"Now, listen carefully," Kolek instructed, his voice firm and authoritative.


    "This practice exam is designed to test yourbat skills, teamwork, and strategic thinking in a high-pressure environment. You''ll be assessed on your individual performance as well as your ability to cooperate with your teammates."


    He paused, letting his words sink in.


    "As I mentioned earlier, you''ll be split into two teams. Each team will have a designated base and a g. The goal is simple: capture the enemy''s g and bring it back to your base while protecting your own."


    This was a standard capture-the-g scenario, familiar territory for anyone who''d yed video games.


    I was relieved that this part hadn''t changed.


    In the novel, the original capture-the-g event featured Jan as a one-man army, single-handedly leading his team to capture three of the opponent''s gs.


    The interesting twist was Louise''s ultimateeback, guided by his teammates who provided crucial information, paving the way to the other team''s headquarters.


    The final showdown for thest g would be between Jan and Louise, but the game would ultimately end in a tie, resulting in an anti-climactic ending for a good reason.


    My only concern was how the other characters would fit into this scenario, as Miya, Noah, Alice, and Valencia weren''t originally part of ss 1-A.


    "The simted environment will be a challenge," Kolek continued.


    "There will be obstacles, hiding spots, and various terrains to navigate. Use them to your advantage. Remember, this is not just about strength. It''s about using your wits and your abilities in a coordinated effort."


    It was expected of Pinnacle Academy students to work well in groups, whether they liked it or not.


    After all, unless you were born a superstar prodigy capable of handling the workload of an entire guild, being good on your own wasn''t enough.


    "Now, about the weapons," Kolek said, gesturing towards a tableden with various simted firearms, swords, spears and bows.


    "You''ll be allowed to choose your preferred weapon, but remember, each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. Choose wisely, and don''t hesitate to switch tactics if necessary."


    Just as I suspected, we wouldn''t be using our issued weapons since the fight would take ce in a simted reality.


    It was only fitting to fight with simted weapons.


    "Finally," Kolek said, his voice growing sterner, "remember that this is a practice exam. While we encourage healthypetition, we expect you to exercise restraint and avoid unnecessary violence. Any student who deliberately injures another will be immediately disqualified and face disciplinary action."


    A well-ced warning, I thought. However, I doubted it would deter some of the more hotheaded students.


    Kolek paused, allowing his words to sink in.


    "Now, if there are no questions, let''s reveal the team assignments."


    Kolek cleared his throat, drawing the ss''s attention back to him. "Team A," he announced, his voice projecting across the room. "Louise Villerion, Noah Davies, Miya Takeo, Valencia Freya, Bazz Wong, Jae Yoona, [...]"


    A mix of reactions rippled through the group.Some cheered, recognizing the powerhouses on Team A, while others groaned, anticipating a tough battle.


    I raised an eyebrow.


    This wasn''t quite the teamposition I had originally envisioned, but it certainly made things more interesting.


    However, what I hadn''t expected was for Team A to have a more stacked lineup than us.


    This meant I''d have to be more careful in my encounters and choose my fights wisely to avoid being ambushed.


    "Team B," Kolek continued. "Jan Ates, Alice Elizabeth, Lyra te, Cam Garcia, Rel Laurence [...]"


    Another wave of murmurs swept through the room.


    The underdogs, I thought to myself.


    But underdogs can be dangerous, especially when underestimated.


    Since we already have Jan and Alice on the same team it''d be much better for me to support them as an archer than just being a swordsman.


    "Alright, teams," Kolek said, pping his hands together.


    "You have five minutes to strategize before we head to the simtion room. Use your time wisely."


    **


    [Pinnacle Academy, Team IDS Station Room]


    The teams followed Kolek towards the Team IDS Station.


    As they walked, Jan slung an arm around Rel, his grin widening as he rejoiced to have someone he knew on his team.


    Cam trailed just from behind, leaning into Jan, and waved at Rel, who returned the gesture with a questioning look.


    "What have you two been up to these past few weeks?" Rel asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Jan, with a self-satisfied smile, replied, "Oh, you know, we''ve been eating at nice restaurants, and Cam does her shopping... the usual—"


    Before Jan could finish, Cam pped a hand over his mouth and a blush crept up her cheeks.


    She shot Jan a stern look, one that meant to tell him "Don''t say that to him ever again!"


    Rel, not typically one to smirk, offered a subtle smile instead.


    "Really? Good for you two then."


    It was enough for Jan to feel impressed by his friend''s reaction, as Rel wasn''t usually one to express amusement.


    But he knew he couldn''t let an opportunity like this go to waste.


    "So, dinner and shopping, is your usual Jan? Those dates must be nice huh."


    Jan, oblivious as ever chuckled at Rel''s reply.


    "Yeah, it was fun! We should all go out sometime, right, Cami?"


    Cam''s face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she could only stammer, "W-well, I... I don''t really care..."


    Rel, enjoying the unexpected turn of events, decided to prod further.


    "Don''t worry, Cam," Rel said, a hint of amusement in his voice.


    "I''m sure your boyfriend wouldn''t mind me teasing him a little, right Jan?"


    Jan oblivious as ever, grinned and patted Cam on the back.


    "Of course not! We''re all friends here!"


    Cam''s eyes darted back and forth between Rel and Jan, her cheeks flushed a deeper crimson.


    She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out.


    heh... you are damn right.


    Rel was enjoying the flustered reactions of his characters and knew Jan was too dense to pick up on the romantic hints, but that was part of the fun.


    As they reached the Team IDS room''s entrance, Kolek stopped abruptly.


    He took a deep breath, and his voice echoed through the corridors, reaching every member of ss 1-A.


    "Team B will go through first. Team A, please stay behind." He continued, "Everyone will be separated at the start, so you''ll all have a fair advantage and will need to find a way to regroup."


    Hearing these words, Rel couldn''t help but smirk.


    Jan and Cam, confused by his reaction, nced at each other, then back at him, trying to understand why he found this amusing.


    "Team B, follow me." Kolek gestured for them to enter the room.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    The members of Team B, eager to prove their worth, quickly donned the necessary hit-point gear.


    Straps of circr buttons ran from head to toe, tracking their health and performance in the simtion.


    They then grabbed their chosen weapons from the tables Kolek had set up.


    Following Kolek''s instructions, they stepped onto a massive circr tform.


    "This tform will teleport each of you to a random location within the simtion," Kolek exined.


    "You might find yourselves in the center of the battlefield, or you might be at the very edge of your base. Adapt quickly, find your teammates, and strategize ordingly. Oh, and one more thing: you won''t be able to move or see until the other team has arrived. Am I clear?"


    Everyone in Team B nodded, and with a click of a button, Kolek transported them into the simted field.


    As the tform rumbled beneath their feet, the world around them dissolved into a wash of colors and light.


    Rel felt a disorienting tug in his stomach as he was whisked away, his senses momentarily overwhelmed.


    For a moment, everything was pitch ck.


    But then, thanks to Deadeye, his vision returned, revealing a dense forest with sunlight filtering through the leaves above.


    He was alone, the silence broken only by the chirping of simted birds and the rustling of leaves.


    Although he couldn''t physically see yet, his heightened senses and Deadeye allowed him to extend his perception of the battlefield he''d been transported to.


    "Well, this is just great," Rel muttered, drawing his bow and scanning his surroundings with Deadeye.


    "Looks like I got the short end of the stick."


    _________


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