The Retest's First-Place Reward Is Mine (2)

Before Group 13's retest had even begun, Choi Hana was carefully watching Lee Junwoo as he practiced swinging his sword.

Swooosh—

The sound of the blade cutting through the air rang out around them. Faint light of holy power scattered with every swing.

His sword stance and his holy power are both stable.

She was inwardly startled by that fact.

Lee Junwoo of the Holy Knight Department.

Even at Theia High Academy, his name was well known. After all, he had belonged to that famous hero activity club, Aegis.

But unlike the other three members of Aegis, Lee Junwoo had a terrible reputation.

There were plenty of rumors that he only did hero work so he could hang around pretty girls.

An Yumin, Ha Yeeun, and Song Sia as well. All three were famous for their looks at Theia High Academy—the core reason for Aegis's popularity.

In contrast, Lee Junwoo was a delinquent blonde-tanned punk, just like the figure she was looking at now.

Strip away that prejudice and he actually had a rather clean-cut face. But of course, standing beside those three, the rumors about him could never have been kind.

The more important problem, though, wasn't that blonde-tanned appearance—it was Lee Junwoo's conduct.

Lee Junwoo was constantly late to class or absent entirely. His practical scores sat at rock bottom.

On top of that, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠word kept circulating that he hit on not only the female club members but Aegis's female fans as well.

There were even rumors he was hanging out with villains.

Considering how excellent Aegis's public image as heroes was, his reputation at Theia High Academy could never have been good. They even called him a cancer on Aegis—no, on Theia High Academy itself.

Even the other students waiting for the retest now wouldn't go anywhere near him.

Except for Choi Hana.

Lee Junwoo. He said he left Aegis. So then… maybe I can get closer to him.

In fact, today Choi Hana had deliberately sidled a little nearer to him. She was observing him in secret just like this.

She had heard plenty of wild rumors about Lee Junwoo. But she didn't particularly believe them.

From the start, Choi Hana was the type who judged people by experiencing them herself rather than by rumor.

She knew all too well that countless people were different on the inside from the outside.

She had learned that through her father's affairs. Her father had been killed by subordinates he trusted.

But that Lee Junwoo is someone I can trust.

Of course, it wasn't baseless faith.

In fact, Choi Hana—like Lee Junwoo—had attendance records bad enough that she had to take the retest. It couldn't be helped because of organization business.

On one of those days when personal circumstances made her miss the start of school, Choi Hana had happened to see that same late Lee Junwoo outside the high academy.

It wasn't just once or twice that the two of them had been late.

As she ran into him multiple times and quietly built up a strange sense of kinship alone in her heart, Lee Junwoo often showed unexpected sides of himself.

He was a good person.

Helping a middle-aged woman who'd been pickpocketed. Helping an elderly grandmother cross the street.

Not only that—he stood up to thugs picking fights with civilians.

Of course, he got thoroughly beaten by those thugs instead.

Even so, he protected the civilians to the end.

His swordsmanship was lacking, but no one looked more like a Holy Knight Department student than he did.

In the end Choi Hana had quietly dealt with those thugs later, but looking at him, the word hero came to mind unbidden.

Anyway, that incident became the catalyst.

Even on campus at the high academy, at some point secretly observing Lee Junwoo became part of her daily routine. Through that process, Choi Hana came to hold him in high regard.

This is a good opportunity. If Lee Junwoo isn't part of a party right now like this…

And Choi Hana recalled the recent news.

Lee Junwoo's withdrawal from Aegis. She had been shocked by that fact.

At last, an opportunity had arisen to make Lee Junwoo her ally.

Choi Hana's goal was revenge against the two people in the underworld who had betrayed her father.

Her father had once been the sole boss of the underworld.

But now those two who betrayed him had become the heads of massive underworld organizations. To survive those traitors, she had even laundered her own identity.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Currently, only a few people in the underworld knew Choi Hana's true identity.

Those few had regrouped and followed her, but their forces were still too small to even call an organization.

So whenever she saw capable talent, she coveted them. Exactly like that Lee Junwoo.

Choi Hana's organization was always short on people.

His individual combat power might be lacking, but that Lee Junwoo had the right mindset.

The hunter world was the same, but in the underworld, betrayal was everyday life. So Choi Hana needed people with character as a foundation—people like Lee Junwoo.

If I don't want to be betrayed like Father, I need people I can trust.

But it wasn't just character.

Above all, Lee Junwoo possessed top-tier ability as an operator.

After learning his true nature, she had once secretly tailed the hero activities of Aegis, the party he belonged to.

Contrary to the rumors, the one commanding Aegis in dungeon raids and villain hunts was Lee Junwoo.

Unfortunately, those party members seemed to treat him like a pack mule or errand boy.

But in reality, every order he gave was perfect.

Lee Junwoo's practical scores were poor, but his theory scores were top-tier.

Though it was a small organization, Choi Hana had experience leading people.

So she knew how difficult it was to place people in the right positions and produce perfect results.

But Lee Junwoo had done that work alone by himself.

Choi Hana knew that Aegis's fame was largely thanks to his role as well.

Anyway, she had observed Lee Junwoo for nearly a year like that.

And the Lee Junwoo of now surprised Choi Hana once again.

Ssshhk—

His sword cut through empty air again.

Clean. The blade path began and ended without a single wasted motion. The meaning of that sent chills down Choi Hana's spine.

When did his swordsmanship improve this much?

No—looking at it another way, it was only natural.

Because of his bad image, he didn't seem to use the campus training grounds often.

But Lee Junwoo had been practicing swordsmanship in places like the rooftop where no one was watching, in every spare moment.

That was how diligent and kind-hearted Lee Junwoo was.

He always worked hard, so the Goddess must have answered that effort!

So she was certain the Goddess had bestowed a blessing on him as a Holy Knight. Of course, practice and real combat were different, so the retest results were still unknown.

Even so, Choi Hana resolved again. She would definitely make that Lee Junwoo her ally.

Whether at the Academy or after graduating from it—with that Lee Junwoo, he would certainly become a major asset to her cause.

Of course, she felt a twinge of conscience about dragging a Holy Knight who followed the Goddess's will into underworld business.

But whether the hunter world or the underworld—in this era, nowhere was purely black or white.

A city where everyone moved according to their own interests and desires. That was Seoul as it was now.

Someone that kind might just get used and discarded later on.

So she had found it strange when he left Aegis.

The public said the other members cut him or whatever, but that was odd.

Her circle of friends wasn't wide. But as a female student at the same high academy, she knew the rumors circulating among the girls about those three.

She had even been in the same class as An Yumin once.

Without Lee Junwoo that party would collapse. If they really did that, it was suicide.

Unless they had lost their minds—unless they were crazy bitches—kicking out talent like Lee Junwoo first was impossible by her common sense.

Anyway, from now on she couldn't just sit still either.

Everything in the world was give and take.

If that Lee Junwoo was necessary to her, then Choi Hana herself also had to become someone of necessary value to that Lee Junwoo.

That's only natural. If I make him my ally, I have to treat him accordingly. No matter what!

If his skill as an Awakened was outstanding, he would generally choose a major corporation hunter guild over an underworld organization.

She had to work hard too.

Whether in the underworld or at the Academy—so that Lee Junwoo would take interest in working with her.

Then I have to show him starting from the retest!

Fortunately, she was luckily in the same group as him. If she showed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her skills, she might be able to catch that Lee Junwoo's attention.

Choi Hana burned with fighting spirit.

"……?"

Just then, Lee Junwoo's gaze happened to turn toward Choi Hana.

You… you've been staring too long.

Choi Hana hurriedly turned her head away.

She had always observed him, but until now they had never even had a proper conversation.

Even casually asking him about seats like earlier took more courage than expected.

I can't leave a bad impression for no reason.

When she had calmed her startled breathing, Group 13's retest finally began.

What? Was the retest always this… difficult?

Choi Hana focused more than usual. Her alchemy activated.

Group 13's retest began.

"You've already been briefed on the exam format, so begin the moment the signal sounds!"

The instructor in charge of running the retest shouted. She was a female instructor with serious eyes.

It was the first time I'd seen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this Academy instructor today, but she was someone I'd seen to death through the original work.

Lee Suyeon of the Liberal Arts Department.

The Academy has various departments and numerous instructors.

For character development, departments and instructors are quite important. Instructor Lee Suyeon was especially famous even among veteran players.

As an instructor of the Liberal Arts Department, characters of any class could receive training from her.

There would be limits to extreme specialized teaching. But she was an outstanding instructor for teaching comprehensive fundamentals as a hunter. In other words, the ideal instructor for me right now.

Still, her eye for cadets is picky, so standing out to her right away will be hard.

Anyway, once I pass the retest, I've decided to choose the Liberal Arts Department. So we'll have connections later.

I focused on the retest in front of me.

Beep—

The start signal sounded.

The exam format was to defeat as many monsters summoned onto the field as possible within a time limit.

They weren't real monsters. But the smell and sounds coming from them were vivid.

"Grrrrrrrk—"

Mana stones that drop when you defeat a monster. And those mana stones had been specially treated with magic and linked to the AR devices we were currently wearing.

Of course, since they were AR devices that react to an Awakened's mana, the monsters in front of us were no different from real ones.

Because of the AR devices, you actually take damage.

So just like reality, taking attacks from monsters meant point deductions. If damage accumulated to a death judgment, you were automatically retired.

Naturally, retirement meant failing the retest.

Moreover, the number of appearing monsters was large and their ranks were fairly high.

The monsters we'd faced in practical training at the high academy were E-rank and D-rank types. But since this was a retest for Academy admission, most of the current monsters were D-rank.

My current hunter license is… embarrassingly, E-rank.

It's not absolute, but monster ranks and hunter license ranks are relatively similar.

Previously, directly facing D-rank magical beasts higher ranked than me would have been absolutely impossible.

Shashashak—

"Kyaaaaak—"

But I lightly severed the neck of the goblin charging toward me.

Killing monsters was this easy?

I couldn't believe it.

My hands trembled for a moment. Not from fear of the monsters. From joy.

Previously, even catching a single goblin required hours of desperate struggle. The current me had changed to a startling degree.

Sshak—

The Holy Knight sword in my hand drew a clean trajectory. I beheaded another goblin in a single stroke.

In one corner of my vision, the new authority acquired through the Graduation Holy Knight Sword—the notification window for Faithful Guardian Knight of the Goddess—was sparkling.

The Holy Knight sword had carried Rare rarity. So unlike mass-produced items that only formed one-star authorities, a full three-star authority had taken shape.

Ordinarily, the number of usable skill slots also scales with an authority's grade. Three stars meant three slots.

The two-star authority I'd originally held didn't even have passive skills. But the authority Faithful Guardian Knight of the Goddess had a useful skill composition across the board. Through the passive skill Swordsmanship Training, my swordsmanship had become far more proficient than before.

Above all, it shared the same class and attribute as the First Awakening authority recorded at the high academy—the one like a peacefully glittering mirror. So using this authority at the Academy felt completely natural.

Having a Hidden Authority is a secret from everyone, after all.

As I cut down goblins one after another, a fairly large orc came charging in this time.

The creature swung a massive axe.

Kakakakakang—

But the attack never reached me. A sacred pale-green shield protected me.

Not only was there a skill that raised my swordsmanship—there was a protective passive like this as well.

And I immediately drove a counter straight into the creature's weak point.

The Holy Knight sword blazing with holy power drove a powerful blow straight into the orc's heart.

"Kyaaaaak—"

The orc died instantly.

Just like that, I cut down the three monsters that had rushed me in a single breath.

"Kigigigigi…"

"Greeeeet…"

The pack of monsters that had been charging so boldly now backed away from me.

I felt like I could slaughter them all in one go. There were dozens of them, but the ones that had flinched were on their side.

Ordinarily I'd press this momentum even harder, but…

This retest might only be first-quest level, but it was Hard Mode.

I already knew this exam wasn't a simple time attack.

"Kaaaaaak—"

Through the AR, the testing ground had transformed into something like a dungeon field.

So I could see the other students of Group 13 taking the same retest.

Most of them have cut down more monsters than I have.

Since it was a time attack, everyone was going all out, desperately raising their kill counts. There were plenty of students holding D-rank hunter licenses rather than E-rank like me.

Choi Hana in particular was incredible.

Through her alchemy, monsters were being butchered in real time.

Her kill count already exceeded mine by more than three times.

But there's no need to rush. Stay calm.

Through the original game, I knew the late-stage flow of this retest well.

If you clumsily charged in to hunt as many monsters as possible within the time limit, you could get wrecked by the boss monster that appeared in the final stretch.

Keep the kill count at a reasonable level while saving stamina and mana for the endgame.

I'd only gained a new authority. I never forgot that my stats were still basically those of an ordinary person.

I have to end a monster's life in a single blow. That's the most efficient way.

The creatures still cowed by my momentum hesitated. I used that opening to wait for my mana—already more than half spent—to recover.

By the group's records, my kill count was in the lower ranks. I could feel the lagging cadets swinging their weapons in frantic haste.

But my Mental Strength, nearly at ninety—that cold reason—whispered inside my head.

The me of now is different from before. I can do this. Even take first place.

And in my mind I hurriedly sorted the types of monsters in front of me and their weak points.

The time bar drained rapidly.

Just as expected, the flow of the retest soon began to change.