Chapter 11
I found myself facing a monster—
alone, one-on-one.
And to make matters worse, everyone was watching.
Why on earth did this happen?!
I screamed internally, burning with resentment.
So, to explain how things ended up like this—
“I’m Benjamin, the homeroom instructor for Class F. I teach Monster Studies.”
The man who had dragged us straight to the training grounds the moment we met continued speaking without pause.
“But there’s only one thing you need to know about me.”
“……”
“I don’t carry the weak. Only those with the qualifications of the strong will be able to keep up with my class.”
Benjamin swept his sharp gaze across us.
The students of Class F were already visibly intimidated.
Ah. I remember now.
Professor Benjamin was an extreme meritocrat.
Despite holding the title of academy professor, he didn’t spare a glance for students who lacked ability. He taught only those he deemed capable—and blatantly favored them.
Because of that, Theodore—one of the weakest students in Class F—was originally abandoned, unable to keep up with his lessons.
He only started paying attention to Theodore after he grew stronger.
In other words, unless you showed that level of growth, you wouldn’t earn his interest.
Before Theodore, the one who had fully earned his favor was none other than the entrance exam’s top student—Eleonore Sutton.
Ugh. I really hated this guy.
Still, since I needed to graduate at the top, the evaluations of each subject’s professor were critically important.
Like it or not.
So I resolved to do my best to earn my homeroom teacher’s attention.
That resolve shattered instantly with his next words.
“So, I plan to assess your current level of skill—right now.”
Oh. Looks like I’m about to get attention in a different way.
I briefly imagined my arrows missing their targets one after another. Maybe my incredible dodging skills would at least catch his eye.
“You’ve all taken a combat support test before, right? Using a similar illusion magic circle, I’ll generate a mock monster. You’ll defeat it in groups.”
…Wait a second.
You’re telling us this is basically a real test—on the first day?
At least warn us ahead of time!
So I could prepare something—anything!
Even just mentally!
Ignoring my silent plea, the professor began assigning groups at random. He roughly divided us by class type, four to five students per group, for a total of eight groups.
And Group 6—
“I-I’m Liam. I awakened as a warrior!”
“H-Hi. I’m Jack. I awakened as a rogue.”
Two boys in my group introduced themselves while actively avoiding eye contact.
Of all people…
They were the core members of the group that had been gossiping about me earlier.
Still, it wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.
When I casually nodded and introduced myself, they seemed to realize I wasn’t too upset and immediately grew louder.
“I’ll block all the monsters!”
“I’ll take them down! Just hold out for a bit, Liam!”
“Hahaha!”
“Um… I awakened as a healer…”
The girl who tried to introduce herself last was timid, and her voice was completely drowned out by the boys’ shouting.
Meanwhile, the professor announced the start of the test.
“If you’re judged combat-incapable, you’ll be ejected from the magic circle. We’ll start with Group 1.”
The five students of Group 1 entered the magic circle with confident steps. Having experienced the combat support test before, they probably thought they’d be fine.
That confidence vanished the moment the monster appeared.
“A—a Steel Beak…!”
A Grade 3 monster—Steel Beak Bird.
For reference, the monsters we’d faced during the entrance exam were at best Grade 4 or 5—levels that even non-Awakened knights could defeat through coordination.
But Grade 3 was different.
Without proper training, even Awakeners couldn’t handle one.
And the problem was—we didn’t have anyone that strong.
If we did, they’d have been assigned to a higher class to begin with!
“Kyaaaa—!”
The Steel Beak Bird let out a piercing screech and flapped its wings, which were covered in steel instead of feathers.
Both Group 1 and the students watching outside the circle recoiled in fear.
The result was obvious.
Two students were flung out immediately after being struck by its talons. Another followed after being smashed by its hardened wings.
Finally, two more were dragged out in its beak.
The test ended in moments.
Watching this, the professor clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. Pathetic.”
And yet, he didn’t stop the test.
Group 2. Group 3. Group 4…
By the time Group 5 had been completely wiped out, it was finally our turn.
“Group 6!”
With grim expressions, we stepped into the magic circle.
Did we have a plan?
Of course not.
There’d been no time—and worse, the monster assigned to each group changed randomly.
At least there’s another damage dealer besides me…
I drew my weapon.
Lucy’s pristine white bow revealed itself on the very first day of school.
The magic circle activated.
“Grrrr…”
A beast-type monster that looked like a cross between a dog and a rhinoceros.
A One-Horned Wild Dog!
I remembered it clearly—this was a monster the protagonist dealt with in the original story.
Of course, it was also Grade 3.
Damn it.
I tightened my grip on my weapon.
The restless monster looked ready to charge at me at any moment.
“I-I’ll block it!”
Liam stepped forward with his shield, delivering a line straight out of an extra’s script. Provoked, the monster lowered its stance and growled threateningly.
It’s charging!
I dodged as the One-Horned Wild Dog charged straight at us, horn first. The others did the same—
Except Liam.
“Come on!”
Boom!
Just one collision.
That was all it took for Liam to be flung clear out of the magic circle.
…Holy crap.
Those of us who witnessed it live froze like a paused screen.
In an instant, we lost our main tank.
Only two damage dealers and one healer remained.
“Woof—woof!”
No time to space out.
The monster began scanning for its next target. I clenched my teeth and moved quickly to avoid being caught.
Perhaps because there were still multiple targets, it didn’t charge recklessly like before.
It was testing us.
I need to land a hit while there are still others left!
I fired arrows blindly, banking on sheer volume since my accuracy was unreliable.
Even amid my reckless barrage, the monster kept closing in on me.
“Ah! Don’t come any closer!”
How was not a single arrow landing?!
I was starting to doubt archery itself.
Meanwhile, Jack—the rogue—managed to sneak close to the monster.
Now’s our chance!
Jack swung his dagger hard toward the monster’s head. The beast reacted a beat too late—
Are you kidding me?!
Whip—
The One-Horned Wild Dog snapped its head around, caught Jack’s dagger in its jaws, and hurled him away.
The healer girl standing next to him was swept up as well.
Both were ejected from the magic circle at the same time.
What the hell—
“Grrrr!”
And just like that, I was alone.
The One-Horned Wild Dog stared at me, drool dripping from its mouth—as if it was finally my turn.
There was a weakness… there definitely was!
When the protagonist fought this monster, he was already strong enough to brute-force it. But I distinctly remembered a brief mention of its weakness.
Please—remember something! Anything!
The monster was right in front of me now.
Was this the end?
Even knowing it was an illusion, fear surged through me.
The One-Horned Wild Dog opened its jaws wide, ready to tear me apart—
And then, a line from the original story flashed through my mind.
[“Lower your stance and aim for the mouth! The One-Horned Wild Dog’s tongue—”
Before he could finish, Theodore split the monster cleanly in half.
“…What?”
“N-no. Never mind. Handle it yourself.”
Theodore looked confused…]
The tongue root!
Almost on instinct, I activated Sharpshooter and formed an arrow in my right hand.
With my free hand, I grabbed the monster’s wide-open lower jaw—and drove the arrow straight down.
“GRAAAAH—!”
The monster let out a horrific, ear-piercing scream.
Thanks to Sharpshooter, it was a clean critical hit. The beast writhed in agony.
If I let go now, it’s over!
As the One-Horned Wild Dog struggled in its final frenzy, my body was violently shaken—but I clung to the arrow with everything I had.
And finally—
The monster collapsed with a heavy thud.
The Illusion magic circle has been解除.
With the monster defeated, the magic circle naturally dissipated.
Only then did I collapse to the ground.
My legs had completely given out.
“Ha… ha…”
The training grounds were utterly silent.
Only my ragged breathing filled the air.
In that strange stillness, the professor finally spoke.
“…Excellent.”
It was praise.
