Entrance Exam (3)
The results of the first exam were posted the very next day.
I made the passing list without any trouble.
"You actually managed to pass, huh?"
Despite how anxious he'd looked heading into the exam hall, Park Jae-hyun had claimed a spot on the roster with surprising confidence.
"Heh heh… I'd forgotten one crucial fact. All I had to do was lock myself in the bathroom until my number came up!"
"…Right. You passed, so whatever."
Posted alongside the first-round results was the information for the second exam.
The format was just as straightforward.
A sparring match between two paired examinees.
As I'd heard before, each person was allowed to use a single artifact. For safety reasons, a proctor would be assigned to every match, with the authority to stop things if a bout got too heated. Since these were physical sparring matches, recovery-type ability users would also be standing by. Anyone who wanted one could even take a pill that blocked the sensation of pain.
Details for the second exam could be looked up by entering your name and examinee number. When I checked mine—
Lee ○-hui. Park Yeon-chan.
I'd been paired with exactly who I'd expected.
Given that matchups were based on skill level, it was only natural.
The second exam notice placed particular emphasis on one point of caution. It read as follows:
In this exam, pass or fail will not be determined by victory or defeat in the sparring match. This is a test of how broadly you can utilize mana, so please take care not to become overly heated.
It wasn't a lie.
But in my case and Lee Yeon-hui's, the top and second-place rankings would almost certainly be decided by the outcome of our match. Both of us had practically swept up every available bonus point in the first exam by demonstrating high-difficulty techniques.
How well you used mana in combat to overpower your opponent—that was where the focus would land.
"I'd better get ready."
Confirming that Lee Yeon-hui was my opponent, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed the number Kim Jae-gyo had given me.
"Yes, speaking."
A deep, middle-aged voice.
I'd seen him from a distance before, but hearing him directly for the first time sent a spike of tension through me.
The man on the other end of the line was—
"It's an honor to speak with you, Association President. This is Park Yeon-chan."
The final piece I needed for this sparring match.
Min Gyeong-ho, head of the Hero Association.
Two days after the first exam.
Results had been posted, and the very next day the second exam began.
Once again, Park Jae-hyun and I had been assigned to different exam halls. I'd meant to offer him at least a word of encouragement—he looked nervous enough to need it.
"Hey, do your be—"
"Namu Amitabha Avalokitesvara. Though this humble soul still clings to many attachments in this life, even those—"
"……"
Leaving Park Jae-hyun chanting Buddhist sutras beside me, I walked on ahead.
Last time he'd worried me half to death and still passed just fine, so I had no choice but to believe he'd manage this round too.
No choice but to believe…
Remembering the scene I'd just left behind, a sigh escaped me on its own.
Setting aside my concerns for him, I stepped into the exam venue—and found myself facing a stadium on an entirely different scale from the first exam hall. Vast enough that packing people in shoulder to shoulder might have fit ten thousand, not just a thousand. Across that enormous space, fourteen large sparring arenas stood lined up in a row.
I walked slowly toward the front where the examinees had gathered, and the first person to catch my eye was Lee Yeon-hui.
Judging by the whispers around her, her looks were still doing excellent business, same as during the first exam. The fact that I could feel a few stares coming my way as well suggested some of the people from my first-exam hall were here too.
While I was still taking in the surroundings, the start time must have arrived. A proctor stepped forward and began issuing instructions in a booming voice.
"We will now begin the second exam! Examinees, please check your numbers and wait in front of your assigned sparring arena!"
"Each arena will have one proctor assigned to it. If you intend to use an artifact, you must have it inspected before your match. Those without personal artifacts may borrow from the selection we have prepared—please take note!"
Artifacts weren't the kind of thing ordinary people just happened to own. Prices varied by grade, but most easily ran into the hundreds of millions of won. Examinees who'd brought their own were likely either the children of Hunters or Heroes, or simply extremely wealthy.
The artifact inspection he'd mentioned was probably a screen for illegally circulated pieces or ones without state authorization.
"Anyone sensitive to pain, we're distributing pills that block pain sensation—come get one if you need it!"
"Artifact rentals are over here! Fill out your personal information on the left and show your examinee ticket!"
True to the name "sparring match," the preparation process was far more involved than the first exam. Even at a glance, a considerable amount of manpower had been poured into this, and the proctors' demeanor felt a notch sharper than before.
Obvious enough, I suppose.
The moment they'd authorized the use of artifacts as weapons, they'd implicitly acknowledged the risk of injury. Recovery-type Awakened were standing by, sure—but if examinees got hurt and someone raised a formal complaint about the exam, it would be a problem. They had no choice but to be careful.
I looked around briefly, borrowed a decent pair of glove-type artifacts, and slipped them on.
Good enough, I guess.
Being rental gear, they weren't anything particularly precious—though even these would still cost hundreds of millions if you tried to buy them.
I really need to find my own soon.
Lee Yeon-hui had an artifact of perfect compatibility kept as a memento from her father. In Choi A-rin's case, I'd already delivered the artifact she'd used in the original story ahead of time.
And yet I still don't have one myself…
The problem was that I still hadn't found an artifact that suited me.
"Artifact" was a blanket term for the mysterious objects discovered inside Towers. Weapons, ornaments, things of completely unknown purpose—but the ones that always drew the most interest were armaments.
Back when Towers and Gates first appeared, Awakened with no information whatsoever had been forced to fight every manner of catastrophe bare-handed. Modern weapons couldn't withstand the power of the Awakened who wielded them, let alone the monsters—they shattered first and only got in the way. But those who ventured into the Towers brought back mysterious objects and weapons from within, and ironically, the weapons carried out of the Towers showed perfect compatibility with Awakened users.
Of course, the power you could draw out varied by the wielder, as did whether you could fully unlock an artifact's potential. Finding one that matched you was the most important part.
I fiddled with the borrowed artifacts while waiting my turn in front of the arena. Across the way, Lee Yeon-hui sat leaning against the wall, and she caught my eye.
After the way our conversation had ended yesterday, I'd expected her to come press me for answers. Seeing her this quiet now, she must have decided to focus on the exam first.
Our match was near the very end of the order, so I waited in a blank daze until our turn came.
"…!"
Suddenly, a heavy presence settled over the spectator seats above.
"Haha… someone must be pretty angry…"
I'd figured he'd show up around now. Looks like he'd just arrived.
I glanced back and up toward the stadium stands, but Min Gyeong-ho was nowhere in sight. He was probably watching from somewhere my eyes couldn't reach.
Well, he came. That's what matters.
I offered a slight bow in the direction of wherever Min Gyeong-ho might be watching, by way of greeting.
— Rrring — The call went unanswered, connecting to voicemail with a beep—
Click.
"This bastard only calls when he needs something, and then when I call, he doesn't even pick up?!"
Min Gyeong-ho, known for his kindly disposition, was seething over an unanswered call when—
Brrring-brrring!
The phone he'd just tossed aside started ringing. Assuming it was the person he'd just tried to reach, he snatched it up roughly.
"…Who is this?"
A completely unfamiliar number on the screen. He tilted his head and answered.
"Yes, speaking."
"—It's an honor to speak with you, Association President. This is Park Yeon-chan."
Huh?
A completely unexpected person introducing himself.
How on earth did he get my number…
As if answering that very question, the voice on the phone offered a polite explanation.
"—I received the Association President's number from my mast— ah, my master. He told me to stop bothering him and contact you myself."
"…That insane bastard…"
At Park Yeon-chan's explanation, Min Gyeong-ho quietly pressed a hand to his forehead.
He was the President of the Hero Association, a position recognized by the state itself. He had no intention of abusing his authority, but he was still effectively a high-ranking government official. And that friend of his had just handed out his number like it was a buddy's contact info?
"Haa… So what business do you have that you'd call me directly?"
Pressing at his throbbing temple, he asked. The answer came back:
"—I have a favor to ask."
"I feel like I've already done plenty of favors."
Unauthorized Tower entry that could be classified as illegal. Fraudulent participation in the entrance exam. He'd never used his power to pull strings even for his own daughter, but he'd let those slide as favors to a friend.
Which was why his words carried the clear implication of a refusal—no more.
But the other party kept going, fully aware of that.
"—I'm sure the Association President has already seen, but my sparring opponent is considerably skilled."
Min Gyeong-ho's brow twitched, a sharp retort rising to his throat.
"So you want me to change your oppon—"
"—I'd like the Association President to serve as our proctor."
"…What?"
The request was so unexpected that the words he'd been about to say slid right back down his throat.
"—For personal reasons, the match is likely to get quite rough. Rough enough to fully justify a stoppage."
"……"
"—Even so, I'd ask that you please not stop us."
Min Gyeong-ho let out a sigh he hadn't meant to release.
"If I genuinely believe it's dangerous, I may still intervene. Are you fine with that?"
"—Thank you."
He accepted Park Yeon-chan's proposal.
Truthfully, even without the call, Min Gyeong-ho had planned to watch their match. Both of them possessed extraordinary skill far beyond their age, and while he didn't distrust the proctors' abilities, he'd worried whether they could restrain the two without injury if things turned violent.
"Separate from that, Yeon-chan—there are things you need to discuss with me in person."
Setting aside the current favor, Park Yeon-chan's conduct had been full of problems. Reaping what you sow, perhaps—learning under that bizarre master of his—there were strange activities to account for and plenty of other questions Min Gyeong-ho wanted answered.
So he'd intended to use this favor as leverage to lock in a meeting with Park Yeon-chan. But then—
"—I've heard your daughter is extraordinarily beautiful."
"My daughter? Hahaha! Has word already spread that far?!"
At the mention of his daughter, his brain short-circuited. He spent the next three hours passionately expounding on her virtues, and completely forgot about arranging any meeting with Park Yeon-chan.
"Next! Examinee number 341, Lee Yeon-hui! Examinee number 342, Park Yeon-chan! Please step up to the arena!"
Following the proctor's instructions, we climbed onto the sparring platform and held out our artifacts for inspection. While the proctor took them away for appraisal, I looked across at Lee Yeon-hui and spoke.
"Lee Yeon-hui. You need the top spot, don't you?"
"……"
No answer. She simply stared at me with those inorganic eyes.
"Then you'll have to beat me here."
Unlike Lee Yeon-hui, who'd held back a little in the previous exam, I'd gone all-out and demonstrated high-difficulty techniques. My bonus points for mana control would have been scored higher than hers.
For Lee Yeon-hui, this exam was her last chance to flip the results.
She knew it too—I could see the slight tremor at the corner of her eye in response to my provocation.
"Don't get too cocky. With the power I have right now, restraining you without hurting you would be difficult. If I put too much force into it, it could hurt a lot."
"When this match is over, I'll throw those exact words right back at you."
I grinned as I said it, and that was the end of our conversation.
The proctor, having checked the artifacts for irregularities, returned them to us. He looked back and forth between Lee Yeon-hui and me, confirming we were ready.
"Both sides, ready!"
At the proctor's command, we settled into our stances.
"Begin!"
KRAAAASH!
The instant it started, Lee Yeon-hui and I slammed into each other with raw force.