The Extra's Harem In Dead End Game

Well, I don't need to worry about her unnecessarily. I turned my attention back to Sunny.

"I know your level well. So don't expect anything from the start."

"Ugh."

Mentally, he was soft as tofu, but he had some pride in his skills. So normally, even if I were the opponent, he would have glared at me with dissatisfaction, but now he couldn't make a sound.

He was painfully aware that the problem was beyond his level. Anyway, it's not bad that he grasps the situation quickly.

"I told you. I'll carry our team. Just listen to me and follow."

A statement that had no credibility at our first meeting.

But now it's different. I proved my skills in the first test. There's nothing more convincing than that. So Sunny had no choice but to agree quietly.

"Forget all the sensations of the elements you've known up to now."

"Forget them?"

"Yes. You saw the others getting destroyed, right? That's because the sensations they knew caused confusion in their minds."

Sunny looked confused at that explanation. Of course, he had no choice in the matter.

He was helpless with his own abilities. So he had no choice but to follow my words, which had scored full marks in the first test.

"Remember this: fire feels sticky, water is purple, wind is lukewarm, earth is salty, electricity is cold, light smells fresh, and darkness is bitter."

What kind of nonsense is this...?

That was the look on his face. But you see, this was the culmination of the hardships endured by everyone in this test. Each one was a cross-verified fact. So...

"Just memorize it."

"・・・・・・ Okay."

He wouldn't be so pathetic as to fail at this. If so, I'd have to throw away my own judgment.

"Memorize it."

Of course, the fact that I'm watching over him doesn't mean I don't trust my own judgment.

***

"Next group, come forward."

Finally, it was their turn.

The group everyone was watching. It was the group of Max, the troublemaker of the second year. All the groups of Royals and Nobles who had lost to Max's group in the first test glared at them with fiery eyes.

As if to say, let's see how much you can do. What they wanted, of course, was for Max's group to fail completely. They hadn't forgotten the blow to their pride from losing to someone like Max.

"Ugh, what an eyesore. Sorry to the other team members, but just fail, please."

Elaine's friend cursed. Since Elaine had been there when she had a rough time with Max, it was a natural reaction. Elaine didn't respond to the words and just stared at Max.

'This test is about the effort you've put in all along.'

Picking out the shapeless elements. It wasn't a problem that could be solved with learned sensations.

Only those with innate senses who had grown the level of their original senses through continuous efforts could approach it.

It wasn't a problem that could be solved by luck or special intuition. Only with basic talent and consistent effort could one solve it. So,

"It's not possible."

Elaine muttered with certainty. She had never seen someone as insincere as Max.

"Start."

Professor Karen said. Soon, they dispersed to their respective elements, just like the other groups.

Elaine's gaze was fixed solely on Max.

There was nothing unusual about Max's movements. Like the others, he meticulously examined the shapeless elements using all five senses.

'That won't be enough.'

Elaine was sure of it. Ordinary elements could be distinguished with the five senses. But the sense required to pick out shapeless elements was not the usual five senses.

A sense above the five senses. The very sense that she referred to as 'original.'

'He didn't really understand the professor's paper after all.'

All of this was, of course, written in Professor Karen's paper.

Yet, if he acted like that, it meant he either didn't understand the paper properly or hadn't read it at all. That meant the fluent answer earlier was possible because he happened to know that part.

'I might have been too sensitive.'

Elaine even thought that she might have been too sensitive about an incident that was just a series of coincidences.

Meanwhile, time was up.

"Now, you have 30 seconds to discuss and then give your answer."

'Huh?'

For a moment, Elaine doubted her eyes. Max's expression was too relaxed.

That's an expression that couldn't possibly come from someone who failed the test...

No.

On second thought, it was possible for Max. He was a man who didn't care about test scores.

'Right, you were that kind of person...'

An unpleasant past she didn't want to remember came to mind.

Elaine decided. After today, she would completely stop caring about the person named Max.

"Now, tell me your answer."

Professor Karen spoke.

Max answered leisurely.

"From that side, Darkness, Wind, Electricity, Water, Light, Fire, Earth."

Regardless of the answer, everyone thought the result was already decided.

'It's one point.'

'It's one.'

'It's definitely one.'

Getting two right by guessing was difficult.

Max was definitely a one-pointer.

A perfect failure.

The feeling fit perfectly in their mouths. Now, all they had to do was jeer and cheer at the moment of disgrace. But as they waited for that moment.

"Excellent."

Yes, excellent... Huh?

The students doubted their ears.

But,

"It's a perfect score."

"What, what, what?!"

"Pe, pe, a perfect sc...?!"

A tremendous shock swept over everyone like a storm.

The students stood frozen in disbelief, their expressions a mixture of confusion and outrage.

Max's group had actually scored perfectly? The room buzzed with murmurs as eyes darted between Max, Professor Karen, and the rest of his group.

"How...?" someone whispered, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Elaine felt her mind race. She had been so sure of Max's failure, so convinced that his laziness would inevitably lead to his downfall. But here he was, standing tall, as if none of this surprised him.

"Is this a joke?" one of the nobles hissed under his breath, his pride bruised by the revelation.

Max's teammates, previously tense, exchanged confused but relieved glances.

They knew he was unpredictable, but none of them had expected a perfect score. For a moment, their resentment toward him was replaced by disbelief.

Elaine's heart sank. Her earlier words echoed in her head. *"It's not possible."* Yet, it was possible.

Not only had Max succeeded, but he had done so flawlessly. She clenched her fists, her earlier confidence crumbling.