Chapter 192 - Special Chapter: Magierstadt Exam Recap

WARNING: This chapter is only meant for recap purposes. This is meant for those who are catching up to the novel. SKIPPABLE.

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00: Inside the Academy

"STUDENTS."

A voice rang against the whole vicinity, reverberating at every corner the menacing nature of the owner's voice. The chatters died down with a single word, and all but time seemed to stop at that certain moment. Amidst the whole crowd—standing on the mezzanine—was a lady wearing a witch hat, robed in a body-hugging dress and high stilettos. Her lipstick had a heavy red tint, complementing her wavy, red hair.

"Or more precisely," she said. "Students-to-be."

The woman protruded her staff, which had a stunning-looking aquamarine gem atop it, and then propelling her arm forward, she pointed its gem to thin air. In a matter of seconds, a magic circle appeared in front of the students and generated an illusory screen.

"Before all of you," says the woman. "Is Anastacia Griswold Unsterblich, the schoolmistress. PAY YOUR RESPECTS."

The students then started to bow on their knees, Faustina following alongside them.

"Hush, Yoan. Rise, my students." Says Anastacia, her command immediately being followed. "I am who people called Anna Unsterblich, the current schoolmaster of the academy. I am pleased to meet all of you."

"Today marks the end of the exam. Only a few will be selected." Said Anna, "but who will those 'few' be, who shall pass Magierstadt's trials? It could be you." She says, looking at each and every student.

"Or you," she exclaimed, looking at Faustina with her distinct amethyst eyes.

"Your race, your rank, and whomever you are does not equate to anything here in Magierstadt." Said Anna, her soft voice turning stoic. "In here, you are all equals."

"Believe in yourself." She said and showed a smile. "And unleash your potential."

The illusion magic disappeared after the woman named Yoan retracted her staff.

"Now I ask all of you. What magic did I use to conjure a projection of the schoolmistress?"

"Light magic?" says a number of students.

"Illusion spells?"

"Projection enchantments? Devices?"

"WRONG," Yoan exclaimed, looking down at the students with her sharp gaze. "That is water magic, combine with heat," says Yoan. "That is a combination of two elements to create steam and a mirror image."

"At this rate, ALL OF YOU WILL FAIL." She said. "Especially when the exams have just changed completely."

Faustina blinks. The exams . . . completely changed?

"Changed?"

"What does she mean?"

"How come we never heard of this?"

"SILENCE!" Yoan thunders. "You will all take the new exam of Magierstadt—and prove your worth. An exam that will determine if you will be able to take on the challenges the academy has to offer!"

Faustina's eyes widened as she heard the next few words of the woman—

"The new exam of Magierstadt," the woman says. "Is a test of strength and potential!"

"You, students-to-be," Yoan marveled, "shall eliminate all the monsters within Magierstadt's artificial dungeon!"

01: Let the Exam Begin

"So we just have to go to the last floor to pass?" Asks a girl who had a stunning red hair. She was also surrounded by men who obviously were admiring her beauty. "Without fighting?"

"Yes," the professor answered. "You only have to advance to the dungeon's last floor, after all."

"Then we can just run away?"

"I guess that'll be easy."

"But let me remind you that these monsters would not let you pass easily." The professor clarified.

Professor Yoan smiled. "And one more thing."

Silence.

"The Dark Castle is made specifically to inhabit the royal family." Says the professor. "The Undead Royals."

"The undead . . . royals?"

"They are what you can consider as bosses," the professor exclaimed. "The undead royals composed of the Undead Maid, Undead Princess, Undead Prince, Undead Queen, and lastly, Undead King."

"If a student gets into a certain chamber inhabited by the undead royals, then they can be considered unlucky. The undead royals lurk in whatever room they please because they are actual inhabitants of the castle. If you find them, you have to make them disappear by finding their weak spot."

"Will you tell us their weak spot, Professor?"

"No," the professor said, which had led the students' shoulders slumped. "—but I will tell you how to locate them. Each of the royals has a certain insignia of Magierstadt's firefly. Use a spell to destroy the insignia and you are all good to go."

"Again, the rules are simple. Get into the last floor, and consider yourself passed." The professor smiled. "Oh, and before I forget. The last floor is where the Undead King resides. He is the only royal who never leaves his chambers."

"Now that I have said the instructions," the professor thumped her staff to the floor. "Let the exam begin!"

02: First Level

"You conjured a spell that went out of control. Do you remember?"

Faustina lowered her gaze. She remembered. 

"That whirlpool blocked Team A and B's paths to the door. And that whirlpool . . . sent eighteen students to fail." Anakin thundered. "You casted a completely unnecessary spell. You showed off. Do you think you're amazing now? Think again."

Faustina clenched her fist. She knows she was wrong. She knows it was her fault. And it frustrates her.

She couldn't do anything.

She couldn't control her magic. And that made eighteen students fail.

{Congratulations on those who passed!} the moderator exclaimed. {Now that everyone is awake, I shall explain the rules of the second level!}

"You're out of this group," Anakin muttered to Faustina.

{As you all know, the first exam had to test the students' camaraderie. Although it isn't impossible to go alone, we are grading you depending on how you handled the problem as a group! What you did in this exam will tell what mage you will be. A leader? A follower? A soloist? How you fought and solved the task marks how you will approach actual quests in the future.}

"Wait . . . does this mean the teachers have been observing us? But you said you couldn't see us?"

{You're now at the Great Hall, aren't you? That is the resting point of the examinees where they are set to strategize. In the Hall, we won't be able to see you, and I couldn't hear you strategizing as well. Communication is possible because of the announcement, but after the announcement, I, Moderator Yusha, couldn't hear anything!}

"Ooh. So that's it."

{Anyway~ back to the second part of the announcement!} The moderator articulated. {I noticed that some of you had felt resentment towards a certain person!}

Faustina thinned her lips as she felt eyes darting towards her.

{That resentment you feel will push you forward if you cultivate it and turn it into a driving force! And that driving force is considered the number one factor to win the next level of the exam!}

"Driving . . ."

". . . force?"

"Next level of the exam?"

{That's right! The next level of the exam will test both your endurance and speed! Resiliency and critical thinking! Those who aim to be on top will have a huge difference to those who doesn't.} The moderator beamed. {If the 1st level tested your camaraderie, then the next level . . .}

The moderator beamed.

{Will test your individual skills!}

Faustina's eyes widened as her wounded hands trembled. 

{You will be engaging into a race that is ridden with different obstacles that will test your endurance, mana, strength, and strategy as a person . . . and of course . . . your level of competitiveness!}

"Level of competitiveness?"

Anakin's eyes widened.

{As I said before. Those who aim at the top will definitely have a significant difference to those who doesn't.} Moderator Yusha smirked. {Why? A race is something that is a test of who comes first, right? And the person who comes first and seize the finish line first . . . that one person who is competitive enough to win the first place . . .}

Faustina gulped.

{Will head straight to IANUA I!}

03: Second Level

"Watch out!" 

Behind Chastity was a bearded man who wore a shawl that was covered with dead moss—the old man impended to attack Chastity by hurling himself towards them, but Faustina was able to drag Chastity away by pulling her to the side. 

{Now then, what a wild turn of events! Faustina Feuerlon and Chastity Beverly are now facing the Hermit!} Moderator Yusha beamed. {Who would have thought they would be the ones to figure out where he was hiding!?}

The shock in Claire and Anakin were evident to the professors as the two of them stopped to hear Yusha's announcement. At that time, they had the same thoughts—there are now two more contenders in the first place!

Anakin gritted his teeth. If this is the case, then he shouldn't dwindle any longer! Using an explosion, he fired his way to the next obstacle—to Ventus, the last monster of the obstacle! Claire wasn't giving Anakin chances, either. Using her wind magic, she propelled forward faster. This wasn't about fighting and eliminating one's opponent anymore. It was about who's the first one to go to the finish line—before the Hermit is defeated!

Faustina and Chastity stood by the hermit, who looked nothing like a ghost. His flesh was semi-transparent, but he looked like he had a physical form. The hermit then ran towards them with his disproportionate, large hands. Faustina and Chastity were able to avert the hermit's attack by jumping away from his desired trajectory, leaving his handprints on the ground they used to be.

The hermit then swung his hand to Faustina, but Chastity managed to parry his attack with a barrier.

"Run!"

Faustina gritted her teeth. At this rate, Chastity will be the only one fighting until her mana depletes. Is there anything she could do aside from escaping?

"Lumos!" Faustina chanted, running to the hermit as she thumped her staff into his head. The hermit didn't look like he was scathed, but he was definitely irate. 

The hermit then swung his hand towards Faustina, but then—

"Alliges duplica terram!" chanted Chastity, making the ground below the hermit bind his two feet. "Spicis terram!"

The ground unleashed spikes; everything just happened in the blink of an eye. The pikes directly went from the hermit's back, divulging from behind, taking out the heart of the hermit as it hung to the spike's tip in front of its chest.

{. . . wow!} Moderator Yusha said with a slight tremble on her voice. Even Faustina couldn't believe what she was seeing. {C-chastity Beverly defeats the hermit! She takes the first place of the second level, the elemental race!!!}

04: Last Level

"Why are you in a place where you do not belong?" 

Faustina's eyes widened as she turned to her side where the voice had materialized.

The undead maid was beside her.

And she was now a corpse, as well.

"FAUSTINA!" Anakin and Leviticus called her name in chorus as the both of them rushed towards her. 

And then, time stopped.

At least, for Faustina.

"Rest, my love, rest. I will take care of your heart and hide it in my treasure chest. Do not fret, my love… your heart is safe. Just believe in me, as I believe in fate."

"Rest, warlock king, for time had stopped. Your frozen heart is already beside my snow-clad corpse. I am here, my love, to treasure your heart. My death is nothing but the beginning of our love."

"Rest your soul, and do not wake. Warlock king, my love, only close your eyes. Your wrath does not belong in this accursed land. Fall into a deep slumber and pay no heed. I will treasure your heart for all eternity."

Faustina glanced at the undead maid's chest.

And without thinking, Faustina reached her hand onto her rotten flesh.

Light emanated from Faustina's palms, the same way the marionette in Feuer capital had illuminated the sewers. The undead maid only stared at Faustina. There was no hint of remorse or anything wicked in her face despite her terrifying appearance.

She only looked… at peace.

"You are special."

Faustina blinked as the sees two hearts merged and were enclosed into a piece of jewel-like ice.

"You, who hold a warlock's staff…" The undead maid closed her eyes. "Belongs to a different place."

Faustina blinked as the light engulfed the entirety of the space. The undead maid and the undead king vanished into thin air. Their remains—which became a hoard of dark butterflies—merged into one as they vanished into the light.

Faustina fell to her knees as she held her staff.

"W-we…"

"We defeated… we defeated the undead king!!!!!!"

"We won!"

"WE PASSED THE EXAM!!!"