Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 141 (Part 1):

Helmut walked out of the exam hall, exhaling a sigh with a pale face as soon as he emerged. The intensity of stress was like having confronted a Fasho-level adversary in succession. It was his first time experiencing such an exhausting battle. He had been under constant tension, as if a single mistake could lead to death. His entire body felt languid.

Someone called out to Helmut as he walked out of the academy.

“Breaking through the 10th level, that’s impressive. The color of this crystal changes with each level, and it kept changing after you entered, so I had my hopes up.”

It was Professor Dwayne from the Magic Department. He pointed to a crystal hanging at the end of a pillar next to the exit.

After having gone on a hunting picnic together last time, he remembered Helmut. It would have been stranger not to remember a mere second-year Swordsman Department student sending off a rank 1 mercenary assassin.

“Though you’re not the first student to break through the 10th level since this magical exam was established, you are the first as a 2nd year.”

“I see.”

But Helmut, far from feeling proud, wore a calm expression. He added another comment.

“It’s a rather malicious test.”

Professor Dwayne chuckled awkwardly, as if taken aback by the criticism.

“Real battles often demand mental strength. Even if it seems a bit excessive, we judged it to be good for cultivating our students’ mental resilience.”

More like inflicting damage on their mental strength, Helmut thought. Unless someone was particularly resilient, they’d likely skip their meal today.

Helmut stared intently, prompting the professor to lean in and whisper seriously.

“That’s just a pretext. In reality, it’s the dean’s preference. There’s no use in arguing.”

“Ah, I see.”

It made sense then. The Magic Department was favored over the Swordsman Department at Greta Academy because the dean was a renowned magician. His authority was absolute.

‘Alea mentioned his guardian was the dean.’

That fact was hardly known. Unlike Helmut, who had been admitted through instructor recommendation, Alea had taken the entrance exam and thus, her being under the dean’s guardianship didn’t grant her any special privileges.

“What’s the prize?”

Just as Helmut was about to leave, he abruptly asked.

“I heard there’s a prize for breaking through the 10th level.”

“You can have any type of artifact you want made for you. If it’s in the academy’s storage, we can provide stock or modify something for you.”

The prize was more generous than expected. Helmut was intrigued.

“Anything?”

“I didn’t say anything. There’s a line to be drawn. Even if you ask for too much, we’ll cut it down, so don’t worry. You can take your time to think, but you should apply before the vacation starts. Either to me or to a Swordsman Department instructor.”

Professor Dwayne whispered again, lowering his voice.

“The dean will make it, so it’ll be a useful item.”

Helmut began to ponder. Then, Alea came to mind.

“How about an artifact with the ability to change appearances?”

“Disguise?”

“Yes. Something that changes your hair, eyes, or face.”

“I don’t know how much of a disguise it would be, but it’s a good idea.”

“I hope it’s an effective item. As you know, I’ve made quite a few enemies.”

Knowing that Helmut was targeted by the Black Hawk, Professor Dwayne nodded.

“Ah, right. Don’t worry. I’ll speak well of you to the dean.”

“Thank you.”

Helmut bowed and stepped away from the spot.

Asuka was sitting on a bench, supporting his chin with his hands. His complexion was pale, but he seemed to have calmed down by now. As soon as he saw Helmut, he bluntly asked.

“Helmut, how far did you get?”

“All the way.”

Asuka’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You made it to the 10th level? Man, you’ve got a strong stomach.”

It felt like the test was more about mental strength than actual skill. Helmut nodded, agreeing with Asuka’s assessment that he could have made it through the 10th level based on skill.

“I think I understand why you ran out.”

“Screw the finals, you take first place. Damn, it gives me the creeps.”

Asuka let out a deep sigh. The two shared a moment of deep empathy, a rare occurrence. After a while, he asked.

“I saw up to the 8th level. What the heck was the 9th level?”

“A swarm of insects.”

“Huh?”

Remembering it made Helmut’s brow furrow. It was a memory he didn’t want to recall.

“Insects… poured out in droves. Should I call it a combined type of monster?”

Huge gray insects swarmed, crawling with numerous legs towards him like a tidal wave.

Anyone who saw it would instinctively run towards the exit in a frenzy. The sight sent shivers down his spine.

In that moment, Helmut instinctively emptied his mind completely, trying not to think of them as disgusting. It was a state of no-mind. Asuka made a disgusted face.

“How do you deal with that? Do you have to kill each one individually within a time limit?”

“No, there’s a core bug. Once you find and kill that, it’s over.”

The only one that was red stood out even amidst the chaos. It had wings and was fast. It was clear that killing it would end the test.

“Really? Fascinating. But what was the 10th level?”

Just then, someone walked out from the exit. The conversation abruptly stopped. There were several exam halls, but only one exit.

“It’s Colin.”

Asuka’s roommate. They didn’t seem very close, but they greeted each other as Colin nodded back, looking somewhat dazed with an unhealthy complexion. Asuka muttered.

“By the way, the Magic Department had exams today too. There are three halls, right? In the morning, the Magic Department uses two halls for their exams first, and in the afternoon, the Swordsman Department uses two. I saw Sian earlier. He must be scheduled for later.”

“Alea also said he has a test today.”

As Helmut mentioned her, Colin suddenly murmured.

“Alea’s right after me, so he should be in the next room taking his test.”

At that moment, an enormous explosion sounded. Boom! The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck, the aftershocks vibrating through the body. Asuka hurriedly covered his ears.

“What, what’s that?”

Otaku_Tensei

I'm currently Translating the following novel: Helmut: The Forsaken Child. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

•