The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 56. Midterm Evaluation (1)
The classroom door swung open with a sharp click.
A massive man with a commanding presence strode in, his footsteps echoing through the space.
Lucas Kane, whose very appearance evoked the image of a predatory beast, stood at the lectern and swept his gaze across the assembled Candidates.
“Let’s see… Third-year Warrior Department, all 253 members accounted for?”
“Yes. Everyone is present.”
Yuren, the representative Candidate of the Warrior Department, rose from his seat and answered.
I surveyed the Classroom packed with Warrior Department Candidates and clicked my tongue softly.
‘The Warrior Department really does have overwhelming numbers when you see them all like this.’
Of the 472 third-year Candidates in total, more than half belonged to the Warrior Department, which specialized in close-quarters combat.
‘Of the remaining 219, half are in the Magic Department, and the rest are in the Support Department and other divisions.’
The Support Department was primarily composed of clerical specialists like Iris who excelled in healing and blessings, while the other divisions served as a catch-all for irregular Candidates who didn’t fit neatly into either of the three main categories.
“As you all know, tomorrow is the Warrior Department’s midterm evaluation.”
“….”
At Lucas Kane’s words, tension rippled across the faces of the assembled Candidates.
The Warrior Department midterm evaluation.
The final evaluation at the end of the semester involved forming a Party regardless of department, but the midterm evaluation required each department to conduct separate examinations.
The scoring ratio between midterm and final evaluations was 3 to 7.
Though the final evaluation carried greater weight, for Candidates whose post-graduation heroic careers hinged on their overall rankings, this was hardly an exam to dismiss.
“This midterm evaluation will determine your grades based on the points you accumulate by hunting magical beasts within designated zones.”
Lucas Kane placed his hand on a magical device resting atop the lectern.
Light erupted from the device, and a holographic map materialized in the air before us.
“There are three zones in total: Mountain Terrain composed of vegetation and trees, Desert Terrain composed of sand and rock, and Snowy Plain Terrain composed of snow and ice.”
The three zones appeared on the holographic map, marked in green, yellow, and white respectively.
“Successfully hunting magical beasts within these zones will earn you points based on their rank.”
“How many ranks do magical beasts have?”
A Candidate listening to the explanation raised his hand and asked.
“An excellent question.”
Lucas Kane nodded and manipulated the magical device.
The holographic map floating in the air transformed into images of magical beasts.
“Regardless of type, Third-Rank magical beasts grant 1 point, Fourth-Rank magical beasts grant 3 points, and Fifth-Rank magical beasts grant 10 points.”
As the professor continued, the Classroom began to stir with excitement.
“Ugh….”
“Wait, Fifth-Rank magical beasts too?”
“If it’s only up to Fourth-Rank, I think we could manage….”
“I’m going with a quantity strategy. Just hunt down all the Third-Rank ones and we’re good, right?”
“Hey, look at the point difference before you talk. You’d need to catch ten Third-Rank beasts just to match one Fifth-Rank. Going for the big ones is smarter.”
“How are we even supposed to hunt Fifth-Rank magical beasts?”
“Well, uh… skillfully?”
“Sure thing. Only monsters like Yuren can hunt those! We absolutely have to go with the quantity strategy!”
While the Candidates were debating the merits of this approach versus that one, their voices rising in the lecture hall.
“Silence.”
Thud.
When Lucas Kane slammed his fist against the lectern, a chilling silence descended upon the previously restless Classroom.
“I haven’t finished my explanation yet, so save your thinking for later.”
Lucas Kane pressed the button once more.
The hologram floating in midair transformed into the massive shape of a horse.
A horse with a horn that radiated a brilliant azure light.
Muscles developed to a terrifying degree, white fur covering its entire body, and arcs of lightning crackling around it with every breath it took.
And above all else.
Three pairs of crimson eyes covering its face.
Despite knowing it was merely a holographic projection and not something real, the oppressive aura emanating from the magical beast was so overwhelming that my spine tingled with dread.
“S-six eyes?!”
“Insane…! A Six-Eyed magical beast is something only active heroes can face!”
“P-Professor Kane, surely you’re not asking us to hunt that magical beast, are you?”
The Candidates stared at Lucas Kane with trembling eyes.
Lucas Kane looked down at them from the platform, a smirk spreading across his face.
“If I wasn’t asking you to catch it, why would I bother preparing and showing you this material?”
“That’s….”
The Candidates exchanged nervous glances, unable to finish their thoughts.
“Well, of course I’m not asking just anyone to catch it.”
Lucas Kane continued, gazing up at the hologram suspended in the air.
“This magical beast is a tamed creature specially trained by Professor Bianca from the Magic Department. As long as you don’t attack first, the beast won’t attack you.”
“Ah….”
“Any Candidate who destroys the bell hanging around this beast’s neck will secure first place in the midterm evaluation, regardless of their score.”
In other words.
If one could simply destroy the bell around that beast’s neck, there would be no need to desperately search through the designated zone or compete with others.
“And the Candidate who successfully destroys the bell will receive an additional reward as well.”
“An additional reward, you say…?”
“What kind of reward is it?”
“Heh heh. I’ll keep that as a surprise for later.”
Lucas Kane grinned mischievously.
“But I will tell you this much—it’s quite a valuable item.”
“A valuable item….”
Desire flashed across the Candidates’ eyes.
If Lucas Kane himself called it a “valuable item,” it had to be something extraordinary.
Combined with the guarantee of first place in the midterm evaluation just for succeeding, their desire burned intensely.
But that enthusiasm was short-lived.
“Hmm.”
“Even so, a Six-Eyed magical beast is….”
The Candidate Program students faced reality head-on the moment they locked eyes with the three pairs of gleaming pupils perched atop the demonic beast’s head.
“Since it said it wouldn’t attack first, we just need to sneak in and destroy the bell, right?”
“Does it sound that easy in practice? And if you accidentally hit its body instead of the bell, you’ll be headed straight to the Medical Facility that very day.”
“The Medical Facility would be a blessing compared to what could happen otherwise….”
“Come on, it’s Bianca’s familiar, right? Surely it wouldn’t actually kill us?”
“Haven’t you heard? Every year from third year onwards, several students die during exams. Three died during last year’s midterm evaluation!”
“That’s insane… last year would be the fourth years now, right? The strongest class since the Academy’s founding….”
“Exactly. Even among those senior students, three casualties occurred. So what would happen to us?”
The Candidate Program students began murmuring anxiously once more.
Lucas Kane opened his mouth, his voice dropping low and heavy.
“Silence.”
His mana-infused voice resonated through the entire Classroom with crushing weight.
Lucas Kane swept his gaze across all the Candidate Program students before speaking.
“As you’ve said, unlike previous exams, starting from the third-year midterm evaluation, ‘casualties’ can occur. In simple terms, if you overestimate yourselves without knowing your true capabilities, you could end up dead.”
“….”
Gulp.
The Candidate Program students swallowed hard, their faces pale with fear.
Watching them, Lucas Kane clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“Albert.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Where is this place?”
“…Pardon? This is… the Main Building 1-A Lecture Hall….”
“Not that. Where are you all currently attending school?”
“Ah… the Hero Academy!”
“That’s right. The Hero Academy.”
Lucas Kane nodded gravely.
“You didn’t come here to earn good grades, to secure a guaranteed future, or to chase fame and fortune.”
“The reason you’re here receiving four years of education at this Academy is to learn how to survive as a hero.”
“I won’t tell you not to be afraid. I won’t tell you not to run away.”
But.
“If you wish to live as a hero, then think.”
Deliberate and agonize.
Contemplate and reason.
“What you’re capable of, what you must learn, how you can survive.”
Lucas Kane struck the blackboard with a sharp tap as he looked across the Candidate Program students.
“That is the purpose of this exam.”
“….”
In the Classroom packed with over two hundred students, the sound of the clock’s ticking seconds echoed through the silence.
“Each Candidate Program student may choose whichever terrain they prefer to start with, so consider which terrain would be most advantageous for you.”
With those words, Lucas Kane turned and walked out of the Classroom.
“Phew.”
“Ugh… Professor Lucas Kane’s pressure really is something….”
As Lucas Kane left, the classroom that had fallen silent erupted into murmurs once more.
“Anyway, if we get to choose our starting point, where would you pick?”
“The Mountain Terrain seems like the safest choice, doesn’t it?”
“Come on, use your head for once. Everyone’s going to think like you and pick the Mountain Terrain, so there’ll be tons of competition. It’s better to choose the Desert Terrain or Snowy Plain Terrain here and minimize your rivals.”
“But what if everyone ends up crowding into those instead?”
“Well….”
One day until the midterm evaluation.
The massive game of political maneuvering among the Candidate Program students to secure good grades had already begun.
* * *
“Dale, which terrain are you starting in?”
As class ended, Yuren hurried over to me.
“I’m planning to start in the Mountain Terrain.”
“Mountain Terrain? Hmm. Won’t there be too many competitors there?”
“Well, it’s still the easiest terrain to move through.”
But I couldn’t tell Yuren the real reason.
My choice of the Mountain Terrain wasn’t simply because it was “easy to move through.”
‘If I’m being honest, the Snowy Plain Terrain would actually be easier for me to navigate.’
In my past life, I had wandered a continent covered in snow and ice for thousands of years, so the Snowy Plain Terrain was actually the terrain where I moved most naturally.
Yet there was one reason I chose the Mountain Terrain as my starting point.
‘This time, I’m going for first place.’
A horned white horse wrapped in azure lightning.
In my past life, that beast had first been discovered in the Mountain Terrain.
‘In my past life, I never even thought of hunting it.’
But things were different now.
‘And the reward is pretty tempting too.’
In my past life, it was Yuren who destroyed the beast’s bell and claimed first place.
The special reward given to him was a sword forged from the beast’s horn.
‘A sword that sparked with lightning whenever mana flowed through it.’
Well, it wasn’t a mythic-grade artifact that granted immense power with just a single weapon.
But it was a magnificent blade incomparably superior to the standard-issue iron sword I was using now.
‘Sorry, Yuren, but I’m taking that sword this time.’
After all, Yuren would inherit the legendary sword passed down through the Helios Family for generations, “Dawn,” so surely he could spare me this much.
“Dale… don’t tell me you’re planning to hunt that beast?”
Had he sensed my thoughts?
Yuren asked with a rigid expression.
“Yeah. I’m planning to.”
“….”
I answered calmly while Yuren fixed me with a sharp stare.
“…I can’t do that.”
Yuren bit his lip, his expression tinged with anxiety.
“No matter who it is, I won’t yield the first-place position.”
“Well, then you’ll just have to break the orb before I do.”
“…Fine. See you tomorrow, Dale.”
With that, Yuren turned sharply and walked away.
“Hmm.”
I tilted my head, watching Yuren recede into the distance.
‘So Yuren’s more obsessed with grades than I thought during his Candidate Program days?’
Perhaps because I’d always assumed Yuren would naturally be first, it had colored my perception.
Seeing him cling so desperately to that top position felt oddly refreshing.
“Well, regardless, I have no intention of surrendering easily.”
Committing the holographic form of the Unicorn to memory, I stepped out of the Classroom.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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