I Killed The Main Characters

Chapter 52: The Placement Exams [1]

The entire academy—or at least the first years—was on edge as the Placement Exams approached fast.

It was like a thick fog of tension had settled over the students, making every conversation clipped, every movement hurried.

Interactions between people were reduced to quick greetings or terse nods.

No one had the time to chat anymore.

Even trips to the town centers were becoming rare.

It was as if the entire world had shrunk down to study rooms, practice grounds, and dormitories.

The library, for one, was filled to the brim.

There were barely any free seats, and students practically fought for the last remaining textbooks.

The air inside was stifling with the scent of old parchment and fresh sweat.

Every now and then, you could hear a book slam shut in frustration or the scribbling of quills as people furiously took notes.

I was there more often than not, trying to cram as much information into my brain as possible.

Even though I knew the basic layout of how things were supposed to go—thanks to the game I'd been thrown into—everything was different now.

My involvement had disrupted the storyline in ways I hadn't anticipated.

As I sat in the library, surrounded by stacks of books, I found myself thinking more about the game's progression.

Or rather, how it wasn't progressing as it originally should have.

Some parts were still following the general path toward the second act, but others had taken a wild detour.

The cult, for instance, was evolving in ways I didn't remember.

They were slowly building power behind the scenes, and unknown magical energies were emerging from the shadows.

Even worse, someone was conducting experiments on students—corrupting them, according to the rumors.

The corrupted students weren't just random, though.

They were those who thought they'd gain power through shortcuts, through dangerous and illegal means.

One thing in common is that they had rune tattoos engraved on their spines.

A distinctive marker that ran from the nape of their necks down their backs.

But because these tattoos were hidden, the academy couldn't just strip students down to check for them.

The whole investigation had been slow, relying on guesswork and cautious probing.

Yet, despite all the disruptions, the magic within the academy had finally stabilized after several chaotic fluctuations.

That meant one thing—the Placement Exams would go on as scheduled.

There was no delaying them, no extra time to prepare.

I sighed, staring at the open pages of a spell theory book but not really seeing the words.

The more I thought about it, the more certain I became—there was another variable in this game besides me.

I wasn't the only one messing with the original timeline.

It made sense.

The storyline had shifted far too much for it to be just my doing.

And then I remembered Seraph, one of the main characters who had met her unfortunate death, crying out in confusion about a girl with orange hair.

She had disrupted the first act, and her interference had sent everything spiraling in a different direction.

The problem, though, was finding this girl.

The academy was filled with students, many of whom had orange hair.

Tracking her down would be a challenge.

For now, I had to focus on my own goals.

Killing the other main characters was a priority, but it was easier said than done.

I couldn't just walk up to them and end things.

I needed to let the original storylines play out and then push them into situations where their lives were at risk.

The second act was fast approaching, and my next target was Amy.

I had to make sure she didn't make it past this part of the story.

Planning aside, I'd spent a lot of my time on the training grounds and in deep meditation.

Even though my mana reserves were already insanely high—probably on par with the main characters—I still needed to increase them.

I wasn't going to leave anything to chance.

If I wanted to survive and thrive in this twisted world, I had to be stronger, faster, and smarter.

Of course, there was that one night where I hit rock bottom.

Exhausted beyond belief, I caved and shamelessly browsed the system shop for some sort of cheat artifact to help me with the exams.

I figured it wouldn't hurt to see if there was anything useful.

But the system, as always, had a way of humbling me.

---

[System Notification]

[Ah, the mighty Noah Ashbourne, reduced to begging for cheats? How utterly predictable. Truly, you are a master strategist… looking for shortcuts at the first sign of trouble]

---

I rolled my eyes at the sarcastic tone, but the system wasn't done.

---

[System Notification]

Did you really think I'd have some magical artifact just lying around for you? Oh, I know—maybe you want a "pass the exams without effort" button. Or better yet, how about a "defeat all main characters without lifting a finger" coupon?]

---

I groaned. This was going nowhere fast.

But the system wasn't finished mocking me yet.

---

[System Notification]

[In all seriousness, Noah, try studying like everyone else. Who knows? Maybe using your brain for once will actually help. Though, if you're desperate, I'm sure there's a discount on courage potions—lord knows you'll need it for the exams]

---

Needless to say, after that verbal beating, I ended up studying like everyone else.

No shortcuts. No cheats. Just hard, grueling work.

---

When I wasn't studying or training, I'd been spending time upgrading my room.

I added some furniture to make the space feel more like home—two new couches, one maroon and the other a mix of light blue and grey.

It was my little haven of comfort amidst the chaos of academy life.

But then something unexpected happened.

I thought I'd be left alone to enjoy my newly furnished room, but apparently, my solitude wasn't meant to last.

Ariana and Maya started showing up.

A lot.

Sometimes they even stayed overnight, claiming they were too tired to go back to their own dorms.

Ariana, for some reason, always wanted to make sure I was doing okay.

She'd pop in with food, check on my health, or fuss over my study habits.

Maya, though exhausted from her own training and helping the school faculty, would also check in on me, though she had a different approach.

She wasn't as nurturing as Ariana, but she made her presence known.

At first, I had no idea why they kept coming over.

It wasn't like I needed a babysitter, and yet here they were—almost like they were competing for something.

Not that I could figure out what.

They never spoke to each other unless it was to argue, and those arguments were… confusing.

---

One night, while I was sprawled out on the maroon couch, the two of them started bickering again.

It was about something ridiculous, though I didn't catch all the details at first.

The next thing I knew, Ariana was shouting about who should get the "last piece," and Maya was countering with something about fairness and equality.

I looked between them, bewildered.

"Uh… last piece of what?"

I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

Neither of them answered me directly.

Instead, their argument escalated into some strange competition of who deserved more time in the room, with both of them glaring at each other like they were ready to duel.

I just sat there, completely lost.

Whatever they were fighting about clearly made sense to them, but I was out of the loop.

It felt like I was missing some hidden meaning in their words, something that wasn't being said out loud.

Eventually, they stormed off in separate directions, leaving me with more questions than answers.

---

As the days passed, I got used to the two of them hanging around.

It was almost like the room was for the three of us now.

Ariana and Maya would show up whenever they pleased, often at the same time, and I just… let it happen.

Outside, the academy had grown eerily quiet.

No one roamed the halls unless absolutely necessary, and it seemed like everyone had gone into hiding, preparing for the Placement Exams.

The air was thick with anticipation, and before any of us realized it, the day of the exams had arrived.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the stack of books and notes I had compiled over the past few weeks.

Despite all the training, the planning, and the scheming, my heart was pounding in my chest.

The exams were here.

And everything was about to change.