Chapter 39: Third Assessment

The next wave appeared.

[Level 17]

The Shadow Wraiths immediately moved toward the monsters.

The fight didn’t last long.

After that came Level 18.

Then Level 19.

The monsters kept getting stronger, but Ethan’s legion was already too strong for them. The Shadow Wraiths surrounded the monsters and attacked together, cutting down one after another before they could cause any real trouble.

Finally, Level 20 appeared.

Ethan didn’t even bother moving.

The Shadow Wraiths rushed forward and dealt with the monsters.

A few moments later, the last one fell.

[Combat Assessment Complete.]

Ethan waited for the assessment space to disappear before stepping through the exit.

When he returned to Assessment Area #478, the other candidates had already finished their assessments.

A few of them were talking quietly about what they had just gone through.

"I barely made it past Level 10."

"You did better than me. I couldn’t even beat the Level 9 beasts."

"I reached Level 12, but after that I couldn’t keep up."

"I heard someone managed to defeat monsters two levels above their own level."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. They said he reached Level 13."

The combat assessment started with ten beasts two levels below the candidate’s level. Each wave increased the monsters’ level until they were ten levels above the candidate.

For most candidates, getting even a few levels above their own level was already difficult.

Some couldn’t even defeat monsters one level below them.

Support professions were given tasks based on their abilities. Healers had to keep injured fighters alive during battles, while some professions were tested by having them remove curses or deal with other dangerous conditions.

Lifestyle professions had their own practical tests as well. Blacksmiths were given materials and asked to create equipment within a limited time.

Alchemists had to produce potions, while other professions were given tasks related to their own abilities.

Everyone had been tested differently.

"Ethan!"

Aria’s voice came from behind him.

She quickly walked over, looking much happier than before.

"I did pretty well," she said proudly. "My result was better than I expected."

Ethan looked at her.

"That’s good."

Aria’s smile widened.

"That’s all you have to say?"

"What else should I say?"

"You could at least ask what my score was."

Ethan sighed.

"Fine. What was your score?"

Aria smiled proudly.

"I’ll tell you later."

Back in the academy’s monitoring area, the representatives continued watching the different assessments.

Ethan’s assessment had caught their attention, especially after they increased the difficulty.

"He actually walked out that easily?"

"He didn’t even look tired."

"He cleared Level 20 without any trouble."

The representatives exchanged a few words before turning their attention back to the other assessment areas.

Ethan wasn’t the only candidate performing well.

There were plenty of other candidates worth watching.

Aria’s assessment was displayed on one of the screens. Her results were decent for a C-rank Treasure Hunter, but nothing particularly unusual.

Other candidates were standing out much more.

Another screen showed a young man fighting several monsters at once.

"That’s the Arcane Swordsman."

The young man moved through the battlefield with a sword in one hand while arcane energy surrounded his body. His combat ability was clearly above most of the other candidates.

"His combat power is impressive. It must be an A-rank profession."

Another screen showed an Earth Knight fighting several monsters.

His body was covered in heavy armor made from earth, and he was holding his ground against monsters that were several levels above him.

"That’s a B-rank Earth Knight, right?"

"Yes. He’s doing surprisingly well."

"There are quite a few good candidates this year."

The representatives continued moving their attention between the different assessment areas.

Then one of them spoke.

"Those candidates are impressive, but there’s someone else you should see."

The others turned toward him.

"Who?"

He pointed toward one of the screens.

"Someone who’s actually keeping up with those A-rank professions."

One representative raised an eyebrow.

"Which profession?"

The man smiled.

"Gunslinger."

A few representatives looked surprised.

"Gunslinger? What rank?"

"F-rank."

The room became quiet for a moment.

"F-rank?"

"That can’t be right."

"It is."

The representative brought up the candidate’s profile.

"But that’s not even the most unbelievable part."

The image on the screen changed.

A young man with short black hair appeared.

A black cloth covered his eyes. Two revolvers hung at his sides, while a compact rifle was strapped across his back.

"He’s blind."

An F-rank blind Gunslinger, and yet his results were already among the best.

"There’s more to him than what we can see."

The representatives continued watching the different assessment areas.

After a while, the Order Academy representative spoke.

"With that boy’s combat ability, the third assessment could become meaningless."

One of the representatives understood what he meant.

"Because of his summons?"

The Order Academy representative nodded.

"He’s a summoner. If he can use his full army in the third assessment, most of the candidates won’t stand a chance."

"So what do you suggest?"

The Order Academy representative smiled.

Meanwhile, Ethan had no idea what was waiting for him.

Marcus stepped forward again.

"Before we move on, there’s something you should know about the second assessment."

The candidates became quiet.

"I’m sure all of you noticed that killing the beasts increased your level."

A few candidates nodded.

"That was intentional. The beasts weren’t real, but the EXP was."

A few candidates exchanged looks.

"The levels you gained during the assessment are yours to keep."

Some of them had already known that. Others clearly hadn’t.

"That was also part of the test. Those who pushed themselves further entered the next assessment at a higher level."

He looked around at the candidates.

"Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone could keep fighting forever. The stronger the beasts became, the harder it was to gain another level."

Marcus continued.

"Now, the final assessment will put you against other candidates."

The screen behind him changed.

"There are three profession categories, so there will be three different final assessments."

Marcus looked toward the three groups.

"Combat, Support, and Lifestyle."

He paused.

"For the Combat candidates, it’s simple."

A slight smile appeared on his face.

"A free-for-all."