Chapter 144 – Candidate No. 7, Kang Geom-Ma (2)

Four days have passed since I left my weapon at the smithy.

During the morning class, the thunderous voice of Instructor Lee Won-Bin echoed through the classroom like a clap of thunder.

“The class schedule for today has suddenly changed. The details will be announced at the training field. It is now 9 a.m., so go change and be at the field by 9:30 sharp. That is all.”

After saying that, Lee Won-Bin left the classroom.

Murmurs rose from the students behind his shaved head.

“What the hell? Changing the class all of a sudden? Has this ever happened before?”

“That’s what I’m saying… But didn’t you notice that the instructor seemed nervous? It was like he had just found out this morning…”

Something about Lee Won-Bin’s unusual attitude left the students confused as they headed to the locker rooms.

While I was changing, I also felt a slight unease.

The curriculum at Joaquin Academy rarely changes.

This place is an institution deeply rooted in the principle of order.

Schedule modifications are extremely rare.

‘This doesn’t feel right.’

With that thought in mind, I finished changing and headed to the training field with the rest of the students.

“…What is this?”

We weren’t the only ones there.

The massive training field was completely packed.

The Star, Dragon, Wolf, and Tiger classes were all gathered.

I glanced around and saw some familiar faces.

Leon, Abel, Rachel, Speedweapon. It was the first time I had seen everyone gathered in one place.

At exactly 9:30, the lead instructors of each class entered the training field and organized the students into groups.

“Tiger Class, over here!”

“Dragon Class, this way!”

“Star Class, at the far left!”

Among the instructors, I recognized a face I hadn’t seen in a while.

Choi Seol-Ah.

“……!”

At that moment, as if she had sensed my gaze, she abruptly turned her head toward me.

Hehe~

With a shameless grin, she waved at me.

And then, without hesitation, she quickly ran over to Star Class, which she was in charge of.

“Wolf Class, line up in rows and columns in front of me.”

At Lee Won-Bin’s command, the commotion within Wolf Class died down.

…A little later.

The senior instructor, who had “blessed” us with his curses before the final exams, stepped onto the platform.

His deep voice filled the entire training field.

“I will now explain the contents of the simulated test we will be conducting this morning.”

The students’ eyes widened.

Everyone was stunned.

We had been suddenly summoned just to take a test.

And without any prior warning.

Even for a surprise test, they usually give notice the day before.

But holding an event of this scale without saying anything?

It was ridiculous.

‘The second semester hasn’t even been going for long.’

The atmosphere grew tense, but the instructor continued his explanation without leaving room for complaints.

“Today’s test is simple. You must hunt a B+ rank ogre demon inside a sub-dimension.”

Groans and complaints erupted from all around.

An ogre.

A demon with such immense brute strength and aggression that it is considered more dangerous than its rank suggests.

Joaquin Academy captures various magical beasts and keeps them in underground cages for training.

Of course, creatures of S or A+ rank are out of the question, but anything below that is regularly captured.

Ogres are among the most dangerous specimens.

Their fierce temperament makes their attack patterns unpredictable.

Sometimes, uncontrolled chaos is deadlier than a meticulously planned offense.

‘An ogre, at this time?’

As far as I know, ogres are part of the second-year curriculum.

The fear and tension on the students’ faces were completely understandable.

For these soft first-year students, a single strike from an ogre’s club would turn them into ground meat.

Even if the fight was inside a sub-dimension, no one wanted to experience the feeling of their body being crushed to the bone.

It wasn’t surprising that some of them looked pale with terror.

However, I felt no threat.

I had hunted an A-rank King Bull and an S-rank Lich King.

I had exterminated multiple creatures with “King” in their names.

An ogre with a club…

One slash of my sword would be enough.

‘But putting that aside, isn’t this too much for first-years?’

Just as I was wondering, the instructor clarified the situation as if answering my doubts.

“Do not worry. While Joaquin Academy focuses on real combat, we are not going to send inexperienced students against an ogre.”

“Each class will select a representative. They may volunteer. That person will fight the ogre. Since the creature is B+ rank, there will be no penalty if the hunt fails.”

Upon hearing that, the students who had been terrified now sighed in relief.

The field was filled with exhalations of relief.

“The performance will be evaluated by the sub-dimension, and the score obtained will apply to the entire class, not just the individual.”

“Naturally, the chosen representative will receive extra points. Additionally, depending on their performance in the hunt, a ‘special reward’ will be given.”

In short, only one person per class would have to face the ogre.

No one else would be at risk.

It didn’t even matter if the ogre wasn’t defeated.

As long as the representative fought inside the sub-dimension, the test would be considered complete.

And if they performed well, they could even receive a special reward.

‘Not a bad deal.’

The academy always gives generous rewards.

The prize for the first midterm exam was a B-rank weapon, so the reward for this test probably wasn’t ordinary either.

In other words, taking the risk might be worth it.

If there’s no reward, it’s a waste of time.

If there is, it’s a gain.

While analyzing the pros and cons, I felt many eyes fixed on me.

When I looked up, I understood why.

All of Wolf Class was watching me with bright, expectant eyes.

It was obvious what they wanted.

Ryozo approached and nudged me in the side.

“If you don’t want to do it, just reject them. You don’t have to give in to their stares. There’s no rule saying you have to go. If no one else steps up, I can do it. Besides, I know you hate drawing attention.”

“No.”

With all of Wolf Class watching me, I opened my mouth and said,

“I’ll go.”

As soon as I heard the word reward, my Korean gamer instincts activated immediately.

***

Crunch—!

[The test for Tiger Class has ended.]

[The score for student =Zhen Tao= is…]

[52 points.]

The representative of Tiger Class was carried out on a stretcher, eyes rolled back and foam at the mouth.

As someone who has been hospitalized many times, I recognized it instantly.

In that state, he would spend at least two weeks eating the bland food of the hospital.

Fortunately, since everything happened inside the sub-dimension, he didn’t suffer any real injuries.

To decide the order of participation, a lottery was used.

Tiger → Dragon → Star → Wolf.

That meant my turn would be last.

I looked at Zhen Tao with sympathy.

Tiger Class was already known for ranking near the bottom, and to make matters worse, he had the bad luck of being chosen as the representative.

After glancing toward the exit, I turned my attention to the center of the training field.

There stood the humanoid magical beast with a horn on its forehead.

Just before the test began, an iron cage had suddenly emerged from the ground, and the simulated test had begun immediately.

Zhen Tao fought with everything he had. Although he failed to land any effective hits, he skillfully dodged the club’s attacks.

But when the size difference is that massive, technique doesn’t matter.

He took just one clean hit from the ogre, and his back bent into a ‘＜’ shape.

‘Still, it was admirable that he fought with such determination.’

— GRAAAAAAHHHH!

The ogre roared in fury.

It was an intimidation cry that only B-rank or higher magical beasts could emit.

The students in the stands shuddered with chills.

[Next up is student =Shawn Axion= from Dragon Class. Please step forward.]

A mechanical voice announced the next turn.

A burly guy with a double-headed axe slung over his shoulder stepped onto the training field.

“Shawn! Show them the power of Dragon Class!”

“Woooo! Shawn! Axion! You’re so cool!”

The students of Dragon Class cheered him on with whistles.

As if responding to their support, Shawn Axion waved confidently.

He advanced toward the center of the field with the attitude of a gladiator entering the arena.

“Yeah, yeah! Just trust in me!”

He walked with absolute arrogance, as if making it clear that he wasn’t on the same level as the Tiger Class representative.

Finally, he stood in front of the ogre.

[The test for Dragon Class will now begin.]

The announcement sounded…

[The test for Dragon Class has ended.]

And as soon as it finished saying that, the sub-dimension barrier disappeared.

Shawn Axion lay motionless on a stretcher.

His pants were soaked with a yellow liquid.

[The score for student =Shawn Axion= is…]

[13 points.]

“……”

The uproar and cheers instantly died down.

The students of Dragon Class could only watch in shock as their representative utterly humiliated himself.

— GRAAAAAHHHH!

The ogre, oblivious to the situation, swung its club in the air.

It didn’t even realize that the fight had started.

I understood perfectly.

After all, Shawn hadn’t even been hit.

The moment he saw the ogre lift its club, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

It was the epitome of disgrace.

Next to me, Ryozo burst out laughing.

“Pfft— Geom-Ma, did you see that? The club didn’t even touch him, and he collapsed like a sack of potatoes.”

“How the hell did he become the representative of Dragon Class…?”

“He must have insisted on it. As overrated as Dragon Class is, I doubt they’re all this pathetic. Besides, Shawn Axion is famous for being a narcissist. He’s always showing off his muscles and harassing girls… Though I didn’t think he was this bad. Seems like the rumor that he paid money to be assigned to that class was true. He’s the worst. Or rather, with 13 points… the weakest?”

“……”

“To be honest, the Tiger Class guy had a much better performance, don’t you think?”

I nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, Dragon Class is way too overrated. Well, in any case, next up is…”

A mechanical voice interrupted Ryozo’s words.

[Next up is student =Leon van Reinhardt= from Star Class. Please step forward.]

From the entrance, a tall and slender figure walked onto the training field.

A boy with brilliant golden hair and sapphire-blue eyes, burning like the midday sun.

Step, step—the sound of his footsteps echoed in the expectant silence.

The next Hero, Leon, had made his entrance.

And when he finally stood in front of the ogre.

…!

The ogre trembled for a moment upon seeing his bright blue eyes.

But within seconds, it let out an earth-shaking roar.

— GRAAAAAAAAAH!

[The test for Star Class will now begin.]

The ogre moved first, slamming the ground with a crash and lunging forward.

The impact made the stands vibrate slightly.

— Lok’tar Ogar!

Howling in fury, it raised its club to strike.

Leon watched the attack with an empty, emotionless gaze.

Slowly, he slid his hand toward the hilt of his sword.

Shing!

The icy gleam of his blade flashed in a single clean motion.

A swift streak of light sliced through the ogre’s left side and exited through the other end.

— Guh…?!

The ogre’s expression turned to confusion. And the moment it looked down, its body split in two.

Its upper torso and legs separated with a clean cut.

From the violet-hued surface of the wound, blood spurted out like freshly squeezed juice.

“…I-Incredible.”

Everyone held their breath.

With a single slash, he had sliced a creature nearly 3 meters in diameter in half.

Leon sheathed his sword and calmly awaited the result.

The evaluation system took longer than usual this time.

[The score for student =Leon van Reinhardt= is…]

Beep—!

[…98 points.]

[A new record has been registered!]

[1st: Leon van Reinhardt / 98 points.]

[2nd: Meain Poison / 96 points.]

[3rd: Siegfried von Nibelung / 95 points.]

[4th: Media Poison / 94 points.]

[5th: Richard Mura / 93 points.]

[6th: …….]

“Uoooooooohhh!”

A stunned silence turned into a thunderous ovation.

All the students gazed at him in admiration.

It was the ultimate proof that Leon, the future Hero, was on a completely different level.

“…Yeah, well, I admit it. It’s impressive.”

Ryozo muttered with a look of displeasure.

But soon, she frowned, as if something didn’t add up.

“But this is weird, don’t you think? Leon took down the ogre in a single move… and yet, he didn’t get a perfect score. So how is someone supposed to achieve the maximum score?”

“Now that you mention it.”

“Analyzing the scoring algorithm of the sub-dimension, something doesn’t match. If completion time were the only criterion, he should have gotten 100. But if we consider the moment he drew his sword, then there must be a penalty for using a weapon. Something like ‘-2 points per slash’ or something along those lines.”

It was an interesting perspective. In my opinion, Leon’s slash was flawless.

His technique was so refined that it made my past doubts about him seem ridiculous.

But if even he didn’t get 100 points…

That meant that, to achieve the maximum score, you not only had to defeat the ogre faster than Leon but also without drawing your sword.

That sounded like something straight out of a wuxia novel about “mental swords”…

!

…Mental?

For a moment, an idea crossed my mind. Meanwhile, Leon left the field without changing his expression.

I watched his back as he walked away, and in it, I sensed an air of emptiness and solitude.

[Next up is student =Kang Geom-Ma= from Wolf Class. Please step forward.]

“It’s my turn.”

As I stood up from my seat, Ryozo spoke to me.

“Don’t pressure yourself too much. If Leon got 98 points, then 100 is basically a myth.”

“But according to your theory, all I have to do is defeat the ogre without drawing my sword, right?”

Ryozo shook his head.

“That’s just a theory. And besides, defeating an ogre without using a weapon in less than a second is ridiculous. Most likely, 98 is simply the maximum score possible.”

“98 and 100 are completely different numbers. You, who always score 100 on written exams, should understand that better than anyone.”

“Written exams and combat are two completely different things!”

“In what sense?”

I kept my gaze locked on Ryozo and declared with confidence.

“I’m going to achieve the maximum score.”