Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Entrance Ceremony
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A new semester.
To most, it is a thrilling word that heralds a fresh start. But to me, it felt no different from standing before the gateway to hell.
“This is going to be incredibly rough.”
I let out a long, weary sigh and slumped onto a nearby bench, my shoulders heavy with the weight of the day.
There were far too many people here.
Way, way too many.
Fresh-faced young men and women had gathered in nervous, excited clusters, flanked by their parents, relatives, or supportive friends.
The reason for this massive turnout? Everyone was here to attempt the notoriously difficult entrance exam for the Korea Hero Academy.
And, of course, I was just one of them—a single face in a sea of ambitious contenders.
“Hey, look over there! That’s the child prodigy from England, isn’t it? The one who already earned the legendary title of 'Great One'?”
“Germany's genius, Edvalen, is here as well. I even heard my mentor mention that the prodigy from the Crimson Tower, Hong Yu-hwa, would be making an appearance...”
“Wow, why is this specific generation so incredibly stacked with talent? I heard even the Overlord's kid is in the mix this year.”
Envious and intimidated sighs echoed from all around me.
The Korea Hero Academy.
Its prestige was unrivaled, standing as a beacon of excellence worldwide.
‘Well, that much is to be expected.’
It boasted a roster of exceptional instructors and state-of-the-art facilities, but those weren't unique—other countries had their own elite institutions. What truly set the Korea Hero Academy apart was one singular, powerful entity.
The Tower of Trials.
A mystical tower that issued divine trials and granted 'rewards' according to one's merit.
And this entrance exam was being administered by the Tower of Trials itself, with the potential rewards scaled directly to one's performance.
That was exactly why I had to claim the top spot—there were no exceptions allowed.
The competition was undeniably fierce.
There was a boy who had fully inherited the staggering power of the world's greatest magic user, combined with the legendary Thousand-Year Inactive Vein from ancient martial lore.
A phantom girl who bore the soul of a transcendent being from an entirely different world.
A total shut-in who hid away because he couldn't yet control the terrifying magnitude of his own power.
And a psycho girl known for collecting the arms of demons upon first sight.
‘It’s still doable, though.’
Luckily, there had been plenty of time for me to prepare for this entrance exam.
At the very least, I had been given enough time to get my ducks in a row, making the situation somewhat manageable.
And above all else, I had my Reverse Heaven Body.
【Reverse Heaven Body (S-)】
A physical form that defies the very heavens themselves.
Those who possess this body stand in defiance of all established principles.
: The body’s owner is fundamentally unable to use mana.
: The body’s owner possesses absolute, impenetrable resistance to mana interference.
: Reverse Heaven energy swirls violently within the marrow of the body.
At a first glance, it seemed utterly, laughably useless.
A physique that prevented the use of mana—even if mana wasn't the only power in existence, it was on par with being born crippled in this world.
In fact, even the most veteran community dwellers on the forums had dismissed it as a worthless trap.
But for this specific entrance exam? Nothing in existence could top it.
It was like a 'bug'—a direct exploit targeting the Tower of Trials' own blind spot.
‘It’s a single-use trick, though.’
I double-checked my mental plan one last time as I headed into the massive auditorium.
—All incoming freshmen, please take your seats immediately!
It was finally starting.
Students gathered in anxious clusters, some visibly tense while others were brimming with an arrogant confidence.
I plopped down in the very back row, seeking a bit of distance.
There were some 3,000 students here for the exam—and statistics suggested at least two-thirds of them would flunk out before the day was done.
Before long, the thousands of seats were filled to capacity.
...Maybe I sat a bit too far back? No one had taken the spot directly next to me. Just as a vague sense of isolation began to creep in, I felt someone approaching.
“Mind if I sit here?”
It was a bold, unmistakably female voice.
I turned my head to see a girl with blazing red hair and matching, fiery eyes.
She sat down with a heavy thud, her expression haughty and distant, not even waiting for me to grant permission.
She possessed the kind of captivating, raw beauty that would make any guy do an involuntary double-take.
Hong Yu-hwa.
The Crimson Lotus Usurper. She wasn't quite on the level of the top-tier rivals yet, but she was dangerously close.
I silently activated the Appraisal talent (-) provided to me as a system perk.
◈ Talents
- Crimson Lotus Magic Path (A+), Usurper (A), Magic Analysis (B+) +5 others.
◈ Techniques
- Crimson Flame Magic (B+), Flame Element Control (B-), Heat Condensation Control (C+), Multi-Chant (C-) +8 others.
◈ Physique
- Supreme Flame Vein (A+)
Her detailed status window appeared vividly before my eyes.
I took a moment to compare it to Hong Yu-hwa's known early-game stats from my memories.
‘There are zero differences from the game data.’
A wave of relief washed over me, though it was mingled with a slight sigh of intimidation.
Her talents and techniques were incredibly stacked—it was almost embarrassing to even try comparing her status to mine.
Her stats screamed pure powerhouse. If we were to fight 100 times right now, I would lose every single one of them.
...But that was no reason to grovel. In the end, I would be the one having the last laugh.
Hong Yu-hwa sat beside me, her gaze fixed intensely on a single spot in the distance.
There sat an androgynous, strikingly pretty boy with sky-blue hair.
The protagonist.
Or more accurately, the boy who had been chosen by the fate of this world.
Kim Seo-hyun.
“That's the famous kid everyone’s talking about, right?”
“Yeah, the one who trained directly under the world's top mage and inherited the Thousand-Year Inactive Vein from martial history.”
It wasn't just Hong Yu-hwa watching him. Every student in the vicinity either envied or admired him from afar.
It was like a group of high schoolers gawking at a celebrity classmate.
Hong Yu-hwa felt a burning rivalry toward him. I knew that rivalry would eventually fester into a toxic jealousy, and depending on the choices made, she would commit unforgivable sins later in the story.
I glanced at him briefly, then turned my head and drawled to Hong Yu-hwa.
“Feeling competitive?”
“...Are you talking to me?”
Her fiery red eyes snapped in my direction, narrow and piercing.
“Yeah. You were staring holes through the back of his head.”
“What do you care what I do with my time?”
“I just think it’s a bit sad. Personally, I think you actually have what it takes to beat Kim Seo-hyun.”
“What?”
“If you can fully awaken your Crimson Lotus potential, you can definitely take him.”
She gave me a look of pure, incredulous shock, then snapped her head away in annoyance.
She likely pegged me as some sycophant or a background character trying to butter her up because of her prestigious background.
I simply shrugged it off.
It was far too soon to dig any deeper than that.
Given enough patience, she would eventually come to heed my advice.
For now, leaving a strong impression—whether positive or negative—would be more than sufficient.
—Attention, everyone.
A low, resonant voice rang crystal clear in my ears, cutting through the chatter.
Up at the front of the stage, a muscular man stood with a confident grin.
—We will now officially begin the entrance exam to select the 35th class of Korea Hero Academy freshmen.
Anxious murmurs rippled through the massive crowd.
It was the telltale sign of the Tower of Trials finally activating its power.
“Wh-what?! Is it happening?!”
“It's finally starting! The legendary Korea Hero Academy entrance exam!”
“All the guilds in the world will remember the name Na Wi-ryong from China!”
[Tower of Trials has been activated.]
[The entrance exam will now begin. Once the process has started, withdrawal is impossible—please choose wisely.]
[Would you like to begin the exam?]
An intangible, heavy wave of energy swept over every person in the room.
A white system window with stark black text appeared directly on my retina.
I knew that no one who had come this far would ever dream of backing out now.
I smirked to myself and gave a sharp nod.
“Of course.”
The moment I answered, a brilliant, blinding light burst from beneath my feet. My body began to float, suddenly whisked away to an unknown location.
The Tower of Trials was notoriously, brutally tough.
The monsters it spawned were designed to scale to the challenger's own level, yet they were always tricky as hell to fight.
If you were a fire-affinity user, you got water-types or fire-resistant beasts. If you were a martial artist wielding a sword, you’d face heavily armored tanks.
Most students here would take heavy damage or be forced to risk their lives just to clear the trial. Not that any real physical harm would come to them outside the simulation, but the psychological toll was massive.
Either way, absolutely no one cleared this exam quickly.
‘Except for me.’
I eyed the room ahead of me the moment I landed.
A blue exit portal was shimmering right there, waiting for me upon arrival.
It was the ultimate proof that I had already cleared the Tower of Trials.
‘It actually worked.’
The Tower is designed to 'observe' entrants first, then assign trials based on their energy. But as the owner of the Reverse Heaven Body, I am completely unobservable to its mana-based sensors. Since no trial could be assigned, I was granted a straight pass.
I had a Plan B ready just in case the system was smarter, but there was no need for it now.
I casually pocketed my hands and stepped forward into the portal.
[Examinee #0315, Lee Seo-ha, confirmed. Exam clear time: 00:01:22.]
[A new legendary record has been set. Bonus rewards have been granted.]
The same mechanical voice from my entry echoed throughout the void.
But 'bonus rewards'? That actually made me chuckle.
Whoosh!
A cluster of brilliant light materialized out of thin air, dropping a jet-black wooden box into my hands.
This was exactly why the Korea Hero Academy was the top hero school in the world: if you clear a trial in the Tower of Trials, you get rewards that match your performance.
‘With a record-breaking time like this—it’s gotta be that specific reward, right?’
Anticipation swelled in my chest.
I tucked the box away safely.
“...Wait, didn't the exam literally just start?”
“What kind of insane speed is that... My god, did someone just clear it in one minute?”
Confused and shocked murmurs erupted everywhere as I stepped back into the main area.
Shocked exclamations overlapped each other. Some people were already dialing their bosses, while others were digging frantically for my personal information.
“Get me every single student file we have, right now!”
“G-Guild master! You need to see this immediately. A student cleared the Tower of Trials in just one minute—a total record-breaker...!”
Absolute chaos ensued.
I ignored the noise and headed toward the central podium. A man was watching me with an expression of amused interest.
He was the one who had activated the tower to start the exam.
“Impressive. Is your talent fully awakened already?”
He eyed me curiously, as if trying to peer through my skin.
Not caring one bit for his favor, I gave a perfunctory, dry reply.
“Do I pass?”
“Yes. You pass with flying colors.”
“Can I go then?”
“Of course you can.”
“Oh, are there any dorms around here?”
“Hah, worried about the scouts and reporters, huh? No worries. Head out through that exit to the flashiest building on campus.”
He pointed toward the far end of the grounds. I nodded vaguely and headed in that direction, eager to get away from the spotlight.
Then, another status window popped up on my retina.
[Main Quest Ch. 1: Entrance Exam Complete]
🎁 Reward: 5,000P has been granted.
[An unbelievable record has been achieved! +3,000P has been granted!]
[The Multidimensional Paid Shop has been unlocked!]
[You are the first to finish the entrance exam as the top scorer! Rewards have been upgraded!]
[A 3,000P Technique Creation Ticket has been granted!]
“...”
I couldn't hide my genuine shock at the flood of messages.
They were handing out points like candy—did the system have a surplus of budget or what?