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.

I said before, Professor Thibaut's goal was to further divide the line between the 'competent' and 'incompetent' students. This was

easily lure students into making a pact with a demon,

was to turn this test into a hunting party for the

Thibaut could fabricate a couple of scenarios where some

such example was building a grudge against an incredibly talented student, like

and lost miserably, their pride would cause them to build a

up right away, but certain prideful and arrogant individuals would of course not

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

this point, professor Thibaut would finally

by the offer a make a pact would be made, and a new villain was

short, this test was full of

I was trying to get a grasp of my current

and thus knew the general features of the surroundings, I

I am surrounded by trees...I should be on the east side of

where the desert is located...Melissa and Amanda should both be

a good grasp of the main character's locations, I started

to get a grasp of the main characters was not because I was obsessed with them, no, rather it's because all the events that will happen

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

a good grasp on what the protagonists were up to, I could

strong simulations of beasts will be roaming the map preventing me from staying in a single place for

was another thing that the professor didn't

that the creature that was hunting them could perceive their location through their acute sense of smell, resulting in many students dying without knowing what had

focus on hiding, but actually try to develop

minutes trying to get a good grasp of his surroundings before making his way towards the middle of the map, where he eventually reunites with

but they then decide to work together when they

make my way towards the center where

I quickly discard the

to gather at the center, that's where the strong

the only options I had were to either

me

or complete a hidden task so that even if I die

option. Just the thought of interacting with Arnold pisses me off. Moreover just

likely make his way towards the center, and if I follow him there, he won't kill me, but he'll definitely find

As for the rest?

even have the slightest idea of where

leaves me with only

Complete the hidden task.

the map. One in the north, south, east, west, and

task was different, moreover, the difficulty of the task should be something that a rank 1750 like me couldn't hope to be able

is if I was really

your regular rank 1750, I decided to head

where I thought it

don't have a clue as

east side, where I currently was, I knew nothing about this place. Apart from the fact that this was a forest-type terrain and that there was a hidden task hidden

harden myself and aimlessly walk to where I thought

tasks could be

William K. Johnson has died -

saw a notification once again emerge on

were ignoring me because

things go this way, I don't really see our team having more than 2-3 points which would put

like Arnold, this could be considered a humiliating score, which will result in more troublesome situations where I would have to

to be honest, I really don't want

time was because of the annoying things that could come as a consequence of my actions. Moreover, if he really wanted

if that

didn't know their place. Though, at