NoveLight ™
"Good~ Mo~ rning! Ba-ba-ba..."
Early in the morning, while I was absently scribbling with my pen, a song I hadn't heard in a long time filled my ears.
The hologram projector tossed to the corner of my desk blared an alarm without a clue of its owner's mood.
The lyrics, melody, and tempo of the song were all quite good, but listening to it in such a situation brought a peculiar, creeping discomfort.
It was highly effective as a morning alarm.
I reached out and tapped the hologram floating in the air.
The song stopped, and the hologram updated to display my schedule.
[Schedule: Midterm Day 1] [Monday AM: 6:00]
Upon confirming it with the power of observation, I let out a deep sigh.
The breath was laden with fatigue. My eyes, which I habitually rubbed, were shadowed heavily.
It's a morning alarm—a feature meant to wake me up, yet I was already awake.
To be precise, I hadn’t slept.
My mentor advised me to sleep sufficiently to maintain my condition... but to be honest, I feared the nightmares too much to sleep.
If I just went to sleep, I’d have a nightmare and ruin my mood for the day. On the other hand, the idea of taking medication too often made me anxious.
The other option to avoid nightmares was to sleep in someone else’s arms... but that was far too embarrassing to try while fully conscious.
I didn’t plan on staying up all night throughout the midterms. I intended to take medication and get some sleep the day before the tournament.
"Ugh."
I put down the pen, pushed the chair back, and stood up. After sitting for nearly ten hours straight, my body felt stiff.
I stretched my arms and legs, feeling my joints crack as I loosened up.
Bending and then extending my legs, bending my arm and stretching it upwards…
The stiffness in my rigid body gradually released, sending a pleasant sensation throughout.
The stretching movements were somewhat limited due to having only one arm.
It wasn’t just stretching—living with one arm brought plenty of inconveniences.
In daily life, it was obvious enough, but it also created significant gaps in combat.
The lack of a second arm not only created a physical gap but also disrupted my overall balance.
To add to that, some issue had arisen in the synergy between my body’s senses, temporarily throwing off the coordination I’d fine-tuned.
Specifically, when I was in the state of over-amplification at the Tower of Growth...
Although I’d regained control now, back then, as my mentor patted me, I’d flailed like a freshly caught fish.
Combat skills and practical tests. Just before the tournament, I planned to adjust my senses with my mentor's help.
With little time to spare, I used magic to quickly clean up.
Then, I put on my academy uniform, covering the unsightly burn scars on my hand with a sleeve.
...Living with one arm, dressing was inconvenient too.
I’d often use my teeth to pull things into place or manipulate the Wings of the Sky to help pull things over.
In retrospect, Wings of the Sky was the best choice.
Whether in battle or daily life, there wasn’t a single instance where it wasn’t helpful.
‘...On the other hand, that Core Egg…’
The thing occupying the corner of my sofa, like a useless burden...
I let out a sigh. I didn’t expect it to be in this state even on the day of the midterms...
‘Is it really not going to hatch?’
The Chancellor wouldn’t have tricked me...
Then again, the Chancellor never directly explained anything about it to me. I’d just assumed and picked it up as some sort of hidden piece.
When other cadets approached, it didn’t react at all, yet it opened up when I got near... It must have been meant for me...
“Ah.”
I didn’t know why I had to agonize over this hidden piece right on the day of the exam.
‘Please, just hatch already...’
After tapping the Core Egg, hoping it would hatch soon, I grabbed my belongings and left through the front door.
...
The written exams starting on Day 1 of midterms stretched over two days.
Seeing the tight schedule from early morning till almost evening gave me a feeling of queasiness.
On top of that, I wouldn’t just be staring blankly during that time; I’d have to wrack my brain to answer each question...
“Whew.”
I couldn’t help but shake my head.
I continued checking my schedule.
On Days 3 and 4, there were practical exams in the morning, followed by the tournament preliminaries in the afternoon on Day 4 and the finals on Day 5.
For reference, the only day Shio-ram Academy opened to outsiders was the last day—the day of the tournament finals.
Only the tournament finals were broadcasted online and open to public viewing.
Today was the first day of midterms, with written evaluations scheduled.
My assigned exam location was Evaluation Hall 5. Unfortunately, Hong Yeonhwa, Elia, Baek Ahrin, and others were all assigned to different locations.
Even the few others I was somewhat familiar with weren’t around.
The surrounding cadets were mostly unfamiliar faces from other classes.
Evaluation Hall 5 was just an enormous auditorium.
The quality was much higher, but it looked like a massively scaled-up version of a common auditorium.
“Isn’t this superhuman exceptionalism thing something we’ll use later?” “Well, they wouldn’t make us study it like this otherwise...” “Why are there so many exceptions to memorize in one legal provision…”
“Seriously, what’s with spell structure studies… Even if just the expected questions show up, I feel like I’ll get half of them wrong.” “I heard the difficulty for the magic side is notoriously high.” “Damn, I’m not even majoring in magic.”
“See, practicals are the only way to go, man.” “What’s with giving up before the written exam even starts?” “I’m impressed by your quick surrender.”
While taking my seat, marked with my name tag, I overheard various mutterings around me.
The conversations were predictable, considering it was right before an exam.
Anxiety and concern were also commonly evident in their tones.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.
Sure, the weight of the written exams might be low, but that low weight could determine one’s ranking.
For cadets driven by academics and competition, even a minor slip in their written exams leading to a drop in rank would be unacceptable.
“We will begin the written evaluation shortly. There are 60 questions, and the exam duration is 2 hours. Cadets may leave as they finish.”
After giving the material one last review and taking a brief moment to meditate, an announcement rang through the speakers overhead.
Tension, already high, spiked even further. Staff members moved between the cadets, collecting smartwatches and other devices.
“......”
The staff member approaching my left side reached out but flinched upon seeing my empty left sleeve.
I handed the hologram projector from around my neck to the staff member.
[Here you go.]
“...Thank you. You can retrieve your items at the desk upon exiting after the evaluation.”
[Should I submit other artifacts as well?]
“...No. That artifact is not subject to collection.”
[Understood.] [Thank you.]
The staff member expressed thanks and continued collecting devices from other cadets.
It was a measure for security, of course.
Though it might seem lax, it wasn’t the only security measure.
By using the powers of observation and space, I sensed numerous arrays interwoven like a dense web.
It was a security spell.
The spell acted as a barrier, cutting off the flow of magic between seats.
If activated, it would also block out any external noise.
Created by Shio-ram’s magic professors and specialists from the Mage Council, the spell ensured solid security.
Only a few cadets would be capable of breaking through, and even then, they’d likely be caught in the process.
It was that kind of magic.
“.......”
I observed the barrier’s exterior with ease.
Through the barrier, I could see the evaluation hall, other cadets within their own barriers, and the overall setup.
In other words, I could see how other cadets were solving the questions.
It was essentially an honesty test. There was no guarantee the answers of other cadets I peeked at would be correct.
Over a hundred cadets gathered in this evaluation hall. I could either check them all or just scan the work of a cadet who seemed to be doing well.
An honesty test.
I exhaled deeply, retracting my observational powers to limit them to just my seat.
I had to be proud of myself.
I had to express, without shame, that I wasn’t someone to be belittled.
Therefore, cheating wasn’t an option I even considered.
Besides, I wasn’t desperate enough to resort to cheating.
“Time has passed. The written evaluation will now begin.”
The announcement came through the speakers once more.
With the start of the test, the barrier activated.
The tablet left on the desk by the staff powered up, displaying the exam questions.
Today’s subject was magic.
[Question 1] [Compose the spell formula for the lowest-tier spell, ‘Mana Bullet.’] [Note: Follow the formula registered in the Mage Council.]
...
[Question 14] [The following spell is a modified version of the low-tier spell 'Fireball.'] [Assuming the spell is cast, answer the following questions below.]
[(1) Describe the differences between the original and modified spell.] [(2) Write the interpretation and reverse calculation of the modified spell.] [(3) Compose a formula for breaking the modified spell.]
...
[Question 42] [The following is a modified mid-to-high-tier barrier spell, ‘Artervita’s Mirror Veil.’] [The spell cannot manifest correctly.] [Answer the following questions below.]
[(1) Describe the cause of the spell's abnormal manifestation.] [(2) Modify the spell to ensure normal manifestation.]
“......”
The questions were a headache, to say the least.
There were no multiple-choice questions.
The exam lasted 120 minutes. Sixty questions.
About two minutes per question.
...Only two minutes per question. Most wouldn’t even finish all the questions.
Even the ten seconds I spent pondering felt wasteful.
I quickly picked up my pen.
...
Lee Hayul’s dormitory was devoid of extra furnishings or decorations.
Wallpaper, furniture, layout—it was all as originally provided.
The only thing that had changed was the giant egg resting on the sofa.
In the now empty dormitory.
The silence was thick with stillness.
The sound of something breaking filled the silence hours after Lee Hayul had left.
The giant egg trembled.
Despite no external force, small cracks began to form on the surface of the egg as it shook.
Hatching was imminent.