Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: End of the First Exam
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Sex, or maybe just a thing between man and woman.
After getting a taste through the clone, I was genuinely feeling how hard it was to refuse a physical approach...
'It was good, sure. But only because I didn't know whose pussy it was...'
Having just finished the fifth event, I tried to shake off these scattered thoughts and crouched down in one corner of the training grounds.
All that was left was the mock battle.
In terms of a regular school, it was the evaluation with the biggest weight—around 40% of the overall score.
That meant I hadn't skimped on mana—firepower—just because the other events were a bit easier to pass.
"Heh heh heh! These days' youngsters got no grit, no grit at all! Back in my day...!"
In the center of the training grounds, the old man chatted with the other instructors, his booming voice echoing as he laughed heartily in his usual thunderous tone.
Vice Principal Wolfgang Kraus.
Unlike the other instructors, this guy was a fairly prominent supporting character even in the game, radiating a strong presence.
He was usually as mild-mannered as the friendly neighborhood grandpa, but the moment he stepped onto the training grounds, he transformed 180 degrees.
Into a bold, fiery veteran dressed in tattered military fatigues, like he was about to hop into some old American M1 Abrams tank.
And his educational philosophy—his sole criterion for evaluation—was just one thing.
Firepower. Pure firepower.
He was a bona fide 'firepower otaku' grandpa who believed overwhelming firepower solved everything.
While other instructors looked at a student's potential or technical proficiency, this old man judged everything based solely on the scale of destruction exploding right in front of him.
So in the 'mock battle' evaluation, what mattered most was how efficiently—and how powerfully—you could unleash your firepower.
That was exactly why I planned to pour all the strength I'd held back in the earlier evaluations into this mock battle.
"...Not that I didn't use some up, though?"
Good thing I'd learned to control my mana, or it would've leaked out down below like crazy...
Well, I probably would've replenished it from somewhere anyway.
"Student Kang Ihyeon, ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready."
I stood up from my crouch and pulled out the gloves I'd prepared in advance, slipping them onto both hands. The very same freezing magic gloves I'd tested in front of Instructor Cheon Da-eun not long ago.
The moment I put them on and assumed my stance, murmurs started rippling through the surroundings again, just as expected.
"What the hell is that? Were there gloves like that?"
"He was bare-handed until just now. Hold on! Instructor, by the rules, only personally made equipment is allowed, right?"
Someone raised their hand to point it out.
But Instructor Cheon Da-eun cut them off without hesitation.
"Correct."
"Huh? So that's a rules violation...?"
"It is personally made. Didn't you know? Kang Ihyeon is an aspiring Maker Hunter."
Her icy words silenced not just the objector but all the surrounding buzz in an instant. Still, a few kept glaring at me with dissatisfaction.
No wonder—they were combat hunters, and I'd already racked up high scores in five events.
Pfft.
Pointless, though.
'This thing's just an empty shell anyway.'
I wondered what faces they'd make if they knew the truth.
The gloves I was wearing had no mana amplification or skill enhancement—they were just flashy-looking husks.
The blue energy core embedded in them? Pure design. The intricate magic runes etched into the backs and knuckles? Just for detail.
All to make them look like high-performance magical gear with some special function.
At least one intention had landed perfectly.
I could feel every gaze, including Vice Principal Kraus's, locked on my hands.
'Good. Got their attention.'
As all eyes focused, Vice Principal Wolfgang Kraus cleared his throat and stepped forward. His eyes were scrutinizing my gloved hands with keen interest.
"Ahem! Everyone seems ready, so listen up! I'll explain the final evaluation: the mock battle!"
His thunderous voice boomed across the training grounds.
"This mock battle is a bit special. You're not fighting each other—your opponents are the mock battle puppets I personally made!"
No sooner had the vice principal finished than a gate on the opposite side of the training grounds opened with a dull metallic grind, and something lumbered out.
It was a man-sized, crude steel puppet.
Covered head to toe in rusted, battered iron plates, with joints crudely bolted and nutted together.
A single red sensor blinked on its head, and its hands sported roughly fitted boxing gloves.
What can I say? It looked like it'd been slapped together from junkyard scrap into a vague human shape—utterly shoddy.
Low groans of dismay rose from the students.
"That's the mock battle puppet?"
"It moves like a total pile of scrap metal..."
"You brats! Scrap metal, my ass! I fine-tuned it perfectly for greenhorns like you! With the academy's tight budget these days, this is barely what we could scrape together!"
Vice Principal Kraus suddenly snapped, his face flushing red. Looked like it really was his pride and joy, handmade...
Then, one muscle-bound student under Instructor John Miller raised his hand.
"Vice Principal! Mock battles are usually student vs. student sparring, right? Why switch to puppets all of a sudden?"
Kraus laughed heartily in response.
"Heh heh! Good question! The rules changed! These stragglers are already lacking in skill—if they beat each other up and get hurt, it messes up the evaluation, doesn't it? Real talk, the higher-ups just don't wanna spend budget on injury treatments! But it's all part of the association's profound consideration, right, Instructor Cheon?"
The vice principal winked at Instructor Cheon Da-eun, but she just shot him a frosty glare over her mask.
Kraus turned back to the students.
"Anyway! The point is simple! Take down that puppet as fast and decisively as possible! Evaluation starts now!"
At Vice Principal Kraus's command, the first group of students took positions in front of their training puppets. Five at a time, divided into four groups total.
The first group struggled more than expected.
The students charged the puppet using their various skills—fireballs, sword auras, barriers, and more.
KABOOM!THUD!CRASH!
But the steel puppet was way faster and stronger than it looked. Despite its crude form, it nimbly dodged or swatted attacks with its massive fists.
"Kieek!"
"Y-You're too tanky!"
It happened in seconds. Students flew back powerless from the puppet's heavy blows. Fire magic scorched the plating but didn't slow its charge; a sword aura severed one arm but couldn't block the incoming punch.
"Ugh... I forfeit..."
"Me too... Can't go on..."
Less than a minute in, four students called retirement. Only one girl barely managed to pressure her puppet.
"Tch, those idiots... Can't even beat a rusty hunk of junk?"
"It's way stronger than it looks."
"What kind of straggler-level is that..."
Anxiety spread across the faces of the other students as they watched the first group’s crushing defeat. That puppet was no pushover.
"Grr... Should've made 'em weaker? These kids are too damn soft nowadays..."
The vice principal's brow furrowed deeper. After minutes of chaos, one puppet finally toppled, smoking.
In other words, only that one girl met the pass mark.
And finally, my turn.
I was in group two. I stood before my training puppet alongside the other four students.
I took a deep breath. The puppet's blinking red sensor loomed like a massive steel mass, intimidating. But my mind was calm. Just stick to the plan.
The other four gripped their weapons, steeling themselves too.
Whoosh—big breath in.
"Begin!"
The signal dropped, and my group charged the puppets in unison.
ZZZAP!Clang!
Fire magic, sloppy sword auras.
Decent skills, but...
"Guek!"
"N-No way...!"
"Impossible... My strongest move...!"
The results were as expected. In seconds, my allies screamed defeat flags and flew off.
No different from group one—a total rout.
I hadn't planned to rely on them anyway, but their quick collapse drew a smirk.
These useless bastards!
They could've even pulled aggro from other puppets.
I deliberately fell back a few steps.
One puppet locked onto my movement, red sensor flashing as it lumbered toward me with heavy footsteps. Faster than expected, but linear and predictable.
The limits of a mindless machine.
Beating one like that was simple.
'I've done it once before.'
I slowed deliberately, luring it to the corner of the training grounds.
And the moment it charged with a massive fist...
Shraaap!
I focused mana into my gloves and sprayed the ground ahead. In an instant, the floor froze white, turning to ice.
Just like with that thug Park Jinseong!
The furiously charging steel puppet couldn't brake in time and slipped on the ice. Its huge body comically skidded with a racket before face-planting forward.
It crashed spectacularly onto the ice.
'Now.'
I rushed to its head. Palm met the flashing red sensor. All mana, no hesitation, poured into one spot.
Whoosh—deep breath.
Not just releasing. Explode it. Right here, etch my 'firepower' into that old man's—and everyone's—mind.
Compress mana to a point. Until my fingertips numbed. The pent-up cold in my palm erupted in blue light.
BOOM!
A deafening roar as unimaginable blue frost exploded from the gloves. Centered on my palm, ice crystals ballooned explosively, swallowing the puppet's head in seconds.
The steel head shattered from within under the cold and pressure. Blue ice shards and metal fragments sprayed everywhere. With its neck gone, the puppet twitched once and powered down.
But this wasn't enough.
What mattered was overwhelming spectacle.
'A bit more!'
Hang in there.
Anemia hit, stomach churning, but I squeezed out my last mana.
The ice from my palm kept surging past the puppet, forming a small ice mountain.
"Hahk... hahk... Ack..."
Mana flow finally cut. I gasped raggedly, staggering.
Total depletion brought vertigo and exhaustion crashing down. But looking up, the sight more than compensated.
The training grounds fell silent.
Every student—even the girl fighting her puppet—froze, staring.
And the evaluation dais.
Vice Principal Kraus gaped, eyes flicking between the iced puppet and me in disbelief.
"Heh heh... Heh heh heh heh...!"
His face mixed shock, satisfaction, and excitement. He bellowed in his booming voice.
"Look at that guy! That's it! That's firepower! I knew there'd be a tough bastard like him!"
His raucous praise sparked the other instructors to chime in, astonished.
"Not bad mana output. Probably dumped everything into it, but it rivals a D-rank hunter..."
"Hm! Simple technique, but that focus and mana control... Impressive! Completely different from before!"
And an unexpected voice too.
"Hee hee. Didn't I tell you earlier? Student Kang Ihyeon has real talent, despite appearances."
"...When did you say that?"
Instructor Seraphina smiled gracefully, naturally praising me like she'd seen my potential all along.
At her sudden shift, Instructor Cheon Da-eun shot a suspicious glance over her mask from beside her.
She seemed shocked by my display too, but said nothing.
Just watched me quietly.
'Whew... At least I caught a breather.'
Nailed the heaviest-weighted mock battle. Next up: first-round pass announcement before the mock rift.
Everything going smoothly—
"Guh... haa..."
—or so I thought.
Mana depletion backlash was fiercer than expected.
Ugh, damn it. Every time I use magic properly...
Vision spun, legs buckled. Intense exhaustion threatened to drop me. I was barely clinging to consciousness when—
"Kang Ihyeon."
A cold voice blocked my path. I looked up to see masked Instructor Cheon Da-eun staring down sharply.
"You need to head to the infirmary first."
Her tone was her usual cool, but urgency laced it somehow.
"I can go alone..."
"You're not in any state to. Severe mana depletion. Your face says it all. The emergency kit here won't cut it. You need proper medical support."
As she reached for me, a sharp, amused voice cut in from the side.
"Oh my~ Instructor Cheon Da-eun? The evaluation isn't even over—dragging a student off like that?"
Instructor Seraphina. Arms crossed, she smirked at us alternately like we were her entertainment.
"With all these eyes watching, isn't showing such blatant favoritism to one student a bit much?"
"...None of your business. Move."
"Oh, but it is. They're all the same students to me."
Seraphina stepped closer.
Fine, whatever, but...
Please don't fight right now...
"Urk..."
Guweeeh.