Chapter 98 – Midterm (1)
─Instead of betting on tournaments, you guys should work on improving your skills. [Comment 7]
Today’s gossip revolves around the midterm tournament.
And it’s about a man who has been garnering increased attention lately.
─So, how much do you think his grades will improve this time? [Hot]
He’s currently ranked 152nd. I saw him during training last time, and he was dominating everything. Don’t you think he’ll at least make it into the top 30?
I thought he was just some crazy guy wearing a mask as a gimmick, but it turns out he’s actually a formidable madman.
-Anonymous: Hahaha, yeah, ranked 152nd
└Author: So have you tried facing him?
└Anonymous: It’s obvious how it would go even without trying. I’ve seen him float a water rocket a few times.
-Anonymous: Look at the guy above feeling inferior. Seems like he got beaten in face-to-face training, kind of pitiful.
└Anonymous: You? lol
└Anonymous: Ranked 23rd. Scared?
└Anonymous: If you’re ranked 23rd, then I’m Jung Si-woo.
-Anonymous: But watching the recent videos, they seem to be on par with the top-ranked ones, right?
└Anonymous: It’s seriously overhyped. So why is such a strong guy ranked 152nd?
└Anonymous: Don’t know, maybe he had some sort of epiphany.
└Anonymous: Epiphany, hahaha, did he undergo some sort of transformation?
-Anonymous: He used to be so stuck-up.
└Anonymous: ?? What do you mean? He’s been known to be good-looking for a while.
└Anonymous: Really? But why does he wear a mask that doesn’t suit him? I wish those deceivers would just die.
└Anonymous: Hahahahahahahaha
Ranking in skill is absolute.
No matter how much talk there has been of late about masked figures, it didn’t compare to the likes of elite cadets such as Jung Si-woo and Cornus in the prestigious class.
Predicting the victor based on previous rankings isn’t exclusive to school-related topics.
Many students’ speculations regarding the midterm tournament were also converging on a single individual.
─No way, how did he defeat the academy’s top student? [Hot!]
Excluding Azalea, since she’s a magician. It’s true that Cornus, Lim Jong-hyun, and a few others are strong.
But have you ever battled Si-woo? Anyone who has ever crossed swords with him would know why he is the top student. In the first place, he’s an opponent that even active hunters find daunting, so what do first-year cadets know to be making a fuss about? Hahaha
-Anonymous: I mean, that’s true, but why is this person so angry?
└Anonymous: I heard they got trounced by Si-woo
-Anonymous: Lim Jong-hyun was preparing, but who knows.
└Anonymous: The form was seriously insane this time. Considering Jung Si-woo was hospitalized once, there’s a possibility.
-Anonymous: Personally, I wish Cornus would win.
└Anonymous: Buffalo calfㅉㅉ
└Anonymous: She’s so damn pretty, isn’t she? Is there anyone among the academy cadets who can beat Cornus?
└Anonymous: Huge breasts. Seems to be beyond H-cup?
└Anonymous: Do you guys see Cha-seok as a slut? I think Cornus has a chance of winning.
└Anonymous: Sexual harassment maniacs, you’re being tracked.
Posts overflowing with various predictions, speculations, and baseless hatred.
However, not a single person predicted the victory of the masked man.
It was only natural. Who in their right mind would anticipate the 152nd-ranked person to win? The stories about Lee Si-heon merely revolved around his rising rank and envying his extraordinary experiences.
And so, the day of the midterm exam arrived.
Cadets swarmed into the front gate of the academy.
Amidst them, Jeongjinban united and strode through the center.
“Jung Si-woo.”
Lim Jong-hyun. As always, his fighting spirit burned brightly.
“Huh?”
“Did you study?”
“Well… I didn’t study much because I was just focused on the tournament.”
Jung Si-woo laughed bitterly as he scratched the back of his head. However, he couldn’t shake off the tense expression on his face.
In front of such men.
“…”
Sansuyu was elegantly walking at a distance. No one knew what she was thinking, but the atmosphere emanating from her was undeniably solemn. Azalea strolled along, flipping through her notebook. Soon, Suyeong and the other cadets from Jeong Jin-ban joined their ranks.
If there was a spotlight, wouldn’t it have illuminated those who would someday become talented? The path they walked was akin to a cradle receiving the world’s attention.
And beneath that stage, there was a man watching them from a hidden corner on the sidewalk, where no one would see.
“Ah, I left my textbook behind.”
A man with fierce eyes hidden behind a mask.
His heavy dark circles hung low as he pierced through the space between the cadets with half-closed eyes.
“Ugh… I’ve memorized everything, but it probably doesn’t matter.”
The exam had begun.
* * * * * *
– Tick. Tick.
The examination room was hushed.
Only the ticking of the second hand and the friction of pen nibs echoed through the silence, punctuated by the occasional nervous breaths of a few students.
[Question 1. Above is a magic circle. Provide a dimensional proof of the magic and its reaction when activated.]
[Answer: ]
These were questions that would remain unanswered without proper study.
The physics of the world I had known was difficult to grasp, as its logic and theories were in stark contrast to what I was learning.
‘Did they say I ranked first in writing?’
Subjects that were relatively connected to my previous world didn’t require as much time to grasp.
For instance, mathematics or foreign languages.
In truth, I already knew all the content without studying.
What truly challenged me were the subjects I learned for the first time.
‘Magic, analytical mechanics, masochism…’
I had to struggle a bit to learn in a short period what others took over nine years to learn gradually. Though it was enjoyable and enlightening, it wasn’t enough to achieve remarkable results.
However, I possessed a knack for learning that I had cultivated since childhood.
“Dongsang, how long are you going to do this?”
“Older sister, exams at universities and academies typically boil down to how long one can endure sitting in a chair.”
“I know that, but… It’s 4 AM now. You need to sleep to attend tomorrow’s classes, right?”
“Go to bed first. Let me finish this.”
“You didn’t sleep last night either.”
When my concentration peaked, sleep usually didn’t cross my mind. The minimum amount of sleep could be reduced by taking a potion.
This was the so-called potion study method.
It’s a study method so insane that it’s even posted on YouTube. If you do it for about a week, you’ll lose your mind.
Thanks to that, I was able to study much more effectively.
And that quickly turned into competence.
I discovered a way to dramatically increase my understanding of spatial magic, enhance the performance of wind magic, and significantly reduce mana consumption.
-Chuckle.
I carefully read the text and composed my response.
I mixed in my own unique insights with the thoroughly memorized standard material. This was the most effective method for extracting high marks from a strict professor.
‘Suddenly, I’m reminded of my college days…’
No matter how reclusive my lifestyle was, I never missed out on being at the top of my class.
Even now, I had no intention of letting that slip.
-Scratch scratch.
After completing the solution process, reverse calculations, and proofs,
I checked the clock and saw that there was still plenty of time remaining. I submitted my exam paper and left.
Now, all that’s left is the practical portion.
Practical exams typically involved demonstrating swordsmanship or casting complex spells, a walk in the park for me, who had always mimicked the sword techniques of other cadets.
I surveyed the academy grounds and sat down on a fitting bench to check my phone.
[Preliminary match schedule revealed – 13:00pm]
The tournament preliminaries were in two days. Until then, I planned to catch up on sleep and rest.
But what should I do with the remaining time…?
I leaned back against the bench and basked in the sunlight. As I browsed through my phone’s contacts, I reached out to a person who seemed fitting at the moment.
– Tring… *click*.
[Hello?]
Simultaneously with the ring, a familiar voice resonated. It was Lee Se-Young.
“Hello.”
[What’s up? You’re the one calling. I always used to call you.]
Se-Young’s voice sounded drowsy, as if she had just woken up. I recalled our conversation during a previous study session, when she mentioned struggling due to her day and night schedule being flipped because of an investigation.
[You’re going to ask me for a favor again, aren’t you?]
“Ah, I just thought of you and decided to call. What do you think I am?”
[A perverted piece of human trash.]
“…Should I hang up?”
[No.]
Hahaha, I laughed heartily, and I could hear giggling coming from the phone.
[I thought you wouldn’t call because you were upset after getting rejected when you confessed last time, but it’s cute when you call like this. But isn’t it exam time now?]
“I just finished, took a break, and called you.”
[Hey, what time is it now? Are you already done? You didn’t cheat, did you?]
“Ahh, I can confidently say that I’ve aced this one.”
It’s half a gamble, but it’s alright to show a bit of confidence in situations like these.
[Really? Oh, right, hey, what kind of underwear are you wearing today? Make a decision quickly.]
“The black ones.”
[You really only like black… Just like the last time you wore stockings. Do guys really have a thing for that kind of romance?]
In truth, she looks pretty no matter what she wears.
And the most versatile choice is black, after all.
After exchanging a few words, Se-Young grew excited and began recounting the various challenges they had faced last time. I found listening to such stories comforting and enjoyable, so I paid attention to pass the time.
“So, when can you come?”
[When you go to your MT. I think I can join as a temporary instructor then.]
“Aha.”
So, they would come after the exams when we were going on a trip. I chuckled as I realized I had been pondering my own situation, leaving that time unaccounted for.
[Anyway, contact me again after the exam is over… If you make me wait, I’ll feel like dying.]
“Alright, I’ll contact you again.”
[Oh, and about the tournament. Make sure to chew everything up and come. Shall I hang up then?]
“Yes.”
-Click.
As I put my phone back in my pocket, I checked the time once more. It was just about time for the preliminary brackets to be announced.
[El Academy Tournament Preliminary Brackets.]
[Lee Si-heon, Ho Yeon-jung, Shin Jung-hwan, Lee Seok-ho, Jung Man-woo, Gu-seul H]
Group H. One must claim first place here to qualify for the tournament.
Mostly unfamiliar names… I thought they were names that might have brushed past me briefly in life. However, the name of someone I knew appeared at the end.
A woman shrouded in mystery from beginning to end, leaving nothing but questions when pondered upon. Gu-seul.
‘It’s fine.’
I thought it would be a good opportunity to gauge her abilities this time, as I couldn’t discern anything from the training thus far.
I checked the names of other trainees I knew, along with mine. Cornus belonged to Group A. Azalea and Lim Jong-hyun were in Group C. They would only meet in the semifinals, even if they made it to the main event.
At least the person I would meet quickly in the final round would be…
“Uh.”
Hold on.
As I scrolled down the screen of my phone, checking names, I inadvertently let out a sound.
[Jung Si-woo, Lim Hyukjun, Jung Sangsoo, Shin Youngwoo, but Choi Young. G]
“Evande.”
Jung Si-woo in Group G.
Assuming we make it to the finals without any issues, this is the person I would face in the first round.