In the end, the team name was finalized as Team Eight, and the paperwork was submitted.
Simon's team, after a long debate and an alarming list of rejected names—such as "Meilyn Does It All" and "Pink Rabbit Girls"—also settled on their original designation.
Team Seven.
While the students who had completed their teams chatted in a noticeably more relaxed atmosphere, Knox quietly observed the rest of Class A.
His team was Team Eight.
Which meant that, so far, thirty-two students had successfully formed teams.
For the remaining students, the situation was no longer merely competitive.
It was brutal.
Very few students were still standing alone. Most had formed incomplete groups of two or three and were now desperately trying to recruit the final members.
"Wouldn't it be better to just join us? There's two of you and two of us—"
"You're both Toxicology majors. Why would we join a trash team like yours?"
"Wow, what even is that lineup? Darkness, Darkness, and more Darkness?"
This was the downside of forming teams purely based on friendships or social circles.
People bonded quickly over shared interests or preferred majors—but for group-based classes, teams with overlapping specialties often paid the price.
The Elementary Black Magic course evaluated eight subjects in total.
Ideally, each team member should specialize in a different field. Overlapping majors only dragged the entire team down.
Most of the struggling teams were facing exactly that problem.
"I'll save just one person from your team."
A blonde girl stepped forward, twirling a finger lazily, her smug expression unmistakable. Her own team already had three members.
"Get lost!"
"If you hadn't taken Lucy, we'd already be four!"
As angry voices erupted, another girl stepped out hesitantly.
"T–Team leader?"
"…Sorry, everyone."
She didn't even turn back as she spoke.
"I'm applying for Haematology. There's no overlap there, right?"
"Welcome! I knew you were sharp. TA—we'd like to register!"
Just like that, another team of four was completed. A team leader had defected.
The remaining students were left trembling—with rage, disbelief, and betrayal.
"…That's brutal," Simon muttered.
These were the realities unfolding during the student protection period.
Simon was beginning to understand—if only vaguely—why only three hundred out of a thousand students had historically survived Kizen.
"No time to worry about others, Simon," Rick said calmly.
"If we can't claw our way forward, we'll be weeded out too. And in Kizen, being weeded out means goodbye."
"I don't even feel bad," Meilyn added coolly, brushing her fingertip and blowing on it.
"Lack of effort. Lack of preparation. Lack of skill."
"It's been four days since we entered Kizen. What have they been doing? Even if their grades were lacking, there were plenty of other ways to form a team."
Rick and Meilyn clearly weren't strangers to this kind of environment.
Knox nodded. "This is survival of the fittest," he said.
"The process matters—but in places like this, it gets blurred. Results are what shine."
"You can pity others, but don't forget—your pity won't save you when it's your turn."
Claudia chimed in with a small smile. "Agreed. It's basically the law of the jungle."
"But if possible… let's not end up like that."
"Let's stay friends, alright?~"
Cindy nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Yeah!"
Knox glanced at her and smirked. "Before worrying about friendship, how about worrying about your grades first?"
Cindy coughed loudly. "Cough—cough. Let's take things one step at a time, okay?"
This time, both Team Seven and Team Eight laughed together.
For now, at least—
They had survived the first culling.
Eventually, the thirty minutes Jane had announced came to an end.
Eight students were left.
They had split themselves into incomplete groups—two, three, and three—but none had managed to finalize a full team.
"Students who failed to form a team," Jane said calmly, "please come forward."
Without hesitation, she assigned them.
Team 15: Darkness, Darkness, Toxicology, Magical Combat.
Team 16: Darkness, Darkness, Darkness, Magical Combat.
The reason so many Darkness Dynamics students were left behind was simple.
Darkness was a core subject. Even students aiming for other majors tended to score well in it.
As a result, the market value of Darkness specialists had plummeted—and they were the ones left until the very end.
The students called up to the podium kept their heads down, expressions stiff and pale.
Meanwhile, some students who had already secured teams glanced over and sneered.
"Wow… Team 16 is three Darkness majors? Seriously?"
"Pfft. Bet we won't see them next week."
"If even one Katarology question comes up, they're finished."
At the snickering voices, Teams 15 and 16 shrank further, shoulders drooping.
Jane looked down at them. Her voice was quiet—but it cut through the room.
"Are you angry?"
The students nodded slightly. Some even had tears welling at the corners of their eyes.
"Just because the start is bad," Jane continued, "doesn't mean the ending must be."
She paused. "Remember this frustration. Use it."
"Even if you're aiming for Darkness Dynamics, divide your study load. Strengthen the subjects your team lacks. Raise your overall average above the cutoff line."
"Do that—"
"And you'll see a glimmer of hope."
The students straightened. Their expressions hardened—not with confidence, but with resolve.
Teams 15 and 16 returned to their seats.
Jane stepped forward once more.
"Now," she said, "for the major announcement."
A ripple of tension ran through the classroom.
"Starting next week, once the student protection period ends, a group performance evaluation will be conducted during the first Elementary Black Magic class."
A collective gasp spread through the room.
A performance evaluation meant more than just a test. It meant direct consequences.
"This is when things truly begin," Jane said.
At her signal, a teaching assistant activated the mana projector.
A massive image appeared before the students. A towering, grotesque silhouette.
"This is—!"
Even Simon recognized it instantly.
Knox, on the other hand, wore a faint, knowing smile.
A Cyclops.
A mid-level, one-eyed monster renowned for its overwhelming physical strength.
A ruler of the western mountain ranges.
A king of the peaks.
"Yes," Jane said coolly. "Your next opponent is the Cyclops."
Jaws dropped across the classroom.
Isn't this skipping way too many steps?
"Here are the rules." Jane continued without pause.
"You and your teammates will enter the underground dungeon within Kizen and work together to defeat the Cyclops."
A wave of relief passed through the room. At least they weren't going in alone.
"However," Jane added, "Only one student will directly face the Cyclops."
"The remaining three will stand at designated positions to support their teammate or weaken the monster."
She adjusted her gloves. "Direct offensive black magic is forbidden for those three."
Murmurs erupted instantly.
Three students. No direct attacks.
This wasn't a true four-on-one at all.
It was closer to—
A trial by role, coordination, and judgment.
Jane continued her explanation.
"Debuffs such as exhaustion, restraints, and blindness are, of course, permitted. If the monster takes damage incidentally as a result of these effects, it will be counted as valid damage. Bleeding induced through Haematology and poison effects from Toxicology are also allowed. Naturally, summoned creatures may attack freely."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"However, direct offensive spells cast by necromancers—such as Smite from Magical Combat or Blood Arrows from Haematology—are strictly prohibited. The exact criteria will be detailed in a handout distributed by the TAs after class."
The students nodded with grave expressions.
"The student who enters direct combat will be protected by a powerful black magic shield, under the supervision of Kizen's safety personnel. The grading criteria include: successful subjugation of the Cyclops, speed of completion, safety, teamwork, creativity, and overall proficiency in black magic."
She swept her gaze across the now-silent lecture hall.
"To face a Cyclops, you'll need to push your abilities to their limits over the coming week. Don't skim through any class. Master everything you can, and apply it to the performance evaluation. That's all. Any questions?"
Countless hands shot up at once. Jane pointed to a student in the front row.
"This is Jamie Victoria! W-we're not actually fighting a real Cyclops, right? I heard Kizen has a virtual battle simulation system, so maybe we'll—?"
"It's a real, living, breathing Cyclops," Jane replied coldly.
"Freshly captured from the western continent."
The classroom froze.
"You will be required to sign a life waiver before taking the performance evaluation."
At those words, Jamie's face darkened instantly.
"Still," Jane continued, unfazed, "due to curse restraints and tranquilizers, it will be weaker than a Cyclops encountered in the wild. Next question."
"I'm Scott Snyder!" another student called out. "You said the success of the hunt affects our grade, but… what happens if we fail to defeat it?"
"A failed hunt," Jane replied, "results in the lowest possible score, regardless of other criteria. If multiple teams fail, their rankings will be determined by comparative evaluation."
A heavy silence settled over the lecture hall.
"There are three conditions under which a team will be judged to have failed," Jane continued calmly.
"First, if the participating combatant becomes incapacitated."
"Second, if the professor or safety personnel judge the battle impossible to continue."
"Third, if any team member raises their hand and formally forfeits the test. Next question."
Students continued firing questions, and Jane answered each without hesitation. Most were variations of the same concerns, and after several more responses, all raised hands finally lowered.
"I believe Class A has two more Elementary Black Magic classes this week," Jane said.
"In the first, each team will present their strategy for subjugating the Cyclops. In the second, as Jamie mentioned earlier, you'll familiarize yourselves with real combat through a simulated Cyclops battle. Then—"
She paused. "The third class next week will be the real thing."
The word real filled the room with palpable tension. Jane glanced at her wristwatch.
"During the remaining time, discuss your Cyclops-hunting strategy with your teammates. First, decide who will enter direct combat, and prepare a plan that fully draws out the strengths of the three supporting members. I'll be here—approach me if you have questions."
Jane concluded and sat heavily in her chair. The TAs clapped their hands sharply.
"Alright, students! Begin!"
As if they had been waiting for the signal, chatter erupted throughout the classroom.
Team Eight immediately gathered to begin their discussion.
For the record, Merida had already woken up sometime during Jane's explanation.