Chapter 376
Chapter 376
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 376
Chapter Title: Graduating Class Briefing (4)
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As Collie left the conference room, everyone stood up. The door closed, and they looked at each other, but no one spoke.
The moment they understood the rules of the graduating class, the competition had begun.
A moment later, Dante's group was the first to leave, followed by Boyle and Pandora, then Arin and Canis.
Coincidentally, Shirone's group, the last to remain, felt no need to leave the room.
Shirone, his legs giving out, collapsed into a chair.
"This is serious. I never imagined it would be this tough."
"Tell me about it. I don't think I can do anything but focus on the evaluations. How am I supposed to lead the research society like this?"
Shirone looked back at Nade.
"It's not like you do anything anyway, right?"
Iruki said.
"He said we have the right to forfeit an evaluation. No one will. No one entered the graduating class expecting to get low scores."
"But if we worry too much about scores, we risk exposing our abilities. That would increase the chances of being checked or eliminated in the graduation exam."
Amy was a clear example. Until the final 30th week, her rank was 5th in the graduating class, but during the exam, she was targeted relentlessly and eliminated early on.
Regardless of Fermi's collusion, the fact that she was the top candidate for graduation likely contributed to how easily the other students were swayed.
Nade said.
"Hmm, so it's a choice between evaluation scores and the graduation exam. The process versus the result. We have to judge that carefully."
"If scouts are checking the evaluation scores, I want to do my best. But even so, it's all meaningless if we don't pass the graduation exam."
Iruki added.
"And the psychological warfare with the other students will be no joke."
Shirone rested his chin on his hand and twisted his lips.
"Still, I think it's better to be in the top 10. I don't want to walk into the exam room with my confidence shot."
Nade said.
"One-on-one combat has the lowest score acquisition, but it's the event with the most decisive power. It's important not to lose points."
"For tactics and strategy, we'll have to be observant. If our rank is low, we'll be placed in a lower-tier group. A maximum score difference of 5 points. It's grim to think about that piling up for 30 weeks."
Iruki said.
"We can control our rank to some extent through Major Specialization. But it's dangerous to pull too far ahead from the start. The best approach is to watch the other students' scores and adjust accordingly."
As they compiled their opinions, a rough outline began to form. It was a year-long journey, and they needed to decide their course of action with the utmost caution.
"For now, let's wait until the interviews tomorrow. We can think about it after we see the one-on-one combat schedule and the Major Specialization items."
One More Step (1)
The graduating class students were called by Collie and went one by one for their individual interviews.
Shirone's rank in the graduating class was 23rd, so he was called in twenty-third.
The main purpose of the individual interviews was supposedly to evaluate the students' character and attitude toward their studies, but no matter how it was embellished, the fact remained that the goal was to register their major.
"Welcome, Shirone."
Collie offered a handshake. Unlike at the briefing yesterday, he had his usual benevolent demeanor.
But Shirone no longer acted like a child in front of him.
"Yes. I look forward to working with you."
As they sat down across the table, Collie adjusted his glasses while looking over some documents.
"First, take this. It's your one-on-one combat schedule."
Shirone's hand trembled as he took the paper. He felt as if he had just obtained a classified document that no one else was supposed to see.
The document listed his opponents and dates for the one-on-one combat event. His first opponent was Dorothy.
*Ah, Dorothy.*
The eccentric girl who always carried a tin doll.
He didn't think he'd be outmatched in terms of combat power. But, as Plu had advised, there was no need to make assumptions about his opponent.
Next, he checked his friends' schedules.
Iruki, Nade, Amy. They were all scheduled for the second half of the term, which would resume after the vacation.
*Hmm, facing my friends is another variable.*
Personally, he wanted to do his best no matter who his opponent was.
However, if other participants formed factions to trade points, Shirone would have to reconsider his approach.
Collie took out another document.
"Now then, we need to register your major..."
The way his voice trailed off made the situation clear.
The Red Line's database had evaluation criteria for Unlockers, but Shirone's foundation was one of a kind.
The God Particle, which grants mass.
The magic manifested through it was distinct from any other magic in the world.
In short, there was no standard by which to evaluate him.
"After the promotion test for the graduating class, the school sent an official request to the Red Line. We thought a separate evaluation form would be necessary. However, it's a bit tricky. To put it simply, your major is essentially a discipline that only you in the entire world can learn."
In the graduating class promotion test, Shirone had been comprehensively evaluated on his unique foundation, the techniques he could use with it, his proficiency with the Spirit Zone, and his theoretical understanding.
"All the school can confirm is the magic you used at that time. The problem is that there's no basis for predicting how it will develop, which makes the standards ambiguous."
"Yes. I understand completely."
Shirone would have felt the same way if he were an evaluator.
If they were to evaluate Ataraxia, what level would even constitute master difficulty? What about Photon Cannon? Light Burst? Light Wing?
What's more, the school didn't even know he had developed the magic called Light Wing.
And, most likely, none of this would work to his advantage.
"So, the Association seems to have decided to stick to the fundamentals. In other words, they will only measure the phenomena you create by combining light and mass. Take a look and tell me what you think."
Shirone examined the evaluation sheet he was handed. It listed 20 items related to the God Particle.
There were fifteen active magic items and five passive magic items. The active ones were mainly for offense and defense, while the passive ones focused on movement.
Shirone's expression hardened as he read through the items one by one.
It didn't take long for his face to completely contort.
*Are they seriously telling me to do this?*
It was too difficult.
Of course, he could probably score 3 or 4 points easily on each item, and he saw some where he could get 7 or more at the advanced difficulty. But the master difficulty, level 10, was a score he couldn't hope to reach in any of them at his current level.
Shirone's gaze fell to the bottom, resting on the reference section at the end of the form.
All items measure magic with the God Particle applied. Furthermore, for attack magic, only spells with an impact of 20 crash or more will be considered for evaluation.
20 crash was about the average impact of the Photon Cannons he had cast in actual combat so far.
This meant that even if he incorporated the God Particle, if he reduced the mass to a minuscule amount, it wouldn't meet the evaluation criteria.
"Hoo."
Shirone returned to the first item.
Item 1 was a standard for measuring firing rate, and the difficulty for a mere 1 point was a whopping sixty shots per minute.
*Sixty shots per minute with the power of 20 crash?*
Of course, it was a number Shirone could achieve now. But that didn't mean it was easy.
When he fought the Ice Queen in the old ruins, he had shown a firing rate of about one hundred twenty shots per minute.
The problem was, that was the result of him giving it his all.
Looking at the standard for master difficulty, it was two hundred shots per minute.
It meant he had to cast an attack spell more than three times a second and maintain that for a full minute to earn 10 points.
Shirone squinted one eye and scratched his head vigorously.
Collie, understanding his feelings, clasped his hands and waited for him to gather his thoughts.
The situation was no different for item 2, projectile speed.
The master difficulty was 140 meters per second. That was roughly twice the speed of the Photon Cannon he could currently cast.
*What is this? Why did they set it up like this?*
According to the evaluation sheet he'd seen for Amy, not even fire magic was this demanding.
The heat output item was naturally difficult, being the core element of fire magic, but the other items were of a more humane difficulty, based on the average student's level.
In contrast, the standards for the God Particle were too harsh. This was tantamount to telling him not to graduate from the magic academy this year.
The 'illuminance' item in the passive category was another example.
The master difficulty was a staggering 500,000 lumens. It was a value absolutely unreachable with ordinary Shining magic.
But the Association had determined that it was possible if one wielded the God Particle.
He had once raised the illuminance to 300,000 lumens with a spell called Shining Impact.
But 500,000 lumens... The people at the Association were sorely mistaken.
500,000 lumens wasn't a support spell; it was a straight-up attack spell.
It was an intensity that could penetrate eyelids and cause fatal damage to the retina if one didn't shield their eyes with their hands.
Shirone looked at Collie and pointed at the evaluation sheet.
"Um, this is..."
"Yes, those are the evaluation items for your Major Specialization proposed by the Association. Higher difficulty than you expected, right?"
"It's more than just high. Even if the graduating class is semi-pro, this is a bit..."
Collie nodded as if he understood completely.
"Shirone, in my opinion, you are an exceptionally talented student. But... when it comes to your specialization, there's no way to know how much better you are than anyone else. Because there's no one to compare you to."
Collie looked down at a copy of the evaluation sheet and continued.
"From the Association's perspective, setting the difficulty high isn't particularly risky. It's just unfair to you. On the other hand, lowering it requires caution. What if they lowered the difficulty and you passed too easily? That could lead to issues of fairness for all the magic academies under the Red Line."
He understood there was a practical problem. It was only natural to be more cautious about lowering standards than raising them.
"But couldn't the opposite also be true? Isn't it also unfair that the difficulty is high only for me?"
The corners of Collie's mouth stretched to the sides.
"True. The Association is conservative. I am conservative too. A 'fuddy-duddy,' as you young people might say."
"No. I didn't mean to criticize..."
"That is the first assumption."
Collie cut him off, and Shirone immediately closed his mouth.
"Now, I will give you the second assumption. Perhaps the evaluation sheet you are looking at is the correct standard."
"The correct... standard?"
"Major Specialization isn't about seeing how much stronger you are than others. It's about evaluating the level of the major itself. For example, fire magic is more difficult than air magic. Anyone can come into contact with air, but not fire. A difference in affinity leads to a difference in potential, and potential is closely related to talent. Therefore, the major evaluation for fire magic is harder than for air magic. That's because, on average, those with greater talent gather there. Do you think that is unfair?"
Shirone didn't answer.
"Shirone, society is not so lenient. Let's say the Association posts a notice urgently seeking one fire mage. Dozens of fire mages will flock to it, and the one with the highest skill will be chosen. But not a single one of the rejected candidates will complain that it's unfair because they are stronger than mages of other disciplines. That's just how the world works."
Shirone swallowed hard.
"The difficulty being higher for you than for others is not the issue. Your very foundation is different from the start. You possess a powerful foundation that others cannot imitate. Therefore, the people at the Association are saying this: If it's possible to grant mass to light, then shouldn't a professional be able to do at least this much?"
"..."
Collie folded his hands on the table.
"Now, a choice remains. As the department head, I have presented you with two assumptions regarding this evaluation sheet. One: the Association is conservative and full of old fuddy-duddies. Two: the Association's assessment is accurate. The decision is yours. If you choose the former, you can register a different discipline as your major. If you choose the latter, you accept this."