Chapter 16 : I picked it up
Via stepped into the magic-shielded barrier. In her vision, a flag bearing the Avalon Academy crest fluttered.
“Team 043 member Via Sheliford has reached the safe zone. Assessment complete. Preparing score settlement!”
The announcement boomed over the safe zone.
Students who had already finished emerged from the rest area, gathering to gawk at the disheveled pink-haired girl in a filthy uniform.
“Via actually finished?”
“Look at her—she obviously snuck back.”
“Yeah, and her teammates aren’t here. Bet she got ditched again, just like last year.”
No one took Via seriously; they were all waiting for the punchline—her handing over a pathetic core for a rock-bottom score.
Via ignored them and walked alone to the central verification zone.
Professor Anima stood, eyeing the approaching Via. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, frowned instinctively, and asked, “Via, you’re the only one back?”
“Yes.” Via nodded.
“Where are the others?”
“Not sure. We got separated. Couldn’t find Mary or Hank anywhere.”
“Separated? Fine.”
Anima didn’t bother calling out the lie.
Same excuse as last year.
Last assessment, teammates hated the useless pink-hair and kicked her out.
Abandoned Via scraped a bottom score with a similar dodge.
This time, Team 043 probably ditched the deadweight too.
“Per rules, reaching the safe zone completes the assessment. Now submit beast cores for scoring. Reminder: submission doesn’t guarantee passing—too few means fail!”
Anima’s tone was perfunctory; he already pictured Via producing a laughable Iron-rank core.
“Via, quit stalling! Hand over the cores—let’s all see the show!” a heckler shouted.
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
“I…”
Via clutched her container bag, shrinking timidly—classic guilty look.
Anima saw it: probably the most embarrassing case—no core at all.
“Hurry up—don’t waste time!”
Anima snatched the bag impatiently, opening it publicly to count.
“Alright, I declare Via Sheliford’s final score to be fail—huh?”
His pen clattered to the ground.
Everyone else froze.
Dead silence fell—like Via had cast a zone-wide mute spell.
Inside the container: cores galore. No Iron-rank. Bronze minimum—several deep-lustered, clearly Silver.
So many Silvers—score spoke for itself.
“Professor Anima, not announcing my score?” Via picked up the dropped pen, handing it back.
“Y-You… how… five Silver?!” Anima’s eyes bulged.
The would-be mockers’ faces locked in shock.
Among them, teams with multiple Silvers were rare.
Most aimed for a few Bronzes—just to pass.
“Via, how did you get these?” Anima demanded.
“Picked them up.”
“Picked up?”
“Yep.”
“Are you kidding? You think Silver cores are roadside pebbles?? Just lying around???”
Anima’s mouth twitched.
Silver cores—made to sound trivial?
If ranking were that easy, Avalon diplomas would be worthless.
“Maybe I got lucky. Found them on the path—probably teams fighting beasts, teleported out, left them behind…”
Via stayed her usual soft self.
“Handbook doesn’t say you can’t pick them up, right?”
“This…?!”
Anima was speechless.
Handbook indeed omitted it—luck counted as skill.
Procedure demanded he announce.
After verification, he wrote on the board.
“Team 043 member Via Sheliford submits eight Bronze cores, five Silver cores. Final score: EXCELLENT!”
Excellent dropped—safe zone erupted in uproar.
Dust settled.
Via felt a spark of joy—excellent was hard-won.
“Via couldn’t even pass last year—excellent now?”
“No way!! We fought tooth and nail just to pass!”
“Yeah, ‘picked up’? Who buys that crap!”
Confusion, envy, outrage—voices flooded the zone.
Result defied all expectations.
They came for a laugh—got none.
“Professor Anima, you really think Via lucked into this?” a student challenged. “Something’s fishy!”
“This…”
Anima doubted too—but no proof.
He chose a line to shut them up, prevent chaos.
“Quiet! The academy will investigate later. If Via cheated, we’ll void the score!”
“What’s the commotion?”
Resting Via heard unrest outside.
Team 023’s scores announced—barely passing?
She left the lounge, seeing a ragged, mud-caked, scratched-up student leading a crowd toward her.
At the front: Owen, idol of many—but his usually charming face dripped venom.
Spotting Via, his eyes nearly shot flames.
“Via, you dare show your face? Look what you’ve done!”