Chapter 3. Royal High Academy Entrance Exam – (2)

***

“…”

“…”

Just then, as that woman also looked at me, our gazes met for a moment.

Whisk.

As she suddenly turned her gaze away coldly, I was momentarily dumbfounded.

‘Why…’

Why is this woman in the same line as me?

I clearly left the training ground and headed straight for the exam hall.

That was to receive the examinee number as early as possible. But I didn’t understand how that woman could be in the same group as me.

As I was truly unable to comprehend this,

“There is a gravity field in the exam hall for basic physical testing. Everyone, find your place and stand upright.”

As the supervisor at the entrance spoke coldly, the others who had been hesitating began to find their places.

Even as they all found their places, I felt uncomfortable in one corner of my mind.

‘Damn…’

As I took in the exam hall that came into view, my mood was sour.

In the combat-oriented exam hall now, three people who could be called Academy instructors were watching us from a distance.

And the examinees are supposed to reveal their Talents to them and then demonstrate their Talents against the dummy visible now.

It was generally the case that out of the 10 examinees including myself now, only the most outstanding one would be chosen.

There are cases where multiple people are selected, but I know that they tend to look at only the person with the most outstanding performance.

I thought it would be best to receive a high score in this entrance exam and be assigned to a high class.

But from the start, it seemed to be going awry because of that blue-haired woman.

“Then, examinee number 491, please come to the center. After introducing your Talent, we will proceed with the test immediately.”

As the supervisor’s voice rang out, the person in the first position stepped forward.

Step.

A man with the number 491 on his chest walked clumsily as if very nervous, and as soon as I saw that, I felt there was no value in watching.

“My Talent is, um, Strength, and my Talent level is 2. With innate strength, I can exert stronger force…”

As he seemed to be explaining himself awkwardly, the supervisor immediately cut him off.

“Strength Talent level 2. That’s the end of the introduction, and we’ll proceed directly to the test. From now on, other examinees will also be given only 3 seconds, so please attack the dummy according to the signal.”

At the supervisor’s cold words, the man approached the dummy with a tense expression.

“Start.”

The test that followed.

As if to show off his Strength Talent, he wielded a huge greatsword and struck down on the dummy made entirely of iron.

Clang!
Clang!

As quite a fierce air-splitting sound rang out, a series of fierce attacks that could be called a furious assault continued.

Just as I felt that he was exerting all his strength with great effort,

“Stop. That’s it.”

At the supervisor’s words, the man stopped immediately.

“Examinee number 491, you may now exit through the door.”

There is no notification of whether the test result is a pass or fail.

Just introducing the Talent and demonstrating skills for 3 seconds, and then exiting through the door.

“Th-Thank you very much!”

As the man who shouted loudly one last time before exiting disappeared, silence fell inside.

“…”
“…”

The sound of swallowing saliva could be heard from multiple nearby places.

The entrance exam encountered for the first time without prior information was this cruel.

The entrance exam that decides one’s life ends so emptily after appealing one’s Talent to the instructor examiners for just a few seconds.

Like that, 492, 493, and up to 495 right before my number…

They all ended their short tests and headed towards the exit with equally powerless steps.

During this time, the supervisor coldly proceeded with the tests, and the examiners evaluating us hadn’t uttered a single word to the examinees so far.

“Then, examinee number 496. Please come forward, introduce your Talent, and we will proceed with the test.”

As my turn approached, I stepped forward confidently.

Step. Step.

Unlike the intimidated examinees up until now, I had to show my differentiation.

“Spearmanship Talent, level 3.”

And I didn’t give a long-winded explanation to appeal myself like the previous examinees.

I only stated my Talent level.

Because that alone was enough.

“…Level 3?”

As one of the examiners, a woman with red hair, spoke for the first time since the test began, my face lit up with joy.

The name of the red-haired woman who now showed interest in me was Kali.

She was one of the high-ranking officers who had shown great achievements on the battlefield, to the extent of having the alias ‘Crimson Dawn’.

Now that she was taking a break at the Academy and conducting lectures, I knew what kind of words she liked.

It was the word ‘effort’.

Of course, in this world that values innate Talents, it’s not a highly regarded word, but this woman Kali was different.

While she herself had an absurdly unique Talent, she strangely valued effort.

“Yes. Level 3.”
“Looks like you put in a lot of effort?”

As Kali brought up the word effort as expected, I nodded while trying to give the most likable smile possible.

“Even if Talents are given, isn’t effort the best one can do?”

Using the exact words that Bezel, a knight who would later become famous, said during his entrance exam, Kali burst into laughter just as I expected.

It was an expression that anyone could see she was pleased.

“Good. I like your answer too. Go ahead and proceed.”

At Kali’s words, who was an examiner and not the supervisor, I felt hope swelling as I headed towards the dummy.

Swish.

I skillfully drew out the iron spear I had on my back and immediately took a stance.

“…”

I calmly settled my breath.

For examinees directly addressed by an examiner, the supervisor doesn’t control separately.

So until I took my stance and demonstrated my true skills, I could receive a benefit that wasn’t quite a benefit.

‘Let’s show the strongest move.’

I naturally recalled the ‘principle’ I gained as I raised my Spearmanship to level 3.

Talents are seemingly simple, but absolutely not simple.

In this world, the moment everyone receives their Talent, they instinctively realize how to use that Talent.

To the extent that those with fire-type Talents can immediately manifest fire without any concept.
Above all, there was an absolute difference between Talent level 2 and 3.

It’s that from level 3, one can naturally understand the concept of ‘mana’.

Woong!

The blue light gathered at the tip of my spear was an extremely small amount, given my low mana stats.

But even that alone made a huge difference.

The destructive power, durability, and agility difference due to a weapon imbued with mana.
As I stared intently at the dummy’s head and raised my spear tip,

ー!

I took a step forward and twisted my waist to the fullest.

Kwang!

The launched spear tip directly struck the left side of the dummy’s head.

…!

I retrieved the spear I had thrust without time to adjust my breathing.

As I had struck the solid iron dummy, both hands holding the spear trembled incessantly, but I deliberately maintained my composure.

The attack is the beginning,
And the end is the retrieval of the weapon.

Just as one should see things through to the end once started, I thought finishing well to the end would give a good impression.

“…”

As I turned my gaze to the examiners like that, I felt Kali expressing curiosity towards me.

Of course, the other two examiners gave me indifferent looks, but even that felt somewhat good.

At least.

“You. Your name?”

I could be certain that I had given a good impression to that examiner Kali who was now smiling and asking.

“My name is Han Chunsung.”

“…Han Chunsung.”

Seeing Kali enunciate my name, which would be out of place in this world, she couldn’t have looked more beautiful to me.

In fact, Kali’s appearance as she curled one corner of her mouth into a smile was indescribably beautiful.

“You’re quite promising.”

“Thank you!”

As I answered with the loudest voice I could muster, I saw Kali smirk and slowly backed away.

“…Wow.”

Looking at the next examinee who seemed surprised as they looked at me, I didn’t head towards the exit.

Although everyone usually goes to the exit after the cold words of the supervisor when the test ends, examinees have the right to watch other examinees take their tests.

And my gaze naturally.

“……”

Once again, my eyes met with the blue-haired woman who was looking at me.

A woman possessing an unusual Talent that caused fierce winds when she swung her sword. There’s no doubt about my passing now, judging from Kali’s reaction just now.

Not only did an examiner directly speak to me, but she even used the word ‘promising’, which is a kind of code word for confirmed acceptance.

But on the contrary.

‘Please, take it easy.’

I also knew that I wouldn’t receive a better evaluation than the blue-haired woman.

Originally, this world is Talent-oriented.
It’s a world where one lives by dirty bloodlines and Talents.

Just by seeing how the other two examiners gave me indifferent looks because Spearmanship is a common-grade Talent, I could understand the discriminatory treatment based on grades.

So, I was just hoping that the blue-haired woman would take it easy so that I could be placed in a high class.

“Then, examinee number 497. Please come forward, introduce your Talent, and we will proceed with the test.”

As I heard the supervisor’s voice, I calmly kept my place.

And I needed to know specifically what name of Talent she had.
…

Like that, from number 497 to 499, the examinees headed to the exit just as ordinarily as the previous ones, and soon it was that woman’s turn.

“Examinee number 500. Please come forward, introduce your Talent, and we will proceed with the test.”

At the supervisor’s words, the blue-haired woman calmly stepped forward.

“…”

As she did so, she looked at me, who remained in the exam hall, in a strange way.

It was cold like before… but something felt different.

Whisk.

Then, turning her head, she calmly opened her mouth.