episode_0038

It was difficult to remember exactly what the game was about.

In particular, the attack on Aseong High School by the six criminals was not related to any story or event.

I just barely remembered what the news announcer in the game said.

So I think it’s acceptable to remember that an incident occurs.

‘Unstable… .’

I couldn’t help but feel a lot of tension.

It’s not that I don’t know anything, it’s that I have very vague knowledge of the future.

Things should work out… .

‘Anyway, did he know that the practical evaluation would take place here?’

It’s about a necromancer.

Even I didn’t know in advance where Aseong High School’s practical evaluations would be conducted this semester.

In the practice evaluation that I approved, only the structure and characteristics of the location were explained.

Since I, as the head of the department, had to take the practical evaluation, only the minimum amount of information was provided for the sake of fairness.

Only after today, students were informed of where and how the practical evaluation would be conducted. It was even a newly developed place this year.

Well, there was no particular advantage to performing the role of test supervisor as a leader and looking around the test site first.

It’s beneficial to have your ability to manipulate magical power evaluated, and once the evaluation is over, the target automatically moves for the next evaluation, and you can practice at the academy.

‘At a practical evaluation location that not even I knew about, a necromancer is attacking… .’

Why?

There were two things that seemed like the biggest possibilities.

The location doesn’t matter when a necromancer attacks Stronghold.

That she has some kind of relationship of interest with a faculty member who could leak information.

Assuming the latter, most people could not believe it. So I only shared with the executives the information that the six criminals might appear during the practical evaluation. From the outside, it seemed like it was just my wild guess, but everyone seemed to be careful and there would be no harm.

‘please… Get caught without any trouble.’

My heart felt heavy at the thought of having to catch the six criminals, risking the safety of the students. It must have been a sense of responsibility.

Even though I knew that there was nothing I could do because the practical evaluation was an opportunity to catch a necromancer… It was a feeling that could not be easily avoided.

This is the problem with knowing game knowledge.

“Manager.”

At that time, Vice President Oh Baek-seo came next to me and spoke.

“Are you nervous?”

“!”

No, what.

Did he read my mind again?

“Well, is that possible? It would be absurd for the leader to be nervous about catching the villain.”

“Yes, I guess so.”

When the white paper stopped pretending, he nodded with a kind smile.

“What Dal-bi Kim said in the first place could have been a lie. Even if it were true, the practical evaluation could have passed without incident.”

“I hope what she said is a lie. I hope nothing happens.”

A night with salt-like stars embroidered in the high ultramarine blue sky.

We looked at the exam room together.

It was a practical evaluation location quite far away from Asung High School.

It is a huge test site full of artificial structures created by remodeling a forest.

It is a place developed by the entire Asung Academy, namely ‘Aseong General Academy’, and boasts a complex structure like a maze.

‘All of those things were built for educational purposes… .’

As expected, major academies play big.

Anyway, today is the first year practical evaluation day.

The second-year leader takes on the role of supervisor.

Meanwhile, executives with excellent military skills (except Park Min-hyuk) decided to supervise on different days regardless of grade. I decided to sacrifice myself and take on the role of supervisor on several days.

But somehow Oh Baek-seo followed. I will work with you on all days when I participate as an exam proctor.

The reason is that as the vice-president, he cannot leave the manager alone to suffer.

They also said that there was a possibility that there might be a villain among the students, so we had to be safe, so I had nothing to say.

‘It would be nice if the white paper helped me.’

I was the only one who would be grateful if a child like Baek Seo was with me.

It’s very reassuring.

“I guess I’m going to start now.”

First-year students lined up in groups in the plaza and began moving to the exam center under the guidance of their supervisors.

They would enter the testing center at different locations and take the practical assessment.

“Time to part ways. Manager, be careful.”

“You too, be careful and do your best.”

“Yes.”

White paper and scattered.

We had discussed that among the first years, we would split up and hunt down the top suspects, who were presumed to be necromancers. As supervisors, of course.

And the person I was going to focus on was Han Seo-jin, an expressionless junior.

However, it was not possible to just look at her.

This was because there were multiple suspects, so everyone had to pay attention to their locations.

Those subject to practical evaluation wear bracelets.

The bracelet could be tracked through a smartphone app.

So, I planned to keep a distance and watch the suspects.

‘Expressionless… .I hope it’s not you.’

I really hoped that the guy I had singled out as a promising prospect and had given him some affection for wasn’t a villain.

* * *

The edge of the setting sun kisses the horizon.

The sea is dyed red and rippling with the aftereffects of the sun. In the movie, the male and female protagonists lean on each other’s shoulders and watch the setting sun, deepening their love.

It was very beautiful.

Therefore, the sea must have been deeply engraved in Han Seo-jin’s mind as a child.

Before billions of people lost their lives, the sea was a symbol of romance. The beautiful sea of the past is sometimes depicted in many media being developed in modern times.

However, all citizens knew well what the current sea was like.

A long time ago, a picture of the sea that an explorer took at his own risk was circulating on the Internet.

What was once a symbol of romance has now become a hell.

Still, Seojin wanted to see the sea.

It was because I wanted to see at least a fragment of the beautiful scenery with my own eyes.

Even if it was just a trivial complaint, Seojin desperately wanted it to happen.

“… … .”

A practical evaluation place, somewhere.

Fireflies and lamps hanging on trees were lighting up the surroundings.

Unlike other students who were constantly taking practical assessments, Seojin sat quietly on an artificial structure, receiving moonlight.

Seojin had no interest in the various evaluation structures that tested magical power, or the targets that had to be found using magic sensitivity and search ability.

What you had to do here wasn’t anything like taking a practical evaluation.

When I looked up, I saw a skyscraper in the distance stretching towards the sky like the Tower of Babel. A long bright light was radiating above it.

The center of Academy City.

It was a beam of light meaning ‘central point’.

In that building was the headmaster of Academy City.

─’Ahaha.’

The principal’s voice passed through Seojin’s mind. It was a memory of the past that remained like a lingering sound.

Childhood.

A time when many children in infancy were discarded under the management of the headmaster, and Seojin himself was the only one who survived.

The principal spoke to Seojin.

─’I’ll show you the pretty sea you’ve been hoping for.’

That one word instantly brought a strange look to Seojin’s eyes.

─’So, for everyone’s future, will you lend me your strength?’

The headmaster said he knew a safe route to the sea outside the city.

Therefore, Seojin himself did not know if he would be able to see the sunset sea that he saw in the movie.

That alone was good.

Seojin was able to survive with only the hope and expectation that ‘I want to see the sea, and I can see it.’

Without that, he would have walked the same path as the children who were discarded.

“… Let’s get started.”

Seojin pretended to pick something up.

Sigh.

Then, purple magical power arose in his hand, and it turned into a black skull mask. Seojin put the mask on his face.

When he got up from his seat, his body was also covered with magic and quickly transformed into the shape of a robe.

The symbolic skull mask and robes of the Six Sinners’ necromancers.

It is a magical costume that can be stored in the form of magical power, and can be materialized or magicalized at any time.

Suddenly, a purple magic circle appeared on the ground, and a staff rose from it. That too was a process of materialization.

Seojin grabbed the cane.

It was a magic wand equipped with a magic stone.

With it, horsepower management and horsepower output become easier.

Seojin raised his staff and increased his magic power.

Coo coo coo coo!

At that moment, with a light earthquake.

In the middle of the testing room, purple magic began to draw a large circle.

Fuuu!

Heterogeneous purple currents rise along the circle, creating a circular space.

Soon, a huge barrier was formed around Seojin.

A heterogeneous barrier where waves gently roll over.

It wrapped around part of the large test site and blocked off the space.

Unique ability ‘Necromancy’.

Type 4 of magic formula, ‘Spirit Realm (魂靈圈域)’.

Seojin received information about this testing site in advance and wrote it down.

So that you can use your unique abilities efficiently and powerfully.

“What!?”

“What the hell is that… ?”

“That’s not a barrier… ?”

“Aaaah!”

While the students were in confusion, the inner wall of the spirit area revealed a new sky. The exam room became bright as if it had been transported to another world.

It was because of the mysterious illusion of the moon bleeding and emitting soft light.

Swish. Seojin waved his cane lightly.

One after another, the summoning lines engraved throughout the test site began to shed light and vomited out the dead all at once.

“What is that!?”

“Run!”

“Crazy!”

Students everywhere were screaming and running away or taking a fighting stance.

Those who are summoned are the dead.

No, to be precise.

[Grrr… !]

They were dead demon beasts.

Skeleton beasts wrapped in magic like skin rose up their massive bodies. Sharp claws flashed on their feet, reflecting magic.