Chapter 4

***

“Her name is Glesia. The name of the ability she possesses is Guide of the Wind. The ability level is 3.”

As Glesia’s calm self-introduction continued, the examiners who had been staring at her changed their expressions completely.

—Guide of the Wind.

An ability with an extraordinary name from the start.

“Guide of the Wind….”

“Perhaps it’s an ability belonging to the wind element.”

“Judging by the sword she’s holding, does this mean the ability can only be used with a sword?”

Not only the examiner Kali, who had only shown interest in Chanseong, but the other two examiners also showed interest in Glesia, making her smile brightly.

“It’s not an ability limited to a sword. The medium I used was a sword, but I can also control the wind with my hands.”

As she said this, she raised her hand, and a subtle current of wind began to flow from Glesia’s hand.

“If that’s the case, this ability has tremendous potential.”

“If you have magical talent, you might excel in the wind attribute.”

The two examiners, excluding Kali, continued to show interest, and Glesia smiled gently.

In contrast, the gaze of Chanseong, who was watching from inside the examination room, twitched slightly.

‘Their attitudes are completely different.’

The examiners, who hadn’t said a word to me or the other examinees, were now asking questions non-stop like fish in water.

Watching this, I didn’t feel good at all.

Without even properly manifesting the ability, just hearing the name of the ability elicited such a reaction….

“So, Glesia. What is the grade of your ability?”

When Kali, who hadn’t asked anyone else, posed this question, I immediately thought of the grade.

‘Unique.’

The ability Guide of the Wind was one I had seen in a novel before.

“It’s a Unique grade.”

As expected, when Glesia answered that it was Unique, the examiners’ eyes sparkled with even more curiosity.

“This is… a rare talent indeed.”

“Raising a Unique ability to level 3 is truly remarkable.”

Not only did the two examiners speak brightly, but Kali also smiled faintly, and I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of regret.

Clearly, despite being at the same ability level as her, their reactions were completely different.

Although Kali showed a friendly attitude towards me… the other two examiners were completely different from before.

‘Of course, it’s because it’s a Unique grade.’

I understood it intellectually, but my heart felt bitter.

If I had at least been a Rare grade, the other examiners might have shown some interest in me.

The Common grade ability I possessed, Spear Mastery… was that much less impressive.

In contrast, Glesia’s ability, Guide of the Wind, was highly regarded within the Grand Royal Academy.

Although she wasn’t a main character, her name, Glesia, was familiar to me as someone who always ranked at the top of the academy.

‘I thought her stats were unusually high, even for a minor character…’

To meet her in the same group during the entrance exam was really the worst of the worst.

“Then we’ll start the exam right away.”

As Glesia approached the dummy, I couldn’t help but feel curious about her.

‘Indeed.’

What kind of power would the first Unique grade ability I saw in this world possess?

—!

The moment Glesia lightly swung her sword, my eyes widened.

‘So fast!’

Even I, with the highest Agility, found the speed at which she swung her sword to be incredibly fast.

The moment she swung her sword, a strong wind had already completely enveloped the dummy.

Whoosh!

It continuously struck the dummy’s entire body, leaving countless scars.

Even after the sword left the dummy, a fierce wind continued to rage over its entire body.

...

A few seconds later, the strong wind subsided, but the state of the dummy was truly pitiful.

‘This is cheating.’

There were almost hundreds of sword marks on the dummy’s body, and even at a glance, the power was unbelievable.

Thud.

As Glesia casually sheathed her sword, I realized anew.

‘This is what a Unique grade ability is.’

The difference from my Common grade ability, Spear Mastery, was incomparable.

The gap was so vast that I couldn’t even harbor feelings of jealousy.

“You did well, Glesia. You can expect good results.”

As one of the examiners smiled in satisfaction, Glesia lightly bowed and headed towards the exit.

Even as I followed her to the exit, I felt a strange sensation.

‘I have to attend the academy with such monsters in the future.’

Not all the students admitted to the academy would have Unique grade abilities like Glesia, but there were certainly similar monsters.

It felt like I was reawakening to reality.

Thud. Rustle…

As we left the examination room, maintaining a certain distance from Glesia, I saw several people outside.

“Sigh….”

“What can I do? It’s all over.”

“...Damn! I could have done much better.”

The examinees who had come out earlier seemed to have already predicted their entrance exam results and were in a state of despair.

‘Tsk.’

Seeing them, I clicked my tongue.

Although a level 3 ability might seem impressive, from my perspective, it was a level that anyone could achieve with two months of bone-crushing effort.

Even with a low Common grade ability.

‘If you’re going to regret it now, why didn’t you push yourself to the limit?’

Even a needle can pierce if you try.

Even if not all of them would pass, at least half of them could have.

This... might be because I know all this and can put in the effort...

Thud.

The results of the entrance exam would be posted on a large bulletin board when we returned here.

And we could also check which class we were assigned to.

Just as I was about to take a light break until then,

Thump.

“Wait.”

...As my arm was grabbed, I had to stop walking involuntarily.

The person who grabbed my arm was someone I knew.

It was the woman who had come out of the exit with me.

Glesia.

“...?”

As I turned my head, wondering what was happening,

I saw Glesia looking at me with a complex expression, different from her usual cold one.

***

“Wait.”

While grabbing the man’s arm to stop him, I was confused.

The man passing by me.

Han Chanseong, who had shown his results.

With a level 3 ability, I thought he would pass the exam as a matter of course.

However, instead of the cold treatment I expected from the examiners, one of them, Kali, seemed to recognize him.

As a result, this man was able to keep the confidence he had expressed.

In the examination room, he didn’t show any signs of cowardice or intimidation, but completed the entrance exam with a completely different, confident attitude from the other examinees.

Even after the exam, he stayed and looked at me as if evaluating me, and his gaze felt far from ordinary.

‘He’s different from others.’

Despite having a mediocre ability, his actions all felt extraordinary.

This gap made it even harder for me to understand this man.

“Why?”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the man, who answered briefly while looking at me.

Then I opened my mouth, which had been frozen.

“...I’d like to have a brief conversation with you.”

“Conversation?”

“Yes. Since you seem to have passed the entrance exam, I’d like to have a conversation with you as a fellow successful candidate.”

I wanted to understand him. My nature is such that I can’t rest until I understand something.

At my words, Han Chanseong smiled suddenly and looked at me.

He probably expected to pass. The smile he gave while looking at me felt skewed.

I understood that.

‘Because I gave him a bad look in the training ground.’

Just today, when our gazes met in the training ground, I had coldly ignored him.

So it wasn’t strange for him to have a bad impression of me.

“...”

As the man looked at me without answering, I felt awkward, having grabbed his arm.

‘Could it be...’

I wondered if I was being rejected by this man with a mediocre ability.

“Thank you. I was also hoping to talk to you.”

As the man suddenly changed his tone and spoke, I was left staring blankly.

The sudden change in temperature left me bewildered.

Thud.

I felt a sudden force in my hand.

“Ah?”

Rustle.

“Then let’s go to a cafe and have a relaxed conversation. I’ll pay.”

As I was led by his hand, I blinked.

‘What is this man...?’

Clearly, my cold gaze must have been unpleasant for him.

Yet, he now calmly held my hand and led me, leaving me flustered as I matched my steps with his.

Thud.

“Still, let’s not hold hands...”

Holding hands while moving seemed inappropriate, so I easily let go of his hand.

“What? I thought it was okay since you grabbed my arm first.”

“...It was just a coincidence.”

“Is that so? Then I understand.”

As I watched the man walking calmly, I felt strange.

He was a strange man, hard to describe.

‘For someone with a mediocre Common ability...’

How could he treat me like this, knowing I have a Unique ability?

I couldn’t even understand this action.

...

Thud.

“This cafe is quite nice, both in atmosphere and price.”

As the man smiled and handed me a cup, I took it but felt uneasy.

“...Yeah, thanks.”

Although I had stopped him, I was at a loss for what to say.

“Ah, my name is Han Chanseong.”

As I heard this, I looked up to see the man staring at me intently.

“I thought it would be best to start with introductions.”

“...I’m Glesia.”

“Glesia. That’s a nice name.”

As I looked at the man smiling brightly, I felt a strange sensation.

***