Welcome, Freshman! (End)

"First things first — I'll peel that flesh right off you!"

Whoosh!

Right on cue!

I swung my iron sword. With a sharp clang, I knocked the textbook aside. Ugh, that thing was heavy!

The moment I made a racket, every skeleton sitting at the other desks snapped their gazes toward us. Then they shot to their feet—

"A freshman! It's a freshman!"

"Freshman, do not disrupt the exam!"

"He's got all that meat on his bones — that's the problem! Let's put him on a diet!"

Just like the first one, they all dropped into attack stances aimed straight at us.

Huh? Why don't those guys have (Dungeon) next to their names?

Could it be...?

"Seeun. Follow my instructions exactly."

"Y-you serious?"

"Trust me."

"O-okay..."

Park Seeun shot me a look full of doubt at the whispered order, but she nodded anyway.

There was only one timing I was aiming for.

"Hey, freshman! Eat this and come back when you're ready!"

Whoosh!

The exact instant they hurled their books.

"Now!"

"H-hyaaaaah!"

Park Seeun let out a huge battle cry and charged out, weaving past the heavy textbooks sailing through the air.

Blocking the book barrage was my job. I swung the iron sword again.

"Haaah!"

Whoosh — the blade carved through several volumes in a single sweep, splitting them clean in two. Pages fluttered and danced through the air overhead.

Only then did the three behind me seem to snap back to their senses, voices rising in alarm.

"W-wait! Oppa!"

"Jeong Hoon! Seeun just charged three monsters by herself!"

"Aren't you pushing her a little hard, Orabeoni?"

I'd figured they'd say something like that. Instead of making excuses, I simply pointed a thumb toward where Seeun had charged.

"Look at that."

"W-whoa?"

Sora's dazed voice drifted over. One glance at Park Seeun's situation made the reaction inevitable.

Seeun had just demolished all three monsters in an instant without the slightest trouble.

"Th-these guys... why are they so weak? They're nothing like the monsters around the same level we fought earlier!"

Even Park Seeun herself looked like she couldn't believe it. She could've muttered Am I actually pretty strong? and it wouldn't have been weird. Well — it wasn't exactly a delusion...

"When they threw those textbooks earlier... I felt the force was weaker than the ranged attacks from the monsters outside the building. And more importantly, there was no (Dungeon) next to their names. The moment I saw that, I made the call. Different categories of monsters exist in this place. Of course..."

I muttered as I slowly fixed my gaze on the monster up on the podium.

"That one is the same. Only different in the wrong direction."

As if sensing my stare, the monster on the podium started hopping with rage.

"Y-you bastards! How dare you spill blood in this sacred examination hall!?"

There wasn't any blood. They're skeletons.

And the one yelling was a skeleton too. His head was a mass of curly hair — the kind people call an afro. Pretty memorable look, honestly.

T-Teaching Assistant? Not even a proctor — a TA?

So they were really going all-in on the university theme? What an absolutely ridiculous place!

"Prepare yourselves."

Park Seeun had already scrambled back to the main group, and Kim Seyeon recast Sacred Armor on the party members. Han Sora nocked an arrow to her bowstring, and Yun Mina clasped both hands together, fully ready to cast. And standing firm in front of them all — me.

Teaching Assistant Kim Cheolwon hopped down from the podium and fixed us with a vicious glare. In the hollow sockets of that skull, the only thing burning was pure, seething rage.

"I'll grade you...!"

"What?"

What the hell did that bastard just say?

I didn't even have time to tilt my head in confusion.

Huh? A skill? He's using skills now? This isn't some pattern-memorization game — what the hell is going on all of a sudden!?

"Whoa, in front of that guy...!"

"Letters are forming!"

Just as Han Sora and Park Seeun reported, characters materialized right in front of Teaching Assistant Kim Cheolwon. Actual alphabet letters.

C, D, E, F?

"Take this! Even a C is too good for the likes of you!"

The moment the "TA" shouted, the D, E, and F came flying straight at us. Naturally, I swung my iron sword to smash the F heading for me.

What the fuck!? Failed how!? Ugh!?

"W-what the...!?"

Oh, come on! Why are they going down!?

I quickly called out System On and checked my status window...

Goddammit, my precious stats!

At least it was only sixty seconds... no, that was not a silver lining!

"You got your grades — now get out!"

"Guh!"

He swung the rolled-up book in his hand. I barely blocked it with the iron sword, but — nngh, my arm was throbbing!

Damn it, with my stats dropped, even blocking was a miserable slog! My arms were shaking.

"Aaagh, m-my stats...!"

"Wait, they dropped by five whole points!? I barely bus-rode my way up to those numbers...!"

Complaints rose from behind me. Park Seeun and Yun Mina. Though honestly, Mina, the fact that you fully own up to bus-riding is almost impressive... aargh, this is exhausting! This bastard swings ridiculously hard!

"You there... quiet during the exam!"

Huh? What's this now!? I don't know what it is, but it's definitely as dangerous as the last one!

"Seeun, roll back — now!"

I barked the order. Whatever that skill was... if Seeun got hit, she'd be in real danger! She might even— lose her life!

"I said quiet! You there!"

My bad feeling landed with miserable precision.

"Ghhk...!?"

"Oppa!"

"Jeong Hoon!"

"Jeong Hoon Orabeoni!?"

Nothing had even hit me, and suddenly pain exploded through my entire body. One leg buckled on its own and I staggered.

Fuck... that actually hurt like hell!? This is the first time anything's hurt this bad since I got this system!

Thanks for the tip, you piece-of-shit system! Real timely of you!

Fuck, that hurts so goddamn much!

"You bastards... disrupting the exam to the bitter end... Fine. I'll ruin your entire college experience!"

Teaching Assistant Kim Cheolwon put distance between us again. One jump and he'd opened several meters in an instant... Wait, was he doing that thing again!?

Fuck... here it comes again!

"O-Oppa! Wait! Don't move, just hold still for a second...!"

The instant I was about to dodge, Han Sora shouted urgently.

Huh? Sora, do you actually have a plan!?

Creeeak...

I saw Sora draw her bowstring. Three arrows nocked at once — the Multi-Shot skill.

"Only the ones who behave... get good grades!"

"Good grades...?"

Kim Seyeon murmured in a curious tone.

Meanwhile, alphabet letters appeared in front of "TA" Kim Cheolwon once more. This time it was B, D, E, F.

Wait, the letters changed. And "good grades"?

"Eat this!"

"O-Oppa! Stay still... stay still!"

Ghhk! I desperately wanted to dodge right then and there... but with Sora saying that, I couldn't.

Three letters — D, E, and F — came flying at me and me alone. Why just me!? Fuck, my precious grades — no, my precious staaaats!!!!

"Stay still... haah!"

The instant the D-E-F letters were less than half a meter from hitting me, Han Sora released her bowstring.

A sharp twang rang out—

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Three arrows punched dead-center into the upper middle of each letter. Perfectly, precisely.

And then... the letters froze in midair and dissolved into nothing.

"N-nooooo! The grades I poured my heart and soul intooo!!"

Heart and soul my ass!

I had no idea what hint Sora had picked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up on to pull that off, but...

I felt it. This was the opening. This was the moment!

I charged out. Gripping the slightly heavier iron sword in both hands, I lunged to carve that "Teaching Assistant" monster in half.

"Y-you bastard! Eat this!"

He swung the rolled-up book in his hand, just as expected.

Whoosh!

"W-what!? I definitely hit him...?"

Phantom Clone. That was a clone, you son of a bitch!

"Die...!"

Slash!

"Kraaaaagh!"

Ah, fuck!

I'd swung with everything I had, and it only dropped four bars.

Damn it, I'd momentarily forgotten my Strength had dropped from 19 to 17...! Ah, when does this wear off!? Fuck, there's still twenty seconds left!?

"Y-you lot... how dare you wander around freely during a sacred examination...!"

This pattern ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now!?

But... wait, something's different from last time? Don't Move? Could it be...?

"Sora, do not move!"

"Y-yes!"

We simply stood stock-still right where we were.

And... nothing happened.

Right, I get it. When he says Quiet Down, you just don't make noise. When he casts Don't Move, you just don't move! Ridiculously intuitive. Fuck!

"Y-youuu! How dare you take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my words at face value! I'll kill you!"

But that bastard's still moving? And we did exactly what he said, you son of a bitch!

...Ah! So talking is fine?

"Arrows, punish my enemy!"

My last Magic Arrows!

Several arrows from a Level 9 Mage... well, with my Intelligence dropped, three Magic Arrows streaked toward the boss monster called the Teaching Assistant.

Thud, thud, thwack!

"Kraaaagh!"

Disgustingly tanky bastard. Even that only shaved off two bars!

But... I'd figured out the strategy for real!

"Sora, handle the letters. Mina, target the enemy's main body. Teacher Kim Seyeon, recovery if you would."

"Y-yes! Leave it to me, Oppa!"

"Hoon Oppa! What about me!?"

"Seeun, when I give the signal..."

I didn't finish the sentence, locking my gaze on the boss monster. A creeping anxiety that there might be yet another pattern gnawed at me.

"You utterly vile scoundrels...! Fine, I won't hold back any longer! By my authority, I shall rain F's upon you all!!"

Only two patterns, huh? Thank god!

"Seeun, the moment Sora looses her arrows... you and I charge in together. Got it?"

"Ah... yes!"

Park Seeun held the Warrior class under the Brave Saga Online system. And among the Warrior skills... there was a useful one.

"The second you close in... use Ground Slam!"

"Ah! Got it!"

F-F-F. Three F's floated in front of the TA.

"All of you... are unconditionally retaking this course!!!"

Earlier, I'd happened to catch a glimpse of something.

When one of the letters the TA fired — a B — had flown toward the main group, Kim Seyeon had whispered something to Park Seeun, and Seeun had squeezed her eyes shut and taken the letter head-on.

"F-firing!"

As the F-F-F letters came flying, Sora's three arrows punched into them exactly the same way as before. Just like last time, the letters froze in place and vanished.

"Now!"

"Haaaaah!"

Park Seeun let out another battle cry and rocketed forward. She was far faster than usual.

So that B earlier really was... a letter that boosts stats! All that talk about "good grades" was the real deal!

"Take this!"

The moment Park Seeun reached the TA, she stomped the ground with tremendous force.

BOOM! A heavy impact sent tremors through the floor.

Of course, only the ground the Teaching Assistant monster was standing on.

"U-uuugh! W-what is this!?"

Good — so crowd control works on him! Next up—

The debuff had worn off... my turn.

I dove in with my restored Agility. The boss monster, still staggering as it barely regained its balance, went wide-eyed. Those sockets held nothing but me.

"Y-you bastard! Don't m—"

I wasn't about to give him the chance to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cast a skill while yapping.

A Warrior's special skill, fused with Strength 19.

Slash!

"KRAAAAAAGH!? It hurts, it huuuuurts!!!"

Just a little left. Damn it! I even used a skill and he still isn't dead!?

"Orabeoni? You said you'd entrust your life to my talent... didn't you?"

Crackle-crackle-ZZZT!

A smile formed on my face all on its own. I quickly backpedaled to put some distance between us.

KRA-KOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

"Guhhhhk!"

Inside a building with a ceiling.

Lightning crashed down right on the spot where the Teaching Assistant stood.

We did it!

The boss... was down!

But the triumph lasted only a moment.

Because right then, a notification appeared before my eyes that drained every drop of warmth from my blood.