At lunch, the five of them settled into a rhythm, the playful chase forgotten as their conversation turned to the upcoming exam.
"So, how many of us are in that exam again?" Catherina asked, looking around the bustling canteen.
Gwen crinkled her nose thoughtfully.
"I heard it's the whole first-year class taking it at the same time."
Eric's eyes widened slightly. "So that's about 600 students? 300 pairs?"
"That's a lot of students to conduct an exam for," Gwen mused.
"Maybe that's why they suspended classes for days, to prepare."
Darius nodded, adding, "Yeah, if you think about it, if there are a thousand students in the academy, more than half are freshmen.
And only about half of those pass to second year, and only about 100 students get to advance to third year. A lot fewer graduate from the academy."
Catherina's brow furrowed.
"Only 300 pass out of those 600? Why is that? Do they all just fail the year?"
Kaito, who had been listening silently, finally spoke, his face unexpectedly serious.
His voice was low, cutting through the casual chatter.
"No, some of them die in outdoor exams or missions. And the same goes for the other years."
"That's why there are only about 50 or less students who graduate every year."
There was a stunned silence at the table. For a second, the bustling canteen seemed to fade into the background.
Then, Gwen broke the quiet, her voice a little strained.
"Way to ruin the mood, Kaito!" she half-joked, though a flicker of unease crossed her face.
Kaito merely offered a casual shrug and a small laugh.
"Hahah, sorry about that."
The conversation quickly pivoted back to the exam, as if trying to shake off Kaito's grim reality check.
"Aurora said something about having monsters a rank or two higher than us, right?"
Gwen asked, her tone now more serious.
"What does that mean?"
Eric, ever the knowledgeable one when it came to game mechanics, was quick to answer.
"Well, there are actually ranks given to monsters and also to us, people."
"We all start at F and go all the way up to S."
"Some say there's even a way to get SS, and some people have indeed reached it, but with a lot of effort and time."
"So, is there an SSS rank too?"
Gwen asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Darius burst out laughing, earning a pout from Gwen.
"Why are you laughing, huh?" she demanded.
Catherina, however, answered with a gentle smile.
"Because it's just a myth, a rumor, or a legend. It's impossible to reach it, you know."
Kaito smiled then, a small, private smile that went unnoticed by his companions.
"No one but me," he thought, a touch of wry amusement in his mind.
"Players around the world of SpellxEdge have been saying that I was hacking or a developer, that I was able to reach it."
"Maybe I'm just built different."
He paused, a hint of melancholy touching his thoughts.
"Having my whole life just inside of that game is the reason I was able to get to ranked SSS."
"A lot of farming resources, quests, experience, time, effort and luck are needed to reach it, and no one but me, a bedridden person for years, can actually do it."
"So, how do we even know what rank we are again?" Gwen asked, turning her attention back to Eric.
"Well, as far as I know," Eric replied, thinking for a moment, "we'll be checked for ranks days after the exam."
"That's when they make the accurate student rankings."
Darius added, "And some can actually feel the change when they rank up," nodding thoughtfully.
"Looks like lunch is almost over," Catherina cut in, glancing at a nearby clock.
"Let's head to the gates after preparing."
---
The group finished up their meals, and soon, they were walking with the stream of students heading towards the academy gates.
When they reached the rendezvous point, most of the first-years had already gathered.
There were hundreds of students, easily over a hundred, milling about outside the grand gates while professors moved efficiently, setting up several shimmering, swirling portals that hummed with arcane energy.
The air was filled with a hum of nervous energy and eager anticipation.
As they waited for the professors to finish setting up the warp gates that would teleport the students to the exam area, Catherina, standing beside Kaito, noticed his expression again.
The same worried, grim look he'd worn during the earlier explanation had returned. She nudged him gently.
"Hey, Kaito," she murmured, her voice soft with concern.
"Are we really going to do that 'switch' plan you proposed?"
Kaito snapped out of his thoughts, turning to her.
"Yeah, let's do that," he said, his voice firm.
"That's the best way to beat high-ranking monsters."
"If you say so," Catherina replied, though a hint of doubt remained in her tone.
Then, her gaze softening, she suddenly asked, "Is everything alright?"
Kaito's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly, a brief flicker of irritation crossing his face before he smoothed it away.
He offered her a quick, reassuring smile.
"Ah, of course, Catherina. Everything is going to be alright."
"Huh? That's not what I asked," Catherina mumbled, a confused frown on her face.
Kaito, already drifting back into his thoughts, barely registered her words.
"Hm? Did you say something?" he asked, not quite looking at her.
Catherina sighed, deciding not to press. "Ah, it's nothing."
Catherina watched Kaito for a moment longer, her gaze thoughtful.
"Why is he acting so strange these days? Is he hiding something?"
She sighed, unable to shake the feeling that something was off.
Just then, she noticed Professor Aurora standing directly in front of them, her presence commanding attention.
"I will now brief you again on what is going to happen," Professor Aurora announced, her voice cutting through the remaining whispers among the gathered students.
"Do you see those warp gates?"
Professor Aurora gestured towards the shimmering portals, her voice clear and strong.
"You will be teleported randomly and individually inside the exam area."
A ripple of murmurs went through the crowd at the mention of being separated.
"You will each have a copy of the map in your watches," she continued, raising her own wrist to tap a device.
"You will only see your own location and the monsters in the immediate area you are in."
Another murmur, more agitated this time, spread among the students.
"The map is divided into 100 equally divided areas on a massive grid, from 1A to 10A, up to 1J to 10J."
"Make sure to plan with your partner what to do with this information."
"Remember when I told you about failing and getting your total score cut by half but still could be saved by your partner?"
Professor Aurora continued, her voice gaining a sharp edge.
"This is where it changes. That only applies when monsters get you eliminated."
"If you get eliminated by another student, they take half of your current points!"
A wave of shocked gasps and angry whispers erupted from the crowd.
Students began looking at each other with wary eyes.
"However," Aurora's voice rose, cutting through the sudden uproar, "the shield will still protect you from lethal harm."
"It will also stun you for an hour in place."
"You will not be eliminated or fail the exam, but the one-hour timeout and half your points being taken was considered the best option to stay fair."
"And don't worry, you'll be healed of your injuries that you get during that one hour making you able to go back in the exam without much worries."
The students' faces, initially contorted with shock and fear, brightened considerably at Professor Aurora's last words.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd, their thoughts most likely be that at least they wouldn't die or be permanently injured by other students.
Catherina, her tension easing, turned to Kaito with a more relaxed expression.
"I guess we don't need to worry that much, huh? Right, Kaito?"
But as she looked at him, she saw the same serious, worried look still etched on his face. He wasn't relieved like the others.
"Hey, Kaito," she asked, a touch of concern returning to her voice.
"So, how do we plan to meet up inside the exam? The map only shows our own spot."
Kaito looked at her, his gaze intense.
"Hm. I want to meet as soon as possible," he stated, his voice low and firm.
"I think passing this exam will depend on how fast you get trusted allies to watch your back."
"So, let's choose an area that is easier to reach wherever we are on this map," Kaito added, his gaze sweeping over the holographic display of the exam area.
"Mountain or higher terrains are terrible and will take time and energy to reach and climb."
"The seashore and sand part is probably a no too, as it's too open for monsters or students to spot us easily."
He pointed at a section of the map.
"So I think the only option is to meet somewhere in the forest, which is a relatively flat area, but covered in trees, and maybe with a cave too."
Kaito's finger rested on an area that seemed to fit his description perfectly.
Catherina listened intently to his words, her eyes wide.
"Wow, she thought, surprised. I can't believe it."
"Everything he just said made so much sense. Is he really this smart?"
Kaito's voice cut through her thoughts.
"So, do you like my plan, Catherina?"
"Ahh, yeah, yeah, I think it sounds good," Catherina stammered, nodding quickly.