— Woooong!
A ringing sound filled Ian’s head, as if his mind had been flipped upside down.
The dizziness was akin to passing through a portal—a typical side effect of teleportation magic.
Ian’s senses began to awaken one by one.
The first to return was his sense of smell.
He could detect the scent of water and moss, trees, and damp earth. As his other senses recovered, the surrounding landscape came into focus.
“….”
The whole world was green.
In front of him, an abundance of grasses and various plants stretched out.
Looking up, he saw leaves filling the sky.
Lowering his gaze, the soft and rich soil gently supported his weight.
Tall trees rustled as birds fluttered and chirped.
Chirp chirp chirp—
“Hmm—”
Unconsciously, Ian took a deep breath.
It was perfect nature.
Ian was not someone naturally inclined to be captivated by nature.
However.
“The mana of the earth is responding.”
The Earth Element mana attuned to nature lifted Ian’s spirits.
The mana of the earth element coursing through his body, as if it had returned home, jumped with joy and raced within him.
His pants suddenly tightened.
“What is going on?”
Ian sat cross-legged on the ground.
It seemed necessary to calm the mana once.
‘… Am I going crazy?’
The eerie and frightening feeling toward himself.
Of course, Ian wasn’t some nature-obsessed freak.
It was just that the lively mana flow had also affected his body.
The feeling of abundant mana was excellent, but if he wasn’t careful, it could go out of control and rampage.
Ian quickly calmed the mana through Dantian breathing.
Finally, the mana that had been rampaging inside him gathered in his Dantian.
The earth element mana, always prioritizing purity, now collected anew.
Looking at it again, he saw it was about the amount of a large bottled water.
“… I might be able to gather more here.”
Is this the taste of Mother Nature?
Smiling, Ian stood up and looked around.
In the distance, a crocodile-shaped rock.
Though it was called a crocodile, it resembled an Eastern dragon.
Its official name in the game was “Dragon Rock.”
Its location and strategies were well-embedded in Ian’s mind.
It was one of the few places in Pantax Academy where mysteries slumbered.
“… Quite far.”
The distance was greater than he thought.
It seemed he had landed on the outskirts of the designated area.
Ian hurried his steps.
— Kkeeng!
Hunting animals and monsters along the way that could serve as food.
In the early days of his possession, when money was tight, he often hunted for protein sources, so it was not difficult.
Moreover, being an earth element awakener.
To Ian, this place was like a home for his talents.
◆
Ian, who adapted wonderfully to nature.
In contrast, the other students were in a dire state.
“Kyahhh-! A hairy insect!!”
Some students screamed at the sight of caterpillar-like bugs.
“I thought it would be a resort island… Is there really such a filthy island in the world?”
“Wait, I just want to sit down. This tree looks relatively clean… What is this! Some strange sap on my clothes…!”
Many struggled to adapt to the wild island.
The reason was simple.
Most of the students at Lichten Academy were the children of high-ranking nobles or bourgeoisie.
For those who lived in the capital or major cities of the empire, the sudden experience of “real nature” was not easy to handle.
Of course, the Academy exposed students to various experiences through duels and practical training.
Those who embraced these experiences with an open mind managed to adapt more flexibly.
“Kyahhhh! A bug!”
For those sheltered in greenhouses, it was nothing short of hell.
Meanwhile, behind a large tree.
Elena watched the flustered students and burst into laughter.
“Hehe. Everyone seems more scared than I expected.”
Elena was a priestess of the Numina sect.
She had no money.
This meant she was close to nature.
— Crunch!
Biting into a handful of wild fruit she had picked, Elena looked around.
“I need to get to a higher place.”
Due to her short stature, her view was obstructed.
Despite this, Elena moved while hiding her body.
There were many students where she had fallen.
Venturing out into the open could expose her to attacks.
“… Is it over there?”
Sure enough, it was a rock shaped like a crocodile.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem too far.
About a 30-minute walk if she hurried?
Elena pulled out a long-sleeved shirt and long pants from her backpack, put them on, and quickly moved through the bushes.
In the meantime.
— … Stop right there. Hand over what you’ve got.
Voices murmured beyond the trees in an open area.
“… What’s this?”
Elena carefully peeked towards the open area from behind a tree.
Three male students were surrounding a female student.
‘… Those brutes!’
Fundamentally a kind priestess, Elena was enraged.
She was scared to go out and help, though.
But wait a minute.
Isn’t that Sharon Pierce?
While Elena stood on tiptoe, the conflict was intensifying.
“… Why are you blocking my way?”
One of the boys mocked Sharon’s murmur.
“Why are we blocking your way? Tsk Tsk.”
“Does this girl still think she’s something special?”
Two of the boys laughed mockingly.
One of them, looking a bit uneasy, tried to stop them.
“Tsk. No matter what, she’s the strongest in the Swordsmanship club. Maybe we should let her go.”
“This coward.”
“Coward? I’m just being strategic.”
“Hey. Didn’t you see her at the Grade Assessment? She’s just a toothless tiger now.”
“Still…”
“She doesn’t look well either. We need to gather some coins while we can. How can you call yourself top rank in the Reconnaissance Department with this attitude?”
Sharon attempted to pass by them expressionlessly.
At that moment.
“Hey. Are you just going to walk past us like you didn’t see anything?”
“As the rumors say, she must take after her father, the funny girl.”
Information related to the authority of the empire is controlled. The news that the Northern Grand Duke was associated with the Bloodstone Cult was a prime example. It was merely a rumor.
Of course, even mentioning such a rumor was a severe insult.
Twitch.
Sharon’s brow moved slightly.
But it wasn’t because of the insult to herself.
She couldn’t tolerate the delay.
She had to move quickly.
To help him.
“I’m in a hurry. Move aside.”
“Acting tough with so little stamina.”
The male students laughed at Sharon’s words.
Normally, her character would have already drawn her sword.
However, despite her frustration, Sharon gritted her teeth and spoke again.
“I don’t want to waste my strength here. Move aside. I don’t wish to make more enemies.”
Constant despair and pain.
Sharon continued to step forward despite it all. She had to improve.
According to his standards.
However.
“Wow, Sharon, your spirit’s pretty low, huh? Seems like it’s true. Creepy, huh? Hehe.”
To others, she only appeared weakened.
“Doesn’t she look a bit cute like this? Like we’ve broken the tough girl.”
“You’re crazy. You should just get expelled.”
“What, am I supposed to do something? Just saying. Hehe.”
The incessant insults.
Yet, Sharon eventually drew her sword for a different reason.
“I guess the rumor about something going on with that weakling is true.”
“Oh, Ian Blackangers? Seems like they stick to their own kind.”
“I heard Victor would give something if he catches that guy. It’s about time to recover those coins and go after him…”
— Fwoosh!
The blood of the three men spilled.
The scent of blood was not excessive.
Their bracelets were activated.
[ Student Agelon eliminated! Emergency protection system activated. ]
[ Student Anyev eliminated! Emergency protection system activated. ]
[ Student Dave eliminated! Emergency protection system activated. ]
Red light pillars erupted above the fallen students.
They lay on the ground, appearing lifeless.
“Wow…”
Elena, who had been watching the scene, let out an involuntary exclamation.
“… Eek!”
She quickly covered her mouth.
Sharon slowly turned her gaze towards Elena’s direction.
Beyond the expressionless face, her eyes were cold and lifeless.
A few drops of blood splattered on her white cheeks.
“Eek!”
Elena fled without looking back.
◆
Meanwhile, at the edge of the island, two massive ships were anchored.
On one of them, all the professors supervising the students had gathered.
This was the so-called central control room for monitoring the promotion battles.
Through numerous crystal spheres and screens, the students’ images were projected.
And at the top, summarized figures displayed.
[ 1931 / 1987 ]
“Less than ten minutes in, and already over forty have been eliminated.”
A professor muttered, while another, dressing in frustration, grumbled.
“Three eliminated at once. Idiots!”
It was also the role of the supervising professors to handle the eliminated students. Although they used a rotation system among themselves to manage things flexibly, it was inevitable that dealing with the eliminated students became more bothersome.
Of course, the chief professors responsible for each major, known as “year heads”, were an exception to this annoyance.
The role of the year heads was to grasp the overall flow of the students.
“Indeed, Emilia Raymond of the Aether class is taking the lead. It’s overwhelming.”
Among them, the most perceptive, Professor Rowen from the Reconnaissance Department, murmured.
