Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Entrance Exam (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The theme of the second exam.
'Courage'.
What would be fitting to test 'courage', which relates to a person's heart and mental fortitude?
Fear.
It's a test to determine whether you can overcome that fear.
Unlike the maze where all the examinees had been transported together for the first exam, the second exam takes place in individual sealed chambers assigned to each candidate.
Since the trial of courage is about overcoming, not escaping, it evaluates individuals rather than groups.
Overcoming the fear conjured by illusions.
Why hold such a test?
In truth, the world of Arena Academy might appear peaceful on the surface, but dig even a little deeper and you'll find it's far from it.
Though the game's central theme is 'duels', this RPG-infused title allows characters to venture beyond the academy for growth.
Yet, traveling from the academy's bustling city center to other regions—especially remote ones—turns the game's tone drastically dark.
The reason? The Fallen.
The extraterrestrial entities that emerge in the late game are dangerous, to be sure.
But the Fallen are equally capable of dragging the Human Realm to ruin.
In Transcendent-populated areas like the city center housing the academy, Fallen are scarce. But in places lacking Transcendents and proper security, they roam unchecked.
The people there live in perpetual unease and terror.
Never knowing when they'll be seized, devoured, or abducted by Fallen to serve as sacrifices summoning those alien horrors.
And there's one place utterly ravaged by these Fallen.
China.
A nation of vast lands teeming with countless souls.
No better playground for the Fallen to run rampant.
It became their primary hunting ground. As hordes of people fell as fodder and offerings, massive numbers of alien beings were summoned forth.
Most of China's territories became demon-tainted wastelands—forbidden zones unfit for human feet. Fortunately, the first-generation Transcendents banded together, wagering their lives in battle to exile those extraterrestrials back to the void, sparing other nations.
Even so, China remains the 'Continent of Death' to this day—a barren hell where no one dwells, with entry strictly barred.
With precedents like this, the first-generation Transcendent who founded Arena Academy—and remains a living legend—the Martial God Baek Yu-hwa treats all students equally regardless of background. Yet he favors those with true prowess and heroic spirit.
This principle endures. Exams may vary for each batch of examinees, but they always probe 'skill' and 'heroism'.
Thus, the first trial, the 'Test of Wisdom', gauges an examinee's potential.
The second, the 'Test of Courage', measures their heroic heart.
But like the first exam, loopholes exist.
I pulled the item I'd prepared for this trial from my inventory.
"Huu."
I took a deep breath.
This tool wasn't exactly safe.
A single misstep could leave me crippled for life.
But I'd prepared safeguards. It'd be fine.
Shhh...
The exam must have begun. White mist started seeping into my sealed chamber.
This was 'Illusion Mist'—artificial fog modeled after the 'Death Mist' haunting America's forbidden zone, Centralia.
Unlike the lethal fumes of Death Mist, Illusion Mist lacked killing power. Still, by amplifying human fear to extremes, it carried its own perils.
That's why it was confined to brief use in these cramped chambers.
'An accident strikes during the next group's exam.'
An examinee wielding the S-rank skill 'Dream' triggers disaster upon contact with the mist.
'Dream' manifests the user's imagination into reality.
But gripped by terror from the mist, that examinee brings forth something alien-like and deadly into the real world.
Chaos erupts—emergency declared downtown, exam aborted in panic.
But that's later.
No issues here. All good.
Anyway, I eyed the mist blanketing the chamber, then glanced at the vial in my hand.
"It's insane, but..."
Nothing cleared this exam more reliably.
A small 150ml bottle, shaped like Park○s.
Rainbow liquid sloshed within.
It screamed "don't drink me."
And it wasn't just vibes—this was genuinely undrinkable poison.
Anyone recognizing it would bellow, "You're drinking that? Have you lost your mind?"
So, what was it?
⚔ ITEM INFO ⚔ Unicorn's Tear (C-) A potion blended from unicorn horn and fairy dust. *Enhanced 'abnormal status' effects due to an amateur alchemist's botched formula. • On consumption: Mentality -5, Magic Power +2 (temporary). • On consumption: Applies abnormal status 'Hallucination (B)'. • On consumption: Applies abnormal status 'Poisoning (B)'. A black-market junkie's dream.
Not sourced from shady dealers, though.
I gathered the ingredients myself, hit up an alchemy workshop, and commissioned an apprentice alchemist.
True to form, the novice botched the positives—amplifying the nasty 'abnormal status' effects instead.
Exactly what I wanted. That's why I picked the apprentice.
Satisfied with the batch, I blew my last coins stocking up on potions.
I fished one from inventory, clutching it tight in my free hand alongside the Unicorn's Tear.
⚔ ITEM INFO ⚔ Intermediate Antidote (B+) An antidote crafted by a seasoned alchemist. *Perfect golden-ratio mix boosts potency. • On consumption: Applies Detoxification (B+). Detoxification (B+). Cures all abnormal statuses rank B or lower.
I lacked the skill, but game possession granted item appraisal—like having 'Insight'. It let me snag top-shelf potions at bargain prices from the workshop.
Shhh...
Illusion Mist choked the chamber.
Everything blurred to milky white—no telling front from back.
But only for a moment.
The mist's power kicked in. Reality warped, birthing something.
- Grrr...
Senses scrambled as mist invaded. A beast's guttural growl echoed from the distance.
Suddenly, my vision filled with enormous reptilian eyes.
Bigger than two grown men end-to-end, blood-red. Each blink spiked my terror exponentially.
Tremble tremble tremble.
My body shook like leaves in a gale, beyond my control.
Before the colossal phantom fully materialized, I downed the Unicorn's Tear.
Gulp.
The liquid slid down my throat.
Effects hit instantly.
Shhhhhh...
Mist parted. The giant eye vanished.
The potion's 'Hallucination (B)' overrode it perfectly.
'Fight poison with poison.'
"With poison, conquer poison"—an old adage.
Neutralize toxin with toxin.
Same idea here.
(Spoiler for later: the mist's illusion rank is B-.)
Tailored for examinees—not top-tier. Without mid-level mental resistance talent or skill, you're debuffed into submission.
Hence this workaround.
Debuff items like Unicorn's Tear.
Why? Debuffs stack selectively by category.
Mist: 'Illusion'.
Potion: 'Hallucination'.
Similar, yet distinct classifications.
Thus, same debuff type? No stack. Higher rank prevails.
'Mist's gone.'
No more fear amp from the mist.
Untrembling limbs proved it.
But now...
Tremble.
My body quaked for a new reason.
The potion's 'Poisoning (B)' kicking in.
Cravings wracked me, demanding more.
"Heh... hehehe."
Lips curled into unbidden grins, laughter spilling out.
The fog shimmered rainbow-hued like the potion. Euphoria bloomed in visions.
Joy eclipsed dread.
'Hurry.'
Before it worsened, I lurched forward.
Toward the faint passage point beyond the haze.
Feet tangled. Balance swayed.
Luckily, the chamber was compact.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have passed the second exam, 'Test of Courage'. Lee Yoo-jin's rank: 3rd place. I reached the passage point.
'Qu-quickly.'
The instant I passed, I dumped the antidote down my throat.
Hands quivering wildly, but I uncapped and crammed it in—no spills.
Gulp.
The second it hit my stomach...
"Uweeeek!"
Otherworldly bitterness exploded on my tongue. I hurled up everything inside.
Guts twisting inside out.
Head reeling from the agony of that taste.
Still, I felt the 'Hallucination' and 'Poisoning' lift clean away.
This ordeal sealed my resolve.
Get mental resistance talent or skill, no matter what.
So I'd never.
Touch this crap again.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, in the monitoring room.
Among the instructors observing the examinees' 'courage'...
Two fixated on Lee Yoo-jin.
"That lunatic..."
The female instructor shook her head in dismay.
"Hahaha! Hell yeah, that's courage too! Hahahaha!"
The male instructor slapped his forehead, roaring with laughter.
Both now intimately acquainted with Lee Yoo-jin's brand of bravery.