Chapter 44. Sudden Test (3)
Drawing lots.
It was clearly a different development from the original work.
Enoch turned his head, slightly stiff.
‘In the original work, the team formation method for the 1st examination was left to individual autonomy?’
Of course, he knew.
Since it was now 5 years before the original work, the detailed content of the examination could very well be different.
And although somewhat surprising, it wasn't necessarily a bad situation.
‘No… calm down. Maybe it’s actually better?’
Even if there were participants he liked here, it was uncertain if they would join hands with him.
He didn't exactly have any carrots prepared to recruit them at the moment either.
In that sense, forming teams by drawing lots might actually have its merits for him.
‘The problem is, since it’s drawing lots, it’s down to luck.’
Enoch swallowed dryly.
Ultimately, who got picked for the team depended purely on luck.
Of course, it wasn't like picking official Follower Family members to join his party, just a temporary team maintained during the 1st examination, so it wasn't a huge problem, but……
‘It probably won’t matter much.’
In fact, as long as he knew the strategy for the examination, anyone would do, as long as they weren't trash-tier teammates.
Anyone attempting the Nemesis entrance examination would have the basics down anyway, so it largely didn't matter.
Besides, now that only those who passed the selection test remained, most landmines would have been filtered out.
Just looking at the ratio of duds to prizes, the latter should overwhelmingly dominate.
‘But, why do I feel so uneasy?’
Enoch’s lip twitched at the strange sense of déjà vu.
There was definitely a similar system in the original work.
Used when recruiting specific Follower Family characters, or obtaining necessary equipment……
- [Probability-based Character Draw] system.
Because <Magic Empire Atlas> was a game where the ‘gacha’ system, commonly seen in character collection games, played a significant role.
‘Surely, it can’t be?’
A drop of cold sweat trickled down his spine.
Because if there was one thing he knew, it was that when it came to gacha… Enoch was the type with terribly bad luck.
‘No. It’s all just a matter of probability anyway.’
He tried hard to suppress the growing sense of unease.
It must be just a feeling.
However, eventually, everyone in the examination hall had drawn their lots. Around the time everyone was checking their teammates.
“…….”
Enoch, having just unfolded the paper he drew.
Stood frozen solid.
“……Ah.”
This is bad.
While Enoch was frozen for a moment, Teleos’s instructions fell upon the examination hall.
“Those who drew the same number and formed a team, gather at the designated location.”
Following the instruction, the participants who drew lots slowly began gathering at the designated locations, one by one.
‘Is this for real?’
Glance.
Enoch, half-doubting, checked his number tag and the team assembly point once more.
Then he rubbed his eyes once.
But unfortunately, nothing changed.
Except for him, who drew the last number tag, the rest of the members were already confirmed for Enoch’s team.
Coincidentally, the three teammates decided like this were all mages who appeared in the original work.
‘Actually, up to this point, nothing’s strange.’
Elsyde Main House was precisely the place where only the elites in the combat field from the entire Magic Empire could set foot.
Formidable mages who would make a name for themselves 5 years later in the original work were visible throughout the examination hall, besides these.
And the same applied to the three teammates before him.
Precisely why he could be sure.
‘Gacha failed!’
***
“Hello!”
Before long, a female mage cheerfully greeted first from where the team was gathered.
She was a girl around his age whose voice itself seemed to have "sociable personality" written on her forehead.
“Since the last person has arrived, let’s formally introduce ourselves first!”
She bowed her waist slightly in courtesy.
“I’m Ticke of the Lacus family, second daughter. I even hit Rank 11 just last month. Would the rest of you please tell me your names too?”
Ticke finished her self-introduction with a cheerful voice and a bow.
After her, the second teammate, looking to be around the same age, opened her mouth.
“Bianca di Marchisio. From a northern city in the Arpeggio domain. It’s an honor to meet you all.”
Swish.
She held the hem of her skirt, messy from the battle just moments ago, and curtsied elegantly.
From her speech to her mannerisms, she exuded the air of a noble lady, which felt somewhat out of place.
Next, the third girl hesitated, glanced around nervously, then hesitantly introduced herself.
“…I-I’m Ina von Greifen… From the Artigen domain……”
A voice trailing off so much it was barely audible without paying close attention.
A small physique and bangs covering her eyes.
Constantly checking her surroundings cautiously, with fidgety mannerisms like a tiny baby rabbit.
She was a typical hikikomori character, seemingly losing energy with every word spoken.
Enoch looked around the three somewhat wryly.
Just looking at their greetings, they seemed fine apart from having distinct personalities, but……
He knew the ‘real’ truth about all of them.
Because they were mages he knew quite well from the original work.
“Everyone’s gathered. Then, from now on, I will explain the rules.”
Meanwhile, Teleos began speaking around the time the formed teams had roughly acknowledged each other.
“You will soon move to the designated examination grounds and hunt the Magical Beasts scattered throughout.”
He announced briefly.
“This examination requires you to hunt down a limited number of Magical Beasts scattered around as quickly as possible within the time limit.”
In short, the key to the 1st examination was hunting the scattered Magical Beasts faster than others.
And the reason these teammates were problematic was precisely because of that examination method.
Enoch inwardly replayed the absurd fact.
‘How did all three mages least suited for this examination end up together?’
This is crazy.
Could it be that even though this became reality, his originally disastrous gacha luck hadn't gone anywhere?
Finally, when his turn for self-introduction came, Enoch suppressed a faint headache and replied.
“…Enoch Elsyde.”
“Wow, it really is Lord Enoch, right? It’s my first time seeing you in person!”
As soon as he introduced himself, Ticke immediately leaned forward abruptly, her eyes sparkling. Then she stared intently at Enoch with an intrigued expression.
Beside her, Bianca also let out a slight gasp.
“I too have heard much news from the media recently! To think I’d meet the subject of those rumors in a place like this!”
Judging by their reactions, it seemed the other two mages besides Ticke also already knew about him.
Enoch merely nodded slightly while coldly repeating Ticke’s words inwardly.
‘In person, huh…’
The other two besides her also seemed to have recognized him.
As Grantel said, the news of completing the Exemption Mission seemed to have spread quickly outside.
Putting aside the Elsyde domain, the fact that even those from other Main House domains recognized him was proof.
He had expected it to some extent, but hearing about the rumors directly like this made the realization different.
Anyway, that was that.
Enoch sighed deeply, looking at the three mages staring at him with intrigued eyes.
He knew them very, very well.
- First, 「Ticke Lacus」.
Literally a current Rank 11 mage, almost reaching Rank 10, who had partially manifested Unique Magic.
She possessed a unique Unique Magic allowing her to amplify her next cast magic according to the number rolled on her magic gear, a ‘dice’.
Furthermore, if she rolled the highest number on the dice, Ticke’s instantaneous magic output could even surpass Rank 8 levels.
However…
‘The problem is that this is purely based on luck!’
Conversely, if she rolled the minimum number, she had to use significantly weakened magic.
Truly a Unique Magic with insane performance where her own life fluctuated based purely on 100% luck in actual combat.
‘Moreover, no matter how well she rolls the dice, Ticke’s own mana limit doesn’t change!’
What did this mean?
In other words, even if she luckily rolled the highest number, using the amplified magic at maximum output just once would immediately put her into mana depletion.
…She truly couldn't be anything but the owner of screw-loose performance magic.
In fact, situations where she ran out of power mid-combat and became combat-incapable often occurred.
In short, practically a ‘gag character’.
- Next, 「Bianca di Marchisio」.
A mage specializing in detection-type magic.
True to her detection specialty, she boasted excellent scouting skills, capable of finding even enemies deliberately hiding.
However…
‘The problem is that she truly poured all her talent into detection magic!’
Bianca herself had a fatal flaw: her combat ability was extremely poor compared to other combat mages of similar rank.
Practically, if she encountered an enemy at close range, all she could do was run away.
‘Besides, this examination hall is packed with mages who are considered skilled from all over the Empire.’
Then, among the already tough Nemesis entrance exam participants, what about her actual combat capability?
Practically non-existent.
In this examination, she could probably only fulfill the role of a ‘walking detector’.
- Lastly, 「Ina von Greifen」.
A mage specializing in defense and counter-attacks, primarily using trap-setting magic.
Her ability in large-scale trap-setting magic targeting multiple enemies was outstanding, and she was considered a top-tier expert in terms of the variety of trap types and their activation power.
But…….
‘That’s literally all she knows how to do!’
Unfortunately, Ina’s only combat style was setting traps beforehand, to the point where her mobility and ability to respond to sudden situations could be considered non-existent.
Naturally, since trap-type magic needed to be set up in advance, she was specialized in defending or controlling an area, but…….
‘However, her ability is completely useless in situations requiring mobility, like this examination.’
And she’s an introvert (asocial/loner).
The type who instinctively flinches whenever spoken to, a ‘trap one-trick hikikomori’.
Enoch stopped reminiscing and briefly clutched his head.
A headache was slowly starting.
‘…Looking back at their abilities like this again, these three are undeniably duds.’
It might be different in other missions or operations.
But unfortunately, this 1st examination specifically required fast mobility and individual combat ability.
‘Yet, mages with completely opposite tendencies ended up as teammates?’
Worse, he couldn't even use his sword because it was an examination hall.
‘Practically, isn’t this a team completely incapable of direct combat even if they encounter Magical Beasts in the examination hall…’
Moreover, from the beginning in the original work, due to these stark strengths and weaknesses, these characters were mid-to-low tier mages hovering around Tier 3~4.
From the perspective of a seasoned player obsessed with performance, a team lineup akin to torture.
‘And crucially…!’
Enoch mulled over the most important part.
‘In the original work, these three did not appear as members of the Nemesis Knight Order!’
It was highly likely they failed to pass the examination eventually, whether it was this 1st examination or somewhere else.
No matter how he thought about it, he could only conclude it was a massive team gacha failure.
-Of course, that's only when thinking about clearing the examination in the 'standard' way.
Enoch slowly raised his head.
Well, actually, there was a way to pass the examination even without relying on mobility in the standard way.
‘Can’t be helped. It might get a little troublesome, but…’
If things turned out like this, there was only one way.
Enoch slowly closed his eyes, recalling one of the numerous methods to pass this examination.
Seasoned players aren't called seasoned for nothing.
A seasoned player is one who has stayed in one game, festered, and thoroughly rotted.
Having stagnated in one place for so long, naturally, one knows everything there is to know about that field.
If it's <Magic Empire Atlas>, then everything from the story and progression, types and traits of magic, characters' personalities and backgrounds, to team compositions among various mages.
And naturally….
‘With such a crazy team composition, I might as well try passing with that strategy after a long time.’
Including the proper way to utilize these teammates, each missing a screw somewhere.