Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: My Magic is Originally Like This
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Right after all the orbs shattered.
A profound silence settled over the hall.
"......"
The examinees, the assistant supervisor, even Direk and Deplin—all gaped in stunned silence.
Only one exception.
Ullan.
What he had done was simple.
He merely highly compressed the Spirit constantly active within his body and released it through his fist.
This caused the compressed Spirit to explode in an instant, whipping up gale-force winds and unleashing a powerful shockwave.
A technique he had frequently employed in his past life.
Though its purpose had been somewhat different.
'Originally, I created it to wipe out swarms of insect monsters in a single blow.'
Tiny nuisances the size of flies that swarmed annoyingly and sprayed deadly venom—poisonous insects. Ullan had devised it himself to eradicate them in one strike.
'However, its power falls short of what it once was.'
The him of his past life would have utterly demolished even the wall to which the orbs had been attached.
He smacked his lips in regret, but the lingering disappointment was brief. It was a power he would reclaim anyway.
"U-Ullan......"
At that moment, the assistant supervisor's voice rang out.
Thoroughly flustered, she stammered through announcing Ullan's result.
"......Ullan Bator, 3 seconds."
Once more, silence blanketed the hall.
Then.
A cheerful voice shattered the quiet.
"Wow, what on earth did you just do?"
The girl with apricot-colored hair swaying lightly.
It was Deplin. She gazed at Ullan with eyes brimming with curiosity.
"No matter how I look at it, that's not magic?"
"......"
What is this one now?
She didn't seem to be a supervisor. As he eyed Deplin, Noa's advice suddenly surfaced in his mind.
If pressed with questions, deny it outright. Insist it was simply magic.
Ullan followed suit without hesitation.
"It's magic."
"Huh? But there's no mana reaction......"
"My magic is originally like this."
Ullan doubled down bullheadedly.
Deplin wore an utterly baffled expression.
But only for a moment. She covered her mouth and chuckled as if finding it amusing.
"Hehe, alright, let's say that's the case. The method's a bit unconventional, but you clearly met the test's objective anyway."
As her words concluded.
This time, the other examinees began to murmur.
"Does that really count?"
"No way that's magic, right?"
"But according to the rules......"
The test required finding and shattering the orbs containing varying amounts of mana as quickly as possible. Wrong guesses incurred no penalties.
And Ullan had shattered every orb without his body making contact. Magic or not, the goal was achieved.
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Direk's face was a crumpled mess.
His bulging eyes were threaded with blood vessels, and his clenched fists trembled violently with seething fury.
'This insane barbarian fucker!'
No, just what the hell had he done?!
As Deplin had noted, Ullan's mana hadn't reacted in the slightest. Meaning it was some other 'something' entirely, not magic.
He desperately wanted to disqualify him on grounds of failing to use magic.
But to do that, he would have needed to stipulate from the outset that magic was mandatory.
'And the dean acknowledged it.'
Process aside, the goal had been met.
Raising an objection now would only embarrass the dean. In the end, he swallowed his rage and had no choice but to concede.
With the first test concluded.
The results were promptly announced.
Ullan earned 5 points, Dilia 4.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, perhaps?
Dilia's eyebrow twitched once. But only briefly—she swiftly reverted to her impassive expression.
And so the second test commenced.
"Next is striking the target with this spear. It has weight reinforcement magic stacked five times, and the only way to release it is by locating the mana core and triggering a mana reaction."
A spear forged entirely from steel, blade to haft.
Due to the weight reinforcement magic, its mass had ballooned enormously—to the point where even five knights could barely budge it.
"Most of you probably lack experience throwing spears, so accuracy won't factor into your score. We'll only measure how quickly you can lift and hurl it."
Immediately after the explanation.
Direk shot Ullan an anxious glance.
'By the original plan, he should've flunked mana verification—at latest, the first test......'
Yet Ullan had passed handily.
Using something that scarcely resembled magic.
'If I'd foreseen this, I should've rigged the remaining tests to be properly insurmountable.'
The second and third mana detection tests were mere tweaks on last year's aptitude exams.
Because he'd assumed Ullan would wash out beforehand.
But regrets were futile now. As he forced down his unease, the test got underway.
"Yupi Davien, 3 minutes 51 seconds."
"Jervayne Colt, 4 minutes 33 seconds!"
Times from lifting the spear to hitting the target were measured and called out. They varied by examinee, but most clocked around 4 minutes.
"Dilia Arpen. 1 minute 15 seconds!"
The standout talent from the prior test, Dilia, still exceeded 1 minute here.
She'd located the mana core and triggered the reaction in 30 seconds flat—but her spear-handling skills were novice, costing her time.
"Sigh, still so weak. That's why I told you time and again to train your strength and stamina alongside magic."
Deplin clicked her tongue softly.
Even so, her face lit up. Over a minute or not, she was the fastest among the examinees.
Soon enough, it was Ullan's turn.
Gazes poured in once more. Amid them, a few examinees spotted something off.
"Huh? But isn't that spear different?"
"Yeah, looks bigger than ours."
"Somehow seems even heavier."
This is why sharp-eyed bastards are the worst.
Direk furrowed his brow. Just as they said, he'd tampered with this one too, naturally.
'Weight reinforcement stacked eight times, plus a special gravity reinforcement spell.'
Not five knights—even ten might barely lift it. No matter Ullan's strength, it should be impossible.
Yet a nagging unease stirred.
What if he breezed through this too? The worry flickered, but he shook his head fiercely to banish it.
'No, impossible. Humans have limits, no matter the strength. Short of some legendary giantkin, no one could hoist that.'
Thus, he felt certain this time.
The bastard wouldn't pass easily.
"Begin!"
The assistant supervisor's shout reverberated through the test hall.
Ullan strode forward and gripped the spear.
Then lifted it clean.
"......Huh?"
Direk muttered blankly.
No—why was it lifting?
Suspecting the magic had undone itself, he hurriedly checked. But no—the magic arrays plastered to the spear proved otherwise.
'Th-that means......'
He'd lifted it on raw strength? For real?
As Direk's eyes widened further.
Ullan hurled the spear.
Kwaaaaaang!
The steel spear rent the air with a tearing roar, punching straight through the target in one go. Not stopping there, it pulverized the outer wall beyond.
Kuung! Kugugugu!
Its force was so tremendous, the ensuing shockwave rattled the entire test hall for a moment.
"U-Ullan Bator. 5 seconds."
"......"
Silence descended anew.
The examinees whispered among themselves.
"What was that? Magic?"
"Looked like pure strength......"
"If real, isn't that even more insane?"
Regardless, the test criteria were met.
And the result?
Ullan claimed another 5 points.
Direk, plans in ruins, flushed beet-red like he might burst; Dilia, stuck with 4 points, wrinkled her nose.
'That......'
A telltale sign of pique.
Likely irked that Ullan had snatched the score with some absurd feat.
But he couldn't coddle her. Slack off, and Direk might seize on it.
With a total of 10 points secured.
The final test arrived at last.
5.
"......The third test pits you against mana golems to seize their mana cores. Five golems total—aim to recover as many intact as possible."
Worn and weary in appearance.
Direk explained in a listless tone. Most of his prepared schemes had gone up in smoke by now.
"Note, as mentioned earlier, this is a team test. Cooperation will be highly valued, so coordinate effectively with your partner."
Yet Direk hadn't surrendered.
He'd rigged this test too.
Examinees numbered odd. Inevitably, one left without a group.
'And that's when......'
He planned to foist a pre-bribed assistant supervisor as Ullan's 'helper.' Then smash all cores before the bastard could claim any.
Having double-checked his scheme.
Direk shook the prepared box.
"Groups via lots. Order: highest mana capacity first."
This ensured Ullan drew last. A smirk tugged at Direk's lips—
Hwarak! Hwaruruk!
When abruptly, the lot box erupted in flames.
"......!?"
Sudden mishap.
Direk flung it away in shock.
The culprit was obvious at a glance. Only one here had cast magic.
"Wh-what are you......"
"Sorry. Changed my mind."
Deplin had torched it.
The magic faculty's dean. She beamed at the examinees.
"There's a fairer method than this."
"......Fair?"
"Yes! Pair by mana capacity—highest with lowest, next pair sequentially."
Direk realized at once.
She meant to team Ullan with Dilia. Motive unclear, but plain as day: Deplin's intent.
Her words barely done.
A few examinees raised objections.
"But even that's kinda......"
"Feels unfair?"
"Huh? Why?"
"That'd put Ullan and Dilia together—current 1st and 2nd place."
"Hmm, fair point."
She murmured pensively.
But only briefly.
"Ah! How about this? If Ullan and Dilia's team fails to claim every core, they get 1 point."
With a somewhat outlandish proposal.
Deplin flashed a radiant smile.
"But succeed perfectly? 5 points, plus a special perk. Something massively useful for academy life. I promise—as magic faculty 'dean.'"
"......!"
The hall buzzed at her final remark.
Magic faculty dean. Deplin had said it outright. Even supervisor Direk offered no denial, fanning the murmurs louder.
"Well? Tempting terms, right?"
No dissent.
Fair or foul mattered little—none dared defy the magic faculty's dean.
Ullan murmured low.
"Not bad."
He already held 10 points.
Even a failed recovery yielding 1 point secured a minimum B grade—admission guaranteed.
Succeed, and snag that 'special perk' to boot.
No downside.
"Right? Shall we?"
"I don't care. Provided......"
"Provided?"
"Swear it on mana and your name."
Ullan's gaze intensified.
Deplin looked flabbergasted.
"Swear? Come on, I'm the dean. Magic faculty dean! You think I'd welch......"
"High likelihood."
Cutting her short.
Ullan met her eyes steadily.
"Your eyes reek of deceit."
"......"
"I've seen plenty like yours. Can't trust them."
His words ceased.
Deplin's gaze shifted oddly.
Not her usual blankness, but laced with intrigue. She stared at Ullan a beat, then burst into bright laughter.
"Hahaha! Deal! I, Deplin Chernio, swear upon this world and mana to honor the promise just voiced. Satisfied?"
Ullan nodded wordlessly.
Assent. Dilia accepted sans protest too.
Watching Ullan and Dilia pair up, Direk let out a hollow laugh.
'Haha, we're done.'
He could still interfere.
But it'd drag Dilia down too—tantamount to incurring Deplin's wrath.
Visions of research funds fluttering away on wings, Direk blacked out.
6.
With Professor Direk fainted.
The supervisor switched to magic faculty dean Deplin. No examinee voiced qualms.
Ullan and Dilia, abruptly teamed.
Silence hung thick between them.
Dilia stood mutely polishing her staff; Ullan gripped axes in both hands.
'Claiming the mana cores won't be hard.'
Just carve from the surface like hunting magic beasts. Tools permitted this test.
'Or......'
Like in his past life.
Enlist Dilia's aid.
Beloved of mana, reading flows to pinpoint cores was child's play for her.
Either path led to victory.
As such thoughts swirled.
Pok pok!
Someone prodded his side.
"......Can't see."
The silver-haired girl, brow furrowed.
Dilia. She'd sidled up, eyed Ullan like some exotic specimen, then jabbed behind her.
"Stay back. Rear, spectate."
Hearing it, a laugh escaped unbidden.
Nigh identical to their first encounter. Back then, spotting Ullan, she'd blurted:
「Are you perhaps giantkin? 」
Scanning him top to bottom with weary disdain.
Learning he was a barbarian warrior, she'd deadpanned:
「Don't trip us up. Hang back. 」
He'd taken it as dismissal then.
But time together revealed truth.
Just clumsy with words. Wished no ally harmed on her watch.
Intoxicated by nostalgia?
Ullan reprised his old reply, verbatim.
"Declined."
"What?"
"Ignore puny mage prattle."
"What nonsense......"
"Say what you will—I fight up front. Warrior's duty."
Grinning, Ullan took point.
Dilia scowled.
Yet held her tongue. Test prep neared completion.
First up: Ullan and Dilia.
All eyes upon them, varied sentiments. The assistant supervisor bellowed.
"Test begin!"
That instant, the mana golem stirred to life.
Glowing blue eyes. Dilia clutched her staff, lips parting for incantation—
When Ullan struck first.
Hung! Hwooung!
He flung an axe outright.
Spinning fiercely, it clove the golem's forehead in one shot.
"......Huh?"
Dilia blurted blankly.
The golem cleaved in twain.
Chapter 6. My Magic is Originally Like This