The Retired Hero is an Extra

Amael was calm, and his face bore a polite smile. He was in the same state as before when he faced any other opponent.

Despite seeing the Imperial Prince challenge him, he didn't mind, hoping to escape his radar and let the protagonist catch his attention.

While Avon was busy contemplating how best to defeat Amael, he was cautious, not wanting to end up losing and having to meet the First Prince.

Yet, it seemed fate had its own plans as a gentle male voice suddenly cut through the tension, "Uhm, excuse me, passing through..."

Both turned to look at the newcomer, who had flowing white hair, orange eyes, and a well-built body.

Yet his confident smile as he looked at the two of them was surprising, at least for Avon.

Avon's face darkened as he asked, "You... who are you?"

"Oh, me? I am Caeron, a priest devoted to the Goddess..."

As Caeron began his introduction with a fervent expression, Amael was scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes, knowing about the 'Saint of Misfortune' already.

"Haha, you seem like a tough guy as you managed to arrive here," Amael said right when Caeron took a pause.

Both Caeron and Avon turned to look at Amael who suddenly raised his hand and waved at them.

"Anyways, see you at the boss monster," he said before leaving without a second thought.

"You... come back here!" Avon shouted with a dark face but his anger turned to the one who distracted him.

Being made the scapegoat and forced to stand against Avon, Caeron gulped nervously but kept up his confident expression.

After successfully escaping, Amael took a moment to check his progress. 'Oi System, did I get anything?'

{Yes. You've gained 23 Villain Points since the Entrance Exam.}

'Hm? That's a lot,' Amael mused with a smile, thinking that what the system said about the academy giving many points was true.

The system, meanwhile, was still processing the changes but was unable to pinpoint the exact cause beyond Amael's actions.

Both couldn't even reach Jash due to his passive benefits saving and protecting him from any such scans.

If only Amael knew that Jash was helping him farm points, he wouldn't hesitate to befriend Jash wholeheartedly.

Alas, Jash, too, was suspicious of Amael and kept his distance, unable to shake the feeling that Amael had undergone some change he couldn't yet grasp.

Currently, Jash was approaching the boss monster slowly as if nothing could faze him in the least.

"Not like anyone will defeat it so soon," he mumbled as if justifying to himself about his deliberate slow pace.

If not for his plan to maximize points and screen time by eliminating examinees masterfully, he would've rushed to the boss monster.

However, doing that would only aid him in being able to solo it when no one notable was nearby.

It was a no-brainer to have a lower value than being able to fight other talented ones while taking on the boss monster.

It wasn't a team hunt but a competition at that point, something the Academy aimed for.

Already knowing it, Jash was eager for it to happen, knowing it would help him secure First Rank and the money he bet on himself.

'Also, the Year Representative perks are not that bad themselves,' he mused before side stepping and walking ahead.

His walking pattern turned random as he would jump, slow down, and widen his stride unpredictably.

"Good try but..." he began before he threw a dagger at the top of a tree.

—Clank!

The dagger struck nothing but a barrier as the mage wasn't ready for something like this.

He hadn't anticipated someone to be able to see through him and the last words he heard terrified him.

"...it was too obvious," Jash said as he walked beneath the tree and picked up his dagger.

The area behind him transformed abruptly.

As the examinee was eliminated, spikes of wood and rocks emerged in the exact spots where Jash had altered his path, surprising the audience.

At this point, even other professors wanted to know how Jash figured it out while Rui was numb at the scene.

Unfortunately, no one explained it to the professors or the audience as their attention was stolen the moment Jash neared the boss monster.

"This much is enough," Jash murmured before sitting down on a rock and matching eyes with the imoogi-like monster.

He sat at the exact precipice of the monster's attack range, if he was a meter ahead, it would've already attacked him.

Fortunately, it wasn't alive and was forced to stay inside the water as any alive monster wouldn't hesitate to attack at Jash.

That was on the drawback of stimulated monsters and Jash knew it all too well as that was one tactic Zaos used in the latter parts of the novel.

Meanwhile, all types of conversations began amongst the audience and even in the VIP rooms where the nobles from all races were present.

"What's he doing?"

"Is he not going to fight? Just going to wait... so boring"

"What do you mean? Didn't you see what happened to everyone who tried attacking? They were eliminated..."

"Yeah, and it only took one attack. There's no way someone strong like him can't gauge it out."

The audience made wild guesses, hyping it up without intervention, while the nobles were wary and suspicious of his motive.

"Could it be that he wants others to tire out the monster before taking out?" someone muttered before shaking their head.

"No way, it's a stimulated monster and it won't tire unless set on that mode. Surely, the academy didn't..."

Surely, the academy chose that exact mode!

Or it would make no sense for any examinee to be able to defeat it if it wasn't even realistic.

However, none of the stimulated monsters till now were on that mode, making it hard to believe.

However, the nobles weren't one to speculate too much, relying on evidence and information.

Although Jash's awakening time wasn't known, his performance at the Imperial Banquet was subpar.

Subpar, only when comparing to Avon, Amael and the likes of them, but not others.

In fact, he had high bets on being in the top 50, not the top 100 or 10 because the participants from all races also had higher talent.

Despite the scarce information, it was still available and some people liked to bet based on the odds, so some random bets were also placed.

Not like the Academy cared about the bets as the gambling stations were all licensed and had to give a cut to the Academy.

Still, the gambling only grew more as earning so much easily was better than toiling for your whole life and only living hand-to-mouth.

And it became more pronounced since the licensed ones had to pay the money, regardless of their own losses as the Hunter Association licensed them.

Even though no S-Rank or above hunter would chase them, being targeted by the Hunter Association wasn't what anyone wanted.

Especially since they could just earn it back in one year, at the next Entrance Test and the Ranking Matches of the First Year Students.

Sadly, the rest of the years were always internal and not many guests were allowed.

At least it was broadcasted and they could still function for gambling, making them agree to their demands.

Just like them, the Academy and the betters were happy, especially the winning betters.

Jash had also bet on himself, for this very reason, knowing he would receive the money without any problems if he won.

Currently, he sat on the rock for a few minutes, observing the boss monster and how it attacked and eliminated the examinees with only one attack.

'When will they arrive?' he wondered, getting tired of watching the same scene repeat itself again and again.

Yet the question the professors and the audience had in mind was why he was even waiting.

Given the strength he showed up until now, it made no sense for him to wait as he could definitely fight the boss monster.

Though only the professors thought he could defeat it, aware of the monster's weakened state and how they purposefully made it so.

Thankfully, they were smart and guessed that there was no way for Jash to know it and that was the reason for him to not move.

A plausible explanation, indeed.

But some examinees had figured it out during the Entrance Test on the basis that it didn't leave its territory, afraid of something or someone.

The only explanation would be it was either injured and protecting itself or someone else.

Unaware they had attacked it, only to lose.

Even if it was injured, it wasn't something F-Rank hunters could even dream of taking on.

And to add insult to injury, not even all the 200 privileged ones with special training had achieved E-Rank.

It was simply impossible to reach E-Rank without enough talent, hard work, fortuitous encounters and resources.

One thing could compensate for the other, but some minimum standard was required nonetheless.

Even if they wanted to boost themselves to higher ranks, it was essentially stupid and impossible.

Of course, their parents, guardians and sponsors wouldn't want that, preventing them from taking that step despite the numerous resources at their disposal.

Jash was one such example, or so everyone thought, but it was his own decision to not speed up the ranking process.

Why should he mess up his foundation for impressing others?

He could do it by reaching S-Rank or even SSS-Rank in the future and the ones with weak foundations would be stuck at A-Rank.

Integration-Rank was truly a bane for such hunters, capping their ranks for a large part of their lives.

That's why Jash was not satisfied with his strength at his own rank, wanting to be unmatched in the same rank, thinking, 'It's not enough.'