* * *
In this test, the professors hadn’t placed any specific restrictions on “cooperating with other peers.”
In other words, doing this wouldn’t cause any particular problems.
Had she not seen it, it might have been different, but Ruite found it hard to just let a classmate walk into a place where a Grade 3 monster might be lurking.
Furthermore, knowing Rona’s personality as a plant fanatic, she knew all too well that Rona would likely prioritize her curiosity even if it was somewhat dangerous.
“Ah, so you want to be a scholar, Rona?”
Ruite asked while casually taking down a Grade 4 monster that had suddenly leaped from a tree.
“Yeah. My dream is to research plants that possess mana and write books about them. To do that, I have to become a mana user, which is why I enrolled here.”
Ruite knew Rona had a special affection for plants, but she hadn’t realized her dream was so clearly defined.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, I just… you seem different all of a sudden.”
“How did I look to you before?”
“…Can I say it?”
“No, don’t. I don’t want us to end up on bad terms.”
The unexpected cooperation with Rona went smoothly.
As they ventured deeper into the mountains, Ruite earned points by subjugating all the monsters they encountered, while Rona diligently jotted down characteristics in her notebook whenever she spotted flowers or plants.
As they moved further inward, the air grew increasingly heavy.
To make matters worse, a faint mist began to settle around them, heightening the tension.
However, Rona didn’t seem to notice; her eyes sparkled with the conviction that she would surely find a rare plant.
Ruite focused all her senses on detection.
Honestly, it wasn’t a matter of whether she could handle a Grade 3 monster or not—she simply didn’t want to run into one.
Since she had already gathered enough points, it was only natural that she didn’t want to mess with the dangerous ones.
Following Rona’s lead, Ruite made sure to keep an eye on their surroundings.
Just then, an alien sensation brushed against the back of her neck, making her head whip around.
“Ruite? What’s wrong?”
Rona approached Ruite, who had frozen in place.
“Huh? No, nothing.”
Ruite scratched her head and shook it.
“Rona, how about we only go as far as that spot up ahead and stop? The test time should be wrapping up soon.”
“Hmm, well then, Ruite. Do you want to rest here for a bit? I’ll just take a quick peek around that bend over there.”
When Ruite said she didn’t mind going along, Rona waved her off.
She argued that Ruite’s score was already in the safe zone, so there was no need for her to come this far in.
Left with the remark that Rona had a conscience too and Ruite should just rest, Ruite couldn’t find a reply.
Rona promised to be back in five minutes and disappeared.
Ruite figured that if they started heading toward the mountain entrance together in five minutes, the timing would be perfect.
Ruite kicked at stones rolling on the dirt ground and stared blankly up at the sky.
They had run into quite a few classmates near the start of the mountain, but the number of faces plummeted the further they went in.
Most likely, the others had realized a Grade 3 monster was in the area and chose not to set foot here.
“I’m going to sleep like a log starting tomorrow.”
Since the exam would be over, she wouldn’t have to stay glued to her studies in the library with bleary eyes.
She planned to savor that sweet, albeit temporary, sense of liberation.
“Did she say five minutes…?”
How many minutes had passed since Rona went inside?
Ruite looked up.
Perhaps because of the faint mist lingering in the air, the sky looked gloomier than usual.
Clouds were drifting through the hazy vista.
“…”
In that instant, Ruite narrowed her eyes and lunged forward.
She immediately veered right, entering the path Rona had taken.
The moment she heard a presence, she saw Rona’s back.
And standing boldly before her was a Grade 3 monster.
The wolf-like creature was not small. It was one of the common Grade 3 monsters.
Rona was touching the ground with a troubled expression.
Tree vines extending from her hands tried to coil around the monster’s legs to restrict its movement, but when the beast let out a massive roar, the vines were instantly crushed.
At that moment, Ruite felt goosebumps break out over her entire body.
There was no concrete reason, but a sense of crisis reared its head.
Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of there immediately.
“Rona, run! Let’s get out of here!”
As soon as Ruite shouted, Rona turned and began to sprint.
Ruite followed suit.
Grade 3 monsters usually don’t chase persistently once a certain distance is gained.
Furthermore, Harold had mentioned that the Grade 3 monsters managed within this mountain were designed so that their physical speed and some of their power were dampened.
That was the purpose of the iron shackles bound to the creature’s ankles.
Those were likely magic tools as well.
If she had to face a Grade 3, it wasn’t impossible.
However, strangely, her instincts were dead set against it.
While running, Ruite checked on Rona, who was lagging behind periodically.
She knew Rona was a slow runner, but she hadn’t realized it was this bad.
“Huff… Ru, Ruite…!”
Rona’s urgent voice rang out.
The moment Ruite turned her head to ask what was wrong, her eyes widened.
Despite having gained plenty of distance, the monster was still chasing them.
Not only that, but the monster’s speed was becoming noticeably faster than when the pursuit began.
“…”
The moment she realized this, Ruite halted her busy feet.
Her boots scraped against the dirt, kicking up a loud cloud of dust.
“Ruite, what are you doing!”
“Rona, something is weird.”
“What?”
“That thing… is it really a Grade 3?”
“What do you mean by…”
It was then that Ruite’s face crumpled.
The pursuing wolf monster also stopped in its tracks and began to exert strength throughout its body.
The sickening sound of bones twisting echoed from all over its frame.
The quadrupedal monster slowly rose, planting its feet on the ground to stand on two legs.
Simultaneously, two more legs sprouted from its back, supporting its body stably.
Its ordinary mane became lush and long as a physical transformation took place.
And Ruite felt it—it wasn’t just a change in appearance; the creature’s mana was also skyrocketing right now.
“Ruite, could this be…?”
“It looks like monster evolution.”
Even as she spoke, Ruite quickly scanned the sky.
She couldn’t see the crystal magic tools the professors were supposed to be using for surveillance.
The only thought in her mind was, ‘Why now of all times?’
“Monster evolution. Why would such a rare phenomenon…”
Monster evolution literally means a monster undergoes a special physical change while its mana increases drastically.
In other words, if a Grade 3 monster undergoes this evolution, it can possess power comparable to a Grade 2 or even a Grade 1.
However, monster evolution was not a common occurrence.
It was known that if there were 100,000 monsters in the world, statistically only about 5 to 10 of them would undergo evolution.
Yet now, an evolution was happening to this monster specifically managed by the academy.
“Should I call this good luck or bad luck?”
She recalled her professor saying during a lecture on monster evolution that it was an extremely rare phenomenon with a very low probability of being witnessed.
In any case, one thing was certain: the monster before their eyes was no longer a Grade 3 that could be subjugated with a little effort.
“Is this really the time for jokes? We have to run! We have to go tell the professors!”
“Hmm, do you think we can run away?”
Rona flinched at Ruite’s words.
Whether due to the evolution or something else, those shackles controlling the beast’s physical speed had clearly lost their function.
Even if they gained distance, the thing would likely keep chasing them.
If running worked, they should have already escaped its sight.
If so, the best course of action would be to run with all their might, find a crystal magic tool in the sky to report the situation, and keep fleeing to the entrance—but the problem was whether Rona’s stamina would allow for that.
If they could find other peers nearby, they could try cooperating, but another issue was that since the test was almost over, most people would be at the start of the mountain near the entrance, not this far in.
Besides, now wasn’t the time to sit around and think.
While they stood there contemplating, the evolved monster was glaring down at her and Rona with bloodshot eyes.
It was the gaze of a predator that had found its prey.
Ruite scratched her head at the murderous intent seeking to trample and devour them.
“Stop saying weird things and hurry…! We’re both in danger at this rate!”
“Rona, let’s do this.”
Ruite lightly brushed off Rona, who was trying to grab her hand and lead her away, and clapped her hands together.
Rona stared at Ruite with trembling eyes.
* * *
