Chapter 84: Exam

"Phew...I made it!" I almost collapsed as I opened the door, my legs barely carrying me this far.

"Overslept again?" A blonde girl standing at the entrance asked with a smirk.

"Yeah... Sorry, Ella," I apologized, trying to catch my breath.

"You better start waking up earlier, Jane or the academy will be on your ass," Ella warned, gesturing for me to sit on a chair.

"I know, I know," I sighed, taking a seat. "I've been so anxious that I couldn't sleep all night."

"Hmm... I see," Ella nodded. "Me too, but hey, it's just an E-rank dungeon."

"Still dangerous!" I exclaimed, my voice resonating in the room.

"Yeah, but we'll be fine," Ella reassured me, pulling out a cup of hot chocolate and two pieces of cake from her inventory.

"Here, have some sugar," she said, placing the food in front of me.

"Thank you, Ella" I thanked her, taking a sip of the chocolate.

"Hmmm! This is delicious!"

"Hehehe... I told you, Jane," Ella smiled. "Only I can get you this delicious cake."

"Hahaha... You're right," I laughed, feeling much better after eating the cake. "You're the VIP."

"Feeling better?" Ella asked, wiping her lips with a napkin.

"Yes," I replied with a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," Ella replied, returning the smile. "We are friends after all."

"Yep!" I agreed, nodding my head. "So, where are the others?"

"They're already at the garage waiting for us," Ella informed me. "We should head out."

"Okay," I nodded, taking one last sip of my chocolate before following Ella outside the room.

...

"You're late!" The professor, a middle-aged man, scolded me with a frown. "Get in the van."

"Sorry!" I apologized, bowing slightly before joining the other students in the van.

"Overslept?" A red-haired boy asked with a grin. "I told you we need to find another healer."

"Shut up, Alex!" I glared at him, sitting down next to a girl with blue hair.

"Don't mind him, Jane," the blue-haired girl said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thank you, Sarah," I smiled back. "You too."

"Okay!" the professor called, sitting in the driver's seat of the van. "Everyone ready?"

"Yes!" Everyone in the van yelled excitedly.

"Good! Let's go over this one more time," he said, tapping on his bracelet. Soon, a holographic window appeared.

"Today, we will dive into the Rank E dungeon to complete the first objective of your final exam," he started, looking around the van.

"The first objective is to map the dungeon and eliminate as many monsters as possible. You will receive 100 points for every monster you defeat and 50 points for every area you map."

"The second objective is to defeat the Dungeon boss and clear the dungeon. You will receive 500 points for the first clear bonus and 50 points for each enemy you defeat while fighting the boss."

"Once we arrive at the dungeon, we'll split into three teams. Team blue will go to the east, team yellow to the west, and team green to the south."

"Each team will consist of four members, and a teacher to keep you safe and observe your progress."

"Remember! You can only use the weapons and armor you have on you, and the three potions we provided for each of you. Don't take anything else with you."

"Any questions?"

"Sir," Sarah was the first to raise her hand. As always, she had that... I don't know how to describe it, a desire to know every little detail.

"Yes, Student Sarah?" The professor asked.

"Can you tell us about the Dungeon?"

"Good question," the professor praised. "The dungeon is an E-rank dungeon located 250 miles east of the capital."

"The scan shows that the biome is a large forest and possibly a swamp. The monsters range from F to D ranking."

"Most of them are animal types, but it's common to find goblins or gnolls, so keep your guard up. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," we all nodded.

"Good! Anything else?"

"What about the Boss, Sir?" Alex asked this time.

"Raise your hand before asking a question!" The professor scolded.

"Sorry"

"To answer your question, we have no idea what the Boss is," the professor replied, his tone more serious than usual.

"Eh?" we all exclaimed, stunned by his words.

"But, Sir, the scanner should have revealed the boss," Sarah said, trying to understand how it was possible that they didn't know what the boss was.

"This is the problem, Student Sarah," the professor sighed. "The scanners aren't working properly in this dungeon."

"How?" We all asked.

"We don't know," the professor answered. "But we speculate that it's the Boss's ability to disrupt magic or technology. We've encountered similar abilities before."

"Is it dangerous?" I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat.

"It's a Boss of a Rank E dungeon, so it's not something you can take lightly," the professor warned. "But don't worry, all the teachers are Rank C. They will keep you safe."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Any other questions?" The professor asked, looking around the van.

"No, Sir."

"Good. Now sit back and relax. We should be there in a few hours."

"Yes, Sir!"

...

"So we should follow the same plan?" Ella asked, taking out her massive shield and lance and checking their condition.

"Yes, the same as always," Sarah, our team leader, explained.

"I'll take the front with Alex, while Jane will stay in the middle, and Ella will guard the rear while traveling."

"So Ella will be the tank, me the healer, Alex the DPS, and you, Sarah, as the mage," I summarized the roles. Our magic fits them well.

Ella had skills that taunted monsters, drawing their agro to her, plus a powerful barrier skill she could cast as long as she had a shield equipped.

Alex was... well, the flashy flaming sword guy. Originally, he awakened as a fire mage, but his family, well-known sword masters, invested in his training as a sword wielder until he finally awakened passive skills that boosted his swordsmanship.

Overall, Alex was strong, both physically and magically. If he utilized more of his fire magic, like fireballs, he would become a nightmare to deal with. But sadly, Alex had a devastating weakness in the brain department... he was as dumb as a brick. No! Comparing him to a brick would be an insult to the brick.

Sarah, on the other hand, was an ice mage. She was smart, strong, and good at reading the flow of battle and making decisions. That's why she was our team leader.

As for me, I'm the cute little healer... hehehe. I had a single healing skill and an AOE healing skill, both of which could be used to damage monsters.

"Ouch!" I winced, feeling a slight pain in the back of my head. "Stop hitting my head!"

"I'll stop when you stop doing that," Ella said, pointing at the cut on my right arm.

"..."

I didn't say anything and placed my palm on the cut, healing it instantly. Ella, my childhood friend, knew about my habit of cutting myself when I was nervous.

"Sigh...it's okay, Jane," Ella gently pulled me into a warm hug. "Take it easy."

"..." I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth, relaxing my muscles, and clearing my mind.

"Better?" Ella asked, releasing me from the hug.

"Yeah," I nodded with a smile. "Thanks."

"I'll always be here for you, Jane," Ella smiled, her blue eyes bright and full of confidence. "So don't worry too much."

"Okay."

...

"Here we are," the professor announced, stopping the van. "Everybody out!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Hurry up!" the professor shouted, waiting for the students to get out of the van.

"Remember to listen to your team leader and the teachers. We will be observing you, so don't take any unnecessary risks."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Good! Now follow me," the professor said, leading us deep into the forest where the dungeon gate had opened up.

After three minutes of walking, we reached a small outpost built by the academy around the gate for our exam.

"Wow!"

"It's huge!"

"What the hell is that?"

The students all exclaimed, seeing the massive blue dungeon gate for the first time.

"Hahaha," the professor laughed. "Yes, it's huge, isn't it?"

"Now, remember what you learned in class. The gate will have a time limit. You must clear it before the timer ends. If you fail, the teachers will intervene, slaying the boss. We can't have an outbreak."

"So be careful."

"Yes sir!"

"Good!" The professor nodded, walking closer to the gate where our teachers stood waiting for us. "You have five minutes to prepare."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Oh, and before I forget, we're still in the trial period for the academy. You're officially members of the academy only if you pass this exam. If you fail, you'll have to repeat the year. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir. Understood!"

"Good! Now, good luck to all of you and may the Goddess bless you all," the professor said his goodbyes before turning to the teachers.

Me, Ella, Sarah, and Alex made our way to the right where they placed a black metal box for each team. Inside were health, mana, and stamina potions, along with a camping kit and our magical bracelets. The bracelets would keep track of our progress and location at all times.

"Are you all ready?" Sarah asked, standing in front of us.

"Yes," Ella replied, giving a nod.

"I'm ready!" Alex added.

"Good!" Sarah said with a smile. "Let's go."

Staring at the picture in my necklace, a longing filled my heart.

"I miss you, Grandma," I whispered, touching the necklace, my eyes gazing at the most powerful and beautiful woman in our history.

"Jane, let's go," Ella called.

"Coming!" I shouted back, taking one last look at the picture before storing it inside my inventory.

"Wish me luck, Grandma."

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