Chapter 24

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠penny

Chapter: 24

Chapter Title: Midterm Sparring Evaluation (1)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Time flew by, and finally, Friday morning—the last day of the academy's first semester midterm exams—dawned.

However, unlike the blindingly bright sunlight, the students' faces were filled with evident tension, far more so than the day before when they had approached their first exam with lighter hearts.

Today's sparring evaluation wasn't just a simple test; everyone knew it was the first stage that would determine their futures.

From early morning, the stands surrounding the arena were already packed with civilians and officials who had come to watch the matches.

In one section of the stands reserved for VIPs, scouts from various guilds and some high-ranking officials had taken their seats.

"Why are they making such a fuss..."

Of course, even though I had seen scenes like this hundreds or thousands of times to the point of boredom, I still couldn't understand why everyone was so excited about the first-years' matches.

No, if they were going to pay attention, shouldn't it be natural to focus on the graduating class or third-years who were about to graduate from the academy?

The general audience might have come just to see awakeners fight, but the scouts were surely here to recruit talent.

So why ignore the fourth-year students they could pre-contact and instead observe the first-years they couldn't approach until graduation?

'I don't get it. No clue~'

Lost in such idle thoughts as I walked, I soon arrived at the waiting room where students could rest or prepare before their sparring evaluations.

Cautiously opening the door and stepping inside, I saw students who were about to take their exams checking their weapons or briefly syncing with their sparring partners.

Of course, some students were trembling at the fingertips, unable to overcome their tension.

Zzzt—!

Soon after, massive speakers activated, and the referee's voice echoed throughout the waiting room and the entire arena.

At that moment, cheers and roars erupted from the stands.

And soon, the names of the first participants to take the stage in the sparring arena began to be called.

"Aaaah!!! Nooo!! Why do we have to be the first group?!"

"Haa... I'm screwed. My opponent is ranked almost 150 places below me. What do I do..."

"Nah, it'll be manageable. The evaluation matchups are based on practical exam scores from entrance, so skill levels should be similar."

"...Does that mean I'm dumber than that Yoon Tae-sik guy?"

"I didn't mean it like that, but if you think about it..."

Each time a name was called, students reacted with relief, despair, determination, and more as they left the waiting room.

'Oh... Good thing I'm not in the first evaluation group.'

Confirming my name hadn't been called, I shifted my gaze to the screen mounted on one wall of the waiting room.

The midterm sparring evaluation divided students of the same category into groups of ten and conducted matches simultaneously in the arena.

The circular sparring arenas were set up with special alloys and multiple protective magic circles to safely absorb any impacts or mana explosions.

With five such arenas in one space, spectators could watch the students right in front of them from the stands or view other ongoing matches on screens.

Some scouts even displayed all five matches on screens to observe them one by one.

"Woooaaahhh!!"

As the called students entered one by one, cheers and applause burst from the stands.

But the students who had been confident leaving the waiting room had their expressions mostly frozen stiff once inside the arena.

Faces mixed with tension, resolve, and fear.

They were probably scared of the upcoming spar, but also...

The fact that this spar would be the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first fight—and turning point—that could sway their entire future amplified their tension even more.

The announcer raised their voice once again.

And so, the full-scale sparring evaluation—the main event of the midterms—began.

"Ughhh!! Ow, everything aches."

The waiting room also allowed viewing other students' matches if desired.

But judging that there was no need to watch the first matches, I was resting in a corner, doing some stretching until my evaluation.

At that moment, someone up front muttered softly, as if they had seen something unbelievable.

"...Huh? Kang Hyun-sol? What are you doing here?"

"??"

Raising my head at the familiar voice, Sophia was standing right in front of me, arms full of grimoires, looking down at me with a puzzled expression.

"What? Didn't you say you were doing melee? So why are you lying here just stretching? You should be watching the melee kids' fights and analyzing them."

"Ah... Right. I haven't told you yet, huh? I'm doing the sparring evaluation in magic."

"...Huh? For real?"

"Yeah. It just ended up that way."

That's right. After that consultation—or whatever—with Wol Ha-yeon last Wednesday, I immediately applied for the evaluation exam in the magic category.

Of course, thanks to Wol Ha-yeon's special lecture, I had successfully skill-ified the Flowing Sword technique as an F-rank.

So even if I had done melee, I probably could have secured a solid mid-to-upper ranking and achieved my goal.

But I still hadn't properly formed an aura core, which is the most important for a swordsman.

Above all, after choosing Mana Sensitivity Genius, it felt off to do melee, so I just applied for magic.

"Hmm... I see?"

Sophia nodded in understanding and plunked the grimoires she was holding onto a nearby desk.

"But last Thursday when we met, didn't you say barrier arts count as a sub-trait, so apply for melee and get easy grades or something? Why the sudden change?"

"Ah... Did I say that much?"

As I asked in surprise, Sophia nodded and suddenly twisted her face into a strange expression.

"Yeah, you made this super sleazy face and went, 'Kekeke, time to show those dull melee idiots the taste of my special 2-star Bewildering Dream Robe! Kuhahaha!!'"

"...Did I really make that clownish face ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and say all that?"

I had indeed met Sophia briefly last week to get one 1-circle spell I needed.

And somehow we ended up at a cafe, where I remembered chatting about midterms.

But no matter how I thought about it, I had no memory of pulling that bizarre face and spouting villainous lines like a total sleaze.

So I tried to ask again for confirmation, but...

"No matter how I think about it..."

The moment I opened my mouth to retort, the referee's booming voice echoed from the waiting room ceiling.

"Ah."

I hurriedly looked at Sophia.

But she had already slotted an emerald mana stone into her staff and was heading out of the waiting room.

"We'll talk more later! I'll go first!! Bye!"

"Wait...!!"

With that, Sophia left without giving me a chance to say more.

The other magic students called with her stood in line, faces tense or resolute, grabbing their gear and heading out.

"...No, at least tell me if I really made that clownish face..."

I muttered, staring at the spot where Sophia had been.

The unfinished conversation lingered in my throat, but I had to swallow it.

The person I wanted to ask was gone.

"Haa... Whatever, I can ask after it ends."

I leaned back against the waiting room chair and let out a small sigh.

Moments later, massive cheers and roars—far beyond those of Groups 1 and 2—echoed into the waiting room.

At that time.

In another evaluation waiting room right next to the one where Kang Hyun-sol was staying.

Kim Do-yoon was lightly meditating, waiting for his turn.

And as the third evaluation group's names were called over the ceiling speakers, a low, curt voice came from beside him.

"Kim Do-yoon, are you not planning to analyze the other students' match footage?"

Kim Do-yoon slowly opened his eyes and turned his head.

There sat Yoon Seo-rin, with a pistol on her lap, crafting mana bullets.

"...Nah~, I was just about to watch. It's Sophia Litwell's turn now, right? As fellow magic users we'll fight soon, I should analyze her."

"...I still can't understand it. I already knew your talent for magic is no less than Sophia's, but was there really a need to take the evaluation in magic?"

Yoon Seo-rin calmly added as she loaded a bullet into the chamber.

"With Wol Ha-yeon not participating, first place was a given. I'm curious—why abandon the easy path and apply for magic, where Sophia Litwell, I, and Kang Hyun-sol are?"

"Hmm? Sophia and you, sure, but Kang Hyun-sol too? You rate him higher than I thought?"

"Rate him highly..."

Unable to grasp the intent behind Kim Do-yoon's question, Yoon Seo-rin glanced at his face before continuing.

"Isn't it enough that the 998th-ranked student led Group 4 to first in the artificial dungeon evaluation as group leader? Do you need more explanation?"

"...Well, fair point. I haven't seen Hyun-sol use magic yet, but his movements against Lee Soo-hyuk were pretty impressive."

Kim Do-yoon leaned forward with a subtle smile.

"That's why I applied for magic. I think Hyun-sol will make it to the finals and fight me."

"...That comment hurts my pride a bit. It means you didn't even consider me, right?"

Yoon Seo-rin frowned slightly as she slammed the magazine home with a clack!.

But Kim Do-yoon, accustomed to such situations, shrugged nonchalantly.

"No, I acknowledge your skill. I just don't think you're the type to pull off surprises."

"...Surprises?"

"Yeah. From engraving bullets to fighting, you're always precise and accurate. Hyun-sol, on the other hand... I can't predict what he'll show. That uncertainty is intriguing and exciting."

"Intriguing and exciting... Not wrong."

"See? You were pretending not to, but you were paying attention too, huh?"

"...Well, for now, since we're in the same magic category, and every morning..."

"Every morning?"

As Kim Do-yoon asked puzzledly, Yoon Seo-rin brushed it off with "Nothing" and changed the subject.

Just as the mood grew awkward, the referee's voice boomed from the waiting room speakers at perfect timing.

"...My turn. I'll head out first."

Yoon Seo-rin secured her pistol to her waist and slowly stood.

She glanced at Kim Do-yoon, still cross-legged, before leaving the waiting room.

"Hm... Still didn't get to analyze Sophia's match? Eh, whatever, doesn't matter."

After watching Yoon Seo-rin's spot for a moment, Kim Do-yoon closed his eyes again and sank back into meditation.