinee is worried about what will happen inside the dungeon - if they will still be alive or if they are going to end their journey early.
Just then, suprisingly the academy's president stepped forward, offering a rare smile. “I guess most of you are worried about the same thing. Rest assured that you will not die in this examination. If your injuries reach a critical point or if you lose consciousness, you will automatically be returned to this hall. But be warned—relying on this failsafe will not save your score. Your performance will still be evaluated.”
He paused. “The doors are open. Your results will determine whether or not you are worthy of this academy. Proceed when ready.”
With that, just after a few minutes a first group of students walked to the portal, followed by the next students and so on.
When Isolde noticed that there are little stuents left, she also stepped forward and moved to the entrance of the portal. The portal pulsed with magical energy, glowing with an eerie violet hue. Beside her, a few examinees were whispering—some nervous, some excited. A boy a few feet from her was muttering to himself, probably reviewing spells in his head.
She thought back to what her brothers told her.
Trust your instincts.
She already planned to go alone because she cannot risk her powers to be known by any examinee just yet and she also feel like she will perform better if she will go solo - she knew she could handle herself.
She touched the hilt of her short sword strapped to her hip and adjusted the cuffs on her wrists and her subspace bag. Her robe was lightweight, enchanted to reduce mana consumption by a fraction. She had chosen her gear carefully—speed and mobility were her strongest points especially if escaping is the topic. When she moved closer to the portal, she thought that it would alarm the professors about what she has with her but luckily everything that she has together with the subspace bag is allowed.
Isolde took a breath, then stepped into the portal.
The sensation of entering the dungeon wasn’t painful—just strange.
One moment, she was standing in the hall. The next, she was in a dense forest with glowing blue moss and tall trees that shimmered faintly with mana. The air was thicker, humid, and carried the scent of monsters.
Around her, a few other students blinked, looking just as surprised.
One boy with dark red hair cursed. “We got the forest? I was hoping for the desert one.”
Isolde didn’t say anything instead she begun moving. This is because although the professor didn't mentioned it, the assessment is still time-bound. Since they do not have the whole day and with many competitors, it will really be hard for anyone to accomplish the target magic stones acquired. And so, she needs to move as swiftly as possible if she wants to pass the third assessment
She activated a detection spell on her cufflinks—her father had given it to her when she was training in the estate. It showed faint red dots, indicating the presence of magic nearby.
“Four monsters within 30 meters,” she whispered to herself.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed.
A group of three students nearby started moving toward the same direction. Isolde watched them go, debating whether to follow or hunt elsewhere.
Then she heard something.
A soft rustle. And a growl.
She ducked just as a beast lunged out of the brush, claws flashing.
It was a Fangbear, a mid-tier monster that looked like a bear but with oversized fangs and a snake-like tail.
Isolde didn’t hesitate.
She dodged, rolled to the side, and unleashed a quick blast of wind magic to knock the creature off balance. The creature skidded back, snarling, and charged again. This time, she pulled her blade and struck the side of its face, using fire magic to enhance the strike.
The beast collapsed.
A few moments later, a faint glow rose from its chest—a magic stone, dark red in color.
“One down,” Isolde said, placing it in her pouch. It was easy, well maybe because she already participatedd in a fight once. And it was not just a simple one.
She didn’t wait long before moving again.
The forest was filled with sounds—shouts, blasts of magic, the roar of creatures. Every now and then, she saw beams of light flash in the distance, a sign that other examinees were fighting.
She collected two more stones before an explosion shook the ground. She walked to look for a monster prey to hunt when suddenly a team nearby who are fighting a flame lizard caught her attention. She analayzed their movementts and just after more or less three minutes, the time succesfully hunted it down. However, snce there are only two-magic stones that the team acquired from killing a grade 2 monster is alrerady impressvive. Not to mention that one of the girls had fainted from exhaustion. Isolde could have taken a stone from them with her currenty capabilities, but she didn’t. It wasn’t her style.
She would earn her place—not steal it.