Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: It's Okay Because I'm a Genius Despite the Time Limit
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Not right next to me, but across the way, someone I'd never seen before was sitting in a seat.
When the hell did she get here?
She was a petite woman with straight-cut bangs that stood out.
Scribble, scribble—
She pushed up her large horn-rimmed glasses as she jotted something down.
Just a minor side character?
"Ah, s-s-sorry. I was looking for somewhere quiet..."
Catching my suspicious gaze, Bangs introduced herself in a flurry.
"I'm Min Young-ji. I'm writing an article on the diagnostic evaluations..."
She rattled off what she was doing without even being asked.
Whatever.
"I don't care. Keep doing what you were doing. It's quieter here than over there anyway."
"R-Really?"
"What's the problem?"
"No..."
She seemed like the shy type. Always stuttering like that.
-Assist Class, Lee Eun-seong cadet. Evaluation beginning.
There was a lingering unease, but I turned my eyes to the next evaluator.
I'm observing, she's observing.
We had the same goal, so what more needed to be said?
Everyone just do their own thing.
* * *
The evaluations continued.
Lee Dae-ho stood out as a solid supporting character, and Joo A-rin left a strong impression too.
"Whoa! Insane. How is she even human?"
"Isn't every day record-breaking?"
No need to ask what was so amazing.
Most of the record-setters were guys, after all.
"...Ah. Indescribable."
Min Young-ji, who had her hair wrapped up, kept erasing and rewriting, which confirmed it was about looks.
But did that mean her skills were lacking?
Not at all.
Integrated ranking 10th, she handled her water-affinity divine beast with elite finesse, as expected from a prestigious family.
Excluding those two, no one else really caught the eye.
Lower-ranked cadets mostly clocked 4-5 minutes. Mid-tier hit the 3-minute mark.
"Hurry it up already."
Watching the same scene over and over was starting to make me antsy.
[Remaining Time: 15 hours 4 minutes 32 seconds]
I was confident in completing the quest, but seeing my lifespan tick down in real time couldn't help but make me nervous.
Maybe hit the bathroom?
I was just starting to stand to loosen up when—
-Superhuman Class, Baek Sa-young cadet evaluation beginning.
The moment I'd been waiting for arrived like a ghost.
Second-year integrated ranking 1st.
The name of this world's true protagonist had been called.
Talk about timing...
"Up we go."
Baek Sa-young rose casually, like she was out for a stroll, while I awkwardly sat back down.
"Hey, you hitting sub-1 this time?"
"What..."
"Quit the modesty. You're taking first anyway."
"True that. Thanks for the cheers."
Look at that composure brushing off Lee Dae-ho's half-joking sincerity.
Even declaring first place before starting didn't feel arrogant or showy.
In fact, I'd once imagined what it'd be like if the possession target had been her instead.
"Will Baek Sa-young's eval video go up separately this time too?"
"If she's overall first, probably."
"Jealous. Views will be nuts again."
But I dropped it quick.
It didn't seem all good.
All that attention focused on you. And if you had to live as an upright paragon on top of it?
Ugh.
Just imagining it made my chest tighten—nothing but stifling, annoying crap.
Anyway, once Baek Sa-young entered the field, I set aside stray thoughts.
It was about to start.
"..."
With all eyes on one person, the atmosphere grew solemn.
Maybe due to the protagonist buff, even the blowing wind stilled, and in that sudden heavy silence—
Beep!
The signal blared.
Baek Sa-young shot forward at a speed that left afterimages.
KABOOM rumble rumble BOOM.
Roars echoed from the start.
The obstructing scarecrows blocking her exploded like balloons pricked by needles.
It happened in a flash, so details were lost.
She gripped a mid-length straight sword of decent size, and as its blade flickered, blasts erupted everywhere.
Probably attribute conversion.
The ultimate trait allowing free manipulation of various attributes, backed by monstrous physical prowess.
I could only recognize those innate talents unleashing.
"Whoa, ending it in sub-1."
"Did she break Cheon Seo-yoon's mid-record?"
After smashing all the scarecrows, Baek Sa-young reached the wall faster than anyone.
Without even pausing, she thrust her sword.
Shwoooop.
The section 2 wall pierced effortlessly.
Like stabbing fresh tofu with chopsticks?
Twisting her waist, she slashed the embedded blade diagonally downward.
Slash—
She slipped through the cut gap in a flash.
[Clear Time: 1:48:23]
The final record popped up the moment she arrived.
"..."
The surroundings fell abruptly silent.
"As expected of Baek Sa-young. Different dimension."
Min Young-ji's assessment, scribbling with a tongue click, nailed it.
"We're screwed next."
"Hope it's not me. Pressure might tank me to half my usual."
I nodded along with the murmuring cadets.
But no need to freak. It wouldn't be us anyway.
Per canon, next up was integrated rank 2, Seol Yun-gi.
What a perfect matchup.
Class system was abolished, but enthusiasts always compared them like this.
Baek Sa-young, hope of the commoners, vs. Seol Yun-gi, sacred prodigy of prestige.
Evolving swordplay vs. all-slicing Tao.
Anticipating that thrilling clash...
-Special scholarship applicant, Sorcery Class, Park Ha-yul cadet evaluation beginning.
Come on, no way.
-Park Ha-yul cadet?
For real?
* * *
"Isn't she Superhuman Class? Why Sorcery?"
"Still a sorcerer family. Must've switched divisions. But she's doomed. Right after Baek Sa-young."
"Said she'd prove it with skill, and look—stage is set."
Sarcasm and relief-that-it's-not-me vibes poured from the monitors.
Lee Tae-jin's lips twisted in satisfaction as he eyed Park Ha-yul's distorted face.
"Professor, wasn't it originally Seol Yun-gi cadet's turn?"
"Does order matter?"
"Well, no, but..."
He brushed off the assistant's question.
Eval progression was purely the professor's call, and this was fitting punishment for overreaching beyond his station with the scholarship grab...
"Begin."
"Ranged setup complete. Starting."
Kim Mi-young, hand on the switch, sought approval; Lee Tae-jin nodded.
Beep—
At the signal, the waiting obstructing scarecrows' eyes gleamed.
They locked onto the evaluator and charged in unison.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Accounting for division traits, 12 in total. More than close-range but slower.
"As if some fading clan's ability could..."
Even that would be too much, in Lee Tae-jin's view.
To him, magic division rep and all, sorcery was just outdated Eastern knockoff.
Cold fact, but that was sorcery's reality.
A division defying the speed-obsessed meta.
Unlike chant-based Western magic, symbol activation lagged in cast speed and complexity.
Power? Useless if you can't land it.
High-level duels decided in split-seconds by pitch control.
Even Great Academy stats showed it.
Sorcery cadets: barely 3% of total.
They could disband tomorrow and no one'd complain.
Tsk.
Lee Tae-jin leaned back with a light tongue click.
To savor sorcery's ugly truth soon revealed.
Or so it should've been...
"Smirking?"
Park Ha-yul, inscribing the spell, suddenly grinned. Just like when he'd offered that filthy hand.
Why?
As Lee Tae-jin narrowed his eyes, unease turned real fast.
Flash—
Spell activated; he bolted upright like sprung.
"......!"
"W-Why are the scarecrows..."
Ever-calm Kim Mi-young stuttered, pointing at a monitor spot.
"Why aren't they attacking?" "..."
As she said, the scarecrows were off.
Meant to swarm like moths, they milled confusedly instead, like broken.
"S-Sorry. Checking settings again."
Click clack click.
Kim Mi-young frantically tweaked controls, suspecting system glitch.
"What the hell?"
"Shouldn't we halt the eval?"
Control room vibes matched the waiting room chaos.
Rustle—
But the center of it all was calmer than ever.
Huff huff—
Park Ha-yul started jogging lightly, like a Han River run.
* * *
This diagnostic eval's scarecrows react only to evaluator mana, no senses. Upgraded further. Haha—
Memory pierced the phenomenon.
Lee Tae-jin recalled the dumb designer's spiel, then snapped irritably.
"Stop. Not a system issue."
"Yes?"
"1-star Wind Concealment Technique, Invisibility."
"......?"
"She used Invisibility. Erased mana traces with sorcery, so those idiots are clueless."
Lee Tae-jin clenched his fist, glaring at Park Ha-yul.
Using tricks, huh...
No clue how he knew, but he'd slyly exploited the scarecrows' mechanism ignoring approach time scores.
"Time for scarecrows to reach evaluator?"
"9 seconds on ranged setting."
"Took about 8 seconds to inscribe a 1-star spell then..."
Inscription speed solid, just above average.
...What kinda guy is he?
Pat pat.
Meanwhile, Park Ha-yul solo-sprinted toward section 2.
Eyes forward only, but to Kim Mi-young:
"Why no speed-boost spell? Could shave time."
Lee Tae-jin thought the same.
Clear path, no obstacles.
Racing terms: top gear max speed stretch. Something like Ox Wind speed-boost would've doubled pace easy.
Yet he stuck to it.
Huff huff—
Only rhythmic 4-beat breaths reached the monitor. Not messing around or anything...
"...Messing with us?"
Thought hit there, suspicion bloomed.
No way this thunderhead-looking punk was protesting yesterday's test excuse-style.
If not mana shortage, why dawdle in a time-critical task?
As Lee Tae-jin's brow furrowed deep—
Ruuuumble.
Iron walls surged, blocking Park Ha-yul.
Section 2 eval reached.
He stopped, hands dancing to inscribe.
Wall thickness: ~50cm.
Surface shielded with 2-circle Shield.
Pierce in one go? At least 2-star sorcery.
High-impact kind, tricky to inscribe too.
Tsss.
Park Ha-yul's pick surprised.
"Flame Bullet?"
Just 1-star Fire Control Technique.
Basic of basics for newbies.
Only then did Lee Tae-jin smirk, relieved, patting his chest.
Knew sorcery output well: impossible.
Maybe a graduating cadet's perfected one, but no.
A second-year's Flame Bullet couldn't breach 2-circle Shield wall.
"His mistake. Eating time here."
Yeah, should've banked time entering section 2.
Hubris unexplained tripped him.
Lee Tae-jin smirked, predicting failure.
Inexperience? Or no 2-star access?
Either way, precise inscription: twice.
Sloppy: thrice to breach.
Tss tsss.
But Park Ha-yul inscribed with utmost seriousness.
32 strokes of glowing red etched in air.
Fwoosh.
Flame orb detached, spinning fiercely at the wall.
That instant!
"P-Professor!"
"......!"
Lee Tae-jin and Kim Mi-young jolted again.
Flame Bullet's size.
Spin speed.
Unbelievable perfection for a second-year.