Extra's Fate

'That should be all…'

Plunging my sword through the skull of the last monster, I released a sigh.

These past ten minutes had been quite grueling for me.

More than a few dozen Fenrir Wolves had perished under my blade, their lifeless bodies strewn across the area. Each had given me a hard fight, leaving me exhausted yet satisfied with the hunt.

Why?

Well, if I recall correctly, each creature was worth 20 points, which meant that, at least for now, I was in first place in the exam ranks.

I knew I would soon be overtaken as the main characters picked up their pace, but it was an enormous achievement nonetheless.

Taking a seat on a rock that wasn't smeared with the wolves' blood, I allowed myself to relax a bit.

The fight had been tough, and I needed some rest.

Absent-mindedly, I tilted my head, looking at the sun high in the sky.

Though it appeared real, it was actually artificial.

In fact, everything around me was artificial, even the rock I was sitting on.

This was the Domain of the Principal called 'Free Will', allowing him to create everything and anything within it.

Every person in the world can create a domain, but only upon reaching S Rank in all major attributes.

Domains differ from one another, and I only knew the name and properties of this one because it was public information in the game.

Even if we were critically wounded, we wouldn't die here. The principal had deliberately created monsters that wouldn't actually kill, only seriously injure the students.

What a convenient domain this is…

'Time for rest is over.'

Turning my eyes from the fake sun, I began standing up.

Just as I was about to grab my sword embedded in one of the wolves, I felt a presence nearby. It wasn't because I noticed any mana fluctuations, as I couldn't sense them, but rather this nagging feeling that someone was observing me.

'Maybe I am just paranoid...'

Shaking my head, I gazed at the greenery one last time before slowly retreating from the burrow and back into the forest.

With so many points, all I had to do now was go to the center of the domain and wait for the boss monster of this examination to spawn.

If I managed to take it down, I was confident I could secure a position in the top 10, as the amount of points it awarded was enormous.

Of course, I would need to slay it first, which was an issue in itself, but I had vowed to give this exam my all and I will even if it means fighting that monstrosity alone.

***

"Strong."

Arthur mouthed, watching the young man disappear into the forest.

That dark-haired student was certainly a powerful individual.

Although Arthur had only caught the end of the fight, the dozens of Fenrir Wolf corpses spread around the area were a testament to that student's skill.

Silently, Arthur clenched his fists.

That guy was indeed formidable, but Arthur knew his own strength best. He could handle such a number of wolves, or even more, without breaking a sweat.

'I am still stronger.'

***

"She was right…"

Aveline muttered, looking at the trees surrounding her.

Her hair was a mess, unbefitting a princess destined to inherit the throne. Her expression was also strained, struggling to keep her usual calm composure.

"My mother was right…"

She whispered under her breath.

"That man is crazy!"

Before attending Starfall Academy, she had spent hours with the Empress, discussing the institution. One thing her mother said was to be wary of the principal, a crazed maniac no one could control.

Even then, Aveline didn't expect to be thrown miles high into the sky, falling to her death. If not for her superb control of wind, she would have hit the ground and turned into a bloody pancake.

"He's truly crazy…"

She uttered, trying to straighten her black hair.

However, apart from being crazy, her mother also mentioned that this man had a soft side to him. He was kind and generous to those he acknowledged. Right now, one way to get acknowledged by that old bast-, man was to kill as many monsters as possible.

"Just you wait…"

***

"This is boring…"

Ian sighed, looking at the ice statues surrounding him.

He had expected the exam to be hard, wanting to face monsters of either his strength or stronger.

Instead, he got a group of Magic Hogs that he froze and shattered with ease.

He didn't even have to use advanced spells; a single swipe of his hand was enough to dispatch the entire pack.

Initially, he didn't believe all the monsters were so weak, but after roaming the area, he could only shake his head.

Most beings he saw were weaklings, challenging for the average student but hardly entertaining for him.

'I will just take first place, I guess…'