Special Evaluation (1)
Special Evaluation (1)
The fourth and final day began, following a third day that had been surprising in its own way.
Above the grand auditorium seats, now empty after the students had finished their mana sensitivity and control evaluations.
"Four days flew by in an instant."
"The students were incredible, weren't they?"
"No kidding."
The observers who had watched all the student assessments exchanged their own comments.
"Well, honestly, I threw my name in the hat on a whim, but after actually being selected and attending, the students' level is so high I almost regret coming."
"Same here. I've observed plenty of specialized school graduates, but the gap is so wide it's hard to believe they're only first-years."
"That's because this place isn't just any first-year class—it's packed with kids who were extraordinary from the start."
At someone's half-hearted grumbling, everyone laughed wryly and nodded in agreement.
"Still, the professors judged that our level is suitable for supporting the students, which is why we were selected. So I intend to reach out to a few of the students I've had my eye on."
"Same here."
"Naturally. Who knows when an opportunity like this will come around again?"
"So, our guild is..."
As the observers compared notes on whether their candidate lists overlapped—
"By the way, I happened to overhear some students talking yesterday. It sounded like there's another evaluation exam left in the afternoon?"
"In the afternoon?"
"I remember the access pass return time was supposed to be at lunch."
"There was nothing like that in the schedule either."
"Why are you all chattering like a bunch of country bumpkins? Just go ask! Hey there!!"
One of the guild masters climbed down from the observer seats and approached the professors tidying up the stage.
"Um, do you have a moment for a quick question?"
"As long as it's not about students' personal information."
"...I'm not that tactless."
"Ha-ha, just a joke."
It hadn't sounded like a joke at all, but the guild master was well aware of the Magic Department professors' notorious eccentricity, so he quickly got to the point.
"Is there, by any chance, another exam left this afternoon?"
"Yes. One more newly added item remains."
"New...? Then—"
"Ah."
The professor shook his head lightly and continued.
"Nothing was omitted from the guide booklet. Which means you won't be able to observe it."
"Ah... I see."
"Please don't be too disappointed. The exam this afternoon is only open to the first-year students and a few select professors."
"Oh, yes. Thank you."
"Not at all. More importantly, please make sure to return your access passes and leave before it gets late. It'd be awkward for everyone if an alarm goes off unnecessarily."
"We'll do that."
The professor turned away to resume his duties, and the guild master hopped lightly back up to the observer seats.
"Well, that's what they said."
"What kind of exam could it be that they're holding it behind closed doors?"
"Curious..."
The guild master who had gone down shook his head and started gathering his guild members.
"Let's not go poking around with pointless curiosity unless you want to cut your lifespan short."
"It's just talk..."
"Well, it's not like seeing it would change our selection anyway."
"Let's hurry out and submit visitation requests instead."
The observers all nodded and made their way to the checkpoint.
**
First-Year Dormitory.
"Na-young, are you almost done?"
"J-just a moment... I-I'll check one more time."
Baek Ha-na shook her head as she watched Lee Na-young open her bulging bag and pull out its contents once again.
"Forget it, let's just go."
"Aaaah...!!"
Baek Ha-na shoved the items back into the bag, then scooped up both the bag and Lee Na-young into her arms.
"It's not once or twice—who in the world checks their things ten times over?"
"It's an important exam..."
"At this rate you'll be late for it, you know?"
"S-sorry..."
"If you keep moping, I'm going to knead you to pieces when we get back."
"Hehe—I-I'll cheer up!!"
Baek Ha-na narrowed her eyes at Lee Na-young, who quickly tried to put strength back into her gaze.
"Do you hate my massages that much?"
"H-huh? No! Th-that's not it... I just didn't want to tire you out... heh-heh..."
At her roommate's fidgeting fingers as she hugged her bag tight, Baek Ha-na let out a small laugh and set Lee Na-young back on the floor.
"We might need to be on the move for a while. So let's loosen up your legs a bit starting now."
"O-okay...!!"
Baek Ha-na took Lee Na-young and set off at a slightly brisk pace toward the old alchemy workshop.
"Hoo... hoooh... ngh..."
"......"
In front of the building where the other first-year students were already gathered.
Baek Ha-na glanced at Lee Na-young, who was breathing as if on the verge of collapse, and scratched her head. She had just confirmed that Lee Na-young's stamina was even worse than she'd imagined.
"You okay?"
"Y-yeah..."
Lee Na-young didn't look remotely okay, but for the sake of a quick recovery, Baek Ha-na decided not to press further and quietly patted her back. Just as Lee Na-young was starting to regain a bit of her stamina.
-Ding!!
-Vwooom!!
-La-la-la~♪
Smart watches and smartphones began ringing from all directions.
-What?
-Is that a notice...?
-I didn't get anything.
The students each checked their own devices, while Baek Ha-na kept patting Lee Na-young's back and glanced at her smart watch. In that moment.
[ (≧∀≦ゞ Hello there!! ]
A message accompanied by a cute emoji popped up on everyone's screen.
[ ヽ(•̀ω•́ )ゝ My name is Vuar, the God of Amusement~!! I'll be in charge of filming and broadcasting all of you this time!! ]
The God of Amusement.
At the message calling itself a god, the students froze for a moment.
However friendly a god might be toward humans, a god was still a god.
A small slip of the tongue could invite divine punishment later, so everyone kept their mouths firmly shut.
[ (⇀‸↼‶) What's with this stiff reaction!! I'm not some petty little thing who gets mad over a bit of swearing!! ]
If anything, mentioning it only made her seem more petty.
The students knew this as well, so they wisely kept their mouths shut.
[ ┐(ˇヘˇ)┌ Hmph, fine. You can be like that, because soon enough something really fun is going to happen anyway!! ]
Whoosh—!!
The firmly shut door of the alchemy workshop swung open on its own.
[ (★≧▽^))★☆ Before the exam starts, I'll give you all a simple rundown of the rules and a tip~! ]
【Virtual Rift Raid Rulebook!】
1. When opinions are divided, all decisions will be made by majority vote!!
2. If a non-combat class member on your team is injured, you're disqualified!!
3. If you deem the raid impossible, shout "Forfeit!" as loud as you can!!
4. Even if a teammate forfeits under rule 3, the remaining members can continue the raid!!
5. Absolutely no attacking another team's non-combat class member!!
6. Besides the above five rules, anything goes!!
Tip: (｀▽´) As if any real battle would have rules like that!!
The eyes of the students who had been reading the text seriously grew cold and flat.
[ {*≧∀≦} Kya~! Aha-ha!! ]
A dizzying sensation swept over the students, as if the message was somehow causing a clamor in their heads despite being just text.
[ (* ￣︿￣) Jokes aside~ now I'll tell you the really important stuff. ]
[ ᕙ(⇀‸↼‵‵)ᕗ Points will be accumulated every time you hunt a monster!! Naturally, the points you get will differ for each monster!! ]
[ (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ I'll be in charge of tallying the points, so don't worry about any errors! ]
[ (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ And if you find hidden collectibles, those will also be awarded points based on their value!! ]
[ (｀∇´ゞ Special benefits will be given according to the points you earn, so everyone do your best! Also, everything you do is being transmitted to the professors watching somewhere, so don't try anything funny!! ]
Monster hunting, collecting items.
Those two objectives etched themselves clearly into the students' minds.
[ Lastly, I'll relay a voice message from the supervising professor in charge of this exam. ]
Baek Ha-na's eyes widened as she quickly brought her smart watch closer to her ear.
-I don't know if it was a proper explanation, but it was probably given without straying too far off course.
A deep voice, the complete opposite of the boisterous text just moments before, instantly sharpened the students' scattered focus.
-From now on, I will be in the innermost area of the rift you are about to enter. Regardless of the points you've earned, any team that reaches where I am will be granted one wish from the Academy, separate from the Top Seat reward.
That was the entirety of the voice message.
[ ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ Then we'll start team formation. Once your team is formed, enter the building, follow the arrows, and go straight into the rift! ]
[ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ First, we'll call out the teams that already have all four members arranged~ ]
-Park Seong-min, Kwon Yeong-hun, Ji Yu-ri, Ha Min-seong. Enter.
-Seol Ji-hyeok, Yoon Mi-rae, Kim Min-ho, Park Seong-tae. Enter.
The students' names were called out through their respective devices, and those who had already formed complete groups of four began filing into the building one by one.
[ (✧∀✧)/ Alright, now only the students who've formed incomplete teams or haven't teamed up with anyone are left!! I'll now randomly mix and call out names, so even if you have complaints, no grumbling—just enter~! ]
The names started being called again. Before long, Baek Ha-na and Lee Na-young's names rang out through the speaker.
-Baek Ha-na, Lee Na-young, Im Gyeong-su, Na Ju-hee. Enter.
"Na-young. Let's go."
"Uh, yeah..."
Sticking close to Baek Ha-na's side, Lee Na-young walked forward and observed the other two students stepping out as well.
One was a female student with bright red hair, and the other was an exceedingly plain-looking male student.
"Hey, fancy meeting again like this."
Im Gyeong-su scratched his head as he approached and greeted Baek Ha-na. But Baek Ha-na didn't even spare him a glance as she spoke.
"This time, block with your shield, not your body."
"...Yeah. I will."
At Baek Ha-na's cold warning, Im Gyeong-su flinched and fell silent. Watching this, Na Ju-hee shot Im Gyeong-su a disdainful look before quietly moving to Baek Ha-na's side.
"Hi."
"...Sure."
Unlike with Im Gyeong-su, the greeting was acknowledged, and satisfied, Na Ju-hee made no further attempt at conversation. Communication wasn't strictly necessary for this exam anyway.
"Whoa..."
"D-do you think this is a real rift?"
Im Gyeong-su and Lee Na-young marveled at the shimmering blue light, and even Na Ju-hee, though she kept a straight face, was just as amazed as the other two at the sight of the light that so closely resembled an actual rift.
"Hand."
"Hm? Ah, right."
Na Ju-hee took hold of the hand Baek Ha-na extended.
"You, grab on too."
"Uh, well, then, excuse me..."
"Eek..."
"...Reacting that strongly honestly hurts my feelings."
Im Gyeong-su hadn't even taken her hand, just a corner of her sleeve, but Lee Na-young recoiled and pressed herself flat against Baek Ha-na's side, leaving him looking deeply dejected.
Not that anyone cared about Im Gyeong-su's feelings.
"Let's go in."
At Baek Ha-na's signal, the four of them stepped into the rift.
A brief sensation of floating surged up, and then their view transformed completely.
"Whoa, this is no joke..."
Im Gyeong-su couldn't hide his genuine awe at the room's interior, drenched in the heavy colors of a medieval setting straight out of some film.
-BOOOOOOM!!
"Kyaaak?!"
As lightning flashed beyond the dark glass window, Lee Na-young yelped and jumped right into Baek Ha-na's arms.
Patting Lee Na-young's back, Baek Ha-na spoke to Na Ju-hee, who stood beside her.
"Light this place up for us."
"Okay."
Na Ju-hee conjured a weak flame in the air, careful not to set any of the surroundings ablaze.
With the area now illuminated, Baek Ha-na could confirm something.
The space they were standing in resembled Baek Woo-jin's study.
"There are two doors?"
Im Gyeong-su pointed at the doors positioned at opposite ends of the room.
Ignoring his question, Baek Ha-na led Lee Na-young over to the desk and opened the drawer.
"A... a map?"
Clinging to Baek Ha-na's side, Lee Na-young carefully pulled out a piece of parchment that looked a bit aged. Na Ju-hee brought her flame closer to illuminate it.
"Looks like a map of this rift's layout. This is where we are right now."
"I can see that."
Im Gyeong-su, who had been standing at a distance, quietly shuffled over and studied the map with them. He looked at it for a moment, then spoke again.
"Shouldn't we go left?"
Going through the right door would mean a long, winding detour before reaching the place that seemed to be the innermost area. But taking the left door would cut the distance by more than half, so in a way, the choice seemed obvious.
"I think the same."
Na Ju-hee agreed with Im Gyeong-su as well.
Unlike the simple-minded Im Gyeong-su, Na Ju-hee's agreement was born from the thought that, being with Baek Ha-na—the one who had defeated her—they could handle any situation with ease.
"Na-young. What do you think?"
"M-me?"
"Don't worry about what anyone else thinks."
"Ah, um... I-I think the right side would be better."
"Why?"
"Look... look here."
Everyone followed Lee Na-young's finger with their eyes.
"Going this way definitely shortens the distance, but the path keeps splitting up along the way. And depending on which split you take, the distance just keeps getting shorter and longer again."
"That's probably just a trap—"
"Shut up."
"......Yes."
Under Baek Ha-na's threat, Im Gyeong-su clamped his mouth shut tight.
"Continue."
"Y-yeah. You could think it's a trap, but... if you look closely, every time the path shortens, there's a mark that looks like a room drawn in."
Just as Lee Na-young said, along every path that shortened the distance, a square marker—just like the room they were currently standing in—was drawn.
"I-I think there's definitely something in those rooms."
"...She's got a point."
Na Ju-hee nodded.
"Still, my opinion hasn't changed. Whatever is in those rooms, I think Baek Ha-na and I can easily handle it."
"...I also think going left is the right call. Sorry."
When Baek Ha-na apologized, Lee Na-young looked startled and quickly waved her hands.
"N-no! It's okay. Th-then, should I pack this up first...?"
"Please."
Lee Na-young carefully slid the parchment into her bag.
"Im Gyeong-su."
"Yes."
"Take point and open the door."
"......Yes."
Shield raised, Im Gyeong-su approached the door, with Baek Ha-na and Na Ju-hee following behind and Lee Na-young positioned between them.
"Sh-should I open it?"
"Open it."
Screech—
The door swung open with a chilling sound.
Unlike the starting room which at least had some light, this space was shrouded entirely in pitch black.
Fwoosh—!!
As Na Ju-hee ignited a flame ahead, Im Gyeong-su moved forward again.
BOOM—!!
"Eek?!"
The door they'd left open in case of emergency slammed shut on its own.
"Im Gyeong-su. Fall back."
"Y-yeah."
Im Gyeong-su slowly retreated. Just as he regrouped with the three female students.
Flaaaash—!!
The darkness-drenched space instantly flooded with bright light.
Clank.
All three except Lee Na-young turned toward the direction of the sound.
An utterly empty void of a space.
And moving within it, a suit of jet-black armor.
Clatter.
The advancing armor abruptly halted.
Then, the helmet's visor slid upward.
"Kang... Han-na... Professor?"
At her own name leaping from Im Gyeong-su's lips, Kang Han-na grinned and let her lips part.
"Welcome, my little bonuses."