Chapter 1 Protoss Royal Magic Academy, Southern District, Morning

It was half an hour past eight in the morning.

The entire complex was eerily silent, with only occasional glimpses of fleeting silhouettes through the dim windows.

Today was the end-of-month assessment day, officially starting at nine in the morning and continuing until nine in the evening.

All students required to participate in this crucial assessment had arrived at the assessment area—this building covered by a massive barrier—before eight o'clock.

Within the barrier-covered assessment area, the various buildings with different functions were connected by a complex network of aerial corridors and underground levels. The examinees had one hour of preparation time to familiarize themselves with the terrain, understand the announcements for the assessment, and choose an assessment classroom that they preferred to start with.

During this preparation time, all students were in a state where spells, martial power, and magic cards were forbidden, and they could no longer leave the barrier's range.

Only when a student, while injured, triggered the near-death warning line would they be judged as having failed and be taken out by a teacher.

Inside a corridor on the underground floor of the assessment area, Lan Qi and Zesitila walked in silence.

The end of the road was swallowed by endless blackness.

Even the silence seemed to deepen in this secluded passageway.

Only sparse light flickered or went out on either side from time to time. The marble floor tiles were paved with golden patterns that surged up and became dazzling and mysterious whenever the light swept across them.

The two walked lightly, observing the intricate decorations and location markers around them.

Along the various passageways, there were rows of magic screens that broadcast real-time notifications and the latest announcements and displayed maps and current locations.

The current location of the two felt like an ancient underground rail site.

"This is the site of an ancient Demon Realm rail station, which has now been converted into part of the Protoss Royal Magic Academy. There will even be trains running after the assessment begins."

Seeing Lan Qi's gaze lingering on every detail of the platform, Zesitila explained to Lan Qi.

"No wonder I can still see the rails."

Lan Qi nodded.

In his half-hour of observation, although the structure of the assessment area divided by the Protoss Royal Magic Academy was very different from that of the Purgatory Corridor Academy, judging from the scale, the assessment area for the monthly assessment day was not inferior to the number of classrooms that the Purgatory Corridor Academy had in its open state.

Although the assessment area looked like it was all indoors, it was transformed every monthly assessment day, making it difficult for students to quickly find the classroom they wanted to go to. It involved a certain amount of guesswork and luck. They could only distinguish the difficulty and type by seeing different marks on the doorplates of the examination classrooms.

In addition to some basic fixed mechanisms, some rules of each subsequent monthly assessment day would change and be released after all candidates entered the assessment area.

This one-hour preparation time was also the time for students to understand the rules.

Zesitila had only told Lan Qi the basic rules once before.

For example, successfully passing the assessment content of the classroom would earn academic credit points.

The assessment area had various types of assessment-style teaching and also a pure examination hall model, while the rest areas, such as restaurants, infirmaries, and shops, were generally not dangerous but required spending academic credit points.

There were five two-hour exam periods and four thirty-minute rest periods within twelve hours. Only during the thirty-minute rest periods would the isolation barrier between the assessment area and the rest area be lifted.

In addition, at least three classrooms had to be passed to be considered qualified, otherwise, a large number of academic credits would be deducted as punishment.

After passing a difficulty-one classroom, a minimum of 10 academic credit points would be awarded. A difficulty-two classroom would award a minimum of 20 academic credit points, and so on. If the performance was outstanding, even in a difficulty-one assessment, it was possible to obtain additional academic credit points.

Lan Qi understood after listening once and didn't ask Zesitila any questions, which made Zesitila inexplicably feel that he seemed very familiar with the rules, so she didn't talk to him about it any further.

"During rest time, any place is safe and it is not allowed to attack others, while during assessment time, areas outside the examination halls are free combat areas. Inside the examination halls, safety restrictions can sometimes be lifted for combat, depending on the rules."

Zesitila emphasized this point to Lan Qi again as they walked.

Although it wasn't to the point of risking severe punishment to injure other students' lives, some people liked to play dirty tricks.

She and Luo Qi were both relatively weak in combat and had to rely on mechanism protection. They couldn't encounter those older students who chose to participate in the assessment and noble students with powerful followers in an unrestricted state.

"If the assessment performance is not good, will the teachers kill you?"

Lan Qi heard this, stroked his chin, and said confusedly.

Although the Protoss Royal Magic Academy version of the rules encouraged confrontation between students and had many additional mechanisms, such as the intervention of professors and older students with power off-site, it lacked the life-and-death stimulation that learning should have.

Zesitila was stunned.

She didn't know what kind of tiger-and-wolf words Lan Qi was saying.

What kind of school would kill students at every turn?

Didn't the schools in the Southern Continent emphasize respect, friendship, and mutual assistance?

"Of course, there can't be that kind of rule."

Zesitila still patiently answered Lan Qi's question.

The two occasionally chatted as they walked along the dim tunnel, with only the striking light of the rows of identical signposts on the side reflecting on their cheeks.

Suddenly, the light became a bit brighter.

"Something new?"

Lan Qi noticed the new announcements that had begun to rotate on the crystal screens, many of which were about the additional rules for this assessment.

It was now 8:45, seemingly a reminder that the assessment would officially begin in fifteen minutes.

"These are the extra additional items limited to this assessment, such as bounties, initiated by the students themselves, providing academic credit points to bounty people they have grudges against on the monthly assessment day."

Zesitila said as she looked at the notice board.

Although the school would take 50% as a handling fee, if a certain student's bounty was extremely high, there would be additional rewards.

Because it was anonymous, it was also an opportunity for revenge.

"Don't worry, Teacher Luo Qi, although I am hated by many students, it's not enough for them to spend twice their own academic credits to bounty me."

Generally, deep-seated hatred would only warrant a bounty of a hundred points.

After all, academic credits were hard-earned.

The amount of one hundred academic credits was also considerable, enough to drive others to focus on hunting.

Unless she was bountied by a particularly large number of people.

Sometimes, students with strong strength would put more effort into additional items such as bounties than getting full credit from the five assessments, and the academic credit income might be higher.

"I see."

Lan Qi said thoughtfully.

"By the way, Teacher, have you offended any older students in the school these past two days?"

Zesitila looked at Lan Qi's expression, thought about it, and still asked in that calm manner.

"Zesitila..."

Lan Qi seemed to realize the problem.

"After the exam starts, even if the whole world is against you, I will protect you."

He said solemnly.

"I don't want to be against the whole world."

Zesitila said confusedly.

However, as soon as she finished speaking.

The next second.

She saw the clear photo at the top of the bounty list on every magic crystal screen notice board that lit up in the corridor.

And its bounty information—

[Bounty: Zesitila Lilom (Follower: Luo Qi McCarthy)]

[Total: 135655 academic credit points]

[Because this total has broken the monthly assessment day bounty school history record, a pink sacred-grade magic card from the ancient Protoss Royal Magic Academy treasury will be added as a reward.]

[If the bountied person successfully completes the assessment, they will receive 20% of the total bounty amount in academic credits and a pink sacred-grade ancient treasury self-selected reward.]

Zesitila: "???"

Huh?

Was there a mistake somewhere?

Why did she feel like the whole school wanted her dead!!