[Valeria PoV]
The moon is so beautiful tonight...
Perhaps it's because I'm always in the bustling Capital that I never noticed it. It's so quiet here; only the sound of the wind and the stillness of the night accompany me as I bathe.
Aaahh...
It has been so long since I last soaked my body...
Currently, I am swimming in the lake where we are staying to clean myself. Raul is asleep not far from where I am; we are doing guard shifts to remain alert in case any monsters approach.
"Tomorrow is the last day, huh?"
Once we finish this exam, the third stage will become even more challenging. That is because we, the participants, will not be wearing the Limiter artifact rings during the exam, which means participants can actually die while performing the test.
Last year alone, there were eleven participants who could not complete the exam alive. However, the points obtained if we successfully pass the third stage are substantial. It is almost certain that participants who fail to proceed to the third stage will not be able to enter the Calvatra Knight Order or the Castille Magic Tower.
Remembering everything I've gone through to make it this far, I can't help but feel quite skeptical about facing the third stage later.
"Well... I'd better focus on the final day tomorrow and ensure I am the first to reach the finish line."
After soaking and cleaning my body, I put my academy uniform back on. Even without soap or shampoo, that was quite decent for cleaning up after so long.
Returning toward our resting place, I saw Raul sitting asleep while leaning against a tree. His face right now is so different compared to when he is awake.
It is currently time to switch guard shifts. However, I want to let him rest a little longer. That is because he will only get a small amount of rest since he is on the final watch.
Looking at his body, I was surprised to see that Raul hides his muscles beneath a physique that looks ordinary from the outside. His body fat percentage seems to be very low.
Staring at his sleeping face, he looks like an innocent man; someone seeing him for the first time certainly wouldn't believe this person could fight hundreds of participants at once during the first stage exam.
"...!"
Suddenly his eyes snapped open, startling me and causing me to lose my balance. However, before I could fall on top of Raul, he held both of my shoulders to prevent our faces from colliding.
Our faces were very close; I could feel his breath tickling my neck and face.
If I recall correctly, we were in a similar position after defeating two Cricket monsters the day before. At that time, our bodies were pressed against each other, and I even fell asleep on top of him for a moment after undergoing that exhilarating battle.
For some reason, remembering all that makes my body feel comfortably warm.
I want to feel it again... that adrenaline-pumping battle with him...
Looking at his lips, my instincts told me my body would feel even more comfortable if my lips reached his.
"Valeria..."
His mouth opened, uttering my name in a husky voice.
"Is it my turn to stand guard now?"
His question finally snapped me out of my wandering thoughts. Lifting my body away from him, I turned my face away because of what had just happened.
"Y-yes, I intended to wake you up just now," I answered softly, suppressing my embarrassment over my wild thoughts earlier. "H-however, you suddenly woke up and startled me so much that I fell."
Ughhh... what kind of excuse did I just pull out of my mouth? How embarrassing.
"Is that so?" he muttered, then stood up.
He then tidied his clothes, which had a bit of sand in them.
"Alright, Valeria. You can rest now," he said casually.
"Why don't we just create a barrier with my magic so we can both rest without having to do guard shifts?" I asked him.
"Well... there are many dangerous small monsters that can burrow into the ground around here," Raul answered. "I don't want to take unnecessary risks on our final day."
Ughhh... I forgot about that. I was previously bitten by a Pinktail scorpion on the first day of the exam, which made me unable to use mana the following day.
"Alright, good night, Valeria."
"Yeah... good night, Raul."
***
[Raul PoV]
The next morning, Valeria and I left the Oasis area. We began trekking toward the Daeshil Mountains, which are about 30 kilometers from here.
"Hey Raul, where are we heading now?" Valeria asked curiously.
"We are entering a labyrinth located in the mountains," I answered her. "We must pass through it if we want to reach the finish line on time."
This labyrinth is a former secret path of the Kuwalid Kingdom during times of war. They used this labyrinth to surprise enemies by appearing suddenly from the mountains.
After the Empire took control of this region, the labyrinth was discovered and then ignored because it didn't have high strategic value compared to the costs of maintenance and troop deployment.
Hearing my answer, Valeria touched her chin as if she were thinking. "Hey Raul, why do you always know every geographical condition of the exam sites we visit?" Valeria asked.
Well... I am one of the creator Gods of this world, but I can't exactly tell her that I'm a Developer, can I?
"It was the same during the first exam; you always understood the ins and outs of the territory better than the other participants," she added.
"Isn't it mentioned in the library where all the survival exam locations are held?" I answered randomly.
"You're right, but the books don't explain the geographical conditions of the exam sites in detail," Valeria countered, appearing skeptical. "Seriously, where did you get this information?"
Ughhh... why is she being so stubborn about asking such a trivial thing?
Information regarding exam sites can only be accessed by academy students and instructors to prevent outsiders from using that information for criminal acts. Details regarding the conditions of the exam areas are only permitted for instructors to know.
Only information from an Information Broker could obtain data on this matter. However, as the Developer of this game, I don't need to use their services to know.
"An Information Broker," I answered naturally.
"I-is that so? You used one of the organizations operating in the black market."
The black market is a place where illegal goods circulate. Legally, anyone who buys goods on the black market can be punished by the Empire if proven guilty. However, it is an open secret that nobles frequently visit the black market.
After several hours of walking, we finally reached a passage located on a high cliff.
"We've arrived."
There are several entrances into the labyrinth located in these mountains. If our journey inside goes smoothly, it will only take approximately 4 hours to get out.
"Let's go inside, Valeria."
[3rd PoV]
On the final day of the second stage exam, only about 70 participants remained of the original 140 who started. Most of them were eliminated during battles with monsters in the urban areas.
Several teams had also already arrived at the labyrinth and begun entering the area.
Currently, in one of the labyrinth paths, a team of six people was walking through the area.
"This place is quite dark," said a man from the group.
With an effective visibility of only three meters, they had to step carefully to avoid any traps installed in this place.
"Hey Ronda, can't you reactivate your light magic?" the man asked one of their mages.
"Hey, I'm already tired enough after using illumination magic for half an hour without stopping," Ronda the Mage answered. "I'll suffer from Mana Exhaustion if I use it any longer, you know."
There were two mages in the group they had formed, but only one person could use light magic.
"Being a mage turns out to be difficult too," said the man, who was a Knight student.
Even though mages have more mana than a Knight, it doesn't mean they can use it wastefully or recklessly.
"Of course, did you think mages have infinite ma—"
Ronda's voice stopped abruptly; her throat had been suddenly slit by something. She then fell, clutching her neck as blood began to pour out.
"Mo-monster! Monster attack!" shouted one of them.
A magic circle appeared and swallowed Ronda's body until nothing remained, signaling that she had been eliminated from the exam.
"Where is it! Dammit, this place is too dark!"
"Did it intentionally target Ronda first!?"
In this pitch-black place, mages who could use fire and light magic were desperately needed. Perhaps the monster had been stalking their group and killed the person who could find it first.
"Agghhhh!"
Again, a scream was heard. Another person fell with a deep gash in their abdomen.
"Show yourself, you bastard!" the man shouted again.
After saying that, he suddenly heard footsteps. A humanoid monster appeared with a rat-like face, walking upright on two legs. Long, extremely sharp claws were visible on its fingers.
—Nyieeet!
"Attack it!"
The remaining four participants lunged toward the rat, but the monster easily evaded their attacks and began to counter-attack. One by one, the participants began to fall. They were no match for this monster in the darkness that served as its domain.