Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Episode 7
Eleanor stared blankly at the [Mana Bullet] growing in her hand, then suddenly jumped up and shouted,
"Oh? Whoaah?!"
I wished she would calm down and stop shaking it; it was dangerous. I had to stop her…
"Wahahahaha!"
"...Why are you laughing?"
This wasn't a laughing matter. Why? I couldn't understand her emotions at all. Looking at Eleanor's [Mana Bullet] through [Contemplation], it looked like it was about to explode.
"Just calm down and throw it into the sky... Why are you putting more mana into it...?"
"It's shining! Yes, I'm shining right now! Everyone is looking at me! The world revolves around me... No! I've become the center of the world in this moment!"
"What in the world are you talking about...?"
It was the runaway [Mana Bullet] that was shining, not Eleanor. It seemed like she couldn't maintain her composure in this sudden situation.
Everyone hesitated and flattened themselves against the walls, observing the situation. The instructors did the same. Wait, shouldn't you be stopping her?
"Uh oh..."
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
The moment she let out a disconcerted voice, I deployed [Spatial Barrier]. I didn't care anymore. She had to deal with the consequences of her own actions.
"Ouch?!"
A moment later, the [Mana Bullet] flew towards her face and exploded.
"Wow..."
That had to hurt. Still, she probably wasn't dead. Her class was warrior, so she was probably more durable than I was.
"..."
After the explosion cleared, Eleanor appeared, looking bewildered. She stared at me with empty eyes.
"...Shouldn't you have protected the frail girl here?"
What was she talking about, being more durable than me? It was ridiculous.
"I'm disappointed. The Successor to the Mage King hiding behind a girl!"
"I wasn't hiding, and I didn't move from this spot."
"Help me a little! You could have done it, Oz!"
The original Oz might have, but how could I? Besides, she seemed to know that I was Oz. And yet, she pulled that stunt with magic right in front of me. What incredible confidence.
No, did she do it because she knew? She was a shrewd one.
"Numbers 431 to 440, please come in."
"Ah, w-wait a moment..."
It seemed like Eleanor's number was called. She was looking at me expectantly. Did she still have something to say?
"Well, whatever. Let's just say I won this round."
"What round?"
But before I could question her, Eleanor entered the examination hall. I really didn't understand what she was doing. I had encountered this many times while playing the game, but I couldn't predict her thought process at all. It was worrying.
"Hey."
"Sigh..."
Someone spoke to me again. This time, it was a male voice. After what just happened, I didn't want to deal with anyone else. Why was everyone bothering me? If they wanted to mess with me, they should all come at once instead of one by one.
"So you crawled in here, Oz?"
"This is driving me crazy..."
I had anticipated that someone would pick a fight. I, the [Successor to the Mage King] until just recently, had fallen from grace overnight. They must be enjoying this. Moreover, considering how ridiculous Broken Sky was as a game, I could easily predict that some clueless idiots would try to provoke me.
"After being abandoned by Spellerge and disappearing from the rumors, I thought you might have kicked the bucket somewhere. But you survived, huh?"
Vulgar and predictable. With this level of cliché, shouldn't it be considered innovative instead? I turned around to see the face of this innovative speaker.
His appearance was, well... he had red hair and yellow eyes. He looked like a delinquent character. That was enough of a description.
He seemed familiar. I felt like I had seen him somewhere... No, I had seen him. He was a game character. He was a character with decent performance in the game, if I remembered correctly. His name was...
[SSR Fist King]
Alexios
Right, that was his name. SSR-rank. His average stats were at least on par with Oz. His in-game performance wasn't on the same level, though… He also became obsolete due to power creep. But I appeared more often in the story, so I won.
"Alexios."
I was surprised by my own unexpectedly cold voice. All the examinees who had been glancing at us held their breath.
The instructor averted his gaze. You shouldn't be avoiding eye contact, you know…
Alexios was even exuding killing intent.
[Erosion Rate 16%]
Just in case, I checked my [Erosion Rate]. It was 16%. Was I too immersed because of Eleanor?
"So... you want to try me?"
Alexios began to emit a red light from his fists. I could feel the heat from his fists, glowing red like the sun. Flickering mana spread from his feet. It was the precursor to Alexios's first active skill.
I could guarantee that I couldn't block that attack in my current state.
[Spatial Barrier - Cooldown: 1 minute 43 seconds]
[Spatial Barrier] had a cooldown. Longer than [Mana Dominator]. Even if I could use it, it wouldn't be effective against Alexios, who specialized in consecutive attacks. It would shatter on the first hit, and my body would be torn to pieces on the second.
"That cold, arrogant look. Just like before."
Before? Was there some kind of relationship between Alexios and Oz? What in the world had Oz been doing? Why did unknown baggage keep popping up?
Oz, with his fundamentally aristocratic personality, and Alexios, acting like a spoiled brat. Just thinking about it, their compatibility must have been terrible.
"I didn't like that condescending look!"
That was a bit harsh. He was born that way, wasn't it a bit much to pick a fight over his gaze? Besides, I didn't intend to look down on him, but Oz's body seemed to be different. It was incredibly tense.
Was it because the opponent was clearly threatening? No, then he should have reacted more strongly when facing Tia. I didn't understand.
"Numbers 441 to 450, please come in."
The examiner's voice saved me from the imminent clash.
"Tch."
The light in Alexios's fists disappeared as his number was called. It seemed like it was his turn for the exam. I felt relieved.
{446}
The problem was that my number was also called... I hoped Alexios would behave himself during the exam, but judging by his personality, that was unlikely.
"Oz, let's settle this with our exam scores."
"..."
That damn competition. What was it, and why did they keep wanting to compete with me? Both Eleanor and this guy, why were they so obsessed with it?
I decided to ignore him. I couldn't control my mouth right now, and I didn't know what I might say if I opened it.
The gist of the practical exam was simple. Attack a scarecrow to measure strength and skill. It was the same thing hardcore players in the game used to test out different combinations and achieve the highest damage output.
"For those applying for the warrior class, you have a time limit of one minute. For mage applicants, you have three attempts."
The examiner representative was Prudence Loa, an elderly professor who taught advanced magic. He didn't appear much in the original story after the beginning, but he was one of the few mages in Scientia on par with Oz. No, considering his age, he might even be stronger than Oz.
"If you destroy the scarecrow or inflict a certain amount of damage within the given attempts, you pass."
In short, it was just a brute force competition. I could probably destroy it with a mana-infused [Mana Bullet].
"Then, the first applicant..."
"I'll go."
Boom!
Before the examiner finished speaking, Alexios once again ignited his fists with light. I couldn't see what happened next. Perhaps because I had deactivated [Contemplation], his movements were too fast to follow. When I came to my senses, the scarecrow had exploded.
"One second. Practical exam score: 100 points."
The faces of the examinees turned pale. If I wasn't in Oz's body, I would have been in the same state.
"Ha! You call this an exam? It's too easy!"
"Then I'll deduct 50 points for your poor attitude."
Was he truly on par with Oz? He remained unfazed even in front of the [Fist King].
"...Actually, I thought it was an excellent exam."
"I'll let it slide this time."
Prudence Loa smiled kindly at Alexios's sudden obedience.
"There's an etiquette class in the liberal arts curriculum, so consider taking it."
"..."
Even in a world where fists spoke louder than words, one couldn't ignore authority. Moreover, the opponent was quite powerful. Even though Alexios was considered an idiot, he wasn't completely thoughtless. The fact that he, the [Fist King], was taking the Scientia entrance exam spoke volumes.
This idiot was in a similar situation to me. Alexios was probably being pursued by his fellow disciples after being falsely accused of killing his master. Even if he had inherited the title of [Fist King], he was still young enough to be called a boy. He couldn't possibly survive against the disciples of the [Former Fist King].
He also needed the protection of the [Dragon Emperor].
"Now, would the next applicant please come forward?"
"..."
Most of the examinees looked away. Regardless of the outcome, the power Alexios displayed was extraordinary. They would naturally hesitate to step forward, knowing they would be compared to him.
Or were they concerned about me? What if I took the exam after Alexios, and the [Successor to the Mage King] followed immediately after? It would probably crush their spirits.
"I'll go next."
"Oh...?"
The atmosphere grew heavy as I stepped forward. Not only the examinees, but even the examiners seemed tense. Prudence Loa looked at me with a gaze filled not only with interest, but also fighting spirit.
"Then..."
All eyes were on me. Examinees, examiners, even Alexios. This level of pressure was new to me.
"Phew..."
I couldn't just pass the exam with a simple [Mana Bullet]. I couldn't just think about entering Scientia. I had a reputation to uphold. I had a situation to consider. If I didn't make a strong impression here, it would be a red flag for my future academy life. I might even become the target of relentless bullying.
"Let's see, shall we?"
I uttered the words of magic. These words allowed for various interpretations. Even if a spell like [Light Impact] came out, I could excuse it as checking the scarecrow's durability. On the other hand, if a powerful spell appeared, it would elevate my status.
Someone, specifically Alexios, might call it a bluff, but the result would speak for itself.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
First attempt.
I had used it many times, but I still couldn't understand the mechanics of [Mana Dominator]. A formula began to be drawn from my fingertips. No, it appeared, would be more accurate.
"Oh... What an incredible speed."
"A casting speed like that... It's as if the formula is appearing already completed..."
Most of the examiners were looking at me with astonishment. I felt sorry for betraying their expectations, but it was a dud.
[Dig]
A hopeless dud, at that. I couldn't even make an excuse for what I was trying to test with this. I couldn't claim I dug a hole to check the scarecrow's durability, could I? What was I supposed to do with this?
The examiners, seemingly noticing the formula of the magic I had cast, looked at me with a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity. Even if they looked at me like that, I didn't know what to do.
"Hey, Oz. What are you trying to… Ack?!"
"It's dangerous, so stay put if you don't want to die. Alexios."
I created a hole beneath Alexios's feet, causing him to fall. He disappeared in an instant. I dug it deep, so he wouldn't be able to get out for a while.
I learned how to utilize magic effectively. I overcame the crisis thanks to Alexios. He helped me like this... Perhaps we could become good friends.
Anyway, this gave me an excuse for [Dig].
"Phew..."
Everyone gasped and backed away. It made sense. From their perspective, it looked like a provocation towards Alexios, a warning about my power.
...I had overcome the crisis, but the pressure increased. The cooldown for [Mana Dominator] was almost over. Perhaps because this wasn't a real battle, even 10 seconds didn't feel long.
"It's time for the real deal."
I closed my eyes and muttered quietly, as if praying. I hadn't drawn a proper spell since using [Curse of Perpetual Snow] with the guaranteed first-time draw. So, it was time.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
This time, it was real. SSR-rank skill. 100% guaranteed. Otherwise, I was doomed. I had nothing but luck to rely on at this moment.
"Oh..."
I opened my eyes and almost cheered. I hit the jackpot. An absurdly large, three-dimensional formula unfolded. An unmistakable SSR-rank magic.
"No, but this is too dangerous..."
The vast formula that spread from my fingertips was from Chapter 12 of the main story. An SSR-rank character that awakened after Headmaster Tia's death.
[Inheritor of Will] Spina's first active skill.
[Petit Breath]
A small dragon's breath materialized at my fingertips.
Eleanor, heading towards the interview room after the practical exam, turned around at the sudden roar.
"Wow..."
A giant mushroom cloud was visible. There was no need to wonder who created it. The only person capable of such firepower was the [Successor to the Mage King].
"Ugh!"
Eleanor muttered in frustration as she stared at the mushroom cloud.
"I was distracted..."
She had inadvertently been drawn to someone else's actions. As someone who craved attention, this was unacceptable. Moreover, it wa
s a wide-scale explosion that dwarfed the paltry explosion of a [Mana Bullet]. Now, no one in Scientia would be unaware of Oz's name.
"So, that's it..."
Eleanor couldn't help but acknowledge Oz. That. That was the very goal she had to strive for. It was a humiliating assessment for Oz.