Chapter 52

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 52

Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (3)

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Academy Midterm Evaluation,

After finishing the Imperial Swordsmanship exam...

"Perfect score, Cadet Aden!"

After hearing the exam results of a perfect score from Kael,

I left the sparring ground ahead of Libia and headed to the next exam venue, the Dungeon Practice testing area.

Just that,

a sign so full of laziness it was palpable even from the words alone.

'I knew it to some extent, but still...'

Of course, it was a scene I'd seen plenty of times in the game...

So I knew what was coming...

But seeing it in person felt strangely surreal.

Feeling that odd sensation,

I passed through the dark passageway...

A familiar yet wondrous feeling washed over me from somewhere...

and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my vision shifted.

And soon,

beyond the shifted view lay the interior of moss-covered stone architecture, like ancient ruins.

'Nothing's changed...'

This place was exactly as it had been in the game,

a mock dungeon created solely for the Dungeon Practice midterm evaluation by the chairman.

Different from the basic dungeon we'd done in the first class,

this one had a much higher difficulty.

Entering the dungeon interior and looking around,

a large stone slab came into view.

Unlike the grand, imposing ruins,

"Pfft...!"

A brief chuckle escaped at the simple, mismatched inscription on the ruins...

But I quickly held it back,

and began moving to clear the dungeon.

Going around the back of the stone slab,

I opened the weathered door and entered.

A wide space appeared, with two doors.

'Just as I thought...'

Exactly as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the game...

Above those two doors,

in Rovel's signature crooked handwriting,

the labels read one after another.

'In the game, going through the hard door...'

When playing the game, entering the hard door brought out a golem that was incredibly tough back then...

'But seeing Libia and Isabel break through it...'

Still, considering that Libia and Isabel had pushed through the hard path,

it wasn't a place I couldn't pass now.

'No need for Defying Heaven anyway...'

Especially today,

there wasn't really anywhere I needed to use Defying Heaven.

So, planning to blast through the shortcut quickly with it,

I opened the door marked Shortcut and went in.

A long passageway appeared, blocked by a golem.

Seeing it, I immediately activated the skill.

The momentum flipped in an instant.

And—

Boom—!!

Bang—!

In a flash, I kicked off the ground and struck;

the golem didn't even have time to activate its protective magic before its core exploded, shattering into pieces.

After that,

crossing the now-empty passageway as fast as possible led to the final door.

Opening it brought that strange sensation again, vision shifted,

and the familiar, spacious Academy sparring ground came into view.

"Fast..."

Exiting the mock dungeon, I turned at the voice from the center of the sparring ground.

There lay Rovel on a massive bed.

Watching him,

Rovel spoke in his usual lazy tone.

"Shortcut... golem, smashed...?"

"Yes, I smashed it."

"Haa... annoying..."

To his question about whether I'd smashed the shortcut golem,

I gave a light reply.

Rovel sluggishly rose, sighing as he moved to repair the golem.

"Aden... perfect score, go..."

After Rovel's words of a perfect score,

a translucent window announced the achievement clear before me,

and Rovel gestured for me to leave quickly as he entered the mock dungeon.

'Look at that serious laziness...'

He just needed to cast one repair spell,

yet he wore the expression of the world's greatest burden.

But until Rovel's salvation quest popped up,

I couldn't fix that personality.

'And that salvation quest...'

Rovel's salvation quest was in the early branch point of the Academy arc,

during the {Nightmare} quest...

Still a long way off.

Watching him disappear as I pondered,

with nothing else to do right now,

I turned and headed to the final exam entrance: Alchemy.

Finding the Alchemy sign and entering revealed

a normal waiting room full of cadets.

'Isabel's... not here yet...'

But the one person I could call a friend,

Isabel, wasn't visible yet...

So I sat alone in the waiting room,

waiting for my turn.

Some time passed waiting for my turn...

Hearing my name called over the waiting room speakers,

I stood and passed through the black exit, revealing

a place unlike any previous sparring grounds:

a massive laboratory styled as an alchemy workshop.

And...

"Cadet Aden, you've arrived?"

Baal, still wearing that unsettling smile,

spoke upon seeing me.

'Haa... let's just get this over with quick...'

Sighing inwardly at the sight,

I hurried to the gathered materials to make the planned product

and finish the Alchemy exam fast.

At the alchemy station,

a paper with the exam instructions caught my eye.

'Just as expected...'

Exactly like in the game,

it seemed to proceed with me making the potion, Baal drinking it, and evaluating.

Seeing that,

I began crafting the potion as originally planned.

The gimmick potion that weakened Boss Baal's difficulty in the game:

Mana Enhancement Potion.

From ancient times,

the potion said to have been created by that great sage.

It had the effect of enhancing the user's mana for a long time.

The materials weren't top-tier, so the boost wouldn't be huge,

but it was still an overpowered potion with excellent effects.

However, this potion had an extra special effect...

'Change in mana properties...'

After drinking it, the enhanced mana would clash with the evil god's mana during the enhancement period.

'Not as overwhelming as the sage's mana...'

Of course, the mana itself wasn't as dominantly strong as the sage's,

so no immediate reaction...

But after the Isabel kidnapping,

the moment the evil god's mana emerged, the clash would begin.

'That should buy some time...'

If so,

in any unexpected situation, even if I was a bit late, it would give me enough time.

Thus, as planned,

I began crafting the Mana Enhancement Potion with the Pioneer's help.

"Hoo..."

Baal watched in admiration.

Feeling his gaze, I continued the alchemy flawlessly for a while...

"Done..."

Finally,

I succeeded in creating the desired potion.

"What potion is this, Student Aden...?"

Submitting the finished product,

Baal asked about it as if seeing it for the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first time.

"It doesn't increase mana by a huge amount, but it permanently boosts mana."

To his question,

I replied naturally.

'Not permanent, but...'

Of course, the effect wasn't truly permanent...

'Whatever...'

It didn't matter,

since this guy wouldn't be at the Academy in two weeks anyway.

As I thought that,

Baal, hearing my answer, continued skeptically.

"Lying is bad, Cadet Aden."

"I'm serious."

Replying as ordinarily as possible, as if truthful.

Baal drank the potion, still dubious.

After a short time,

feeling the effect, he cast the alchemy dispel magic.

'No way the sage's mana would vanish from a dispel...'

Unfortunately for Baal,

the sage's potion effect lingered after the dispel...

"It's real...!"

Only then did Baal believe me, his excitement rising.

"This is a tremendous discovery, Cadet Aden...! We must report to the academic world...!"

"No need for that, just give me a high score on the exam."

Ignoring Baal's fuss over the "tremendous discovery,"

I asked for a high score and walked out, leaving the still-amazed Baal behind.

The translucent window announced the achievement clear.

'Mission success.'

Having fed the potion to Baal,

and cleared all three achievements,

I headed to the dormitory in high spirits.

Somehow,

I felt like I'd sleep soundly tonight.