Chapter 377
Chapter 377
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 377
Chapter Title: One More Step (2)
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Shirone lowered his gaze to the evaluation sheet. A long list of master-level difficulty items scrolled down the page.
*‘So I was just an amateur.’*
Having experienced real combat, he thought he had reached a professional level in some areas. And he had certainly seen effective results.
But that wasn't the issue.
Whether Photon Cannon was faster and stronger than other types, who could beat whom, or that Ataraxia couldn't be imitated.
The association was conveying a message through the evaluation sheet.
If you couldn't even accomplish this much, you were nothing more than an amateur who got lucky with a special cell.
—*Your balance is a wreck.*
It was as if he could hear Plu's voice.
Jonah, the top graduate of the Royal Magic Academy and a certified 8th-grade mage.
Among the countless 8th-grade mages in the world, Plu held a special position.
She was a warm-hearted person, but when it came to magic, she never hesitated to offer harsh criticism with a cold, objective standard.
He felt like he finally understood the way she had looked at him when they first met.
Unless he conquered all 20 items on the evaluation sheet, in her eyes, he would ultimately be just an amateur.
*‘Senior, for some reason, I miss you today.’*
A smile touched his lips as he imagined Plu shuddering in horror.
"Have you made your decision? Whatever you choose, I will respect your judgment."
If he changed his major, the difficulty would be understandable.
He had learned all the basic cells, so depending on his effort, he might be able to earn points more easily.
But having already experienced the world after graduation at the Magic Association, Shirone realized that would be meaningless.
"I'll go with this one. The God Particle. Please register it as my major."
Kolly didn't forget to ask one more time.
"Are you sure? Once the evaluation begins, you can't change your mind."
"Yes, I'm sure. Even if I don't get a high score, I won't have any regrets."
No regrets.
This is my magic, and this is my life.
"Very well. I'll register it as such. I wish you luck."
"Yes. I'll do my best."
Shirone bowed politely and left Kolly's room.
Iruki and Nade were waiting in the hallway.
Iruki, ranked 22nd in the graduating class, had just finished his interview, while Nade, ranked 30th, still had to wait.
Nade asked with an anxious expression.
"So? Think you can handle it?"
A bitter smile said more than a hundred words.
Iruki, who was in the same boat, waved his own crumpled evaluation sheet, which looked like it had been folded and unfolded many times.
"The master difficulty for the Explosive Power category is 50 kilobusters in 20 seconds. In other words, they want us to blow up a fruit stand every 20 seconds."
Nade didn't feel like this was someone else's problem.
Shirone was an Un-locker, so his case was special, but Nade's own major, electric magic, was nearly as difficult as detonation magic.
"Are those bastards at the association crazy? Do they really think that's possible at a student's level?"
Shirone felt just as deflated.
"Maybe they are. But if just anyone could pass, there'd be no way to distinguish talent, so we can't really blame them."
"There's definitely a huge gap between level 9 and master difficulty. I might be able to manage a 9-point score. By the way, Shirone, you're surprisingly calm. You must be confident, huh?"
Shirone shook his head.
"No. I'm not confident at all. But... it's something I have to do."
Iruki and Nade agreed in silence.
As Shirone said, it was something they had to do.
How could they claim to aim for the title of the greatest mage if they couldn't even master their own major?
*‘Of course, I’m not going to do it.’*
Nade thought to himself.
The morning that marked the start of the graduating class's official schedule had dawned.
The first evaluation of week one was interpersonal combat, where the 30 students would be divided into 15 pairs to face off against each other.
The venue was Training Ground 2 on the mountain behind the graduating class's building, where a massive 120-square-meter Icheonbeon combat arena was set up.
The graduating students, gathered by class at the training ground, stood in a line, waiting for the combat evaluation instructor.
Shirone stood between Nade and Iruki.
There was occasional chatter among classmates, but the overall atmosphere was still awkward.
The evaluation instructor arrived right on time.
He was an instructor in his mid-fifties with graying hair and sharp eyes.
He was also famous for never speaking about anything other than the evaluation.
"The interpersonal combat evaluation begins today. Class Two already knows the drill, but for the sake of Class Three, I'll go over it briefly. In accordance with the kingdom's education laws, the Icheonbeon synchronization rate will be set to 80 percent. Of course, for the graduation exam, it will be 100 percent, no questions asked."
Even at 80 percent, they couldn't let their guard down.
Considering the superhuman power of magic, even at 80 percent of its full force, a direct hit would be unbearable.
Hadn't Shirone himself fought a battle so fierce against Dante at 50 percent synchronization that it barely felt like a simulation?
"No weapons of any kind may be carried. However, an exception is made for integrated weapons."
The Class Three students tilted their heads in confusion, and as expected, the model student, Boyle, raised his hand.
"I have a question. What is the standard for integration?"
"The clear standard is whether it can be removed. A weapon that cannot be removed is considered integrated. Furthermore, even if it can be removed, if there is a risk of impairing bodily functions, the association recognizes it as integrated."
According to the instructor, Shirone couldn't use Armang.
On the other hand, Canis was free to fight alongside Harvest. This was because it was impossible to remove him.
Another person who came to Shirone's mind was Richard from Fermi's gang.
True to his nickname, Richard the Alchemist, he had modified 35 percent of his body with alchemical technology. The devices could be detached, but because his body couldn't function normally without them, it was classified as integrated.
If he were to sever his right arm and connect Armang to it, he could use the Diamond Armament even in the graduation exam, but Shirone had absolutely no intention of doing so.
Some of the Class Three students looked displeased.
Even though they knew they could never commit such a crazy act themselves, it felt unfair that others could modify their bodies.
Boyle turned to Canis, who was standing next to him, and said.
"Must be nice, getting a pass."
It was natural for Boyle to be resentful. To him, who had to use slots for his summoning magic, Canis, who could control a magical creature without being bound by slots, was an object of envy.
*‘Don't worry. I don't need Harvest to deal with the likes of you.’*
Canis didn't even bother to reply.
After the commotion caused by the Arcane incident, there wasn't a single student who didn't know about Harvest.
However, the only ones who knew the true nature of the magical creature were Shirone and Amy, at most.
A trump card is best saved for later.
Unless it was a critical situation, Harvest would have no opportunity to shine.
Of course, Canis had no intention of entrusting his entire future to a magical creature either.
*‘This time, I'll win, Shirone. You're mistaken if you think Harvest is all I have.’*
Once the questions were over, the instructor proceeded with the evaluation.
"Now, we will begin the interpersonal combat in order. The match time is 10 minutes. Wait for your turn with your Icheonbeon bracelets on."
Aside from the evaluation and waiting groups, students were free to move around the training ground as they pleased.
It was a different atmosphere from the advanced classes, which had emphasized discipline and rules.
Shirone found a spot with a good view of the training ground and sat down with his friends. He then unfolded his schedule and spoke.
"My opponent today is Dorothy. Iruki, who's yours?"
"Hmm? Ah, some guy named Binder."
Shirone turned his head toward the opposite side of the Icheonbeon training ground and observed Binder, who was performing a sequence formula.
He was in Class Two, and Shirone had seen him at graduating class events, but he wasn't a particularly memorable student.
He had light brown hair, wore glasses, and had a sparse beard on his chin and under his nose.
As he hadn't stood out much in last year's graduation exam either, his opponent, Iruki, had no doubt he would win.
"Well, should I say I've got 3 points in the bag?"
"Still, don't get complacent. We haven't even had a single match yet. Things can change once you're in there."
"I'm saying that with everything considered. By my calculations, he's an opponent with absolutely no variables."
Shirone was worried by Iruki's overconfident attitude.
As Plu had said, it was foolish to imagine the outcome in advance, and battles weren't decided by numbers alone.
*‘Then again, I can't imagine an anxious Iruki either.’*
In any case, for them, the main event of the day was neither Shirone's nor Iruki's match.
"Anyway, Nade, are you going to be okay?"
When Shirone asked, Nade shrugged.
"Well, I'm gonna give it a shot."
His opponent today was none other than Fermi.
An enigmatic student who, despite failing the graduation exam, never missed the top spot in the final evaluations.
When he first heard about Fermi, he could only make vague analyses, but now that he understood what the rankings meant in the graduating class, Shirone couldn't help but worry.
Other students seemed to be thinking the same thing, as they were constantly watching Fermi's every move.
Just then, Fermi, sensing their gazes, turned his head toward them. He then smiled and waved at Nade, his opponent for the day.
"That bastard, is he provoking me?"
"No, I think he was just saying hi?"
Nade turned to Shirone with a murderous look.
"That *is* a provocation! Since when does that guy know me well enough to acknowledge me? Just watch. I'm going to expose every last bit of his skill today."
Shirone was watching the training ground where the evaluations were taking place when he realized his turn was coming up and got to his feet.
"Anyway, I get it. I should go get ready."
As he entered the Icheonbeon training ground, Dorothy approached, dragging a tin doll behind her.
With every step she took, the tin doll scraping against the floor made a loud clattering sound.
Dorothy came right up to Shirone's face. Her face was small and her glasses were large, making her look as if she were wearing a mask from a masquerade.
Her expressionless face and unfocused eyes were also a major shield that made it impossible to read her emotions.
*‘What should I do? Should I at least say hello?’*
The waiting process for interpersonal combat was the same as it had been for the advanced class Icheonbeon duels.
After confirming their Icheonbeon bracelets in the center of the training ground, they would return to their respective positions, a 10-minute timer would start, and the Icheonbeon system would activate.
There was no real need to greet each other, so turning away coldly was a form of psychological warfare.
But in the first week's evaluation, where friend and foe were not yet clearly distinguished, erasing one's humanity probably wasn't the best idea.
Above all, it didn't suit Shirone's personality.
"Nice to meet you. This is an important evaluation for both of us, so let's fight our best."
"Want to call it a draw?"
At Dorothy's sudden proposal, Shirone immediately asked back.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Let's make it a draw. If you do, I'll do one thing you want."
His face flushed before he could even analyze the meaning of her words. It might have been nothing, but coming from a girl, it was different.
"Wh-what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. I'll do whatever you want. You also think it's a disadvantageous strategy to reveal your skills from the very beginning, right? So let's just split the points, one each."
He had no intention of participating in a conspiracy, but weighing the pros and cons of any proposal was important, so Shirone fell into thought.
Her proposal certainly had the potential to be useful. It could create a variable at a crucial moment.
*‘If she really does agree to my condition.’*
A draw meant they would each get one point. He couldn't tell if her offer was worth the two points he would be giving up from a potential victory.
He wanted to win the first match if at all possible.
A good start would give him confidence for future evaluations and, practically speaking, an advantage in the rankings competition.
"No, I refuse. I want to compete fairly. So please, you do your best too."
Dorothy still showed no emotion. Then, as if she understood, she nodded and turned away.
"I guess it can't be helped then. Let's do our best."
Shirone stared blankly at Dorothy's back as she returned to her position, dragging the tin doll.
If this was psychological warfare, it had worked brilliantly.
He was truly and utterly flustered.
*‘Get a grip. Nothing happened. Just fight like you always do.’*
As Shirone reached his waiting spot, the lights on the Icheonbeon display changed from green to yellow to red, signaling its activation.
Shirone waited in a stance with his knees slightly bent, ready to quickly switch between offense and defense.
A mechanical beep sounded, and the light on his Icheonbeon bracelet came on.
Dorothy remained still, clutching the tin doll to her chest.
Shirone equipped the Teleportation cell, raised his Omnipotence, and leaned forward.
*‘I'm going on the offensive!’*
At the same time, Dorothy spun around and said.
"I forfeit."
Shirone, who had hastily canceled his magic, lost his balance and stumbled forward.
By the time he managed to catch himself and look up, Dorothy was already leaving the training ground.