Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: How to Screw Over the Novel's Protagonist
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Whether it was hologram technology or something else, massive letters appeared above my field of vision.
[National Seoul Hunter Academy Entrance Exam]
Until I saw the boss monster, it had all felt too detached from reality to sink in.
'Now it finally hits me. I'm really inside the novel.'
Seeing the main stage of my favorite novel right in front of my eyes was incredibly intriguing.
More futuristic buildings.
Smartphones using holograms.
A world closer to science fiction than my previous life.
'Alright, let's go find it.'
There was someone I needed to meet before the entrance exam.
This place was no longer just a novel—it was reality.
No matter how much of a [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy] fan I was, there were bound to be things I didn't know.
I planned to create a connection who could kindly provide that info without any strings attached.
'No way such a convenient person exists in reality, though...'
But this was a novel world.
Twelve steps forward from the academy's massive front gate.
Five steps to the right.
To the left of the large cherry tree.
"This should be about the right spot."
It wasn't long before something bumped into my back.
A crawling, apologetic voice came from behind.
"S-sorry...!"
"It's fine."
Small stature, round eyes, bouncy movements.
She looked like a living ball of fluff.
No doubt about it.
This was Yoon So-ah, one of [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy]'s side characters.
"H-hi. I didn't do it on purpose...!"
"On purpose?"
As I stared at her, she stammered in panic.
"I-I'm... um, Yoon So-ah. We're both heading to the entrance exam, right? You looked lost, so..."
'Yeah, figured as much.'
I'd known Yoon So-ah would bump into me here.
Or rather, I knew that in the 7th round, Lee Seong-hyeon would accidentally run into her at this exact spot.
I'd remembered the description of the location, so I'd waited here.
"Um, h-hey."
Yoon So-ah fidgeted, unsure what to do with my silence.
Yoon So-ah was a timid character.
Yet she dreamed of becoming a hunter purely out of a selfless desire to help others.
Lee Seong-hyeon had deemed her useless.
'Her nosy personality probably rubbed his personality the wrong way.'
But she would be a huge help to me.
Yoon So-ah wouldn't disrupt the main story much.
Building a relationship with her wouldn't affect my knowledge of [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy]'s plot.
In other words, she was extremely convenient.
Of course, I wasn't Lee Seong-hyeon.
If someone helped me out of kindness, I intended to repay the favor many times over.
I gave Yoon So-ah a friendly smile.
"Thanks. I was just feeling lost—mind showing me the way?"
"Y-yeah! Of course!"
She beamed innocently, thrilled that I'd accepted her offer.
Following Yoon So-ah's guidance, I arrived at the exam hall.
Her mouth hung open as she stared up at it.
"It's huge."
"Let's head in."
The interior was packed with dozens of arenas and countless applicants.
Familiar faces caught my eye amid the crowd.
'Plenty of them.'
Even without looking, standout examinees stood out among the applicants.
Kang Hwa-yeon, Lee Seong-hyeon, Baek A-rin, and other [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy] characters.
My examinee number was 580, so I had time. I found a seat.
"Examinee 320, Yoon So-ah! Report to the arena!"
At the proctor's call, Yoon So-ah jumped in surprise and waved at me.
"I-it's my turn already. See you later!"
"You'll pass, no problem."
I smiled back at her.
"See you later."
If I pass, that is.
The Seoul Hunter Academy was Korea's top hunter training institution.
Passing the written exam—a first filter—meant nothing if you flunked the practical.
As I turned my gaze to the arena where Yoon So-ah had gone.
I spotted her holding a small shield.
"A shield. Smart choice."
Yoon So-ah's main skill was the B-rank Unique Skill [Rapid Heal].
Better to wield a shield for landing hits on foes than an unfamiliar sword.
Plus, it could offset the long casting time of her recovery skill.
"Picking an auxiliary weapon, though."
In the entrance exam, you used your primary weapon based on your genre.
You could also select one auxiliary weapon provided by the academy.
For Kim Si-woo, swordsmanship genre, that meant a shortsword plus one auxiliary.
'Most just stick to their main weapon anyway.'
Most examinees skipped auxiliaries.
Rumors said they hurt your evaluation, but mainly, they were shoddy quality.
Basically just for show, for non-combat applicants lacking attack skills.
'Using one anyway—that's so Yoon So-ah.'
Her skillbook genre was healing.
Rare in itself.
She'd get a good grade regardless of practical results.
Yet here she was, seriously wielding an auxiliary. Classic Yoon So-ah.
'Wonder who her opponent is.'
A sigh escaped me involuntarily at the sight of her foe.
"Oh, right. Forgot about that."
Waist-length red hair with waves, lava-like red eyes visible even from afar.
"Examinee 12, Kang Hwa-yeon!"
The blessed talent who gained C-rank hunter status upon enrollment.
Her skillbook had 5 pages alone—a genius level.
Inherited her father Kang Young-ho's family skill, S-rank [Inferno].
Early in [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy], some even rated her above Lee Seong-hyeon.
I hadn't planned to get too close to Yoon So-ah.
But in a world rife with betrayal and schemes, her pure innocence earned my human sympathy.
'What a shame.'
Yoon So-ah stood frozen in tension in the arena.
Spotting me in the stands, she flashed a relieved smile.
What could I even do?
I just smiled and waved back.
...
Kang Hwa-yeon neutralized Yoon So-ah in under five minutes.
Kang Hwa-yeon came from a hunter-specialized school.
A training ground for prodigies guaranteed B-rank or higher.
Unlike near-civilian applicants, she was already a pro hunter.
'Holding out five minutes against her is impressive.'
Yoon So-ah would get a D-rank evaluation.
Top 10% among admits.
Now it was my turn to sweat.
In [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy]'s world, skillbook pages gauged strength.
Unofficially, pass/fail was already decided internally.
The practical tested 'personal combat ability via skill utilization'—unseen in papers.
So why was that a problem?
Kim Si-woo was treated like a cripple in this Korea: 'average skillbook page deficit'.
Average was 3 pages.
2 pages? Abandon hunter dreams as common sense.
I had 1 page.
Internal eval: 'unranked', i.e., fail.
So I needed to flip it here—aim for lowest hunter rank, E, at minimum.
"Examinee 580, Kim Si-woo!"
I descended from the stands to the arena.
Only two grading professors watched.
Students and profs eyed other arenas.
Filler matches—expected.
Arena side had practice weapons ready.
"Examinee Kim Si-woo's genre... swordsmanship. Shortswords, correct?"
"Yes."
I told the proctor while grabbing practice shortswords.
"I'll use an auxiliary weapon too."
"An auxiliary?"
He squinted curiously.
Rare for combat genre students; understandable suspicion.
"No restrictions, right?"
"Yes, allowed. What'll it be?"
"Smoke grenade."
He handed me a spherical smoke grenade with a look like I'd grown a second head.
"Thanks."
Crappy quality, barely smoked properly.
But it'd help me fight unrestricted.
I grinned, tucking it in my back pocket happily.
'Now, who's my opponent?'
This tested real combat.
They'd match similars.
I'd face another internal fail or E-rank.
...
I'd had such naive thoughts once.
"Examinee 690, Lee Seong-hyeon! To the arena, quickly!"
No—why the hell are you coming out there?