Placement Exam -1-

Scrrch.

I submitted my test paper and quietly opened the door, stepping out into the hallway.

Two people who looked like academy staff were standing in the corridor.

One of them spotted me and spoke up right away.

"The practical exam is in the gymnasium on the first floor. Just follow the signs over there."

"Thanks."

The moment I heard it was the gymnasium, a map drew itself in my head.

If Orion Academy's interior was exactly like the game, I could probably navigate it blindfolded.

There are multiple gymnasiums, right? Anyway, it'll be one of them.

"!"

I naturally came to a stop.

In game terms, it's like the shortcut key K just got unlocked?

I'd been possessed before getting any detailed character explanation.

I was dying to know what skills I had.

Is it the same way as the quest window?

I'd already figured out how to pull up the quest window on the way here.

Just willing it was enough to summon the translucent window.

"Whoa...!"

The skill window, dragged out by my sheer willpower, floated in the air.

Its appearance excited me in a different way from the quest window. I quickly scanned the info, brimming with interest.

As expected.

The skill names in the window had a subtle glow.

And levels showing growth potential instead of ranks.

That meant unique skills only I could use.

Two unique skills!

As expected, I was S-rank.

I'd guessed it from getting a personal pickup schedule, but seeing the number of unique skills confirmed it.

Still, for a combat-focused build, the skills felt unique and unfamiliar.

Weakness Infliction seemed like a debuff skill. It was definitely applicable in battle.

But a Shop skill in Abyss City? Nothing quite like it came to mind.

"Hmm."

I stretched my legs toward the gymnasium, resuming my walk while deep in thought.

If the shop uses points as currency, are quest rewards what gets spent? And Weakness Infliction...

I had no idea how the unique skills would evolve as their levels rose.

But if it let me impose a wider variety of weaknesses, it felt like a universal key—letting me form parties without excluding my favorite characters.

The same went for gamers who only cared about performance and clears, ignoring affection.

Depending on the skill's form, it'd be essential even for them.

This is...?

The scent of what gamers called an "OP character." Or more precisely, a human rights character.

The skills reeked of it.

…

…

There were five gymnasiums lined up at Orion Academy.

Not enough, apparently—a new one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was under construction in the distance.

By the time the protagonist's in second year, there were eight, right?

With cadets flooding in from every nation and most classes being physical, it made sense.

There it is.

A woman sat at a table just like at the entrance, staring this way. Her rabbit ears twitched alertly. Beastkin were still a novelty.

"Here for the practical exam?"

"Yes. Written test's done."

"You finished super fast!"

I gave an awkward smile and showed my student ID and number tag.

She folded one perked ear in concentration and scribbled on her papers.

"Head to the first gymnasium over there."

"Thanks."

"The exam starts once we have the minimum number. Warm up inside and wait."

I nodded and headed to the gymnasium marked with a 1.

Creeeak!

Pushing open the iron door, I found it empty.

I was definitely the first to finish the written ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠test overall.

What's that? Exam-related?

Square stone blocks filled the center. No clue what they were for.

"Hmm..."

I kept walking to one wall of the gymnasium.

Swords, spears, axes, guns, bows, and more.

Weapons plastered the wall—familiar friends that instantly calmed me.

Now this is the ideal academy. Korea needs one of these.

I reached out and drew a sword from its sheath.

Shing!

A hefty longsword.

Just from the draw, I could tell it was well-maintained. The edge was properly honed.

Good balance too.

I swung it lightly and hung it back.

Right now, I needed focused research, not a sword.

Skills work just by willing them, like the quest window?

The moment I thought about activating the Shop skill—

Something inside me reacted.

This guy...

I dismissed the translucent window with a grin.

Update or whatever—I'd instantly gotten the hang of the skill.

It resembled how I'd handled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my hunter abilities, but the "fuel" it consumed felt different.

A few more tries and I'll have it down.

How long had I focused to grasp that alien sensation?

Thud—!

Someone flung the door open energetically.

"Huh? I'm not first?"

A refreshing voice etched in my memory.

Something deep inside resonated fiercely, whipping my head around with neck-snapping force.

I faced the beastkin woman radiating intense presence.

Noah Frozenheart...!

Northern royalty, heir to the white tiger bloodline.

Her lithe limbs and sharp blue eyes were products of noble lineage.

Her bold, confident smile dazzled.

Just like in the game—not in Orion Academy uniform, but casual clothes.

A ring symbolizing her exclusive weapon gleamed on her right index finger.

And then—

"Noah. What matters is topping the exam results. Being first in line means nothing."

A soft voice followed from behind.

A girl with eyes closed entered gracefully, her jet-black hime-cut hair swaying.

In her pale hands, her exclusive weapon: the black tachi Yoru.

Ichinose Yui too?

I clenched my teeth to stifle a cheer.

Seeing not my neglected level 1 characters, but the ones I'd truly loved, made my heart pound like it might burst.

Overwhelmed by uncontainable excitement and joy—

My gaze lost control, following Ichinose Yui as she headed to Noah's side.

This is no joke...

The petite girl moved with poise even with eyes shut.

Unlike Noah, her academy uniform was impeccably neat.

Worlds apart.

Noah Frozenheart, easily over 170cm, paired with Ichinose Yui, barely scraping past 150cm—it was a feast for the eyes.

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

"Ahh~ If only Nose had finished the written test a bit sooner."

Nose—a nickname for Ichinose? Precious info not shown in the game.

I finally pulled back my gaze, focusing my hearing on them while suppressing a smile.

"I never asked you to wait. And unlike someone, I solved every problem."

Ichinose's haughty retort was adorable.

Noah laughed, twitching her round ears. Her breezy tone dismissed the written test as trivial.

"Even so, without me, you'd get lost in the academy and miss the practical too. Just say thanks honestly."

" baseless assumption...! There's zero chance I'd get lost coming here."

Noah's tail-wagging taunt drew a faintly irked response.

A satisfying scene that extended my lifespan.

Her terrible sense of direction is canon, huh.

While stretching as camouflage and eavesdropping, more cadets who finished the written test trickled in, filling the gymnasium.

Once we had a decent crowd, Gymnasium 1 was full.

A bored-looking man with a scruffy beard entered, introducing himself as the instructor.

He stood in the center, announcing the practical exam's start.

"I'll explain once. Weapons only from the academy-supplied ones on the wall. Or don't use any."

The simple explanation matched a straightforward test.

Score based on the depth and width of damage to the golems.

The instructor scratched his bushy head and ambled to the square stone blocks.

"One attack only. Hit, smash, or launch this test golem however you like. Oh, no filming, so phones away."

I blinked in disbelief watching him tap the white lump.

Everyone else seemed to know already.

That was a golem?

Calling that massive lump a golem felt like minimal effort—no shape or polish.

"Results for this batch available on opening day."

With that, the yawning instructor checked his paper.

"Yawn... Number 99, step up."

Of course, first up.

I grabbed a longsword from the wall and walked forward.

"Name."

"Rohan."

He nodded and jerked his chin at the test golem.

"One minute prep. Start within that."

"...Got it."

I placed a hand on the golem, pretending to check its hardness.

Then focused to activate the skill.

Skills feel like the abilities from my hunter days.

Thanks to brief practice—

Weakness Infliction.

An indescribable wave pulsed from my palm.

I felt my body's energy—vitality, or in Abyss City terms, mana—drain sharply.

Success.

No time to celebrate.

Maintaining the weakness keeps eating mana.

I etched the skill info into my mind.

Before mana bottomed out, I gripped the sword with both hands.

I didn't know Weakness Infliction's full power at Lv.1.

No illusions of a dramatic show from this fragile body.

With lowered physical resistance, just aim to scratch the tough golem.

"Huuu..."

I bent my knees slightly, lowering my stance, and exhaled long.

Visualized trajectory: overhead chop.

"Hup!"

I swung the raised longsword with full power.

Whoosh—!

And so.

The moment Rohan's longsword cut through the air and met the golem—

The blade sliced through like butter, cleaving downward.

It fully bisected the target, clinking lightly on the gymnasium floor.

The neatly halved golem toppled to both sides with a thud!

"""..."""

Silence blanketed the exam hall.

Noah, arms crossed and watching, grinned ear to ear like she'd found something fun.

Ichinose slowly opened her closed eyes, gazing at the man who'd split the golem.