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.

divide the line between the 'competent' and 'incompetent' students. This was so that he could exploit

easily lure students into making a pact with a

test into

could fabricate a couple of scenarios where some talented individuals built

grudge against an incredibly talented

pride would cause them to build a grudge against

up right away, but certain prideful and arrogant individuals would of course not accept their defeat and seek revenge

overwhelming talent, they fall into depravity and despair at their inability to take revenge against

Thibaut would finally make his move by offering

a make a pact would

test was full

was trying to get a grasp

thus knew the general features of the surroundings, I could

surrounded by trees...I should be on the

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

I started to formulate a plan regarding my next course of

was not because I was obsessed with them, no, rather it's because all the events that will happen will be centered

predict what happened to them, but not what will happen to me, as I have never written

grasp on what the protagonists were up to, I

it does sound easy, excluding the high-ranking students, strong simulations of beasts will be roaming the map preventing me from staying in a single

that the professor

could roughly guess that some sort of creature would be hunting them in the test, they would've never expected that the creature that was hunting them could perceive their location through their

was made so that students wouldn't only focus on hiding, but actually try to develop survival skills for situations where

get a good grasp of his surroundings before making

they then decide to

way to survive is thus to make my way towards the center where a

my head I quickly discard

at the center,

I had were to either directly get killed by one

only left me

reuniting with my group, or complete a hidden task so that even if

first option. Just 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

As for the rest?

even have the slightest idea of where they could

this leaves me with

Complete the hidden task.

there were five hidden tasks placed on the map. One in the north, south, east, west, and

difficulty of the

is if I

1750, I decided to head to where

where I thought it

fact, I actually don't have a clue as to

knew 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

walk to

had a general idea of where the hidden tasks could be located, allowing

Johnson has died -

I was making my way towards where I estimated the hidden task was located, I saw a notification once again emerge on the

ignoring me because

don't really see our team having more than 2-3 points which would put

all means is not a bad score, but for someone like Arnold, this could be considered a humiliating score, which will result in more troublesome situations where I

to be honest, I really don't want to involve myself

as a consequence of my actions.

that were

that didn't know their place. Though, at the expense of some dire consequence that I don't want to go