He was once again in the game-like world of the Virtual Realm. He could spot the [Interface] out of the corner of his eye. A red number 3 was jumping around, signifying a notification.

This should be from last night's quest.

Tonight, the duo would be attempting another quest to reach Level 10 as soon as possible. They were currently at Level 7—higher than most of the freshmen Energy Sorcerers, but still a ways away from Level 10.

I need to get to Level 10 before the next month...

Areii sighed. His progress was too slow. From what he had felt earlier in the assessment room, the demons were moving. After the recent silence between the war between humanity and the demons, the next event would surely bring about a great change.

He had to put in more effort in levelling up.

As it was, even though the Virtual Realm was 'virtual,' the resources it supplied were real and tangible. In fact, the rewards from Grand Lord's group assessments would be given through the Virtual Realm. If he could not convert his virtual resources into ones that he could actually use, then what was the use of having them in the first place? 

The special quest items he had collected were already collecting dust in his virtual warehouse.

Kizzen despised the presence of the young man walking behind her. His measured paces were like a constant droning in her ear. His breaths sounded like grating steel. She hated every aspect she could measure.

The way he never averted his gaze when she looked him in the eye.

The way he didn't regard her presence as anything important.

The way that he simply existed.

All of it. Horrid.

Disgusting.

If not for his presence, her reputation wouldn't have been tarnished. The whispers that had reached her ears had bothered her as she walked into her cabin. It had almost driven her mad.

Those bastards! She inwardly cursed. The eloquence of a noble was nonexistent when no one was looking. I'll show them!

She had no need for the help of a commoner. She didn't need his strength at all. She was #15 on the rankings, for god's sake! What use would some talentless ant be?

A three-man team should be enough to clear the Spider's Nest.

With that thought, Kizzen nodded at her two noble companions. They had reached the mouth of the Spider's Nest, hidden deep within a lush green forest. Sparse sunlight filtered through the canopy above, creating a grim, dark, and cavern-like clearing. An energy barrier was currently blocking off the outside world from what lay within.

Courtesy of the virtual locals.

The moment Kizzen stepped through the invisible barrier, she felt as if she had entered a steam engine. Dizzying heat waves wafted over her, and the air in front of her danced with the rising temperatures. Mirages were commonplace as if the desert had appeared in the middle of a forest.

However, the plants weren't anywhere near dead. In fact, they were teeming with life. 

Hiiiiieeeeeek—!

A thunderous shriek threatened to shred her eardrums, making her even dizzier than before. Suddenly, hundreds of spiders, each standing at half the height of an adult human, emerged from between impossible gaps.

"Time to throw in the bait,"

Cold were the words of the noble young lady, turning towards the commoner that tainted her team. 

Malhomm and le Savayaan should be done—

Confusion suddenly sprouted before Kizzen's expression. Varia Malhomm and Qui le Savayaan where nowhere to be found. Instead, a sphere of energy was rapidly approaching her face, growing infinitely large in a split second.

Her eyes dilated. She wanted to close her eyes in terror but she was frozen in place.

Her hair stood on end. Each strand was caught in the gale of destruction.

A chill ran through her spine.

Is this... death..?

Areii faced the nest of Giant Spiders alone. Although he couldn't use his gun, he faired quite well. Like flowing water, he weaved through the sharp legs and fangs that darted in and out of his range of attack. He would occasionally fire an energy sphere, creating an explosion in some vital point, weakening his enemies one bit a time.

He was in his element.

A [War Saint] who had returned to war.

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

At a certain point, Areii completed his preparations. He released a single sphere of energy and decimated the spider population. Fear seemed to circulate among the oversized insects. He sent another sphere out and crushed the head of the brood mother, causing the surrounding spiders to go berserk.

Their rollercoaster of emotions was pleasing to the eye. Green blood spread everywhere as the spiders rushed forward like a flood. Exoskeletal shells and limbs flew through the air.

Vulnerability was the ink and Areii was the artist. A grim scene of insect bodies falling apart and shrieks of defiant rage had been depicted with eerie efficiency.

The giant spiders slew their own kin as they advanced. They destroyed themselves one limb at a time with every enraged step they used to move. 

Pitiful creatures.

Areii stood still as a statue. The rain of blood drenched him, but he paid it no heed.

As the freshmen emerged from their [Virtual Mind Cabin]s one by one, their scores were tabulated and displayed on a large holographic screen. They were graded based on their personal kill count, final health, and ability to work with a team.

Areii Layvann was one of the last to emerge, and gasps literred the assessment room the moment he did.

"Impossible!"

"A kill count of 119?!"

"But why is his grade only 60%?"

"Look! His teammates don't have a single kill to their name!"

"Isn't that the commoner? What did he do?"

The moment Areii emerged, a figure rushed towards him. Her footsteps were rapid, and her expression was ugly beyond imagination. Rage filled her irises with a desire to kill.

"You bastard!" Kizzen roared as she grabbed Areii's collar. Suddenly, her body radiated a wave of heat.

Kizzen's energy roared to life, reflecting her emotions like a rolling storm. This act of aggression made the faces of many nobles light up.

Yes! Beat some sense into him!

Send him crying to his mother!

Finally!

Gloating expressions filled the room. The commoner was finally going to get what he deserved. This was a great thing.

This will be trouble... Even Hilgreus, the man whose frame dwarfed every single student in the room, stayed quiet. Only a slight frown had appeared on his face. Although it was against the rules for another student to attack another with energy, this was in the case of students with similar standings.

Commoners should bow before their masters.

Hilgreus was of the same thought. Anyway, there was no force or family behind a commoner like Areii Layvann. There would be no consequences. In fact, it would be more of a headache if Kizzen Afa did not get to vent her anger. Her family would surely put up a complaint.

Especially since Areii Layvann had acted first.

He killed his own teammates without a second thought... What a merciless lad. Hilgreus had a bad feeling.

Fortunately, Areii had used up all his energy in the Virtual Realm. He wasn't in a state where he could fight Kizzen, whose energy was brimming with life. Being eliminated early meant that she didn't need to spend that much time recuperating.

Thud—

A dull, skeletal collision resounded throughout the room, silencing the murmurs of the crowd. Kizzen, whose energy had been blazing with strength, suddenly staggered back. Her eyes shook in dazed confusion.

Thud—

A heel came flying in, drawing a beautiful arc-like trajectory. It struck Kizzen's cheek, and sent her whirling backwards even further.

Then a fist followed right after. It pushed into her gut, and the crowd watched as Kizzen threw up her lunch all over the classroom floor.

As Kizzen Afa retched and heaved laboured breaths, the youths couldn't help but gulp. Areii Layvann's movements terrified them, sending tremors down to their Cores.

What was that?! Even Hilgreus gaped in shock. 

Areii's movements were precise, efficient, and deadly. There wasn't even a hint of hesitation. 

His limbs simply shot out like they were weapons of war.