Chapter 2

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***

“Embarrassing.”

Even as I left the training ground, I absentmindedly touched my face.

Honestly, even though I had fallen into this world of the [Grand Royal Academy], my body hadn't changed at all.

I waved my hand out of habit, but there was no reason for me to receive such a cold stare.

‘Why are they looking at me so coldly?’

The joy of reaching Level 3 in Swordsmanship was short-lived, and the feeling was strange.

Since I believe that confidence is important in everything you do, I thought my face was quite decent.

But the way that woman turned her head as if she had seen something she shouldn't have...

“Her face isn’t that bad, is it?”

The regret I felt while muttering to myself was even stronger.

I had seen opportunities to approach her over the past two months, but the atmosphere was always strange.

Whenever I tried to approach her, she seemed to distance herself even more. She was exactly that type of person.

I had hoped we could become friends, but in the end, not a single opportunity arose over the two months.

That was a bit disappointing.

‘If I had connections with high attributes...’

It would be beneficial in many ways.

As I thought about it, I raised both hands.

Clap.

I gently tapped my cheeks and shook off my thoughts.

The entrance exam would start in about an hour, and I couldn't afford to dwell on such things now.

“Let’s go with confidence.”

I had already done my best by reaching Level 3 in Swordsmanship. If I could take the entrance exam with confidence, it would be over.

Thud.

With that, I took a step forward, looking at the grand academy building in the distance.

Hancheong.

He didn’t realize it.

“...”

The strange gazes from a distance.

***

“...Level 3?”

“Is that true?”

“It’s true. The light was definitely the one that appears when you reach Level 3.”

“Impressive. But it’s still Swordsmanship, no matter how hard you try.”

“Still, getting into the academy should be a sure thing, right?”

“So what if you get in? Even if your Swordsmanship attribute is high, it’s still worse than Level 1 in Magic.”

As a few people in the training ground chatted, a woman frowned slightly as she walked by.

Rustle.

Her blue hair reached down to her waist, and despite her youthful appearance, her cold demeanor and sharp eyes were striking. As she walked,

“...”

“...”

Most of the gazes turned to her.

Her presence didn’t fit in the ordinary training ground. Everyone could sense her unapproachable grace.

The woman with blue hair, Glescia, walked calmly despite the gazes.

Glescia was thinking about the man who had just left the training ground.

‘His name is Hancheong...’

When they first met in the training ground, she hadn’t even glanced at him.

He was rumored to have a low attribute in Swordsmanship. But as days passed, he kept catching her eye.

His efforts were undeniable.

He came to the training ground every morning and spent the whole day thrusting his spear, focusing on his attribute training.

Usually, if someone had such a low attribute, they would give up on entering the academy early on.

Everyone knew what their future would be like.

But Hancheong was different.

He stood alone in the training ground, thrusting his spear into the air, over and over again.

Just simple movements, repeated endlessly.

That was all he did.

Even without any visible phenomena like the wind created by a sword swing, he showed no signs of fatigue.

For two months, he had been thrusting his spear every day since the attribute test ended.

‘Why doesn’t he give up?’

I found his persistence foolish.

The act of a talentless person striving for talent was like trying to light a fire in a pile of ashes that had already gone out—futile effort.

How could he keep trying so hard?

...I couldn’t even understand how my [Guidance of the Wind], which I had reached after two months of effort, was at the same level as his.

It was hard to believe he had raised his low attribute to Level 3.

Click.

As I walked out of the training ground, I stopped involuntarily.

The man stood not far away.

His distinctive black hair and dark clothes looked as unremarkable as ever.

As I turned my gaze away from him,

Clap.

The sound of a slap made me pause.

“Let’s go with confidence.”

Hearing his determined voice, I blinked in surprise.

‘Confidence?’

Confidence with a low attribute in Swordsmanship?

As the man started walking, I found myself looking in the direction he was heading.

The direction was toward the Grand Royal Academy.

It made sense.

The entrance exam was starting in less than an hour.

Rustle.

Since we were heading in the same direction, I followed him, unable to take my eyes off his back.

“...”

The man would pass the entrance exam.

He had reached Level 3 in his attribute, so it was expected.

‘But can he really maintain that confidence?’

I wondered if he could withstand the cold gazes of the examiners with such a low attribute.

I had seen the entrance exam once before, following my sister.

I still vividly remembered the heavy atmosphere of the exam room, where ordinary people would feel overwhelmed.

I thought Hancheong, walking ahead, would also lose his confidence.

***

Huh.

...Cheng looked around.

Bustle.

The entrance exam venue of the academy was filled with a crowd of people waiting in line to take the exam.

Cheng stood in line with them, waiting for his turn, but he felt something different.

‘What is it?’

His neck felt cold.

It felt like someone was watching him.

But no matter how many times he looked around, he couldn’t see anyone watching him.

“Am I imagining things...”

He muttered to himself and rubbed his neck.

He had achieved Level 3 in Swordsmanship, so he was confident about the entrance exam. But he felt nervous for some reason.

He could see the many people gathered for the entrance exam.

Most of them looked nervous and intimidated, though a few stood confidently.

‘Those with good attributes are smiling, and those with ordinary or close-range attributes are intimidated.’

...Thinking about it, a hollow laugh escaped him.

Of the many people in line, 90% wouldn’t be smiling.

Even a 10% pass rate would be considered high.

So many people didn’t have good attributes.

Yet, the people in line were here, hoping for a chance, taking the entrance exam.

They were standing in line, thinking maybe they could pass by luck.

‘It’s a pity.’

He shook his head.

As time passed, the line shortened faster than expected.

“Candidates 401 to 410, please enter.”

The announcement came again in less than ten minutes, and it felt ominous.

‘Even if they only test attributes...’

How could the test for ten people take less than ten minutes?

The line quickly shortened, and soon it was my turn.

“Candidates 491 to 500, please enter.”

Hearing my number called, I stepped forward confidently.

‘No need to be nervous.’

I already knew the test content.

So, I knew I could pass this test.

Click.

Just before entering the exam room, I braced myself.

“Huff!”

“What, what!”

While the candidates who entered before me knelt or froze in place, I walked past them confidently.

Thud.

Thud.

My number was 496.

Standing in the sixth position, I straightened up,

“Hmm.”

“Not bad.”

Receiving the examiners’ gazes, I felt a sense of pride.

I was the best among these ten.

But then I paused.

I thought the examiners were looking at me, but they weren’t.

“...”

Turning my head blankly, I saw a woman standing calmly not far from me.

Her blue hair reached down to her waist, and her cold demeanor was familiar.

‘Why is she here...’

Why is she in my test group?