Chapter 303: The One Who Will Reach First Place

Transparent blue text suddenly appeared before his eyes, glowing in the silence of the forest. Haruto frowned, his expression turning annoyed.

[Do you accept this mission?]

"Damn..." Haruto muttered quietly, his eyes radiating displeasure.

It was predictable. If the system suddenly issued a mission, then something interesting was happening. Haruto let out a heavy sigh. His mind raced, searching for possible scenarios that could unfold if he accepted or declined this mission.

However, in the end, Haruto knew that refusing wouldn’t change much.

"Accept."

As soon as Haruto agreed, the mission details immediately appeared.

[Mission: Reach First Place in the Plant Gathering Exam!]

[Reward: 1 Item Card Slot]

"...Just as I suspected." Haruto shook his head slightly. The annoyance still lingered, but upon seeing the reward for this mission, Haruto's eyes narrowed slightly.

1 Item Card Slot.

That was not an ordinary reward.

For a moment, the annoyance on Haruto's face vanished, replaced by a thin, meaningful grin.

...

...

...

At the City Academy Stadium – Host Room.

The atmosphere in the stadium filled with spectators grew increasingly noisy. On the large screen hanging in the center of the stadium, various clips of the exam were shown.

"Oh my! One of the first-year students has failed! That child was severely injured while facing a pack of Forest-type Horrors!" Pricilla exclaimed, her voice filled with tension.

On the screen, a student was seen lying on the ground, while several teachers and healers from the academy rushed to save the child. The audience filling the stadium held their breath, some of them shouting anxiously.

Meanwhile, in the host room, Pricilla turned to Luna, still filled with curiosity.

"Teacher Luna," Pricilla said, her voice slightly breathless with excitement. "You didn’t want to mention who the student you think could reach first place was. But now, seeing how all the students are so enthusiastic and competitive… is the student you meant really participating in this exam?"

Luna, who had been silent while watching the screen, finally spoke up.

"...Look closely," Luna said, her voice sounding more serious this time. "That child is starting to show his fangs. So, it can be determined who the winner of this event is."

Her words immediately captured the attention of the entire stadium. Even the viewers watching through the live broadcast across Fortress City 085 began to wonder.

"Who is the student you mean, Teacher Luna?" Pricilla looked at Luna with hopeful eyes.

Luna raised her hand, pointing to the giant screen. There, a boy was seen moving agilely among the trees, deftly placing plants into his bag.

"...Haruto Sato."

Silence.

For a moment, almost the entire stadium fell silent. Then, like a tidal wave, whispers and commotion began to spread throughout the arena.

"Haruto Sato?! Is that really him?"

"I heard Haruto Sato is the child abandoned by the Sato Family for causing trouble!"

"Wait, Haruto Sato, the one who has been causing problems, even known for beating people up for no reason?! That’s unbelievable!"

...

...

...

On the screen, Haruto was seen jumping onto the branches of a large tree, then he reached his hand into a small hole nearby. When he pulled his hand out, a strange purple plant with green spots was in Haruto's grasp.

"Heh… Pruhat mushrooms even grow here? This place really holds many surprises," Haruto murmured with a wide smile.

Quickly, Haruto placed the plant into his storage bag and moved on, searching for the next plant.

...

...

...

In the host room, Pricilla stared at the screen with wide eyes.

Meanwhile, Luna just smirked.