Chapter 5: Admission (3)

Eterna Academy fundamentally has a large number of staff.

A vast campus and tens of thousands of applicants flocking in every year—
Managing the academy efficiently under such conditions requires a significant workforce.

And today is the long-awaited entrance exam day.
The practical exam supervisor is the professor of Combat Magic, Ophelia Louis.
Though she’s a minor extra in the story, Ophelia is a seasoned veteran mage who spent decades on the battlefield.

She’s infamous among applicants for her strict evaluation criteria.
Her judgment is sharp and precise, which is why students dread having her as their supervisor.

“Numbers 300 to 320, step forward.”

The practical exam is conducted under Ophelia’s guidance.
Students showcase their best magic, and the supervisor evaluates the completeness of the spell.

The criteria are:

• Speed

• Control

• Output
  The score, based on a maximum of 10 points, is entirely under Ophelia’s jurisdiction.
  After each spell demonstration, she publicly announces the score in front of everyone.

“3-Star Arcane Burst. Speed: 6 points, Control: 3 points, Output: 4 points.”

At Ophelia’s cold assessment, the student’s face twisted in despair.

“Applicant Rachel Mia, total score: 13 points. You may exit through the back.”
“Wait! Please, just one more chance…!”
“There are no retakes.”

Rachel raised her head to protest, but froze in place at Ophelia’s stern refusal.

“Ugh…”

With the delay, other applicants’ irritated stares fell on Rachel.
Eventually, with her head hung low, she left the hall with heavy steps.

“Numbers 320 to 340, please enter.”

The test progressed smoothly.
For Ophelia, assessing magic at the students’ level was as easy as yawning.

Perhaps because she had been standing in the same position for too long,
She rolled her shoulders to ease the stiffness in her neck.

“What’s up with that guy?”
“He just suddenly collapsed.”
“Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?”
“Whoa… He’s really handsome.”

The distracting chatter suddenly bombarded her ears.

‘Did something happen?’

Any issues during the exam also fall under the supervisor’s responsibility.
Ophelia turned her head toward the source of the commotion.

‘Black hair?’

She frowned at the unusual hair color.
His looks were so striking that even the normally indifferent Ophelia couldn’t help but mutter a faint compliment.

But that wasn’t the problem.
The man, supporting himself on his hands, looked dazed even from a distance.

Leaving him like that could be dangerous.
Just as Ophelia was about to move to send him to the infirmary—

‘…Huh?’

The man, being helped up by his companion, casually dusted off his pants as if nothing had happened.

“Um… When does the test start…?”
“Ahem, apologies. We’ll proceed right away.”

Surprised by the applicant’s question, Ophelia cleared her throat several times.
Fortunately, no major problem had occurred.

“2-Star Fire Arrow. Speed: 5 points, Control: 7 points, Output: 8 points. Total score: 20 points.”

So far, the magic displayed had fallen short of Ophelia’s expectations.
It seemed that most of the skilled applicants were assigned to other supervisors.

There’s nothing more boring than analyzing low-level spells.
After the repetitive monotony, even Ophelia was starting to feel fatigued.

“Numbers 360 to 380, please come in.”

The applicants lined up in front of her.
Among them, one familiar face caught her attention.

‘That’s the guy who collapsed earlier.’

The same guy who had suddenly dropped to the ground but got up as if nothing happened.
Now he stood in front of her, looking perfectly fine.

“Luke Richter, step forward.”

At Ophelia’s call, the man approached and stood by her side.

“We’ll begin the test. You have one chance. The maximum casting time is 10 seconds.
If you exceed 10 seconds, you will be automatically disqualified. Be mindful.”
“……”

Typically, students respond with a polite acknowledgment or thanks after the professor’s explanation.
But this guy remained completely silent.

His pupils seemed unfocused.
His face was blank.
His movements were sluggish.

The eerie atmosphere he gave off made the other applicants stare at him.

Is he just a weird one?
Thinking it wasn’t worth worrying about, Ophelia signaled the start of the test.

“Begin.”

She had no particular expectations.
He would probably just cast some low-level spell.

However, her prediction shattered within a single second.

“Oh…”

An absurd casting speed.
No, could that even be called casting?

It only took her one second to perceive the formation.
But by then, it was already fully formed.

Even using a Magic Imbuement Scroll wouldn’t be this fast.
Having witnessed countless spell formations in her life, she had rarely seen such insane speed.

Holding her breath, Ophelia focused on the man’s demonstration.
The formation that bloomed from his fingertips absorbed ambient mana and grew larger.

Then, layered atop the formation were six interlocking pentagrams.

‘6-Star…!’

No doubt about it.
A 6-Star Spell, Cosmic Rage.

An applicant casting a 6-Star spell?
And not just any 6-Star spell, but Cosmic Rage, known for being notoriously difficult?

“…This is absurd.”

Ophelia stared at him with shocked eyes.
If the esteemed scholars of the Magic Tower saw this, they would probably faint.

This guy wasn’t on the level of a mere applicant.
He was leagues beyond that.

Wooong—!!
A brilliant white glow flickered at his fingertips.
Dozens of light threads spun like skeins of yarn from his hand.

Mana condensed to the limit.
The concentrated energy surpassed its critical point, triggering a massive chemical reaction.

Boom—!!
With a thunderous roar, the mana that burst from his fingertips swept forward like a tidal wave, engulfing everything in its path.
All the protective barriers installed in the exam hall shattered simultaneously.

The floor, which had been uneven from previous magic demonstrations,
was instantly leveled as his magic wiped everything clean.

‘…A monster.’

The flattened ground still crackled with dozens of electric currents as remnants of Cosmic Rage.
A gust of wind blew through the giant hole that had formed at the front.

“What the hell was that…?”
“Is he really an applicant? Isn’t he a professor?”
“Could he be the top student?”

Whispers spread like ripples, growing louder.
The eyes of the applicants were filled with a mix of awe and disbelief.

Their reactions were understandable.
Just witnessing high-level magic can bring about profound realizations.

“…Applicant Luke Richter. Speed: 10 points, Control: 10 points, Output: 10 points. Total: 30 points.”

Ophelia’s evaluation echoed through the hall, and gasps of admiration filled the space.

A perfect score of 30 in the practical exam.
In over a decade of teaching, this was the first time Ophelia had ever given a perfect score.

---

The practical exam, which must be cleared to enter S-Class.
The last thing I remember before the exam was losing consciousness from mana depletion.

But when I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling.

‘The headmaster’s office?’

No f*cking way—why am I here again?
If someone collapses, shouldn’t they be taken to the infirmary, not the headmaster’s office?

At first, I was confused, but I calmed down soon enough.
The entrance exam was already screwed anyway, so what’s the point in overthinking?

‘Nobody’s here?’

I glanced around.
The headmaster’s office was completely empty.

I had no clue why I was here in the first place.
Did Stella bring me here?

“……”

First things first, I should leave.
I’ll think about it back at the dorm.

Just as I was about to stand up—

Clunk—!

The door to the headmaster’s office swung open.

“What are you doing here?”

Stella stood there, glaring at me.
Why does she look so murderous?

“You look like you’ve got a lot to say.”

Here we go again.
What does she expect me to say this time?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Ha! Now you’re playing dumb?”

Stella let out a laugh of disbelief.
Sorry, but I really have no clue what she’s on about.

“Still acting clueless after this?”

Rustle!
She threw a stack of papers at me.
The scattered sheets landed neatly on my lap.

What’s all this?
I picked up the papers one by one and examined them.

‘Written exam answer sheets?’

These are the answer sheets I filled out during the test.
Why is she giving them to me?

“I clearly warned you not to cause trouble, didn’t I?”
“Why is this…?”
“Seriously, I’m about to lose it! How the hell did you get every single answer right on a test designed to trick you? You should’ve intentionally gotten some wrong!”

F*ck.
How was I supposed to know that?

“Well, fine. The written test is whatever. I could just claim you’re some genius in theory.”
“…Then what’s the problem?”

With an annoyed look, Stella snapped her fingers.
With a sharp sound, a translucent screen popped up in midair.

The screen showed me, standing in a familiar location.

‘That’s the practical exam hall.’

On the screen, I looked completely fine.
But I clearly remember losing consciousness midway.

My mind was spinning, and I couldn’t form a single coherent thought.
Then the next scene made my heart drop to the floor.

“…What the hell.”

[Cosmic Rage]
The epitome of area-of-effect spells, the hope of light-attribute magic.
A 6-Star spell renowned for its unparalleled efficiency among AoE spells.

“An applicant using a 6-Star spell in a practical exam? Are you trying to advertise yourself as a genius or something?”
“…There seems to be a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“……”

My brain raced furiously.

The man on the screen was definitely me.
But I had no memory of it.

I had blacked out—how the hell was I walking around normally?
More importantly, how did a measly Level 23 character flawlessly use [Cosmic Rage]?

Suddenly, it hit me—the only passive skill I had.

‘No way…’

[Sleepwalking], the only passive skill I possessed.
And the skill description was definitely…

—————————————————————————————————

[Sleepwalking]
Rank: EX
Type: Passive
(When entering a sleep state, latent unconscious abilities are activated.)

—————————————————————————————————–

Right, that’s what it said.

‘F*ck?!’

I finally understood.

Why my level increased after I woke up.
Why I could complete the practical exam despite losing consciousness.
It was all because of that cursed skill!

Was [Sleepwalking] really sleepwalking?
Am I the weakest while awake, but the strongest when asleep?
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

“You think it’s funny? You’re laughing? Is this situation amusing to you?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Do you have any idea how much those barriers you broke cost?”
“Aren’t all those barriers made by you, Stella?”
“So what, is my labor free?”

I obediently fixed my gaze on the floor.
In situations like this, keeping my head down is the only answer.

“You completely wrecked the exam hall and still look so pleased with yourself?”
“You must be mistaken.”
“What? Say that again.”
“……”

This is insane.
Why do I have to apologize for something my sleeping self did?

“How are you going to atone for this crime?”
“……”
“Answer.”
“Just… consider it the youthful mistake of an energetic student…”

Stella’s murderous glare made me swallow my words.
Even when she looks fierce, Stella has a strong attachment to students.
Surely she wouldn’t kill me… right?

“Agh, my head’s throbbing.”
“Ahem…”

I gave up.
Resigned, I put my hands on my knees and listened quietly.

“There’s something just perfect for dealing with guys like you.”
“……?”
“The Disciplinary Committee.”
“What the f*ck.”

Gasp—!
I instinctively slapped my hands over my mouth after the curse slipped out.

“Now that’s an interesting reaction.”
“Putting a first-year in the Disciplinary Committee? That’s just… insane.”
“Why not? An unprecedented genius freshman, Luke Richter.”

Ahahaha!
Stella burst out laughing.
If I had possessed my main character’s strength, I would have given her a good smack.

“From now on, you’re under special supervision. Got it?”
“Haha… hah…”

It’s over.
If I join the Disciplinary Committee, that crazy woman will be there.
Just the thought of dealing with her made me feel faint.

“Not answering?”
“…Understood.”

From Stella’s perspective, this was actually a lenient decision.
I couldn’t really argue further.
After all, it was technically my fault for causing the incident.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

I just needed to get out of here.
Right now, I needed to think about how to utilize [Sleepwalking] and plan ahead.

Just as I heaved a small sigh and started to get up—

“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Excuse me?”

Stella’s lips twisted into a wicked grin.

“Didn’t I warn you? If you cause trouble, I’ll wring you dry while you’re still alive.”
“……?”
“I’m someone who keeps my word.”

Blue shimmering waves of mana flickered around Stella’s body.
No way…

“Ready to get wrung out?”
“W-Wait a minute!”
“Stay still. You’ll feel real good in a moment.”
“This is too harsh…!!”

Wooong—!
An unstoppable force gripped my body tightly.
Without resistance, I floated helplessly in the air.

“Trying to resist? Move, and it’ll hurt more.”
“Aaaaahhhhh!!!!”

F*ck.
So this is what it feels like to be wrung out alive.