LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 3 - Placement Test (1)
✦ Chapter 3 – Placement Test (1) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
*CREAK*
I handed in my test paper and quietly exited the room, stepping into the hallway.
Two people who appeared to be academy staff members were standing in the hallway.
One of them spoke as soon as they saw me.
“The practical exam will be held in the gymnasium on the first floor, just follow the signs.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as I heard the practical exam was in the gymnasium, a map of the academy drew itself in my mind. If the interior of Orion Academy was exactly the same as the game, I felt like I could go there with my eyes closed.
‘Aren’t there multiple gymnasiums? Anyway, it must be that one.’
I was the only one using the wide staircase, which had been bustling with students a while ago. As soon as I reached the first floor… The translucent window that obstructed my view reappeared.
[The Skill Window has been unlocked.]
“!”
I instinctively halted.
‘In game terms, does this mean the shortcut key ‘K’ has been activated?’
I had been thrust into this world before even receiving a thorough explanation of my character.
Naturally, I was too curious about the skills I possessed.
‘Is the method to open it the same as the quest window?’
I had already figured out how to open the quest window on my way here. All it took was my will to summon the translucent window.
[Weakness Infliction — Lv.1]
◇ Inflicts a Physical Weakness to the target upon contact.
[Shop — Lv.1]
◇ Purchase items by consuming points.
“Huh…!”
The skill window, drawn by the harpoon of my will, floated in mid-air. It had a different meaning than the quest window but excited me nonetheless. I quickly skimmed through the information with interest.
‘As expected.’
A faint glow emanated from the names of the skills listed in the skill window. In addition, there were levels that indicated the possibility of growth rather than just grades. It meant they were unique skills that only I could use.
‘Two unique skills!’
As expected, I was S-Rank. I had expected it since I even received a personal pickup schedule, but after confirming the number of unique skills, I could be certain of my S-Rank status.
However, the skills were unique and unfamiliar, making it hard to call my skill set combat-focused. I wondered if the ‘Weakness Infliction’ skill was a debuff type. First of all, it seemed clear that it could be applied in combat.
However, it was hard to imagine how a ‘Shop’ skill would work in Abyss City; there was nothing similar to it.
“Hmm.”
Resuming my walk towards the gymnasium, I pondered over my skills.
‘If Shop uses points as currency, does that mean quest rewards get consumed? And Weakness Infliction…’
Though it was unclear how my unique skills would evolve with higher levels, if the attributes that could be imposed expanded, it would feel like a master key that allowed for assembling any party rather than excluding favorite characters.
Conversely, even gamers who cared solely about performance and clear rates would find it indispensable.
‘This…?’
I sensed the distinct scent of what you might call a ‘must-have’ character.
The skills exuded that unmistakable aura.
.
.
.
There were a total of five gymnasiums lined up at Orion Academy. As if that weren’t enough, I could see another one being built in the distance.
‘Weren’t there eight by the time the protagonist was a sophomore?’
It was only natural, considering the number of students flocking in from all over the world and the fact that most of the classes were physically demanding.
‘There she is.’
I spotted a woman with rabbit ears on her head sitting at a desk, just like the one I had seen at the entrance. Her ears were twitching as she looked at me. The existence of beastkin was still fascinating.
“Are you here for the practical exam?”
“Yes, I’ve finished the written exam.”
“You finished it really quickly!”
I smiled awkwardly at her comment and showed my student ID and number. One of her ears remained folded as she deftly wrote something on her paperwork.
“You can go to the first gymnasium over there.”
“Thank you.”
“The exam will start once the minimum number of participants has gathered, so please warm up and wait inside.”
With a nod, I headed towards the gymnasium marked with the number 1.
*Creak!*
As I pushed open the metal door, it became clear that no one else was inside. I must have been the first to finish the written test.
‘What’s that? Is it related to the exam?’
Upon entering, I saw a bunch of square stones lined up in the center, their purpose unknown.
“Hmm…”
I didn’t stop and headed towards one of the walls of the gymnasium.
It was covered with all sorts of weapons — swords, spears, axes, guns, bows, and more. My heart felt at ease seeing the wall adorned with such familiar weapons.
‘This is the ideal academy, after all. I wish Korea had something like this too.’
I reached out and drew one of the swords from its sheath.
*Shinggg!*
It was a heavy longsword. Even just holding it, I could tell it was well-maintained; the blade was properly sharpened too.
‘The balance is good.’
I swung it lightly before placing it back in its spot. There was something more important requiring my focus right now than the sword.
‘Is it possible to use the skills simply with my thoughts?’
Could it be done by simple willpower just like how I summoned the quest window?
“………..”
Just as I was thinking about wanting to use the Shop skill, something within me reacted.
[Updating Shop Inventory.]
[Estimated Time Remaining — 05:17:36]
‘What a cheeky thing.’
I dispelled the semi-transparent window with a chuckle. Despite the system update, I got a good sense of how the skill worked immediately; the process was similar to how I managed supernatural abilities as a hunter, though the points of consumption were different.
‘Just a few more tries should do it.’
How long had I been focusing on grasping that foreign sensation clearly?
*Thud—!*
Someone opened the door energetically.
“Huh? I’m not the first one here?”
A clear, familiar voice echoed. My body moved instinctively, and I turned my head so swiftly it almost hurt.
I came face to face with a beastkin woman emanating an intense aura.
‘Noah Frozenheart…!’
A royal from the Northern lands and a beastkin who inherited the blood of the White Tiger. Long limbs and clear blue eyes, a product of her noble lineage; her confident and spirited smile was dazzling.
Just like in the game, she wasn’t wearing the Orion Academy uniform but rather casual attire. On her right index finger sat a ring, a symbol of her exclusive weapon.
And following her…
“Noah, it’s the exam results that are important, not the order in which we finished.”
A girl with closed eyes and jet-black hair cut in a hime style gracefully entered, her steps elegant. In the pale hand of the girl was her signature weapon, the black tachi called Yoru.
‘Ichinose Yui too?’
I clenched my jaw shut to stifle a cheer. Seeing the characters I genuinely cherished, not the ones I left at level 1, made my heart pound like it was going to explode.
Perhaps it was due to the uncontrollable excitement and joy, but my gaze, having lost its self-control, continued to follow Ichinose Yui as she walked beside Noah.
‘This is insane…’
The petite girl maintained her poise even with closed eyes and measured steps, contrasting Noah’s free attire with her neatly worn academy uniform.
The combination of the tall Noah Frozenheart, easily over 170 centimeters, and the just-over-150 Ichinose Yui, was a stark contrast, and the sight was utterly satisfying.
“Ah, if Nosesan had finished the written part just a bit earlier.”
‘Nosesan’, I gathered, must be a nickname for Ichinose. That was precious information not revealed in the game.
As a mere onlooker, I finally pulled my gaze away and focused on listening, suppressing the smile that wanted to break free.
“As I said earlier, I never asked you to wait. Besides, unlike someone, I actually solved all the problems.”
Yui’s prim response was utterly adorable.
Noah chuckled, her round ears twitching. Her cool tone implied that the written exam was of little importance to her.
“See? Without me, you’d probably be lost inside the academy and miss the practical exam. Just admit you’re grateful.”
“Such an assumption…! There’s no way I’d get lost on the way here,” Yui retorted, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance at Noah’s tail swishing provocatively.
It was a satisfying scene, one that could extend my lifespan.
‘Her terrible sense of direction is still intact,’ I mused.
As I focused on their conversation while pretending to stretch, students who had finished the written exam began to fill the gymnasium one by one.
As a considerable number gathered, it was time for the practical exam to begin.
A bored-looking, stubbly man entered, introducing himself as the instructor.
The instructor, standing in the center, announced the start of the practical exam.
“We’ll start the practical test now,” he announced, standing in the center. “You can use only the standard-issue weapons from the wall. Though, you’re not obliged to use any.”
The test was as straightforward as its brief explanation. The depth and width of the cuts on golems determined the scores.
The man scruffed his shaggy hair and ambled towards one of the square stone masses.
“Attack once. Hit, swing at, or cast at this exam golem however you like. Ah! No recording, so put away your phones.”
I blinked in disbelief as the instructor tapped at what appeared to be a lumpy, white mass.
It seemed everyone else knew except me – was that supposed to be a golem? It was nothing more than a giant lump without even the bare minimum of detail or form to be called a golem.
“You can check the results of the placement test on the first day of the semester,” the instructor announced, yawning loudly and glancing at the paper in his hand. “Hmm… Number 99, come forward.”
I was up first.
I picked up a longsword from the wall and stepped forward.
“Name.”
“Rohan.”
The instructor nodded and gestured towards the test golem with his chin.
“You have one minute. Start within that time.”
“…Yes.”
I raised my hand as if checking the hardness of the golem, and then I concentrated on activating the skill.
‘Skills are similar to the abilities I used as a Hunter.’
Perhaps it was thanks to the brief practice I had.
‘Weakness Infliction.’
A strangely palpable pulse spread through my palm, and I felt a significant drain of what Abyss City would call ‘mana’ – akin to energy or vital force within my body.
[Target inflicted with Physical Weakness.]
The response was successful.
But I couldn’t revel in it for long.
‘Maintaining the weakness also consumes mana.’
I imprinted the information about the skill in my mind.
Before my mana was completely depleted, I gripped the sword tightly with both hands. I didn’t know how effective the ‘Weakness Infliction’ skill was, and it was only at level 1. I didn’t think I could pull off anything amazing with a body as fragile as a piece of paper.
If its physical resistance had decreased, then my goal was to at least leave a scratch on the sturdy golem.
“Huuuh…”
I lowered my stance with a slight bend in the knees and exhaled deeply.
The trajectory plotted in my head was a downward strike.
“Haah!”
Putting all my strength into it, I swung the longsword upward and brought it down.
*Whoosh—!*
And thus.
At that moment, as the longsword Rohan swung, cut through the air and made contact with the golem… the blade sliced through the golem as if it were butter, continuing its downward trajectory. The blade cleaved through the target completely and thudded against the gymnasium floor.
*Thud!*
The cleanly divided golem fell apart with a loud thump on both sides.
“……….”
A hush fell over the examination room.
Noah, who had been watching with her arms folded, grinned, baring her canines as if she had found something amusing.
Ichinose slowly opened her eyes, which she had kept closed, and turned her gaze at the man who had just split the golem.
↤ END OF CHAPTER ↦
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