episode_0054

Chapter 54 – End-of-Semester Evaluation

An hour later, regaining my senses, I immediately ran to Cain and confronted him.

“Isn’t this too much? You should have told me beforehand! Or at least stopped me midway!”

“Why should I? You’re the one who misunderstood on your own. Who was it that rushed out without even giving me time to speak?”

“Well, that’s…”

While I wasn’t without complaints, Cain’s argument wasn’t wrong, leaving me at a loss for words.

As I stammered, Cain changed the subject, as if he didn’t want to hear any more.

“Enough. That kind of thing doesn’t matter. More importantly, there’s a crucial problem.”

“A problem?”

“Yes. The problem is the Friuli family’s mana cultivation technique that you’re practicing.”

The Friuli-style mana cultivation technique’s biggest characteristic is its unique stability and sturdiness.

Because of this, my endurance stat grew remarkably in the early stages, and I was able to last long in sparring with Alisa.

However, a fatal flaw also existed.

That was the fact that it was utterly incompatible with Cain’s fist and leg techniques, which focused on speed and power.

“As you know, the martial art I practice seeks power completely opposite to the Friuli family’s. Learning it in this state would only make it half-baked.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Naturally, you must switch to the mana cultivation technique I practice. However, if you do this, you’ll have to discard all the mana you’ve accumulated so far. What will you do? Will you learn it half-baked while preserving your mana? Or will you learn it properly, even if it means accepting an immediate loss? Choose.”

In the former case, there would be no loss, but the limits would be clear. In the latter, you could become stronger, but there’s the disadvantage of being exposed to potential risks.

There were pros and cons, but naturally, my choice leaned towards the latter.

“Cain. About that mana, it’ll be fine if I have a spiritual elixir, right?”

“What? A spiritual elixir? Do you have anything useful?”

“Not exactly, but I have a way to get one. Then everything will be resolved, right?”

“Well, if you can get it, then it doesn’t matter. When can you bring it?”

“During summer break. I’ll need to travel far.”

“Hmm… Really? I see.”

Cain looked suspicious but didn’t press further, accepting it. In times like these, his bothersome personality was helpful. It would have been troublesome if he had insisted on coming along.

‘What kind of spiritual elixir would be suitable?’

A list of countless spiritual elixirs from across the continent floated through my mind.

Boldly excluding those near the capital, less than 10 options remained.

And from those, choosing what I could acquire with my current abilities, the number was halved again.

While I was diligently weighing the spiritual elixirs in my mind, Cain continued speaking.

“Then I’ll explain the martial art I practice.”

“Huh? Weren’t we going to learn it later?”

“Still, you should at least know the incantations. It’ll take a long time for your brain to even grasp a fragment of it. So, prepare beforehand. Understood?”

“Understood!”

As I answered promptly, Cain nodded, seemingly pleased, and his explanation began to sink into my ears.

“First, the martial art I practice is called Mugukcheonligong. It means ‘A Thousand Paths to the Extreme of Martial Arts.’ It’s a martial art that came from the Eastern Continent, which existed in ancient times. Don’t ask me how I obtained it. It’s troublesome to explain.”

“Understood!”

Afterward, the transmission of the incantations began.

Hectic days of training continued.

When I came to my senses, three weeks had already flown by.

*

“Alright! As you all know, the end-of-semester evaluation will begin next week for five days. It’s the exam that concludes the first semester, so don’t let your guard down, everyone! Now, study hard, and I’m off!”

Sara, having concisely stated her business, simply left the classroom.

‘End-of-semester evaluation, huh…’

The end-of-semester evaluation is an important exam that significantly affects one’s grades.

It’s a system where each student engages in a 1-on-1 match against a randomly assigned opponent a total of three times, and their results are combined to determine their ranking.

The ranking determined here decides the dormitory room one will stay in for the next semester.

‘I just need to hold on adequately.’

Even so, a triple room is out of the question.

However, if I rashly win a match, I might draw suspicion from the transmigration candidates, so focusing solely on defense to induce a draw is the best option.

My durability has already been proven strong through my sparring session with Alisa in the close-quarters combat class.

‘By the way, what should I do during vacation?’

The start of vacation is immediately after the end-of-semester evaluation.

Even though only two weeks remain, I still haven’t chosen which spiritual elixir to go get.

That’s because the effects were similar for either option, and the difficulty of obtaining them wasn’t different either.

The farthest location had an easy dungeon to clear, while the closest one had a difficult dungeon.

Of course, a decision will eventually be made when the time comes, but I can’t help but hesitate.

‘Ugh, this is frustrating!’

I continued to agonize, frustrated by my own indecisiveness.

And then, the day of the end-of-semester evaluation arrived.

*

“This way, everyone! Just follow me!”

“Let’s go quickly! Before the match starts!”

June 23rd. Monday. 9:30 AM.

Currently, I was heading to the gymnasium with Abel, Uni, Yas, and Pernia to watch Alisa’s match.

Honestly, when I first received the suggestion, I intended to refuse, but now I wondered what good it would do to push them away. More importantly, I had already uncovered the identities of a considerable number of the transmigration candidates around me, so I decided to relax.

Especially in Pernia’s case, it felt like she wasn’t wary of me at all anymore.

Too much had changed to rely solely on information from the game.

“There’s a spot over there!”

“Hurry!”

I followed behind Yas and Abel, who were making a fuss at the front, and settled into a suitable seat.

Looking down at the arena, I could see the staff cleaning up the traces of the previous fights.

Alisa’s match would begin in a few minutes.

A moment later, as the number on the screen installed above reached zero, the display changed, showing Alisa’s photo and information.

Her height and weight were listed, as well as the weapon she used and her rank from the class placement exam.

Even someone unfamiliar with them could tell who had the advantage and who was at a disadvantage.

‘Her opponent is…’

I turned my head and saw a platinum-blonde young lady with drill-like curls and a voluminous chest.

Felicia Belmore.

Coincidentally, she, Alisa’s friend and rival, was Alisa’s first match opponent.

Felicia’s weapon was a greatsword.

It was clear that her fighting style was completely opposite to Alisa’s, who used a rapier. Alisa, with her weaker physique, would likely be knocked out instantly if she allowed even one hit.

As I made my predictions, the match time arrived, and Alisa and Felicia each appeared from opposite entrances.

The two climbed onto the arena and faced each other.

Felicia was the first to speak.

She covered her mouth with a white-gloved hand and burst into loud laughter.

“Ohohoho! Alisa. I’ll show you who’s superior this time!”

“Go ahead and try. I’ll dodge everything. It’s you who needs to fix that strange laugh.”

A brief war of nerves passed, and then they gripped their respective weapons and took their stances.

3.

2.

1.

[Match Start!]

The moment the referee’s signal dropped, they both charged at each other.

Clang!

Alisa took the first strike.

Her physical abilities, trained to beat me up even more, and her uniquely high sensory stats synergized to produce a speed that was difficult to keep up with.

The moment her wrist flickered, the rapier seemed to split into dozens, aiming for the opponent’s entire body.

Felicia calmly watched it, then raised her greatsword at the opportune moment to block.

The overall pattern consisted of Alisa’s relentless offense and Felicia’s defense.

Clang! Clang-clash!

“You boasted so much, but it’s nothing special, is it? Why don’t you try a little harder!”

“On the contrary, your sword is too light, isn’t it? It’s enough to make me yawn!”

Whoosh!

The greatsword, which had only been used for defense, traced an aggressive arc for the first time.

The monstrous sword power tore through the air, creating a chilling sound.

Alisa, noticing the moment Felicia put strength into her shoulder, anticipated it and stepped back, moving out of the greatsword’s range.

And before the greatsword could even be retrieved, she shot forward, unleashing a flurry of consecutive attacks.

Alisa’s concentration was sharper than ever, honed through training.

I had a premonition.

‘She’s going to win, isn’t she?’

This wasn’t just a thought because Alisa becomes stronger than Felicia in the game. That’s a matter of the future anyway. It means it’s an assumption that doesn’t need to be considered right now.

And even if I were to compare, I feel that the current Alisa is stronger than her counterpart at the same point in the game.

Perhaps the advice I gave during practical training had an effect, as she had put in tremendous effort for the past month.

Furthermore, having sparred with me, she knew well how to break through defenses, so it was only natural for her to win.

As expected, the tide of the battle consistently favored Alisa.

Just then.

Clang!

Alisa, who had been unleashing a fierce assault, dodged the greatsword by a hair’s breadth and plunged to its side.

Felicia hadn’t even retrieved her greatsword yet; it was still mid-swing, making it seem impossible for her to block.

But her greatsword stopped as if by magic.

“I won’t fall for that twice!”

Felicia, having predicted this situation, swung her greatsword sideways.

It was an attack with the flat of the blade, so its lethality wasn’t high, but its force was more than enough to incapacitate Alisa.

Not that she should kill her in a match anyway.

Whizz!

Even though it was just a sword moving, it sounded like tens of thousands of bees flapping their wings.

Before it, Alisa looked as precarious as a small boat caught in a storm.

Just then, Alisa smiled.

“I knew you’d do that.”

Having known each other for a considerable time, they understood each other quite well.

Alisa, trusting that Felicia would brilliantly counter this attack, had already planned all her subsequent countermeasures.

She aimed the tip of her rapier not at Felicia, but at the floor.

And using the sword as a support, she leaped up as if pole vaulting.

Normally, she should have been short on time, but thanks to the rapier’s thin yet flexible properties, she was able to escape before the greatsword reached her.

Crack!

The rapier, belatedly struck by the greatsword, snapped in half.

Alisa flipped her body to regain balance and landed behind Felicia.

Her palm touched Felicia’s back.

“I won.”

“…I lost.”

Clink!

As Felicia conceded defeat, the broken half of the rapier clinked as it fell.

[Winner! Alisa!]

That was the signal.

—Waaaah!

The students watching erupted in cheers at the high-level fight.

Some even got up quickly, spurred by a newfound competitive spirit. They were probably thinking of holing themselves up in the training room.

Alisa waved back at them in response, then scanned the spectator stands.

As if searching for someone.

Then her eyes met mine, and she scowled fiercely before looking away.

‘Should I go train too, slowly but surely?’

Anyway, everyone else’s matches were in the afternoon, and we were planning to split up after watching Alisa’s match, so there was no problem.

As I stood up from my seat, the puzzled gazes of my companions gathered on me.

“I’m leaving now.”

“What? You’re leaving?”

“Ruan, why don’t you stay a little longer? Alisa will be here soon.”

“T-that’s right! She’ll like it if you congratulate her.”

“Use this chance to make up, nya!”

There were so many people that even a single word from each made my head spin.

“As if she’d like that. Me getting out of the way is helping her. See you later.”

I firmly denied Uni’s words and exited the gymnasium.

‘Should I try to endure for one minute today?’