Chapter 9
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Top Scorer
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The exam proceeded relentlessly without a break.
Time flowed on and on, and before they knew it, it was 11 p.m.
Not to mention the examinees, even the professors overseeing the test had dark shadows under their eyes.
The only one maintaining any composure was Magnus.
Magnus stared blankly at the examinees who had just finished their sixth trial before speaking up.
“You’ve all done well so far!”
They looked like they didn’t even have the strength to respond, but at the same time, they gazed at him with expectant eyes, hoping the exam was finally over.
Magnus soaked in their anticipation and continued.
“Now, just one more final test, and you’re done!”
But at those words, the examinees’ faces twisted in dismay.
However, far from scolding them for their grim expressions, Magnus burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha ha ha! You all look like you’ve been thrown into hell! Just kidding.”
The examinees stared at him blankly, not immediately grasping the joke.
Magnus clarified with certainty.
“That’s it for the exams!”
“I-Is that true?”
“Yep!”
Only then did their faces brighten again. Magnus smiled as he looked at them.
“Twelve of you made it to the end. Not bad at all.”
As Magnus said, only twelve examinees remained.
Most had dropped out along the way—collapsing, fainting, or getting injured as the tests dragged on.
Those not present were probably receiving treatment somewhere or resting before heading back to their families.
That didn’t mean they were completely eliminated, though.
Staying until the end wasn’t a requirement to pass.
Instead, the top 200 would be admitted based on evaluations from the professor overseers.
They’d be anxiously awaiting the announcement.
But those still here had no such worries.
“As you might expect, everyone still here passes! You’re all aspiring Gigant riders, right?”
Making it through every trial to the very end proved they were on a level beyond the others.
“Ahem. Headmaster.”
A stern-looking middle-aged man standing beside him tried to say something, but Magnus brushed it off and kept going.
“What’s the harm? They made it this far—do you really think they’d fail? Anyway, get a good look at each other. You’ll be colleagues and rivals not just in the academy, but even after graduation.”
Abel glanced around at those words.
Some faces were new, but many were familiar to him.
‘Every one of them is a main or supporting character from the game.’
Including Iolin, whom he’d seen at registration, they were all notable figures.
The boy with dark brown hair who’d shone so brightly in the endurance training, with his gentle demeanor.
The fierce red-haired girl and the purple-haired girl with a languid air, and more.
All of them were people from Abel’s memories.
But Abel soon lost interest and turned back to Magnus.
‘I just want to go home and sleep.’
He was too exhausted to care about anyone else—he just hoped Magnus would wrap it up soon.
Fortunately, unlike other headmasters, Magnus got straight to the point.
“Alright. Judging by your eyes, you wouldn’t hear me even if I dragged this out. Good work, everyone.”
As Magnus finished and gave a light nod, academy staff approached.
“Please follow us.”
Now they just had to be escorted to the carriages waiting outside.
‘Time to go rest.’
Abel started to follow the staff with a glad heart.
“Abel Klein.”
“Yes? Oh, yes!”
But before he could take a step, a voice stopped him.
Turning at the familiar tone, Abel saw Magnus looking at him with his signature fierce grin.
“Impressive performance. No wonder you caught Scarlett’s eye.”
Magnus casually mentioned Scarlett by name since she’d once served under him.
Abel bowed his head in response.
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. I expect great things from you going forward. Off you go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Abel gave a polite bow and turned away.
His mind was filled with thoughts of hurrying home.
But this time, he felt a hot gaze on the side of his head.
Whipping around, he saw Iolin looking at him.
Wondering if she had something to say, he met her eyes, but she abruptly turned away and went on her way.
‘What was that?’
Abel frowned but gave up thinking about it and kept walking.
He didn’t care anymore—he just wanted to rest.
* * *
A few days after the exam ended.
A letter stamped with the seal of Del Modor Academy arrived for Abel.
It was the exam results.
“I haven’t opened it yet.”
Scarlett shook the envelope in one hand as she spoke.
“But the outcome’s no surprise.”
“Is that so?”
Abel replied calmly. He wasn’t particularly tense.
Scarlett smirked at his demeanor and nodded.
“I’ve heard the rumors. You really shone out there. Go on, open it yourself.”
Abel politely took the envelope from her and checked the contents.
[Accepted.]
As expected, that was at the top.
Nothing shocking there. But there was more enclosed.
[Abel Klein. Chief Enrollee.]
Chief enrollee.
Meaning he’d placed first in the entrance exam.
Below that, it instructed him to arrive at the entrance ceremony one hour earlier than the scheduled time.
Abel pictured them handing out a certificate or something to the top scorer.
The game had glossed over it, so he wasn’t entirely sure.
Either way, the moment he read the letter, a message appeared.
[Quest completed!]
[Excellent results upgrade the reward to a universal skill!]
[Acquired ‘Shadow Step’!]
A universal skill like the Overflow he’d gotten as a hidden reward before. And one he desperately needed—practical through and through.
It was only natural that Abel was thrilled.
“Hmm. That look says it’s more than just passing.”
Scarlett misinterpreted his expression and asked with a sly grin.
Instead of correcting her, Abel kept a straight face and said,
“I placed first.”
“Outstanding. Beyond even my expectations.”
Scarlett didn’t hold back her praise.
She wasn’t kind to everyone by nature, but it was her principle to treat the exceptional accordingly.
In that sense, Abel had proven himself more than she’d hoped from the start.
Scarlett continued.
“You’ve earned a fitting reward for such results. I’ll give you three Gigant armaments from the family as a prize.”
Abel’s eyes lit up at the mention of Gigant armaments.
Something immediately came to mind.
‘Scarlett’s Triple Set!’
He hadn’t heard the details yet, but he was half certain.
In the game, Jet had been chosen by Scarlett, and the exclusive gear he wore was none other than the Scarlett Triple Set.
It was so powerful that players had given it its own nickname—Abel knew it well.
‘In the game, it didn’t show up until near the end of the term.’
His top placement must have influenced this.
Scarlett told him,
“I’ll have the armaments sent straight to the academy for installation. Check them out then.”
“Thank you.”
“Keep up the good performance, and rewards will always follow. Now go rest.”
“Yes.”
The conversation ended there, short and sweet.
After his meeting with Scarlett, Abel returned to his room and went to bed.
The next day, he rose and trained as usual. And the day after. And the day after that.
He threw himself into training without rest to prepare for academy enrollment.
Time flew by like an arrow, and two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
* * *
‘Today’s the day.’
Abel woke early as always, got out of bed, and looked out the window.
The rising sun was painting the world in its light.
He gazed at it with a fresh sense of emotion.
Today was the day he’d enroll at the academy.
* * *
A vast auditorium.
Inside, 200 cadets stood in neat formation.
Among them, the most eye-catching were the 40 up front.
Their uniforms differed in design and color from the rest.
They’d all passed the grueling exam, but only these top 40 would receive Gigant rider training, earning them the title of Upper Class.
The remaining 160 would focus on Tito handling and be called Middle Class.
Even though they were all academy affiliates, their standing was worlds apart.
Below them were the Working Class, but they weren’t part of this entrance ceremony—they had a separate enrollment path.
Yet in this moment, all distinctions faded; they shared one thing.
“…The greatest virtue of youth is pure curiosity! Not for gain or benefit, but simply to know what lies ahead on the path before you! And what beyond it! Such things…”
They all wanted to sew shut the mouth of Byorn, the First Prince, who was giving the entrance speech in Magnus’s stead.
His address had dragged on for over two hours, pure torture for the listeners.
Especially with the VIP guests observing from both sides, they couldn’t fidget—they had to stand ramrod straight, making it even worse.
‘He sure loves to talk.’
Abel was just as tormented.
The game had portrayed Byorn the prince as talkative, but nothing like this.
To ease the boredom, he subtly rolled his eyes around the room.
It was packed with major game characters, Iolin included.
The most standout was the purple-haired girl dozing openly two seats away.
Considering her prominent position, it took serious nerve.
‘May.’
That was her name.
One of the few commoner Upper Class cadets, her role was clear-cut.
‘Lazy genius.’
Players had even whispered she outshone Iolin.
But no firm conclusion existed because of May’s laziness.
‘She never tried hard, no matter what.’
She slept anytime, anywhere, showing motivation only a handful of times.
Players vented frustration over how to spark her drive—Abel had been one of them.
He slowly shifted his gaze from her nodding head to the boy beside her.
‘Daniel.’
Brown hair, black eyes. And strikingly handsome.
The boy who’d shown monstrous endurance in training.
The earnest protagonist type straight out of an animated film, growing so strong later it got tiresome.
Abel glanced a bit further left. There stood a red-haired girl.
Her name was ‘Hena’.
Princess of the Del Kior Duchy.
Her temper matched her fiery hair, but her skills were the real deal.
But more important than looks or personality…
‘She was Mid-Boss Number One.’
A classmate and ordinary girl who threatened the player as an early mid-boss.