Admission Test (1)
Two months remained.
During this time, I began researching my trait.
My trait, Outline, was generally an ability to express art. That's why my main weapon was a large brush as big as a spear.
The brush, for some reason, could be handled naturally like a baton.
Because it was my trait, it felt like it had been imprinted with usage instructions, allowing me to wield it seamlessly.
It wasn't just the large brush I could summon. I could also summon small brushes.
I had become able to summon small brushes and fire them off. It took quite some time to practice hitting targets, but it was possible.
Small brushes could be summoned in mid-air and launched. The spiritual power consumption was low, allowing for mass summons.
There was also an Ink Cannon that consumed a lot of spiritual power but dealt massive damage.
It was a technique where spiritual power was concentrated at the tip of the brush and fired. It could even be used with small brushes.
However, this wasn't enough to survive in the survival test.
So, for the remaining two months, I tested my abilities and further strengthened my Soul.
It wasn't easy to raise it to 30%, but I kept hunting and increasing the percentage.
So now, I'm at 40%. When others are around 20%, I'm double that.
Both the amount of spiritual power and its destructive power are vastly superior to mine. As long as I don't get hit, my survival probability is very high.
My body ratio is also 40%, so I don't have an advantage there. No matter how trained I am, one hit and it's over.
The admission test is a 24-hour survival.
First, my strategy is to hide as much as possible.
If I hide and luck out, I pass the test straight away.
But from what I know, this test is going to be very difficult.
There are a lot of participants, and especially, as the game starts, major characters will appear.
Well, as long as I hide well, it should be fine.
Two months passed, and after one year, the game started right away. That is, the episode begins now.
Right now, I'm inside the academy.
After putting in quite a bit of effort to search inside the academy, I see familiar faces too.
Probably, there are no players.
That aside, the most important thing I need to worry about right now is survival.
In other words, I have to gather all the students in one space and survive for 24 hours. It's not that easy.
The major characters are currently very weak. But in fact, they are overwhelmingly stronger than the regular students.
From my memory, there is only one major character in this survival test.
She has a Color Trait of the Soul.
Since she has the Red among the seven Color Traits, she gets stronger the more she fights.
Moreover, her damage is very strong, and one hit means instant elimination.
I must avoid facing her as much as possible.
"Everyone, please enter."
A manager in front spoke, and a very large portal occupied the inside of the academy.
Step by step, we all entered the portal together. Please don't meet anyone.
Looks around, it's all forest.
We moved to a large island. But I know the structure of this map completely.
I have to go to a place where I won't be easily noticed.
Going to the farthest corner of the island is meaningless.
Probably, all students on this island will have two main thoughts.
First, fight and eliminate competitors to get points. This points will have a good influence on the test later.
Second, like me, focus on surviving as long as possible to pass the admission.
Then, many will come to the farthest corner of the island, and fights will break out there again.
If it's somewhat in the middle, I probably won't be noticed.
Also, I haven't been idle for a year.
I can easily suppress regular students.
As long as I don't meet that guy.
First, let's focus on passing the admission.
Walk around the island. Naturally, explosions ring out.
The forest shakes with a huge shockwave, and the wind blows strongly. But what's the point.
I just need to run away. Getting points? That only happens if I pass the admission.
Originally, I can't afford to take even a little damage, so if I fight, I have to hold back until the end.
But...
I've already met them. Enemies.
A spiritual power made air bullet flew towards my leg.
Fortunately, I've been constantly on guard around me, so it was avoided.
'Running away is impossible.'
In my opinion, about half of the participants in this survival probably won't manifest their traits.
That is, there will be many fighting with pure spiritual power.
Of course, like that guy, it's possible to turn spiritual power into air bullets and shoot them.
Most will use them surrounding the body.
Kuung! Kuung!
Attacks keep coming. Avoiding is at its limit. I didn't intend to fight seriously.
But I had no choice but to summon five small brushes in the air.
Here, I can't exert full power. Also, I need to reduce unnecessary spiritual power consumption.
Five small brushes filled with spiritual power flew off with my hand gesture. And about three hit.
'Now.'
I reload the two missed brushes into the opponent's blind spot. And.
I use spiritual power in blue, the Ink Cannon.
—Kwaaang!
From the two small brushes, a beautifully unreal color bursts out.
The opponent hit by the Ink Cannon stumbles and falls to the ground. Then, they disappear into dust. Probably, they returned to the academy lobby again.
If I stay still, I might meet someone again, so I move positions.
If I just circle around, stamina will run out. Rather, I should dig a hole and hide.
In this admission test, a very large number of students participated. So there are many enemies.
Now, two hours have passed.
I have to endure the remaining 22 hours without sleeping.
I ignore the explosions coming continuously and look for a hiding place.
"This place is just right..."
While saying that, I entered a cave, and what I see is a shadow hiding, visible.
Well, it's pitiful, but I have to survive too.
Summon a small brush and pierce the heart in one go.
"Kheuk...!"
Since it's space, no blood comes out, but it's very painful, visible.
"Sorry."
It's sorry. Now it's a test, so let's discard emotions. Feeling pity is the moment of elimination.
If I get eliminated here, I have to wait for next year.
Especially, this survival test I'm doing is a special transfer student test mixed with second-years.
Now my age is 18, so transferring to second year makes the test more difficult.
Among the participants, there are second-year students attending the academy.
They are screening students for points, feeling like resource volunteers.
One of them is Raven, the Color Trait possessor I was guarding against.
Also, the major character and heroine in this game.
Anyway, it's clear I won't get entangled with her, so just endure it. Meeting here isn't good.
So, I enter the cave and start waiting until the time is up.
Anyway, I'm good at enduring boredom. I have a record of enduring 6 hours without a second last year.
Especially, by steadily doing a daily training routine, my mental strength has grown quite a bit.
So, three hours passed after that.
'Aaaaaaaaah.'
'Boring. Boring. Boring.'
I feel like I'm going crazy.
With empty eyes, locked in a dark place for about three hours, it really feels like I'm going insane.
Especially, in a narrow place, I can't move my body or do any active activities.
Moreover, I don't know when enemies will come, so I can't sleep. I have to just keep my eyes open with nothing to do.
Why am I here. I even think maybe I should fight outside. But if I do that, the three hours I endured would be in vain. I can't do that.
Yeah, just stay still. Pray that time passes quickly.
After 6 hours.
I finally won in rock-paper-scissors alone.
"Ha ha... aha ha..."
Boring. Boring to death.
50 people remaining.
Now, about 16 hours left.
In just 8 hours, so many people dropped out. It's definitely hard to transfer.
I should have entered as a first-year.
Now regretting it is too late. Since it's like this, I have to somehow endure it.
Until the cave burns.
—Fwoosh!
Spiritual power made of fire burns the cave instantly.
Fortunately, it was a cave that didn't make any sound, so the sound of something flying into the cave was even clearer.
Hearing that sound, I immediately broke the back space and escaped, and only 4 seconds after escaping, the cave was burned.
"I dodged that?"
I don't know who, but it might be one of the second-years.
Moreover, fire. An enemy handling the elemental trait. One of the most basic traits.
And as basic as it is, it's simple yet strong. It seems I would lose if I look at it carelessly.
Of course, I can't run away either. If I run away clumsily, I get caught instead. As expected, it's a fight in the end.
There's no chance I can't win. I can definitely win with my brush attacks.
Moreover, the output and amount of spiritual power are overwhelmingly superior to mine.
As long as I don't get hit, my victory is certain.
That guy probably fought for 8 hours, so his spiritual power is likely greatly consumed. Also, his output would be low.
Summon a large brush.
And concentrate spiritual power at the tip, prepare the stance.
"Let's try it."