Chapter 3: Placement Exam (1)

Creak–

After submitting my exam paper, I quietly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Two people who seemed to be Academy staff members were standing there.

As soon as one of them saw me, they spoke up.

“The practical exam will be held in the 1st-floor gymnasium. Just follow the signs.”

“Thank you.”

The moment I heard the destination was the gymnasium, I formed a map in my head.

If the interior of Orion Academy was unchanged from the game, I felt like I could get there blindfolded.

Aren’t there multiple gymnasiums? Whatever, it must be there.

I was the only one using the wide staircase, which had been bustling with cadets not too long ago.

The moment I reached the 1st floor…

A translucent window, obstructing my view, reappeared.

“!”

I naturally stopped walking.

In game terms, does this mean the shortcut key ‘K’ has been unlocked?

Having transmigrated before receiving a detailed explanation about my character, I was incredibly curious about the Skills I possessed.

Does it function in the same manner as the Quest window?

I had already figured out how to open the Quest window on my way here.

Simply willing it was enough to summon the translucent window.

“Huh…!”

Drawn by the harpoon of my will, the Skill window floated in the air.

It was a sight that excited me in a way different from the Quest window. I quickly scanned the information with interest.

‘As expected.’

A subtle glow emanated from the Skill names in the Skill window.

Furthermore, there were levels showing growth potential, not just ranks.

This meant they were Unique Skills, only usable by me.

Two Unique Skills!

As expected, I was S-Rank.

I had anticipated it since I had even received a personal pick-up, but seeing the number of Unique Skills confirmed my S-Rank status.

However, both Skills were unique and unfamiliar, not exactly geared towards combat.

Was Weakness Induction a debuff type Skill? It seemed like it could be applied in combat.

However, it was my first time hearing of a ‘Shop’ Skill in Abyss City. There wasn’t anything similar to it.

“Hmm.”

Continuing my thoughts as I moved my legs towards the gymnasium…

If the Shop uses Points as currency, are Quest Rewards consumed? And Weakness Induction…

I wasn’t sure how my Unique Skills would evolve as their levels increased.

But if the inducible weakness Attributes diversified, it would become like a skeleton key that allowed for party composition without excluding favorite characters, regardless of their Attribute.

Conversely, the same applied to Gamers focused solely on performance and clearing, not affection.

Depending on how the Skill grew, it could even become essential for Gamers with such tendencies.

Is this…?

The scent of a so-called “meta” character.

That distinct scent emanated strongly from the Skill.

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There were a total of five gymnasiums lined up at Orion Academy.

As if that wasn’t enough, I could see another gymnasium being built in the distance.

Weren’t there eight when the Protagonist entered the second-year?

It was only natural, considering the influx of cadets from various countries and the physically demanding nature of most classes.

There it is.

Similar to what I saw at the entrance, a woman was sitting at a table.

She was twitching her rabbit ears as she gazed in my direction. The existence of Beastkin was still fascinating.

“Are you here for the practical exam?”

“Yes, I finished the written exam.”

“You finished incredibly fast!”

I smiled awkwardly at her words and showed my student ID and number tag.

She folded one of her ears, which had been perked up in concentration, and moved her pen across the document.

“You can go to the first gymnasium over there.”

“Thank you.”

“The exam will begin once the minimum number of people are gathered, so please warm up and wait inside.”

With a nod of understanding, I headed towards the gymnasium marked with the number 1.

Creak!

I pushed open the metal door and entered, finding no one else inside.

It seemed certain that I had finished the written exam the quickest out of everyone.

What’s that? Is it related to the exam?

Upon entering, I saw numerous square stone blocks lined up in the center, though I couldn’t figure out their purpose.

“Hmm…”

Without stopping, I headed towards one of the gymnasium walls.

Swords, spears, axes, guns, bows, and so on.

Seeing the wall covered with familiar weapons brought a sense of calm to my heart.

Of course, this is the ideal Academy. Korea needs something like this.

I reached out and drew a sword from its sheath.

Shing!

A hefty Long Sword.

I could tell just by holding it. It was a well-maintained sword. The blade was sharpened properly.

The center of gravity is good too.

I swung it lightly and returned it to its place.

Right now, what I needed to focus on was research, not a sword.

Do I use Skills just by willing them?

Was it possible with mere intention, just like summoning the Quest window?

“…”

The moment I thought of the Shop Skill…

Something within me reacted.

Look at this.

I dismissed the translucent window and laughed.

Update or not, I immediately got a feel of the Skill.

It was similar to how I activated my Supernatural Ability as a Hunter, yet the stimulation points consumed were different.

A few more tries should be enough.

As I focused intently to grasp that unfamiliar sensation…

Boom!

Someone opened the door forcefully.

“Huh? I’m not first?”

A refreshing voice that my mind remembered well.

Something deep within me resonated strongly, and my neck turned with force that felt like it would break.

I faced a Beastkin woman exuding an intense presence.

Noa Frozenheart…!

A royal from the north and a Beastkin with White Tiger blood.

Long limbs and clear blue eyes, characteristics of her noble lineage.

A dazzling, spirited smile filled with confidence.

And just like in the game, she wasn’t wearing the Orion Academy Uniform, but her own clothes.

On her right index finger was a ring, the symbol of her exclusive weapon.

Accompanying her was…

“Noa, being first in the exam results is what matters. Being first in order is meaningless.”

A girl with sleek, jet-black Princess Cut hair entered with graceful steps, muttering from behind.

In the girl’s pale hand was her exclusive weapon, a jet-black Greatsword, Yoru.

Even Ichinose Yui?

I clenched my teeth hard to prevent myself from cheering out loud.

Seeing the characters I truly cherished, not the ones I left at level 1, made my heart pound like it was about to explode.

Perhaps because of the uncontrollable excitement and joy…

Losing its restraint, my gaze continued to follow Ichinose Yui as she walked beside Noa.

This is insane…

The petite girl didn’t lose her composure as she walked, even with her eyes closed.

Unlike Noa, she was neatly dressed in the Academy Uniform.

Polar opposites.

The combination of Noa Frozenheart, easily over 170cm tall, and Ichinose Yui, barely over 150cm, was a sight that filled me with satisfaction.

“Ahh~ If only Nose had finished the written exam a little quicker.”

Was ‘Nose’ a nickname for Ichinose? This was valuable information that wasn’t revealed in the game.

As a spectator, I finally withdrew my gaze and focused on listening to them instead, suppressing the corners of my mouth threatening to form a smile.

“As I said earlier, I never asked you to wait. And unlike you, I solved all the problems.”

Yui’s prickly response was adorable.

Noa twitched her round ears and laughed. Her refreshing voice, as if to say the written exam didn’t matter, was a bonus.

“Even so, you would have just gotten lost inside the Academy without me and missed the practical exam. Just be honest and say thank you.”

“Such an assumption…! There’s no possibility of me getting lost on the way here.”

A slightly irritated voice in response to Noa’s provocation as she flicked her tail.

It was a satisfying scene that extended my lifespan.

So the ‘directionally challenged’ setting remains.

As I focused on their conversation and did some warm-up stretches for appearance sake, cadets who had finished the written exam started to fill the gymnasium one by one.

Once the 1st gymnasium was full after a considerable number had gathered, a man with a scruffy beard and a bored expression entered, introducing himself as the Instructor.

He stood in the center, announcing the start of the practical exam.

“I’ll explain this just once. You can only use Academy-supplied weapons hanging on the wall. Well, you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to.”

The exam was as simple as the brief explanation.

They would evaluate the depth and width of the marks left on the Golems.

Scratching his messy hair, the Instructor shuffled towards the square stone blocks.

“You’re only allowed one attack. Hit, punch, or throw this test Golem however you like. Ah! Filming is not permitted, so put away those phones.”

Seeing the Instructor tap the white lumps, I blinked in disbelief.

Judging by the reactions around me, it seemed that everyone but me knew what they were.

Those were Golems?

They were huge lumps without even the slightest hint of form or craftsmanship, hardly deserving of the name “Golem.”

“You can check the results of your class assignments on the first day of school.”

With that, the Instructor yawned widely and looked at the paper in his hand.

“Yawn… Number 99, come forward.”

The first one up.

I selected a Long Sword from the wall and stepped forward.

“Name.”

“Rohan.”

The Instructor nodded and gestured towards the test Golem with his chin.

“One minute. Begin within that time.”

“…Yes.”

Pretending to check the Golem’s hardness by placing my hand on it, I concentrated repeatedly to use my Skill.

Skills are similar to the Supernatural Abilities I used as a Hunter.

Perhaps thanks to the short practice…

Weakness Induction.

A strange, indescribable wave spread through my palm.

I felt a significant decrease in something like stamina or vitality, or in Abyss City terms, ‘Mana.’

A successful reaction.

But I had no time to rejoice.

Maintaining the weakness also consumes Mana continuously.

I imprinted the information about the Skill in my mind.

Before my Mana could hit rock bottom, I gripped the sword tightly with both hands.

I didn’t know how effective the Weakness Induction Skill was, and it was only level 1.

Nor did I expect to create a spectacular scene with my now-weakened body.

If Physical resistance was lowered, my goal was to at least leave a scratch on that sturdy Golem.

“Hooo…”

I bent my knees slightly, lowered my stance, and exhaled deeply.

The trajectory I envisioned was a downward slash.

“Hah!”

I put all my strength into the Long Sword I raised high and swung it down.

Whoosh!

And so…

The moment the Long Sword passed through the air and connected with the Golem…

The blade sliced through the Golem like butter, continuing its downward trajectory.

The blade cleaved through the target completely, hitting the gymnasium floor with a thud.

The neatly bisected Golem tumbled to either side with a thump!

“…”

Silence descended over the exam area.

Noa, who had been watching with her arms crossed, grinned, revealing her canines, as if she had found something amusing.

Ichinose slowly opened her closed eyes and looked at the man who had split the Golem.