CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 1078: Simple and Straightforward

Many walked to the next exam with heavy expressions on their faces. The next exam was Instructor Jude’s, who was in charge of hand-to-hand combat. If they failed this, they would leave, and the free resources, the free teaching, the free housing, and meals would all be gone.

Not only commoners, but also Nobles were worried. Although Nobles were rich and all that, where would they find Crownstar Life Rankers to teach them? Where would they find such state of the art training facilities? While they might be Nobles, they were basic people when it came to what the Star Academy had to offer.

Determination burned silently within many people’s hearts, but it was useless if they didn’t make it through this exam and the next one. As for Asher, he had only the hand-to-hand combat and weapon exams left, meaning after this, Cindralis would give him the mission.

After walking for a while, they arrived at what was yet another forest. The moment they arrived, Instructor Jude’s voice echoed.

"HAHAHHAHAHAHA!" The man laughed freely as he plummeted from the sky. With a boom, he landed upright as the earth beneath his feet sank in.

Gazing at his students, he flashed a smile as he asked, "Why the long faces? Failed your previous exams?"

The students who had come to be comfortable around Instructor Jude simply nodded. He was the most easygoing Instructor and talked a lot, so they all grew close to the man even though he was a Crownstar Life Ranker.

"Hmmmm..." Instructor Jude seemed to fall into his thoughts for a moment before he spoke again.

"Since some of you will fail this exam, I will deliberately make it easy for all of you," he spoke with a smile on his face. "Although this won’t be the original exam I had planned, I don’t like seeing students get expelled," he added.

The students’ expressions immediately lit up at those words. They couldn’t believe Instructor Jude was about to change his original exam for them.

And indeed, Instructor Jude was. He loved teaching students and training them so they could survive more. Left to him, he would just pass everyone by default or something, but alas, as an Instructor, he had to give an exam.

"Thank you, Instructor Jude!"

"You’re the best!"

"Now we just have to survive the final exam."

"Since I’ve only failed once, I can pass this one and won’t bother trying too hard during the next one... hehehehe."

Various students exchanged words as this turned out perfectly for a lot of them. Although Finch had failed the last exam, he wasn’t bothered by it, as he didn’t think he would fail the hand-to-hand combat or the weapons exam.

Instructor Jude, seeing his students thank him and discuss happily, simply laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" His voice echoed through the forest as he spoke, "No need to thank me now, thank me after you all become second year students." His laughter turned into a smile. "But... now I have to think up an easy exam for everyone." He fell into his thoughts as he stroked his chin.

Asher simply stayed silent at the side without a word. He couldn’t help but wonder if easy would be relative here or not. After all, maybe what Instructor Jude would consider easy might not really be easy.

Instructor Jude seemed to come up with something after about a minute of thinking. He turned to the students with a smile as he spoke.

"The exam would be simple, basically, everyone versus Asher Wargrave," he stated.

The students’ happy expressions turned sour the next moment. They had already done this over eight months ago, and that didn’t turn out well for anyone, and now they were being told to face him again, now that he was stronger than ever?

They couldn’t help but wonder if Instructor Jude secretly wanted to see them get expelled so he could spend his free time doing whatever he wanted.

Asher, who was standing at the side, arched an eyebrow. He had expected Instructor Jude to come up with something outrageous, but not practically the exact same thing they had done before.

"You didn’t let me finish," Instructor Jude continued with a smile. "Unlike before when you all had to face him together, this time, you won’t. All you all have to do is run away for one minute while the Tenth Sun chases you all down and knocks you out. If in one minute he doesn’t knock out all one hundred and ninety-nine of you, you all automatically pass." He stared at them with his black eyes. "Meaning only just one of you has to remain conscious for the one minute and you all automatically pass, and this time, you all can use only Astra energy and Asher Wargrave can’t."

At Instructor Jude’s words, the students began to murmur. It seemed to work in their favor, after all. All they had to do was spread out and run at full speed while using Astra energy so that even if the Tenth Sun caught any of them, they would cover enough distance and buy time for another person.

’This man is as simple as ever,’ Asher mused to himself at how simple Instructor Jude was, as a smile couldn’t help but find its way to his lips.

Instead of coming up with something special, the man simply did the opposite of what he did the last time. The last time was to attack; this time was to flee. How remarkably simple and straightforward.

Ryaen, who was standing beside Asher, couldn’t help but speak with a sigh, "It seems we might all fail this class."

William, Finch, and Vaelric remained silent for a moment before Vaelric broke the silence with a question directed at Instructor Jude.

"What happens if the Tenth Sun knocks all of us out?"

The students paused as they realized they hadn’t asked this.

"You all fail," Instructor Jude said flatly. "While I understand that Asher Wargrave is stronger than everyone here, you can’t tell me that you all don’t have the courage to survive for just a single minute." His tone seemed to turn brisk for a moment as he thought about how these students wouldn’t be able to survive for a single minute as insinuated by the question.

He would be livid if they couldn’t do that much.

"Instructor Jude," Asher’s voice came, "what of me? If I fail to knock out all of them, does that mean I fail?"

Instructor Jude wore a wide smile as he nodded in reply, "Of course you fail, so like I said, it’s you versus the entire class."

Asher sighed, then nodded, but he wasn’t exactly bothered, despite a minute being a very short time.

The students had already made up their minds to use their movement techniques and Astra energy in tandem. It was either them or the Tenth Sun. They had no intention of giving up now, especially when passing this exam meant they could continue enjoying everything the Star Academy provided.

"But I understand how unfair this is... so I will grant you an advantage," Instructor Jude spoke. "You are allowed to use your soul-bound weapon, but you will choose one ability from it and use it," he stated with a smile.