Chapter 139: Surprise Exam[2]
Elen’s analysis was brilliant - identifying underlying economic pressures, personality conflicts among leadership, and strategic miscalculations that had contributed to the alliance’s dissolution.
I absorbed her framework and wrote my own version, maintaining enough difference to avoid raising suspicion while benefiting from her superior analytical perspective.
Time continued passing with agonizing slowness. Sylvia’s patrols remained unpredictable, forcing me to constantly adapt my observation timing. Several times, she stopped near students who were struggling, offering no assistance but clearly monitoring for cheating behaviors.
An hour and forty minutes into the examination, I had successfully referenced Elen’s answers for approximately twenty critical questions while genuinely completing the remaining through my own knowledge.
The final twenty minutes, I focused entirely on my own paper, reviewing and refining answers to ensure consistency and quality. No more enhanced vision, no more observation - just legitimate work that would withstand any scrutiny.
"Time is up," Sylvia announced precisely two hours after we’d begun. "Put down your writing instruments and close your examination booklets."
I complied immediately, my heart rate finally beginning to normalize after the sustained tension of covert information gathering.
Sylvia collected the exams personally, her sharp eyes scanning each student’s face as she took their papers. When she reached my desk, she paused fractionally longer than with others.
"Confident in your performance, Adrian?" she asked neutrally.
"I did my best with the material, Instructor," I replied honestly, which was technically true even if the method was questionable.
She nodded and moved on, leaving me uncertain whether she suspected anything or was simply maintaining her vigilance.
As we filed out of the classroom, I caught Elen looking thoughtful, though she couldn’t possibly know I’d been observing her work. The privacy enchantments had functioned as designed from her perspective.
The gamble had been necessary. In the academy’s competitive environment, every advantage mattered, and maintaining top academic standings was just as important as combat excellence for long-term positioning.
All I have to do now was simply wait for the exam results to arrive.
As I walked toward the training facilities following my usual afternoon routine, an unexpected voice called out behind me.
"Wait."
I turned around to find Seraphina walking toward me with her characteristic calm composure. The legendary bloodline user moved with natural grace, her distinctive features drawing attention from other students in the corridor even though she maintained a deliberately low profile.
I stood in place, waiting for her to close the distance while my mind raced through possible motivations for this conversation. Was she fishing for information on behalf of Kyle’s faction? Attempting to assess my capabilities for future confrontations? Or did she have some personal agenda I hadn’t anticipated?
The novel had portrayed her as straightforward and honorable, but circumstances had changed significantly. My interference with the timeline and her elimination might have altered her personality or priorities in ways I couldn’t predict.
"Yes?" I asked neutrally, studying her expression for clues about her intentions.
"I want to talk with you for a minute," she said calmly, her voice carrying none of the hostility I might have expected from someone I’d effectively removed from a major competition.
After a moment of contemplation, I nodded and gestured toward a quieter area of the academy grounds. "This way."
We walked in silence until reaching a secluded courtyard away from the main student traffic. Seraphina positioned herself with typical awareness - maintaining comfortable distance while ensuring clear sight lines in case this conversation turned confrontational.
She started without any preliminary small talk. "Were you hiding your true strength before your awakening?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" I responded, despite knowing what she wanted.
Seraphina’s cold eyes studied me carefully. "During our engagement period, you displayed completely different capabilities and personality. The Adrian Blackwood I observed then barely qualified as competent in basic combat fundamentals. Yet within weeks of awakening, you’re defeating Elite-rank opponents, creating innovative magical devices, and orchestrating complex tactical operations. That degree of transformation seems... implausible without prior concealment."
The pieces clicked together. She was questioning whether the "old Adrian" had been an elaborate act rather than genuine incompetence.
"Oh, that," I said, allowing a slight smile. "No, I wasn’t hiding my strength. I genuinely changed after my awakening. The bloodline transformation affected more than just my physical capabilities - it altered my entire perspective and priorities."
I met her gaze directly. "I realized that chasing after certain things simply wasn’t worth the effort anymore."
Her eyebrow moved fractionally - the only visible reaction to what was clearly a deliberate jab at her. Of course she understood the meaning behind my words. The old Adrian had pursued her relentlessly, making a fool of himself through transparent attempts to win her favor despite her obvious disinterest.
The silence stretched between us, charged with unspoken acknowledgment of that history.
Seraphina’s expression remained composed, though I detected subtle calculation behind her cold exterior. She was reassessing everything she thought she knew about me, recalibrating her understanding based on this new information.
"A convenient explanation," she finally said. "Bloodline awakenings can certainly cause personality shifts, though rarely to such dramatic degrees."
"Well, I guess I’m one of those rare cases," I countered with a smile on my face.
"Perhaps." She didn’t sound entirely convinced, but neither was she outright rejecting the explanation. "Your performance during the examination was... impressive. Particularly your strategic manipulation of the final confrontation."
"Thank you. Your duel with Emmet was also noteworthy. You defeated him despite the prolonged combat exhaustion."
Her eyes flickered with something that might have been respect. "You knocked me unconscious and triggered my elimination."
"Do you resent it?" I asked directly.
Seraphina considered the question seriously before responding. "No. You operated within the examination parameters and made tactically sound decisions. I lost because I allowed myself to be manipulated into an unsustainable combat situation. That’s a lesson worth learning, even at the cost of elimination."
The maturity of her response aligned with the novel’s portrayal of her character - someone who valued strength and thinking above petty grudges.
"Was there something specific you wanted from this conversation?" I asked. "Or was this purely reconnaissance?"
A ghost of a smile touched her lips - the first real expression beyond cold composure. "Reconnaissance, primarily. Kyle’s faction is trying to understand how you achieved such decisive victory. I volunteered to approach you directly rather than rely on second-hand speculation."
"And what will you report back?"
"Well, nothing new. You didn’t really say much, did you?"
Seraphina nodded, accepting the non-answer. "Fair enough. Thank you for your time, Adrian."
She walked away with the same grace she’d arrived with, leaving me to contemplate the implications of this unexpected conversation.
After the conversation with Seraphina concluded, I continued toward Section G where all the specialized training facilities were located. The area was designated for intensive personal development, featuring various magical constructs and enchanted equipment designed to push students beyond their normal limits.
I approached the booking station and made an unusual request. "I need a training room with a Transcendent-rank combat dummy for two hours."
The attendant’s eyebrows rose slightly. "Young master Blackwood, you’re aware that’s significantly more expensive than the standard Elite-rank facilities? It’s five thousand points per hour."
"I’m aware. Proceed with the booking."
[-10,000 Points]
The substantial deduction barely fazed me given my recent examination rewards, though I could see other students nearby glancing over with obvious curiosity about why an Elite-rank student would pay premium rates for Transcendent-level training equipment.
The assigned room was noticeably larger and more heavily reinforced than standard facilities. The Transcendent-rank training dummy stood in the center - a magical construct that could withstand and measure attacks far beyond what Elite-rank equipment could handle.
I spent the next two hours in intensive training, pushing every aspect of my bloodline abilities to their absolute limits. Blood Control exercises focused on precision manipulation and maximum output. Supernatural Physique training involved extreme physical stress that would have crippled normal bodies. Blood Enhancement practice pushed my augmentation capabilities beyond comfortable thresholds.
The dummy’s integrated measurement systems tracked every strike, every technique application, every marginal improvement in my performance. The data would be valuable for analyzing my development trajectory.
Two hours later, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily from sustained exertion, I felt the familiar notifications pulse through my consciousness.
[Your Blood Control trait has reached level 4]
[Your Supernatural Physique trait has reached level 4]
[Your Blood Enhancement trait has reached level 4]
A smile formed on my face as I read through the notifications. All three of my primary traits had advanced simultaneously - an unprecedented achievement that represented weeks of accumulated effort finally bearing fruit. The improvements would be substantial, enhancing my combat effectiveness by a significant margin.
Before the training session, I had tested my maximum damage output against the Transcendent dummy to establish a baseline. The recorded value had been 21,500 damage units, the value was above anything any normal elite rank awakener could output. Anything above 20,000 units was known to be in the territory of transcendent-rank awakeners, even if it was on the lower end of the transcendent rank.
Now, with all my traits elevated to level 4, I was eager to see exactly how much stronger I had become.
"Time to test my new strength," I said aloud, a confident smile spreading across my face as I activated all my enhancements simultaneously and prepared to strike the dummy with everything I had.
Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself before activating my traits. The sword in my hand became enhanced, and multiple spears appeared above my head, waiting for my command to obliterate anything I wanted.