[Vol. 7] Chapter 170: The Exam Proctor Arrives!
Everything was progressing smoothly, and at long last, the highly anticipated World Academy Joint Exchange Tournament had officially begun.
This grand international event was divided into two main parts. The first was an academic exchange between senior professors, scholars, and powerful figures from various academies. This segment focused on theoretical discussions and the presentation of research achievements, making it a relatively peaceful affair.
The second part, however, was much more intense and competitive. Each academy had selected elite students to form teams and compete in a series of challenges designed by the tournament organizers. Their goal was to defeat their opponents and earn rankings, bringing honor to their academy and country.
A quick side note, although magitech advancements like [Graeme] and Magic Guns have helped narrow the gap between ordinary people and powerful individuals, true warriors can also use such tools to enhance their abilities. Additionally, some high-powered weapons are simply too difficult for regular people to control. Because of this, the gap between the strong and the ordinary remains significant.
For the absolute top-tier powerhouses, external tools still have limited impact, meaning that magic and martial arts training remain the core focus of academies worldwide. As a result, most student competitions are still centered around combat, with practical battles being the primary way to determine winners and losers.
The tournament was set to last over a month, and to maintain fairness among all participating academies, there was no elimination system. Instead, teams would earn points across multiple competitions, with their final ranking determined by their total score.
Staying true to its philosophy of “practical and applicable” education, Sainz Academy deliberately avoided outdated formats like one-on-one duels or group battles, which often felt more like staged performances than real fights. Instead, they threw participants straight into highly unpredictable combat scenarios, ensuring that every match was a genuine test of skill and adaptability.
As soon as the first competition, [Exploring the Morst Underground Labyrinth], was announced, it immediately sparked widespread debate and controversy.
After all, this massive labyrinth was one of the most dangerous ancient ruins in the world. Its unpredictability made it a challenge even for seasoned adventurers, who couldn’t guarantee they’d always make it out alive.
Many academies felt that sending students who hadn’t even graduated into such a perilous environment was far too dangerous. In response, they strongly protested. Some even joined forces to submit an official request for the event to be canceled.
However, in contrast to the opposition, many academies, political groups, and even national powers closely following the tournament openly expressed their support.
After all, the World Academy Joint Exchange Tournament wasn’t just some friendly competition, it was deeply entangled with political interests. The more intense the competition and conflicts, the easier it became for powerful factions to observe and evaluate the true strength of each academy and nation, helping them decide alliances and strategic moves. Some even saw the ever-changing labyrinth environment as an opportunity to carry out hidden agendas behind the scenes.
On the other hand, if a faction couldn’t even handle this level of danger and was too afraid to participate, it only proved that they weren’t worth considering in the grander scheme of things. If they weren’t strong enough to stand their ground, then why should their opinions matter?
Survival of the fittest, power above all, that was the unchanging law of the world.
So, after a few days of intense preparations, and with some academy teams angrily withdrawing due to their protests being ignored, the first event of the tournament officially began as planned.
Meanwhile, someone else wasn’t sitting idle either…
"Huh? This… I never expected that you would be our proctor…"
In the Sainz Academy’s teleportation chamber, a heterochromatic-eyed princess had just arrived with her team of nearly ten members. She was momentarily surprised but quickly recovered, flashing a polite smile at the black-haired girl who had just come into view.
"Looks like we’ll be in your care for the next few days, Miss Violet."
The priestess, who had come here as an official proctor, casually returned the greeting with a nod.
"There’s no need for formalities, Princess Carinvega. The assignments were decided by a random draw. Also, while I am responsible for ensuring your safety, I will only intervene if death is imminent or if you actively request assistance. I assume I don’t need to explain what that means?"
"Of course. That’s more than enough. As the strongest holy magic spellcaster in the world outside of the Holy Empire, just having you accompany us is already a great reassurance. Looks like our luck isn’t too bad~"
The heterochromatic-eyed princess nodded with a smile before briefly introducing her team members to Violet. It was hard not to notice that over 70% of her team consisted of young women with remarkable beauty, and whether male or female, all of them showed deep respect and admiration for their leader. With Carinvega at the helm, this team was bound to be a strong and united force.
By the way, Violet’s presence here wasn’t just a coincidence.
As an honorary professor and special guest of Sainz Academy, the academy had no authority to assign her duties. Instead, she had personally requested to oversee this team, and thanks to some behind-the-scenes arrangements by Headmaster Lucine, she got exactly what she wanted.
The reason for this arrangement was quite simple. To avoid suspicion, Violet couldn’t accompany Xiao Guang’s team, but at the same time, she was very interested in the legendary [Morst Underground Labyrinth] and naturally wouldn’t pass up the chance to explore it.
This was also the perfect opportunity for her to observe someone she had been keeping an eye on, the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus] Carinvega, and perhaps uncover some of the secrets hidden within her.
As the official proctor assigned by Sainz Academy to oversee Frederick Royal Academy’s team, Violet had already received detailed profiles of all its members. Among them, a few stood out as particularly noteworthy.
With these details running through her mind, Violet quietly studied each person as Carinvega introduced them.
The girl standing closest to Carinvega had long golden hair and a pure, delicate face. Her name was Rosie, a pure-blooded human, 17 years old, and said to possess the most exceptional Light Elemental Magic talent in the history of the Imperial Royal Academy.
However, unlike the Holy Empire’s holy magic spellcasters, Rosie’s magic was purely focused on offense and defense, without any support or healing abilities. Based on mage rankings, her strength was at the peak of the Sky Tier, almost at Level 40.
This made Rosie the strongest student in Carinvega’s team. If everything went as expected, she would likely break through to the Legendary Rank before turning 20. As far as Violet knew, the only pure-blooded human to reach Legendary status faster than that was Farnell Stephens, one of the three Legendary Adventurers from the Human United Kingdom’s Courage CIty.
A true prodigy. The fact that Carinvega had managed to win Rosie’s loyalty spoke volumes about her influence and leadership.
Another notable team member was the blue-haired girl who had previously disguised herself at the banquet to frame Lenka. She was suspected to be from the Ancient Spirit Realm and was listed under the name Orluk. However, her name’s format didn’t match the common naming conventions of the Ancient Spirit Realm, so there was no telling if it was real or fake.
Her presence felt light and agile, suggesting she was a nimble warrior. She was slightly weaker than Rosie, but still around Level 30+, making her one of the stronger members of the team. Her combat ability was roughly on par with Le Qiaoqiao. Given her youth, around 20 years old or younger, she was undoubtedly a rare talent as well.
Aside from those two, there was also a half-beast catgirl. However, her strength was relatively weak, making her one of the lowest-ranked members in the team. That said, Sainz Academy’s reports suggested that this girl, named Noelle, might possess a rare ability, possibly making her a [God-Chosen] individual.
As for the other team members, most hovered around Level 30. They were certainly young geniuses in their own right, but compared to these three, they were a step behind.
It wasn’t just about raw strength or beauty. What truly set them apart was something intangible. An aura, a presence that only Violet could sense.
Just like Carinvega Frederick, they had a certain “uniqueness” that couldn’t be ignored.