Chapter 144: Candidate No. 7, Kang Geomma (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: Candidate No. 7, Kang Geomma (2)
Four days had passed since I left my armament at the blacksmith's.
During morning roll call, Instructor Lee Won-bin's thunderous voice echoed through the classroom.
"Today's class schedule has been suddenly changed. Detailed information will be announced at the training ground. It's 9:00 AM now... Change your clothes and gather at the training ground in thirty minutes, by 9:30. That is all."
Leaving those words behind, Lee Won-bin walked out of the classroom.
Behind his bald head, the chatter of the cadets broke out.
"What's going on? A sudden change in schedule? Has this ever happened before?"
"Yeah... But didn't the instructor look kind of rushed? It's like he was only notified this morning himself..."
Puzzled by Lee Won-bin's unusually tense demeanor, the cadets began to move.
As I changed in the locker room, I also felt a slight, unsettling sense of foreboding.
Joaquin Academy's curriculum during the semester rarely changed. This was an educational institution deeply rooted in strict principles. Schedule changes were extremely rare.
Something feels off.
Lost in various thoughts, the other cadets and I finished changing and arrived at the training ground.
"...What's this?"
Our Wolf Class wasn't the only one gathered at the training ground. A massive crowd filled the vast, open training ground.
Every single member of the Star, Dragon, Wolf, and Tiger Classes was gathered in one place.
I scanned the training ground. Familiar faces caught my eye—Leon, Abel, Rachel, Weapon, and others. I think this was the first time I had seen all of them in one place.
Exactly at 9:30 AM, the head instructors of each class entered the training ground. They began dividing the crowd, leaving space between each class.
"Tiger Class, over here!"
"Dragon Class, this way!"
"Star Class, please stand on the far left~"
Among the instructors, there was a face I hadn't seen in a while. It was Choi Seol-ah.
"...!"
As if sensing my gaze, she suddenly whipped her head in my direction.
Hehe. Choi Seol-ah gave me a sly, cheeky smile and nodded in greeting. Then, she quickly scurried back toward the Star Class, which she was in charge of.
"Wolf Class, line up in rows and columns using me as your reference."
Under Instructor Lee Won-bin's shout, the restless atmosphere of the Wolf Class settled down.
...A moment later.
The senior instructor—the very one who had cast a "curse" on us before the final exams—stepped onto the platform. His heavy voice filled the area.
"I will now explain the details of the mock exam to be conducted this morning."
The cadets' eyes shook with anxiety. Everyone was shocked. To call them out first thing in the morning for a mock exam without any prior warning?
Even pop quizzes are usually announced the day before. But to hold such a large-scale event without a single word beforehand? It was absurd.
And the second semester only started a few days ago.
As the atmosphere grew restless, the instructor continued his explanation, effectively silencing the cadets.
"The content of this mock exam is simple. You are to subjugate a B+ Rank magical beast, an Ogre, within a subspace."
Groans and sighs erupted from the cadets all around.
An Ogre. A magical beast considered far more dangerous than its actual rank due to its immense strength and sheer aggressiveness.
Joaquin Academy captured various magical beasts and kept them locked in iron cages in underground facilities.
Of course, capturing S or A+ Ranks was out of the question, but they kept live specimens of almost every beast below those ranks. The purpose was educational—to hone the cadets' real combat instincts.
Among the captured specimens, Ogres belonged to the high-risk category. Their violent nature made their attack patterns highly unpredictable.
Sometimes, wild, reckless swings were far more threatening than structured, technical attacks.
An Ogre at this point?
As far as I knew, Ogres were magical beasts included in the second-year curriculum. It was only natural that fear and tension spread across everyone's faces.
These soft first-years would surely be turned into minced meat with just one blow from the Ogre's club.
Even if it was in a subspace, no one wanted to experience the sensation of having their body crushed. Their pale, terrified reactions were completely understandable.
However, it didn't really register as a threat to me. The A-rank Cow King, the S-rank Lich King...
I had only hunted monsters with "King" attached to their names, so an ugly brute with a club... one slash would be more than enough.
But putting myself aside, isn't this mock exam way too harsh for first-years?
Just as the doubt crossed my mind, the instructor added an explanation, scratching that particular itch.
"Do not worry. No matter how combat-oriented Joaquin Academy is, we will not throw all of you, with your lack of experience, in front of an Ogre."
"Each class will select one representative. Volunteers are welcome. That single cadet will face the Ogre. Since it is a B+ Rank Ogre, it is perfectly fine even if you fail to subjugate it."
At the instructor's words, the cadets' gloomy expressions brightened. Sighs of relief rippled through the crowd.
"The subspace system will score the performance, and the points will be awarded to the class as a whole, not to individuals. The final score will be permanently recorded."
"Naturally, the selected cadet will receive extra credit. And keep in mind that a 'special reward' will be granted depending on the performance in the subjugation battle."
In short, one representative from each class just had to subjugate the Ogre.
No one else had to shoulder the risk. It didn't even matter if they succeeded.
Just one person had to close their eyes, go into the subspace, and rough it out with the Ogre. On top of that, if they did well, they could even aim for a special reward.
Not bad.
As mentioned before, the Academy was generous with rewards. In fact, the reward for the first midterm exam was a B-rank Armament. If so, the reward for this mock exam wouldn't be ordinary either.
In other words, taking one for the team didn't mean being a fool. Without a reward, you were a fool; with one, it was an achievement.
As I weighed the pros and cons, I suddenly felt a prickling sensation on my skin. I looked up and immediately realized the cause.
Countless expectant gazes surrounded me. Every single member of the Wolf Class was staring at me with sparkling, hopeful eyes.
The meaning behind these looks directed at me was obvious... Just then, Ryozo approached and nudged my ribs with her elbow.
"If it's a pain, just turn them down. You don't need to feel bound by those looks. There's no reason you absolutely have to go out there. If there's really no one else, I can just go. Besides, Geomma, you hate drawing attention."
"No."
Under the watchful eyes of the entire Wolf Class, I spoke up.
"I'll go."
Salivating at the word "reward" like Pavlov's dog, I was...
A 'Korean gamer.'
* * *
Crunch!
[The Tiger Class's exam has ended.]
[Cadet =Zen Tao='s score is...] [52 points.]
The male cadet from the Tiger Class, who had gone first, was carried away on a stretcher, his eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth.
As someone who got hospitalized at the drop of a hat, I knew. In that state, he was looking at at least two weeks of bland hospital food. Fortunately, since it took place in a subspace, he didn't have any actual physical wounds.
For reference, the order of participation decided by drawing lots was:
Tiger → Dragon → Star → Wolf.
Thus, my turn was last.
I looked at Zen Tao with pity. The Tiger Class was already consistently at the bottom, and he had the terrible luck of being drafted as the very first runner.
Looking away from the exit, I shifted my gaze to the center of the training ground. A humanoid magical beast with a horn on its head came into view.
Right before the exam, an iron cage had suddenly sprouted from the ground. And then, the mock exam began immediately.
Zen Tao had fought hard. Although he didn't land any effective hits, he used his nimble footwork to dodge the club.
But weight classes exist for a reason. He took just one normal attack from the Ogre, and his waist folded into a '<' shape.
Still, his effort was admirable.
—Ughaaaaahhhhh!
The Ogre roared with pure malice. It was Fear, a skill unleashed only by B-rank magical beasts and above. The cadets in the spectator stands broke out in goosebumps.
[Next, Cadet =Sean Axion= of the Dragon Class, please step forward.]
A mechanical voice rang out. A hulking boy carrying a double-bitted axe slung over his shoulder walked onto the training ground.
"Sean! Show them the power of the Dragon Class!"
"Whoooo! Looking good, Sean Axion!"
Whew! Whew! The Dragon Class cadets whistled in support. As if responding to their encouragement, Sean Axion waved his hand with an easygoing air.
He marched in like a gladiator entering the colosseum.
"Yeah, yeah. Just leave it to me, everyone!"
Sean Axion's steps were majestic. He wore an arrogant expression, as if to say he was on a completely different level from a mere Tiger Class representative.
Thus, the hulking boy stood before the Ogre.
[The Dragon Class's exam will now begin.]
The mechanical voice announcing the start—
[The Dragon Class's exam has ended.]
—had barely finished when the subspace barrier lifted. Sean Axion lay peacefully on the stretcher, his pants stained with a yellowish fluid.
[Cadet =Sean Axion='s score is...] [13 points.]
"..."
The cheering and encouragement stopped instantly. The entire Dragon Class could only stare blankly at their representative, who had literally wet himself.
—Ughaaaaahhhhh!
Amidst the heavy silence, the Ogre swung its club, slicing through the empty air. The beast didn't even seem to realize the battle had started.
And no wonder. Sean had rolled his eyes and fainted from a mere swing at the air. It was the ultimate embarrassment.
Sitting next to me, Ryozo let out a snort.
"Geomma, did you see that? He fell flat on his back when the club didn't even graze him."
"How is he the representative of the Dragon Class...?"
"He probably threw a tantrum demanding to go. No matter how overrated the Dragon Class is, they aren't usually that bad. Besides, Sean Axion is famous for being an attention whore. He's always flexing his muscles and hitting on girls. ...I didn't think he'd be this pathetic, though. I guess the rumor that he bribed his way into his class placement was true. He's truly the worst. Or maybe since he got 13 points, he's the weakest?"
"..."
"The Tiger Class guy put on a way better performance. Don't you think?"
I nodded.
"Seriously, the Dragon Class is so overrated. Well, anyway, next is..."
A dry mechanical voice cut Ryozo off.
[Next, Cadet =Leon von Reinhardt= of the Star Class, please step forward.]
A figure walked out from the entrance. A boy with blonde hair that blazed like the midday sun and clear, blue eyes.
Step, step.
With the appearance of the next Hero, Leon, only the quiet sound of footsteps filled the air.
Soon, he stood before the Ogre.
...!
The Ogre flinched at the sight of those faintly glowing blue eyes. It immediately unleashed a roar of Fear that shook the entire arena.
—Ugraaaaaahhhhhhh!
[The Star Class's exam will now begin.]
The Ogre charged first, kicking off the ground. The impact of its charge sent a slight tremor through the spectator stands.
—Lok'tar ogar!
Leon watched with hollow eyes as the Ogre, veins bulging, swung its club.
Leon's hand slid down to his waist.
Sshring.
An auspicious light flowed along the blade. A swift flash of light passed through the Ogre's left flank and emerged on the other side.
—Guh?
The Ogre's face went blank. The moment it lowered its head slightly, its upper and lower body slid apart, blood welling up like juice on the purple cut surface.
"...Wow, incredible."
Everyone gasped in unison. With a single strike, he had horizontally sliced through a waist that must have been three meters in circumference.
Leon sheathed his blade and calmly waited for the result. The scoring process took longer than before.
[Cadet =Leon von Reinhardt='s score is...]
Beep!
[...98 points!]
[You have broken the all-time record!]
[1st. Leon von Reinhardt / 98 points]
[2nd. Meain Poison / 96 points]
[3rd. Siegfried von Nibelung / 95 points]
[4th. Medea Poison / 94 points]
[5th. Richard de Myura / 93 points]
[6th. ...]
"Whoaaaaaa!"
Gasps of admiration turned into roaring cheers. Every cadet looked at Leon with awe, praising the divine might of the future Hero.
"...He really is amazing."
Ryozo muttered with a disgruntled look. But a moment later, she tilted her head in confusion.
"But isn't it a bit strange? Leon defeated the Ogre in a single exchange, but he didn't get a perfect score. Then how do you get a perfect score?"
"Yeah."
"Even if I try to analyze the subspace scoring algorithm in my head, it's weird. Even assuming a shorter time yields a higher score, isn't there a mechanism where points are deducted the moment you draw your sword? Like, minus two points for every swing."
It was an interesting perspective. Even to my eyes, Leon's swordsmanship had been absolutely flawless.
In fact, his perfect sword path made my past doubts about him look foolish.
Yet, even a Leon like that couldn't get 100 points. If so, to get a perfect score, one would have to subjugate the Ogre faster than Leon without even drawing a sword.
It's not like this is some Heart Sword from a wuxia novel...
!
...Heart?
Meanwhile, Leon left the training ground without a change in expression. Looking at his retreating figure, a lonely emptiness seemed to linger on his back.
[Next, Cadet =Kang Geomma= of the Wolf Class, please step forward.]
"It's my turn."
As I stood up, Ryozo spoke to me.
"Don't feel too pressured. Since Leon got 98 points, a perfect score of 100 is basically non-existent anyway."
"But according to your hypothesis, I just have to defeat the Ogre without drawing my sword, right?"
Ryozo shook her head.
"It's just a hypothesis. And defeating it in under a second without even using an armament is impossible in the first place. 98 points is probably just the hard cap for the scoring."
"98 and 100 are strictly different. You should know that well, Ryozo, since you always get 100 on your written exams."
"How is a written exam the same as real combat?!"
"What's the difference?"
I locked eyes with Ryozo and declared:
"I'll bring back a perfect score."