Angry Bunny Hunt
Terastial Academy's midterms and finals followed a straightforward format. Students took written exams in their major subjects and basic courses, which accounted for 30% of the overall grade. Of the remaining 70%, 60% came from the practical exam scores, with the last 10% based on attendance and assignments. Some departments had hardly any assignments, making it a simple system where good attendance and strong test performance were enough for a solid grade.
That said, it ramped up the importance of the exams—especially the practical, which made up more than half the score. Every academy student prepared desperately for it.
"Yaaawn."
Of course, some people didn't. Seong Hyun-jin held his training regulation sword in one hand and let out a yawn. The Combat Department's midterm practical exam had already begun, but he wasn't making a move—just standing there casually.
It wasn't that he was giving up or half-assing it. Surprisingly, yawning and idling like this was him faithfully playing his assigned role.
"Seong Hyun-jin! It's heading your way!"
Daniel, a classmate from the Combat Department, shouted. The yawning man snapped his sword up.
The listless vibe vanished, replaced by a bold grin. "Nice drive."
The moment he spoke, something burst out from the front.
"Kiyooo!!"
It was a mana beast. Not a dangerous one like a frost wolf, but a small rabbit-like creature called an Angry Bunny. Native to the warmer central Magic Kingdom and similar regions, it had a somewhat aggressive temperament but posed no real threat, making it a popular choice for exams. Sure, its bite stung, but with dull teeth and weak jaws that couldn't even snap a human finger, no special safety measures were needed. If you wanted to use mana beasts in a test, nothing beat it.
So how did such harmless critters serve as a way to gauge academy students' abilities? There was a good reason Angry Bunnies were exam staples.
Whoosh!
"Ah."
Seong Hyun-jin's sword sliced empty air as the Angry Bunny dodged nimbly and bolted.
"Hey, Seong Hyun-jin! What if you let it get away?!"
"Faster than I thought..."
Even Seong Hyun-jin, with his absurdly sharp senses, couldn't time it perfectly. That was why Angry Bunnies were ideal for tests. Their rabbit-like form wasn't for show—their instantaneous reaction speed and acceleration were beyond imagination. They were quick on a normal run, but when threatened? A whole other level.
That trait created the test's differentiating power. Struggling to catch them meant your skills were lacking, and your score would suffer.
As for just why not sweep them all with an AoE attack? Instructor Hayes Penrel had set the goal as collecting the tags on their ears. Team scores were based on intact tags gathered. Blast them with area damage, and the tags got ruined—so you had to catch them one by one. Hunt, capture, or perform the near-miraculous feat of clipping just the ears on multiple at once without harming them.
Given the Angry Bunny's agility, the last option was damn near impossible. So you had to nab them individually, and blowing a precious chance like that? No wonder his teammates despaired.
"Seong Hyun-jin, what if even you can't catch it...!?"
"...Didn't expect it to be that fast."
Of course, Seong Hyun-jin's miss was mostly because it was his first encounter. He'd gauged its movements somewhat, but letting one slip when they were already hard to spot was a bummer.
Daniel wailed at the escape of the Angry Bunny he'd barely herded over. "We're gonna come in dead last at this rate!"
"Eh, the other teams probably aren't catching many either..."
As Seong Hyun-jin spoke, a voice came from behind him.
"Freeze."
"Stasis (στάση)"
⟨ Dragon Word ⟩
A pleasant voice delivered a curt command. The Angry Bunny Seong Hyun-jin had just missed froze in place.
A female student approached, grabbing its plump body with one hand. Spotting Seong Hyun-jin, she smirked playfully. "Having trouble catching this?"
It was Serena Eldark. She'd halted the mana beast with a dragon word and effortlessly peeled the tag from its ear.
Seong Hyun-jin was so flabbergasted he shot back. "Serena, isn't that cheating?"
"How is using my own power cheating?"
"..."
Fair point. Still, it felt like getting scammed, so he grumbled. "Doesn't feel a bit unfair?"
"I'm just doing my best."
Of course, Serena's team had to find the Angry Bunnies too, but once they did, her ability to stop them cold was an edge no other team could match.
"Lucky we're on Serena's team..."
"For real."
Her teammates praised her, confident in their top scores. Seong Hyun-jin's group shot him odd looks.
"Our leader just let one get away."
"Their leader's carrying the whole team's grades."
"...What do you want me to say."
Serena chuckled lightly at the banter. Maybe wanting him to step it up, she offered some charity encouragement. "Do your best, Seong Hyun-jin. If your team gets more tags than ours, I'll grant you one wish."
"...One wish?"
"Yes."
Serena clarified. "Nothing unreasonable, of course. Something within reason."
"Deal. No backing out later?"
"Of course not."
She waved as she passed with her team. "Good luck."
Once they were gone, Daniel sidled up slyly. "What's the deal with you two? Actually dating?"
"What're you talking about?"
"Rumors are flying about you. Not just Serena, but Senior Ciela too."
"...It's not like that."
Seong Hyun-jin couldn't deny it outright. Normally he'd push back hard, but the rumors weren't total fabrications. They weren't officially dating, but both Serena and Ciela had confessed their feelings.
Maybe that's why it didn't seem too suspicious—Daniel shifted to exam talk. "Anyway, how do we catch Angry Bunnies now...?"
"We find them."
"Hunt them down just to watch 'em slip away again?"
"Won't miss next time."
"Got any guarantee...?"
Daniel sighed. "Fine, we'll keep herding them like you said. Can't quit the exam. You stay back like before and—"
"Nah."
"Huh?"
As Daniel blinked, Seong Hyun-jin slung his sword over his shoulder with confidence. "My turn now."
"...You're gonna hunt solo? Then how do we catch any?"
"Figure it out yourselves. Work hard, snag a few."
"What? That's so irresponsible—"
"You said it earlier, right? Take care of your teammates' scores."
Quoting Daniel, Seong Hyun-jin waved them off like they should handle it. "So go catch some on your own."
"...Wait, you planning to steal theirs like in the class split exam?"
"Nah? Instructor said no this time."
"Good, you didn't forget. So what's the plan?"
"What plan."
Seong Hyun-jin shrugged simply. "Just catch 'em."
# Around a hundred small, feisty mana beasts—Angry Bunnies—had been released into the training grounds, darting every which way to evade the Combat Department students. A hundred wasn't a small number, but the vast field mimicked their forest habitat, giving them plenty of hiding spots. They stayed silent until spotted, so students had to start by hunting them down.
"They're all hidden—can't see a thing."
Even Serena, who could nab them on sight, wasn't racking up tags as fast as expected. You needed a visual to issue commands.
"Hard to spot, yeah."
"We'll keep looking, Serena."
Her team stayed relaxed. With her dragon words, spotting one meant a tag—putting them ahead. They'd coast to first and top grades at this rate.
They would've, anyway. If not for one guy who switched tactics and went solo.
He'd left his team to cooperate and catch on their own. Seong Hyun-jin.
"Angry Bunny..."
He trudged through the woods, paused at a spot, and stared at an empty bush.
Then...
"Found you."
(참혼)
First form of the Soul Severing Sword.
Craaaack───────!
Spirit power manifested as an extra blade in an instant, intercepting the bush along his sword path. An unbelievably swift, sharp strike for a training blade.
Seong Hyun-jin pushed through the brush. There lay a silently slain Angry Bunny, ears intact.
Obviously.
"Told you it was just 'cause it was my first one—don't believe me."
He'd pinpointed its hidden spot from the start, swung to intercept without nicking the ear. Angry Bunnies had insane reaction speeds. It had surely reacted to his swing just now. But dying so pathetically? He'd predicted its move based on intel from the first encounter.
Anticipating that speed, he'd swung into a trap—and it fell right in. A near-miraculous skill.
Anyone watching would've struggled to comprehend. But a little thought made it clear: for this guy, it wasn't impossible.
"One down... About a hundred in the field, right?"
The owner of senses even the Palstar Hero Sword Star Hakodate Karin deemed superior to her own.
"Guess fifty'll do."
That assessment was no exaggeration.