"Goodness, Arisha. You’re still on that?"

Noah looked at her helplessly.

Arisha crossed her arms and nodded firmly. "Yes."

A small smirk appeared on her face. "I won’t back off until I learn the truth."

At that moment, the scene of Noah patting Arisha’s head was so shocking that almost nobody registered what she had actually asked.

Lyria looked completely surprised. Emma looked like she wanted to slam her head into the table.

Draven’s respect for Noah continued to rise.

Ragnar simply shook his head.

The others were equally baffled.

Noah let out a long sigh. "Hah..."

Then he raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay."

His expression turned resigned. He waved his hand dismissively. "I’ll tell you. It’s nothing special."

Then he pointed at her. "I’ll tell you later, okay?"

Arisha immediately looked victorious. A satisfied smirk appeared on her face.

She nodded. "Good. That’s what I wanted to hear."

Noah withdrew his hand from her head with a defeated expression. As he did, he noticed someone staring at his hand.

Lyria, her pink eyes were fixed on it. Noticing her gaze, Noah tilted his head.

"You want me to pat you too?"

Lyria instantly turned bright red. "N-No!"

She shook her head rapidly. "No!"

Her rejection came so quickly that it only made Noah grin.

Just like that, the strange but friendly lunch finally came to an end.

After lunch, Noah spent some time walking around the campus.

Eventually, he headed toward the training grounds and trained for several hours.

Only after exhausting himself did he finally return to his dormitory room.

The moment he opened the door, his expression softened.

Nancy was there. The secret he had been hiding from Arisha. To be honest, there wasn’t really any reason to hide it.

He would probably tell her sooner or later.

Most likely, Arisha would immediately come to visit. Nothing much.

Or more accurately. She would come to meet Nancy.

He looked at the cat. The proud little black cat was lying elegantly on the bed.

When Noah entered the room, she raised her head curiously.

"Meow?"

Noah smiled.

First, he went to take a warm bath.

After washing away the sweat from training, he returned wearing comfortable casual clothes.

Then he jumped onto the bed. "So nice."

He stretched comfortably. Noah lay on his back while staring at the ceiling and massaging his sore muscles.

Then he reached out and grabbed Nancy.

The cat was easily lifted into his arms.

Without hesitation, Noah kissed her forehead.

Then another kiss and another and another.

"Meow!!"

Nancy immediately began protesting. "Meow!! Meow!!"

The cat clearly hated the kisses. She struggled to escape. Unfortunately, Noah ignored all objections.

"I missed you, Nancy." He smiled brightly. "Did you miss me too?"

He gently placed her on his chest. Nancy sat there while glaring at him with pure feline rage.

"Meow! Meow!"

"Hehe."

Noah laughed. "So you missed me too."

He began petting her head.

Of course... That wasn’t what Nancy meant at all.

Eventually, the room became quiet. Nancy settled comfortably on Noah’s chest.

For a few peaceful moments, neither of them moved.

But just the another sound came.

Ring!

A sharp notification sound echoed through the room. It was the unique alert tone used by the Academy application installed on every student’s phone.

Noah frowned.Then he grabbed the device from beside him.

After unlocking it, a crimson notification banner immediately appeared on the screen.

[NOTICE: FIRST-YEAR SEMESTER EXAM SPECIFICATIONS RELEASED]

His eyes sharpened. Immediately opening the notice, Noah began reading.

The official document appeared beneath the Academy crest.

CAMPUS-WIDE DIRECTIVE: THE WILDERNESS RACE

[Overview:]

All first-year students are hereby notified that the upcoming Semester Exam will consist of a live-combat survival race.

Students will be deployed at an undisclosed location, which will be revealed on the day of the examination.

Their objective will be to navigate the terrain and reach the Beacon.

[Duration & Survival:]

The exam will run continuously for 48 hours (2 days).

Students are permitted to carry standard-issue weapons and any necessary potions.

[Point Distribution Breakdown:]

Further details will be provided before the examination begins.

This notification has been issued to allow students sufficient time to prepare and train in advance, as the exam may involve danger.

[Final Evaluation:]

Your final semester grade will be determined by the total points registered from all exams.

Noah slowly scrolled through the remaining information. The blue glow of the screen reflected in his eyes.

After finishing, he lowered the phone onto his chest.

Then he stared at the ceiling. His mind immediately began constructing strategies.

"The hell?"

He frowned.

"They only gave half the information."

A sigh escaped him. Even so... The notice was enough. Noah already had a rough idea of what the exam would involve.

’Since it’s a race...’

His eyes narrowed. ’There will definitely be monsters. We’ll probably earn points by killing them.’

A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. ’And students will likely be able to steal points from each other by eliminating opponents.’

That was common in these kinds of examinations. Noah sighed again. Now he was more interested in the dangers waiting for them.

’The next Act of the story should be the semester exam.’

His eyes drifted toward the window. ’It’s on Friday. Today is Sunday. They’ve given us enough time to prepare.’

He closed his eyes. ’I already absorbed those cores I got from Travis.’

For now, there wasn’t much else to do. Noah wrapped his arms around Nancy, giving her a hug. The cat immediately looked offended.

Then he took a small nap.

--

The next day, Noah visited several shops. He purchased healing potions. Mana recovery potions. Stamina recovery potions. And several other useful supplies.

After all he wanted to do as good as possible and also be ready for whatever danger woukd fall upon him at the exam.

After finishing his shopping, he decided to head toward the training grounds.

However as he walked through one of the academy corridors, he suddenly noticed someone standing near a large window.

His steps slowed as he saw that person.