The Test That Changed Everything

I gave Na-rae one last hug before turning to leave. As I walked toward the testing room, I could feel the teacher’s intense gaze boring into my back. What is she looking at me like that for…?

“…!”

The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, a completely different atmosphere greeted me. I couldn’t quite put it into words, but operating my Ether felt noticeably easier in here than it had outside. It was as if I could push my ability to its absolute limit without any strain. Since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no student had ever triggered an Ether Runaway during these tests before, I figured I should just go all out.

“Ack! You scared me….”

The sudden voice coming from the mannequin nearly made me bite my tongue. Wait, this thing could talk? No wonder I’d seen a few students inside earlier who looked like they were having full conversations with it.

As soon as it finished speaking, the mannequin suddenly flopped onto the floor with a dull thud. Oh, good. It looked like I wouldn’t have to fight it. I’d been half-worried it might beat me up and then tell me to heal myself.

What happened next was truly astonishing.

The white surface of the seated mannequin began to shift. Fibers moved across its body, layering over one another until they formed realistic, flesh-colored skin. Starting from the arms, spreading across the torso, then down the legs and over the face, the skin gradually developed finer details—facial features, fingernails, even the subtle wrinkles of a human body. After some time, what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stood before me was a humanoid figure that, while not perfectly realistic, was close enough to pass for a person.

…Did Daeseong make this too? The technology was so insane it was hard to believe even after seeing it with my own eyes.

In that instant, Ether exploded outward from the mannequin. Uncontrolled and defenseless, the particles swirled wildly in every direction, threatening everything around them. This wasn’t the refined supernatural ability that flowed from the pineal gland along proper pathways to manifest as a miracle. No—this was like a derailed train. Reckless. Chaotic. Destructive Ether particles without form or restraint.

It was a sight I had seen many times before.

This was…

…Seol-ah, Seol-ah… please…

It’s okay, Auntie… It’s going to be okay…

…An Ether Runaway.

Before I knew it, swollen blood vessels had risen beneath the mannequin’s skin, just like they had with Senior Yura. The way the not-quite-human figure mimicked ragged human breathing filled me with an inexplicable sense of disgust. Its skin, already paler than before, was gradually losing color starting from the face.

“Huu…”

I let out a long breath and walked toward the mannequin. A faint whoosh filled the air as Ether particles drifted and swirled around its perimeter. To use my ability, I needed physical contact. Since I had no real means of defense, I would have no choice but to endure the particles’ attacks during that process.

…I guess that was part of the evaluation too.

The method was simple. Raise my arms to cover my face, curl my body inward… and charge.

“Ugh… Ow! Hot! That hurts!”

Have you ever been hit by a BB gun pellet at close range while playing with friends at the neighborhood playground as a kid? Don’t underestimate it. If it hits a bad spot, the aftereffects can be brutal. And obviously… a clump of Ether is a lot stronger than a plastic BB.

I could feel blood trickling from the exposed skin on my arms and legs. I’d tried to protect my vital points as best I could, but getting hit was inevitable. And yes, it hurt like hell.

“Argh! What kind of glamorous academy life is this?! Why did I even come here to do this crap?!”

The distance wasn’t that far. Gritting my teeth, I threw myself forward in a desperate sprint and quickly reached the mannequin. Swallowing my pain, resentment, and pure spite, I crouched low, stretched out my hand, and pressed it against the figure.

“Take this, you bastard!”

Not exactly the kind of thing a healer should say, but what can I do? It freaking hurts.

A tingling sensation shot through my skull. In an instant, Ether raced through my blood vessels and poured out through my palm into the mannequin. Like snowflakes falling from the sky, the Ether particles scattered around us. At the same time, the wild particles orbiting the mannequin grew calm and vanished into thin air. The grotesque, writhing blood vessels beneath its skin stopped twitching and disappeared. Its complexion returned to normal.

After confirming that my healing ability had taken effect, I redirected the flow of Ether back into my own body. The energy spread across my entire frame and greedily covered the wounds on my arms and legs. A warm sensation, like basking in the summer sun at the beach, washed over me as the injuries began to fade.

Finally, the room grew quiet. The moment all the Ether inside me was completely exhausted, the teacher’s voice rang out.

“Whew.”

I caught my breath, stood up, and began straightening my clothes to leave—only to suddenly realize something horrifying.

My uniform’s completely torn apart…

…I’m not going to have to buy a new one, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠am I?

♣

When I stepped back outside, the atmosphere was anything but normal. And I don’t mean that lightly.

“…?”

I tilted my head at the students who were whispering to each other with serious expressions. Then I turned toward the source of an incredibly intense stare and nearly jumped.

The Fourth Princess was glaring at me with an absolutely ferocious look on her face.

W-why…?

She was frowning deeply, staring straight at me. Even when our eyes met, she didn’t look away. Was she… angry? What did I even do?

Unable to handle the pressure, I quickly looked away—only to spot my roommate in the B-class section wearing a strange, mysterious smile, and Wi Ha-yeon watching me with clear interest in her eyes.

One thing was certain. Ever since I took the test, the way people were looking at me had completely changed. Before, aside from Wi Ha-yeon briefly talking to me in the classroom, no one had paid me any attention. But now…

Ding—

“…!”

What the—what the hell is this?! Why is my rank so high?! I mean, okay, A-rank I can maybe understand, but third place?! And it’s not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even just A-rank—there were only two other A-ranks in the entire group: the Fourth Princess and Wi Ha-yeon. So the researchers had placed me right below them?

Why?!

Why?!

Aaaah… I really didn’t want this kind of attention…

Feeling my face burn from the unbearable pressure, I lowered my head and practically ran back to my original spot.

“A-are you okay, Seol-ah…?”

“Ughhhhh…. No, not really…”

The tension finally drained out of me. I practically collapsed against Na-rae, who was watching me with a worried expression. She hesitated for a moment, fidgeting with her fingers, before making up her mind and wrapping her arms around me. The faint scent of her shampoo drifted through her messy curls. It felt… a little healing.

“Alright, everyone pay attention!”

Just as I was calming my racing heart while clinging to Na-rae, the teacher’s voice echoed through the auditorium.

“With this, all students have completed their tests. There were some changes in the final rankings, so the list currently displayed on the screen is the official result. Everyone, take a look.”

The names of all forty-six students from Classes A and B were listed in order. No matter how I looked at it, third place seemed way too high. I’d seen people creating shields, swords, bombs, throwing them, freezing things, exploding them, smashing them—there were so many terrifying abilities. So why the hell was someone like me in third…?

Oh my. Healing-type ability users are rare, but someone who can heal an Ether Runaway is even rarer, you know? With an ability like that, plenty of people will want to recruit you.

Senior Yura’s words suddenly flashed through my mind. So… she hadn’t just been trying to be nice?

“Tomorrow, we will be measuring the ranks of Classes C and D, so there may be some changes. Still, you should all have a general idea of where you stand. Ranks will be reflected in your grades. We will conduct the same measurement every quarter, so if you are unhappy with your current rank, work hard to raise your score. Also, as I mentioned earlier, any student who remains at F-rank until the end of their first year cannot advance to the next grade. So please take your classes seriously.”

I felt Na-rae’s body tremble in my arms, so I gently patted her back to comfort her. I wasn’t sure what I could do, but I’d have to help her as much as possible…

But the teacher wasn’t finished.

“Now, before we wrap up the morning session… we will be forming pairs.”

“Huh?”

“Pairs for what?”

I lifted my head with the same question in my eyes. What kind of pairs?

…And more importantly, was I really going to stand here with my uniform in tatters like this?

“Through this class, you have all gauged each other’s levels. From now on, we will begin practical training on the application of supernatural abilities. The very next exercise will be ‘Simulation Combat.’ Students will form teams of two—one from the combat category and one from the support category—to run simulations against dimensional beasts. Those who paid close attention during today’s class should have a good sense of their own abilities and what kinds of powers would complement them well.”

Wait, I didn’t think about any of that at all?

“The right to choose a partner will be given starting from the highest-ranked student. Students who receive a proposal are not required to accept. You may refuse. Since this class is a joint session between Classes A and B, you may choose a partner from either class. As a reminder, the classes were divided so that combat and support types are balanced, so there is no need to worry about being left out. The last two remaining students will automatically be paired together.”

After finishing her explanation, the teacher slowly scanned the students. A sly, mischievous smile crept across her face. This wasn’t some survival game show, yet here we were with the top rank getting first pick… I couldn’t be sure, but it definitely felt like the teacher had a heavy hand in designing this lesson. What terrible taste…

Anyway, if the first pick went to the top rank, that meant the very first person would be—

“Wi Ha-yeon!”

The moment the teacher called her name, she began walking forward once again. And then…

She turned to look at me as she stepped forward, and the moment our eyes met, she gave me a soft smile. For some reason, I felt a chill run down my spine.

…It was probably just my imagination, right?