A Scoundrel Scores a Hundred?
Time trickled by, and soon half a shijin had passed.
Beep, beep, beep—!
The sound of exam papers being submitted echoed throughout the hall. At seat number 110, Oh Sobang finished his test and set down his brush. Heh, that was actually quite entertaining. The geography section featured a map of the Aurora Empire’s border. It’s a good thing I studied that for a different exam recently, or I might have been stumped. And that essay question... it was a total trap. Most students would have fallen for it, but not me.
Oh Sobang beamed with inner confidence. He was thoroughly satisfied with his performance. Just then, Cho Heun, the Grade Dean, approached him with a warm smile.
"Sobang, how was it? Submitting this early... I assume a score of ninety or higher is a given?" Cho Heun had massive expectations for a prodigy like Oh Sobang.
"Ninety-five shouldn't be a problem, sir," Oh Sobang replied, his expression brimming with certainty. "With a bit of luck, I might even hit a hundred."
"Excellent," Cho Heun praised. "I admire that confidence. The reputation of our second-year class in the upcoming Academic & Martial Arts Competition rests on the shoulders of students like you."
"Thank you, Dean. By the way..." Oh Sobang glanced at the empty seat next to him. "Did Im Bukjin already turn in his paper?"
"Hmph, don't even mention that fool," Cho Heun scoffed. "He’s a lost cause. Don't let him distract you. Now that you've submitted, go back and prepare for your next exam. I’m expecting great things."
"Yes, sir! I won't let you down!"
Oh Sobang bowed and left the hall. Cho Heun watched him go, nodding in approval. As time continued to flow, more students trickled out to submit their papers. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam period.
"Ugh, which teacher wrote that test? It was brutal!"
"I didn't recognize a single thing on that map!"
"There were so many traps in the essay section! Aaaargh! I totally bombed it!"
"Haha! I thought it was fine. I’m definitely clearing eighty!"
The students gathered outside, buzzing with mixed emotions. Meanwhile, inside the hall, twenty experienced teachers were already hard at work grading the papers. According to Unmong City’s regulations, all exams had to be graded immediately, and the results announced on the spot before the next subject could begin.
Half a shijin later, the grading was complete.
"As expected, this one was quite difficult. Most of the papers I graded were poor. My highest score was only a seventy-nine."
"I have an eighty-eight in my stack, but the rest... not great."
"This is strange. Truly bizarre. I found a paper with only eleven points! Eleven! It has to be that scoundrel Im Bukjin, the one who ran out first... I wouldn't be surprised if he got a zero."
"I actually have a high score here," another teacher chimed in. "A ninety-two. Truly impressive given the difficulty."
"Really? Let’s see. Release the name seal. It’s probably Oh Sobang or Mok Simwol. Maybe Mu Sae?"
Since it was the highest score found so far, the teachers gathered around in excitement. But then...
"W-What? How is this possible?"
A shocked voice cut through the chatter. It belonged to Teacher Hou, an elderly man known for his quiet, stoic demeanor. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Teacher Hou? What’s the matter?" Cho Heun asked, frowning.
Teacher Hou’s voice trembled. "I... I found a hundred-point paper."
The room went deathly silent. The teachers looked at each other in disbelief.
"What?"
"A perfect score?"
"That’s impossible! On this exam? Who is it?"
The room erupted into a frenzy. Upon hearing the score, Cho Heun immediately thought of Oh Sobang. He let out a boisterous laugh.
"Hahaha! It has to be Oh Sobang! The boy was humble enough to say he might get a hundred if he was lucky! Hahaha! Let’s see the name!"
Even if it was just a written exam, a perfect score was a monumental achievement. With trembling hands, Teacher Hou deactivated the formation seal hiding the student's name. As the letters became visible, his face twisted into a bizarre expression.
"It... It’s not Oh Sobang." Teacher Hou looked up at Cho Heun.
"What?" Cho Heun blinked. "Then who is it?"
Teacher Hou remained silent for a moment, struggling to find the words. "Dean Cho... I think you should see this for yourself."
A wave of unease washed over Cho Heun. He stepped forward and snatched the paper. As his eyes scanned the name, his face turned a shade of pale that bordered on grey. The other teachers leaned in, their curiosity piqued. If it wasn't Oh Sobang, surely it was Mok Simwol or another top-tier genius. But Cho Heun’s expression suggested something far more disturbing.
"The results are up! Come look!" a student shouted.
In an instant, a swarm of students rushed toward the massive stone pillar standing outside the examination hall. A faint blue light shimmered across its surface, forming glowing characters. One student stepped forward and pressed his palm against the stone.
[2nd Grade, Class 2 — Hou Xiaochao: 68 points]
"Hahahaha! I passed! I actually passed!" the boy cheered, laughing hysterically.
The students formed a line, each taking turns to check their scores. Some cheered, while others walked away with slumped shoulders. Eventually, a prominent figure stepped forward—a rising star of the second year.
[2nd Grade, Class 1 — Leng Ye: 81 points]
"Whoa! Eighty-one! That’s the first score over eighty!"
"To get an eighty-one on a test that hard... he’s a monster!"
"As expected of Class 1’s elite! Incredible!"
The crowd erupted in admiration. Leng Ye stepped back, unable to hide the smug pride on his face. He turned toward Oh Sobang and bowed slightly.
"Senior Oh, it’s all thanks to your guidance before the exam that I managed such a score. I’m certain your score will put mine to shame. Please, end everyone's suspense."
"Yeah! Senior Oh, show us!"
"It’s definitely over ninety."
"Is there even a doubt? He took first place in the last competition!"
Oh Sobang smiled graciously. "Very well." He placed his palm on the pillar.
[2nd Grade, Class 1 — Oh Sobang: 92 points]
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
"I knew it!"
"Ninety-two! That’s insane! He was only a few questions away from a perfect score!"
"Senior Oh, you’re on another level! You’re definitely taking first place again!"
The students looked at him with genuine awe. Is this the power of the top-ranked genius? Oh Sobang maintained a humble smile, though internally he was slightly annoyed. He had expected a hundred, but considering the legendary difficulty of this particular exam, ninety-two was still a dominant score.
"Ah, what a shame. I lost eight points... I really thought I had a hundred this time. I suppose I should have paid more attention to the details. I’ll have to stop taking it easy and really focus for the next one," Oh Sobang said with a light chuckle.
"Spoken like a true master! Even with such a high score, you remain so humble!" Leng Ye gushed.
Oh Sobang was basking in the glory. A ninety-two meant he was almost certainly the top scorer for the Modern Imperial History exam. He scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on Im Bukjin standing nearby.
"Oh? Who do we have here? Isn't this Im Bukjin? Heh, I heard from Dean Cho that you were the very first to submit your paper. You must have been quite confident. I assume you received a stellar grade?"
Every eye in the vicinity turned toward Bukjin. Without a word, Bukjin stepped through the crowd and walked up to the stone pillar. He placed his hand on the surface.
[2nd Grade, Class 9 — Im Bukjin: 100 points]
The noisy courtyard fell into a sudden, vacuum-like silence. Even the wind seemed to stop. The students stood frozen, their mouths agape, looking like statues of pure bewilderment.
Oh Sobang felt a ringing in his ears. I must be seeing things. He blinked repeatedly, rubbing his eyes before staring at the pillar again. A hundred? A perfect score? That good-for-nothing got a perfect score? This... this is impossible.
Then, Bukjin broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh.
"Whoa! How is this even possible? I was so bored I just closed my eyes and wrote whatever came to mind, and I still got a hundred? Sigh, this is so dull. This exam was way too easy. It didn't even feel like a challenge..."
The students looked at him as if he were an alien. Is this guy even human?
Bukjin turned around, a punchable smirk plastered on his face as he addressed Oh Sobang. "Ninety-two? Is that supposed to be high?"
"W-What do you mean by that...?"
"Nothing much! It’s just... watching some guy brag about 'taking it easy' when he only managed a measly ninety-two was just too pathetic to watch! Heh, ninety-two? You’re like a toddler who hasn't even been weaned yet. So childish. Acting all high and mighty over such a mediocre score... it’s honestly nauseating!"
Bukjin’s sharp tongue tore into Oh Sobang’s pride in front of everyone.
"You... you bastard..." Oh Sobang’s face turned a deep, mottled red. Every word Bukjin spoke felt like a poisoned dagger plunging into his chest. Unable to contain his exploding rage, he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Shut your mouth! Tell the truth! You cheated, didn't you?! There’s no other way a piece of trash like you could ever get a score like that!"