CHAPTER 781: 781: DIVINE GAME: CARD SWAP 30

The floral scent in the air subtly shifted—it was exactly on the hour.

A voice called out from the distance: "Assessment begins!"

Before the sentence finished, it had already started. Wooden spheres began raining from the sky, dropping one after another. If a student was hit more than three times, they would be teleported to the second zone behind the instructors, where the next attack pattern would begin. That phase tested defense more than evasion.

The first zone only lasted for ten minutes at most. Any student still there after that would be transferred automatically.

There were four zones in total, each with a unique type of offensive pressure, to prevent students from relying on proficiency in just one defensive style. Based on how long a student lasted, placements would be assigned—early dropouts went to D-Class, while the final five remaining would enter the SSS-Class.

Rita focused completely on dodging. She had already separated from Mistblade, Fat Goose, and the others. That was their unspoken rule and pride—each assessment was faced individually.

She had the strongest melee ability and weakest ranged; Fat Goose was weak in close combat but unmatched in defense; Maple Syrup excelled in both melee and ranged; Mistblade, while not a healer by nature, consistently landed in the top ranks of healing classes.

Each of the four was lopsided in skill. Working together might boost a team’s average performance—but would drag down the strongest member’s placement.

There were only five SSS slots. Earning one meant pushing yourself to the limit, without a shred of distraction.

None of them needed to be protected or accommodated.

That kind of "indifference" had scared off plenty of classmates who wanted to join their group.

But everyone in the squad loved it.

None of them wanted to dim their own light just to make others feel more comfortable.

Rita’s evasion skills were solid. In this game, you could also deflect or destroy the incoming wooden spheres.

She pulled a homemade tennis racket out of her backpack—crafted during item class—and began swatting every wooden ball in her area straight into the instructor zone.

The seven teachers stood quietly in the center of the field. Any wooden ball that drifted too close was obliterated the moment it touched an invisible barrier surrounding them.

Rita’s move quickly influenced the others nearby. Those who’d been hitting balls away aimlessly began following her lead, redirecting their attacks toward the teacher zone instead of into the student crowd.

After all, hitting a classmate might invite retaliation. Much safer to copy the flashy owlet and aim for the instructors.

A floating instructor wearing a mask and sporting four arms hovered half a meter above the ground. He commented, "This isn’t her first time, right?"

Next to him, a moon bear said, "Nope. She’s got a talent for redirecting conflict."

Most students would get caught up in the chaos of these assessments. But this one—she always found a clean path out and quietly led others toward it.

She didn’t use words to incite or manipulate. She just acted, and let others see the better way.

Reminded them both of Lightchaser.

Over twenty minutes later, Rita was finally knocked into the fourth zone.

Thanks to her Nebula Bubble, healing abilities, and high agility, she once again made it into SS-Class.

A moon bear walked up to the elimination area. "We’re full. Let’s move."

The students followed the moon bear.

The first time Rita had seen this teacher, she’d been surprised. A literal bear. But she hadn’t spoken to them much. It had just been a passing encounter—and they probably didn’t even remember her.

She only knew the teacher was a druid named GodDraw77.

One of the rare instructors at Moonlight Marsh capable of teaching attack, defense, and support courses interchangeably. She shifted forms depending on the subject.

What Rita still couldn’t figure out was... how the hell that name got approved.

As they walked, the bear gradually shrank, shifting seamlessly into a black panther roughly the same height as the students.

"Today’s training is anti-tracking and stealth," she announced.

"You have five minutes to hide. After that, the hunt begins. The first fifty I catch get double homework. The last one I catch gets taught an A-Rank skill. If no one catches you before lunch, I’ll give you fifty credits and teach you an S-Rank skill."

"You’re free to use any method. The only rule: don’t cross the red barrier."

Four pale red walls of light suddenly surged upward, surrounding the entire sunny clearing.

Then, a green sprout appeared above the heads of all the students assigned to SS-Class.

GodDraw77 explained, "This’ll help me identify you. You can try removing it. Aside from that, I won’t use any skills once the game starts."

Three seconds of silence passed. Then a student lit up by a skill effect bolted forward.

Midair, they twisted to face the teacher while flying backward and called out, "Hey teacher! If I win, I want a ranged S-Rank skill!"

GodDraw77 stared. "...You’re just like Lightchaser."

Gotta show off. Like it’s physically painful not to.

Rita’s sudden movement set off a chain reaction. The entire group exploded into motion, scattering in every direction.

GodDraw77 sat on the ground, resisting the urge to scratch her ears with a hind leg, watching Lightchaser’s cub disappear into a neighboring zone.

Once inside the trees, Rita quickly broke away from her peers. She didn’t use any disguise skills right away. Instead, she pulled out a small snowman with ten carrot sticks jammed in its back, and activated a rewind.

The sprout above her head vanished instantly.

Last time, she’d made the mistake of using stealth first and ignoring that stupid sprout—it had been GodDraw77’s mark.

With that dealt with, she pulled a vial of nutrient spray from her bag and sprinkled it in a wide circle around her.

"This is my thank-you fee," she whispered. "Please don’t tell Teacher Hao Qi what I did."

The surrounding plants swayed gently. A rock mantis perched on a branch gave its violin a few strokes—that was a yes.

Rita smiled and bowed in thanks. She was about to shift into another student’s appearance—she’d brought every color of uniform, just in case.

But just as she activated the disguise, she paused and looked up at the mantis, then scanned the curious little creatures watching her from the brush.

An idea took shape.

Instead of changing her form, she pulled out a stick of incense. Lighting it with a flame, she waved the smoke over her entire body to erase her scent.

GodDraw77’s panther form had absurdly sharp senses. This was something she’d learned from experience.

Then she hovered next to the rock mantis—its head was about the size of hers—and grinned.

"You interested in trading that violin for a new one?"