The Retired Hero is an Extra

"Wh-hat!?" a professor stuttered, checking Jash's screen after a few hours.

He expected him to be in the race, fighting other examinees or monsters or dismantling traps, or at least struggling.

But...

Jash was right there... sleeping.

Yes, he had the gall to sleep in the cave while other examinees struggled to find food, water, and a place merely for a short respite.

"W-what the?" another professor shouted, hearing the first's stunned voice and turning to look at his screen.

Almost every person in the observation room was glancing at Jash in shock and felt that he was crazy.

If not for his high scores and achieving first place in both the earlier tests, they would have thought that he gave up.

But how could they?

Especially when he was nothing short of a seeded candidate and believed to get a top 10 finish in the Entrance Test.

Despite their exaggerated reactions—twitching lips, trembling arms, gritted teeth, or veins throbbing on forehead—they restrained themselves.

"Let's replay it," a female professor said, unshaken by the entire spectacle as others nodded at her words.

"Yeah, maybe he overexerted himself?" one professor said with a forced smile, trying to find logic in Jash's actions.

Unfortunately, all of them were set to be disappointed as nothing exemplary was shown from his side after the 3v1 to occupy the cave.

Oblivious to being targeted and disliked by most professors, Jash slept peacefully as if the Entrance Test were just a cakewalk.

In fact, one professor even appreciated his carefree and free-spirited approach, observing, "He's relaxed because he feels no threat."

Hearing her speak, the professors next to her were stunned and one braved through, "What do you mean by that, Professor Aileen?"

However, it seemed that she had no intentions to answer and just walked out of the observation room with a subtle smile.

A fire was burning in her eyes—a fire to make Jash strong and actually utilize his talent as she had long noticed his lousy acting.

Well, she was the only one with the right to call it lousy, fully aware that only someone at the SSS-Rank could detect it, or had to be special—like her.

Surprisingly, Jash shivered at the exact moment she smiled as if she were going to be a great hindrance to his dream life.

Feeling uncomfortable all over, he walked up with a start, bobbing his head to make sense of his location before it struck him.

'The Entrance Test... Shit!? Did I just sleep here?' he lamented his situation inwardly, unable to blame anyone for his failure.

It wasn't really a failure as he did get a good rest while others were busy and the moonlight outside seemed peculiar.

He didn't need to think much to recall the reason. 'They really don't know how to pull their punches,' he mused with a nonchalant smile.

Jash didn't realize but his smile resembled that of a battle junkie itching for battle as he exited the cave with an eager look.

Sometimes, people who are used to controlling their emotions fail to do so, letting them run rampant.

However, that's a good thing since emotions weren't meant to be fully restrained, just enough that you maintain your humane side.

And the professors who had lost interest in Jash were busy with looking at Avon, Amael, Ava, Caera, Ziva, Viria, Levi, Grunghin, Zaos, Sylvie, Yirox, Helios, Caeron...

In the end, there were just one too many talented examinees for them to stay focused on any one of them.

If not for the professor's high ranks, they'd have a headache coming in while looking at the tens of seeded candidates alongside a few dark horses.

Thankfully, none of them met each other as calculated by them, making sure the best was saved for the last day.

Also, the fact that one of the talented ones would end up disqualified too soon would hurt their pride—thier psyche.

That was an outcome no one wanted to see as losing a prospect was far worse than losing a failed prospect.

That's why they ensured subtle changes were made, forcing the major candidates to not clash until the last day.

Though their major role was in ensuring that they didn't fight before the total surviving number dropped to a meager 2000.

That was the total number of students to be accepted this year, and no one could change it.

Though there have been batches with less students, the maximum has always been 2000 and it was assumed that this year would have 2000.

While all of them were making efforts to maintain the status quo, there was Rui who wanted to disrupt it, just within the limits.

Surely, he didn't want to get punished... right?

Anyways, he was currently glimpsing at Jash who navigated through the forest with ease as if it was daytime.

His eyes shone with mischief as he deployed a trap to ensnare Jash and have some fun.

Alas, Jash was too perceptive to the flow of mana and sensed the change in his environment no matter how muted it was.

"This... this wasn't here," he mumbled, frowning at the sight of a new flower on the ground.

As he thought about it, his eyes bulged in realization and he instantly backstepped, trying to outrun the special trap designed for him.

—Swish!

The sharp sound of air being sliced echoed as stone spears erupted from the ground, aiming at Jash, who had already stepped out of their trajectory.

—Crumble!

Yet the stone spears shattered upon hitting the ground and tree trunks, becoming nothing but gravel.

"So useless," Jash muttered, brooding over the weapons he could have used before realization dawned on him.

'It has to be that guy!' he concluded, recalling the figure of Rui dressed in proper announcer's clothing.

Despite figuring out the cause and effect, Jash didn't stand there like an idiot; he chose to get out of this place.

Unfortunately, just as he took his first step, the environment around him changed.

"An illusion?" he mubmled to himself in doubt, noticing the stark contrast between the lush forest and the sandy desert.

Yet the feeling of the wind, the sounds of small creatures like salamanders, and the sensation of his feet sinking into the sand were too real to dismiss them as mere illusions.

"To think something that can create things that are so real is being used here," he mumbled in astonishment.

His bewilderment was overshadowed by the impressive illusion as he looked back from the corner of his eye.

One look and he found out that he was being surrounded by something though he couldn't quite point out what they were.

'Although they're illusions... I can really feel their presence,' he noted, intrigued by the level of illusions being used in the Entrance Test.

"What a lie! It's that guy who'd done it of his own accord," Jash clicked his tongue and spat the truth with a disdainful expression.

However, Rui just snickered at the scene, smiling as he recalled all the examinees who got eliminated due to his tricks.

Soon though, it was Rui's turn to be bewildered as a wild smile appeared on Jash's face as he unsheathed his sword.

'This killing intent... so nostalgic,' Jash thought as he wielded the sword, deliberately falling for the trick played by Rui.