Several hours had passed since we were picked up in the forest.
The instructors seemed genuinely worried, and so after bringing us back into the academy, they sent us to the medical ward to get checked.
Isabelle had energy exhaustion, and the others had minor injuries.
On the other hand, I was unscathed.
The healers were puzzled and a bit suspicious of me, but since they didn't have any proof that I did something weird, they let me off the hook.
And now, nearly five hours later, I was sitting in front of the headmaster's office all alone.
I wasn't sure why only I was called.
My group, and especially Isabelle, should've been called too.
Was this personal?
As I continued to wonder about that, the headmaster's door finally opened.
An old man with a clean gray beard and an eyepatch stared straight at me from behind his desk.
His presence alone made my body stiffen.
This was Ariston Alexius.
A Grade 60 powerhouse who could wipe out this entire city with the snap of a finger.
But he was also the Future Academy's headmaster.
Biting down on my lip, I stepped inside his office.
I sat down on the chair opposite him and waited in this uncomfortable silence.
Eventually, the headmaster spoke.
"How many were there?"
Is he talking about demons?
"Five?"
He nodded. "Ranks?"
"All five were barons," I responded.
After nodding again, he put aside his quill and placed both his arms on the table.
"Was it Isabelle D. Quincy who killed all of them?"
I shook my head.
"It was me."
Getting this guy's favor would be a blessing.
But getting it wouldn't exactly be easy...
I could flaunt my achievements all I wanted, but Ariston Alexius wasn't normal.
He cast aside his emotions just so his Gift could get a little stronger.
Ever since then, he only saw people in a single way:
Would this person be useful?
And that's exactly what I want to prove now.
"All five of them had Shadow Manipulation Gifts, but I managed to kill them."
"I see."
This guy is not fun to talk to at all.
"Your Gift is Telekinesis. What is its rank now?"
Giving my status screen a quick glance, I answered truthfully.
"It's still at the Intermediate rank, but I'll break through into Advanced soon."
It was honestly hard to know what the right answer here was.
Reading someone with no emotions was impossible.
The headmaster continued to ask me some senseless questions, which were all related to my Gift and fighting ability.
But finally, he stopped asking questions.
After writing down something on the table, he gave me yet another nod.
"I understand now."
Okay?
"Your next exam is being altered due to safety concerns."
Yep, just like in the game.
It was supposed to be a labyrinth.
"The Future Academy has a library containing 100,000 books, 10,000 of which are techniques. You and the other cadets have a week to find a technique that suits you."
That's right.
The entrance exams were over.
This right here was the academy's way of saying: we need to compensate everyone and take some time to evaluate everyone's performance.
And...
"During the week, certain factions from the outside might pay you cadets a visit. You may join them if you wish."
I held back a sigh.
There wasn't anything that these factions could give me.
I was rich.
I had a way to grow stronger.
And I also really hated being tied down.
So I'll pass on that.
"When you leave my office, an instructor will lead you to the grand library. You are dismissed."
Was it really over?
Did the great Ariston Alexius call me here just for a few questions and to remind me what the exam was?
Although I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to overstay my welcome.
So I got up and approached the door, prepared to leave.
But...
"Amon Everness."
I stopped.
"I have decided to nominate you for a certain project. I will notify you when that project is finally in effect."
"..."
I tried my best to stay calm.
This was the project and one of the many routes that set Amon down the path of becoming the main antagonist.
...How did I even get this route?
"Thank you, headmaster."
With those parting words, I left.
I found a random instructor, and they led me to the library.
Along the way, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
This project aimed to push a few special cadets way past their limits.
The headmaster wanted someone who could use their Gift for days, even after their energy was completely exhausted.
Amon was one of the only people who lived through that torture disguised as a potential unleashing 'project.'
Fuck.
This was a route that only happened if the main character and Amon talked during the entrance exam.
The headmaster's attention would shift to Amon, and after realizing just how weak he was, he would toss Amon into this project.
That was the only prerequisite, and I avoided it.
Or so I thought.
So now there's one more thing I have to worry about.
"We're here," the instructor announced. "You'll have to—"
"I know. Thanks," I interrupted and stepped inside the library.
It was massive in the game, but in real life it was even bigger than I had imagined.
There were hundreds of floors, each containing roughly 500 to 1,000 books.
All the cadets who passed the previous exams were here.
Most were already reading, but there were also some who were running to the very top.
Back when I first started playing, I thought that the best books were kept at the top.
It was a silly mistake.
Really.
How could I have known that section was for romance novels?
Thousands of romance novels...
At least they were high quality.
Whistling to myself, I looked around.
The main character, as well as a few of the female leaders, were down here.
I remember Isabelle also snooped around here, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Although I found it a little strange, I had no time to babysit her.
I had my own problems to deal with.
But for some reason, there were one too many eyes on me.
Their gazes weren't even ominous.
More like everyone was staring and waiting for the perfect moment to talk to me.
Did word about what happened earlier spread already?
Could it be Melissa...?
Right.
Melissa and Brian.
They were supposed to die in that test.
Since they are now alive, I'll have to watch them carefully.
After all, for all I knew, they might be working for the demons.
Still, since I had no intention to speak to any of these people, I flew upward, straight to the 40th floor.
This was the floor with the highest grade techniques.
Sadly, since I never thought about what kind of technique I'd learn if I ever became Amon Everness, I didn't know what I wanted.
But since I had close to a week to figure it out, I'll start now.