The Author's POV

Soon after the professor initiated the simulation, my surroundings started to change.

Thick lush trees started appearing from beneath my feet followed by soft and crumbly soil that caused my feet to slowly sink.

My visibility slowly started getting blocked by the towering trees that started sprouting from the ground at an incredible speed.

Extending my hand forward to touch a tree, I was immensely surprised by the realistic sensation that spread through my fingers. Running my hand along the tree trunk it felt like I was touching the lines and wrinkles of an old man's face. It had an uneven surface where I could feel the flaky nature of the dark exterior, that crumbled and peeled, with a crackling sound at the slightest pressure exerted by my fingers.

It almost felt like I was touching the real thing.

It didn't feel like I was touching a bunch of codes, but an actual tree.

"How intriguing..."

[Rank 1750 Ren Dover - Team points: 6]

As I was busy being mesmerized by how realistic the trees were, a notification popped up in front of me.

Seeing the notification, I quickly swiped left to discard it and fell into deep thought.

The game was simple.

Each student had one point, and every time a teammate died the team would lose a team point.

The teams that reached 0 points would then be automatically eliminated and hence lose the game.

The only way to gain points was through completing the hidden tasks available on the map.

At the end of the test, there will be a ranking list that ranks the teams in accordance with their performance.

Taking a good look at my surroundings, my teammates were nowhere in sight.

In fact, although the professor never mentioned this to us when briefing us on the rules, I already knew that everyone was going to be separated from each other.

Well, I was the one who created the scenario in the first place.

The main goal of this test was to survive for 1 hour.

Although it sounded easy, it was in fact not. If it were that easy what sort of test would this be?

The lack of information provided by the professor was intentional because this essentially meant that there was only 1 rule.

And that was to 'survive'

Each person was directly given a weapon, which was automatically given to them depending on the weapon that they had registered on the first day of the academy.

In my case, a sleek black katana rested on the side of my hips.

-Shua! -Shua!

Swinging it a couple of times to adjust myself to the weight of the sword, I nodded in satisfaction.

It feels identical to the katana provided to us by the academy.

Sheathing the katana back into the scabbard, I warily glanced towards my surroundings.

When telling us the rules, the professor never mentioned anything apart from the fact that you must survive, and the more teammates survive with you at the end of the test, the more points your team had.

He purposely left out the details in regards to killing, and because of this, the students automatically assumed that killing was allowed.

Which was his true purpose.

'competent' and 'incompetent' students. This was so that he could exploit the feeble mentality

into making a pact with

was to turn this test into a hunting party

of scenarios where some talented individuals

example was building a grudge against an incredibly talented

hundred's challenged Kevin and lost miserably, their pride would cause them to build a grudge against Kevin, not because he was strong, but because of his

but certain prideful and arrogant individuals would of

gap between themselves and Kevin's overwhelming talent, they fall into depravity and despair at their inability

would

a make a pact would be

test was full of

I was trying to get a grasp of my

because I was technically a cheat, and thus knew

should be on

on the north side on top of the mountains, while Emma is on the south side where the desert is located...Melissa and Amanda should both be on the west side near the ocean,

of the main character's locations, I started to formulate a plan regarding my

I was obsessed with them, no, rather it's because all the events that

to me, as I have never written

to get a good grasp on what the protagonists were up to, I could make a rough estimate on the

simulations of beasts will be roaming the map preventing me from staying

another thing that the

expected that the creature that was hunting

but actually try to develop survival skills for

grasp of his surroundings before making his way towards the middle of the map, where he

have a slight conflict with Jin, but they then decide to work together when

survive is thus to make my way

head I quickly discard

definitely going to gather at the center,

options I had were to either directly get killed

only left me with

my group, or complete a hidden task so that even if I die I will

the thought of interacting with Arnold pisses me off. Moreover just because I know what will happen, doesn't mean

I follow him there, he won't kill me, but he'll definitely find

As for the rest?

slightest idea of where

leaves me

Complete the hidden task.

there were five hidden tasks placed on the map. One in

different, moreover, the difficulty of the task should be something that a rank 1750 like me

if I

that I wasn't just your regular rank 1750, I decided to head to where

where I

clue

nothing about this place. Apart from the fact that this was a forest-type terrain and that there was a hidden task hidden somewhere around this area, I really had no clue with regards to

to where I thought the

where the hidden tasks could be located,

has

task was located, I saw a notification once again emerge on the corner of my view, prompting me to bitterly shake

ignoring me because of my

having

score, but for someone like Arnold, this could be considered a humiliating score, which

be honest, I really don't want to involve

that could come as a consequence of my actions.

if that were to

get rid of some stray dogs that didn't know their place.