The Villainous Noble Regressed With The Villain System
Chapter 33: Class Division Exam [25]

Chapter 33: Class Division Exam [25]

Valerys de Cresent stepped forward

"Well then, without further ado, let’s start the exam."

Her silver hair swayed in the air, as she commanded the students to enter the dungeon, as soon as they have formed groups.

Rules of the Class Division Exam

1. Team Formation:

Students must form groups of five.

You may choose your teammates, or be assigned randomly if you remain ungrouped.

2. Objective:

Inside the dungeon, each team must collect 3 dungeon tokens.

These tokens are dropped by defeated dungeon monsters (illusion-based but capable of causing real pain/injury).

After collecting 3 tokens, the team must reach the central hall within 2 hours.

3. Token Collection:

Fighting monsters is the main method of collecting tokens.

Stealing tokens from other teams is not encouraged, but not forbidden either.

You may use any means—magic, trickery, teamwork, manipulation—so long as no student is critically harmed.

4. Passing Criteria:

A team passes if:

They collect 3 tokens.

They reach the central hall within the 2-hour time limit.

Failing to do either results in immediate placement into Class D.

5. No Second Chances:

There will be no retries, resits, or make-up exams.

This single attempt will decide each student’s initial class placement.

That was all for the rules.

Students began to scatter, after reading the rules, projected on a big screen in front of them.

A few political groups including children from powerful families and their lapdogs had already been formed.

Then, there stood Monica Croft, without trying to move an inch.

She just observed her classmates frantically trying to get into stronger groups, to ensure that they land in higher classes.

It was no different from the first exam she has experienced before, except, at that time, she was also one of those students, trying to form a balanced group for combat.

But now she has become an observer.

There was a chance that she would be left out too, because there are 197 students and not 200.

So, two students are bound to left behind.

She stood still, arms folded, her expression unreadable.

If this were her previous life, she would’ve rushed to form a decent team, carefully selecting a balance of offense, defense, and support. But now?

She had no desire to chase people who only saw strength in swords and spells.

Her eyes drifted across the clearing.

There—Aster Renholm, the blond-haired prodigy from House Renholm, already surrounded by four equally sharp-looking nobles. He exuded confidence, not arrogance. Every movement he made was calculated, reserved. He glanced toward Monica once, and their eyes met for a heartbeat.

Then he turned away.

Of course, he would never remember her now.

Back then, he was different. Ambitious, reckless... but still willing to reach out. In this life, he’d never been betrayed yet.

Monica sighed.

"Astoria, Ren, Lysa, Tolan..." she muttered, naming the other four in Aster’s group. "He’s keeping the same team."

They were strong. Strong enough to clear the dungeon and walk out unscathed—at least, in the last timeline.

But would that hold true again?

"Things are already different," Monica thought, her fingers tightening at her sides. "Dorian isn’t even supposed to be here..."

Suddenly, the dungeon gates cracked open with a low hum of magic.

Students began entering in batches. Team after team disappeared into the shadowed entrance, swallowed by mist and stone.

"Let’s move!" someone called.

Monica didn’t flinch.

She waited.

Only when the last of the groups had gone in and the assigned supervisors were marking the two leftover students—herself and a timid boy from the outer regions—did she finally take a step forward.

"Looks like I’m going in with randoms again," she whispered.

But even as she stepped toward the gate, her mind wasn’t focused on the exam.

It was on the forest.

Somewhere out there... he was watching.

---

Inside the dungeon, soft blue light lit the moss-lined walls. Magic crystals pulsed with energy at regular intervals. Aster’s party moved as a single unit, their steps quiet but certain.

"Five minutes in. No threats yet," Tolan murmured, his hands crackling faintly with defensive magic.

"Keep your guard up," Aster replied. "This is just the entry passage."

They were quick, efficient. Astoria was the scout, her sharp eyes always flicking between corners and shadows. Lysa handled enchantments, preloading traps and debuffs in advance. Ren served as their main offense, while Tolan supported with barriers and elemental shielding.

Aster, however, was the brain.

"Next bend leads to a fork," Astoria called from ahead. "Left’s quiet. Right has mana traces—strong ones."

Aster nodded. "Right. If there’s mana, there’s a token."

Within seconds, they encountered their first illusionary beast—an obsidian wolf with two tails, snarling from the shadows.

It leapt.

And was met by Ren’s glaive midair.

The battle lasted barely twenty seconds.

Lysa bound its limbs with chains of light while Tolan sealed its speed using a slowing field. Ren and Aster alternated clean, precise strikes until it dissipated into blue dust.

A soft clang echoed as the first token dropped to the ground.

"One down," Astoria said.

They moved again, wordlessly. These five had trained for this.

---

From a hidden crevice in the upper ledges of the dungeon wall, a pair of eyes watched them.

Black eyes, sharp and calm.

Dorian Valen.

He sat crouched behind a growth of crystal moss, lips pressed together in faint amusement.

So predictable, he thought.

They moved too perfectly, too cleanly. That’s why they would fail.

Because this world didn’t reward perfection.

It punished it.

---

Dorian’s POV

I shouldn’t even be here.

That’s what everyone believes.

Technically, they’re right. My entry into the dungeon wasn’t through any legal method.

But there’s always a backdoor, if you know where to look.

Dulhard’s map of the Southern Wall was accurate. The ventilation shafts that connected to the magical drainage system under the forest perimeter—normally sealed, unless someone with access had... loosened a few bolts.

Let’s just say, a little talk with a scared city guard and some sleep-inducing powder helped.

I entered the dungeon through the maintenance tunnel before anyone else even reached the gate. And I had a simple goal:

Interfere.

Not kill, not win.

Just... interfere.

Particularly with him.

Aster Renholm.

The "protagonist."

The shining star everyone wanted to follow.

In the last life, he passed this exam effortlessly and was placed in Class A.

He became the center of power within the academy, pulling everyone into his orbit.

Not this time.

If I could just delay him, slow him down enough to make him miss the time limit, he would fall to Class B—or worse.

That was all I needed to start shaking the foundation.

But interference wasn’t enough. I had to escape too.

If I got caught inside the dungeon after being suspended... things would spiral too early.

So I needed:

1. A way to get in.

2. A way to disrupt their progress.

3. An exit route.

The third was still being handled.

I left a charm outside—one that connects to a shadow portal. It activates in ten minutes. That gives me a window.

Now for the fun part.

I closed my eyes and visualized the fork they’d passed. If I blocked the back path now, they’d be forced into the longer route to the next chamber.

Then, with illusion magic, I could mimic monster traces in another direction—make them chase a ghost fight.

And when the confusion peaks...

I’ll appear.

Just enough to make them second-guess their direction. Lose minutes. Maybe get separated.

It only takes one slip.

Just one...

I opened my eyes and smiled.

Let the game begin.

***********************

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