Chapter 3

"......So! We must not simply think that we represent our country. We are the future of the Earth and the hope of humanity, and it is our duty to protect our land from the threat of monsters......"

The speech seems to be winding down, but it doesn't end.

When I first started this game, I was captivated by this thrilling history, just like the other students here.

But Han Sung has lived in this world for 52 years. Having experienced everything, even the deepest secrets unknown to ordinary people, the story was inevitably boring to him.

"Alright, let's start the practical exam now. I hope you all pass and we can see you through to the end."

As soon as the instructor finished speaking, the students began to stand up one by one.

Han Sung was among them.

'Hmm, that guy.'

One student stood out.

Gil Sung-hyun.

One of the hero candidates with talent on par with Jin Hoon and Han Beol. He is neutral and individualistic but leans more towards evil than good. His arrogance and authoritative thinking stem from his background as the heir to a conglomerate, combined with his outstanding magical talent.

However, his ranking has dropped due to Hoon and Beol.

The evil characters that will approach him later.

All of this makes him one of the characters heading towards evil.

'Becoming allies with that guy through evil play is a surefire path to a bad ending.'

He is one of the characters to avoid at all costs.

It's nerve-wracking.

The insane developers place the player among absurd geniuses and unleash disasters at any time. Statistics show that to clear the game in the shortest 10 years, you have to die 132 times. That says it all.

'But it will be different this time.'

Of course, he was once a player who reached the peak.

Because he has the best crazy [Luck] in this 'fucked-up game.'

* * *

Total potential: 1,000.

There are 10 types of stats, and the general consensus is that you can't raise any single stat above 100. Of course, this varies depending on individual constitution and talent. Also, even if you have remaining total potential, you might not be able to raise certain stats due to [Traits].

A basic stat of 5 to 10 is considered average for an adult, and even a highly trained athlete wouldn't exceed 15. For candidates, the minimum is 20, and elite freshmen might reach 30.

'I didn't pay enough attention to other stats, did I?'

Even a slight misstep could be the end.

But with 52 years of experience, and not just ordinary experience, but the kind that was called the 'peak,' things are different.

"Student Han Sung, please come forward."

The dome is as large as a soccer field, much bigger than it looks from the outside. The characters here call it a 'gymnasium.'

The ranking test is conducted in dozens of groups.

"Yes, I understand."

"The ranking practical test will now begin."

There is a gate about 3 meters high. Once you enter, F-class monsters start to appear. It's like a game where you earn points to compete with other freshmen.

It's nerve-wracking.

It can't be helped.

Before, it was just a game, but now it's reality. Or, it could still be in the game. But for Han Sung, it's no different from reality.

'Enrollment. And a dazzling debut.'

Everything must be perfect.

Han Sung looked at the weapons displayed on one side.

These are candidate-grade weapons with no special magic, designed to prevent someone from hiding their true abilities with artifacts to enter.

Actually, it doesn't have much meaning.

But for Han Sung, it has significant meaning.

It's a decision to try a different playstyle from his previous one.

"I'll take... a sword."

Han Sung's physical stats are poor.

But with a sword, it's a different story. Han Sung didn't just play 'The End of the World.' He played games with martial arts backgrounds, medieval settings, and more.

He has handled swords for decades in game time.

With the trait [Magic Dominance] and explosive [Luck], he can more than make up for his lack of physical stats.

One reason he chose a sword this time is that, as in many games and novels, swords are the most affected by 'item drops.'

Swords are strong.

The history of swords is deep, solid, and endlessly broad. In countless stories, swords are called myths and legends, maintaining their noble peak.

Therefore, this 'story' is often used in game settings.

It's the same in [The End of the World].

In his previous play, Han Sung chose 'magic,' which was the worst choice.

In this world, 'magic' is a niche because the mainstream is 'special abilities.' Without special abilities, reaching the end of the world is far-fetched. Magic has very little room for special abilities, while swords are highly compatible with them, making magic even more niche.

The 52 years it took Han Sung to reach this point were largely due to this reason.

'But even a sword alone is not enough.'

Han Sung planned to master both swords and magic.

For a regular player, this would be absurd.

Magic or sword. These two categories are opposites, and raising the proficiency of one takes a lot of effort, often until just before the final clear.

But Han Sung's situation is different.

The talent [Magic Dominance] is the most suitable for magic but is also the source of power used in all weapons and physical movements.

Magic is a skill he once mastered to the highest level.

With swords and special abilities, Han Sung uses his greatest advantage, 'information,' to obtain [Talents] and [Abilities]. He then sharply raises his level with the quality of [Equipment].

For now, it's just a plan in his head.

It's so ambitious that it makes you wonder if it's even possible.

But he has to do it.

To clear this [The End of the World], which boasts extreme difficulty without dying even once, he must do it.

Han Sung firmly gripped the sword and stepped into the test gate.

* * *

The practical exam usually starts around 11 a.m. and lasts at least an hour, sometimes up to two hours.

The first monsters to appear are F-class with average stats in the teens. They appear in groups of 3, 5, or 10, but for students of the world-renowned [Korean Hero Academy], 10 minutes is enough.

The difficulty sharply increases in the next stage.

E-class with average stats in the 20s, D-class in the 30s, and so on, continuously increasing.

"What, there are still students who haven't come out?"

"Maybe. Gil Sung-hyun from the Je Hyun Group is a genius, but what about the others?"

"Are they just holding out? Maybe they have a tank-type talent."

"There's a time limit, though. It's already been two hours. Considering the time limit, they should be fighting D-class monsters."

At that moment, one of the gates turned off, and a candidate came out.

"Damn! If only I could have avoided that."

Even though the gate works on a principle similar to virtual reality, the body doesn't get directly injured. However, if the magic power backfires or you receive a strong shock, you can still suffer internal injuries.

The candidate who just came out is 'Seong Si-yeon.' Her unique ability is 'Shadow Riding,' specialized in ambush, and she was an elite, ranking 9th nationally at the [Hero Specialization School]. She has long hair that looks feminine, but her actions are anything but.

Her face was pale, as if she had taken a significant hit.

- Candidate Seong Si-yeon: 855 Points -

"Hey, wasn't Seong Si-yeon 9th? If she gets 5th in this test, her ranking will go up, right?"

"We don't know yet. The points differ depending on whether she was hiding or killed them. But 855 points suggest she killed at least one, right?"

"Wait, why are there four left?"

"......Jin Hoon, Han Beol, Gil Sung-hyun...... Who's that? Han Sung? Do you know him?"

"I don't know......"

From now on, these are not just freshmen.

Jin Hoon, Han Beol, and Gil Sung-hyun were so outstanding at the [Hero Specialization School] that they were always in the top 5 nationally. Everyone who knows, knows.

But this one.

"But if it's that area, shouldn't it be in the thousands?"

There are 5,000 students taking the exam, and the areas are divided by pre-test specs, such as the performance at the specialization school and the score on the application.

But this area is at least 1,000th place.

In reality, it should be in the 4,000s.

"Come on, that can't be right."

"It's not impossible. If they gained their special ability late or discovered their talent."

"But still, this is......"

While the candidates were chatting, another gate turned off.

"This is tough."

Jin Hoon came out with an awkward smile.

He's the main character, but his growth is slow at first. Still, he's an irregular, showing third-year-level strength.

As evidence:

- Candidate Jin Hoon: 988 Points -

"Wow! Amazing! That score is legendary, right? It looks like he killed all but one D-class monster."

"It's luck. Being specialized in physical abilities gives him an advantage in this test."

"Come on, but that's 5 D-class monsters. It's almost C-class, and physical specialization is weak in this virtual reality test."

Jin Hoon is often undervalued compared to his strength. Or, it might still be an objective evaluation. Early on, Jin Hoon is weak against 'magic' and 'mental' attacks.

A candidate with a mental attack-related special ability in the 1,000s could beat Jin Hoon. Of course, they would be exposed and have their head blown off before that.

Next, Gil Sung-hyun came out.

- Candidate Gil Sung-hyun: 932 Points -

Gil Sung-hyun threw the basic wand he was given in a fit of frustration.

He had just compared his score with Jin Hoon's.

"I was in there longer, but I got fewer points."

"Considering he's specialized in magic, it's impressive he lasted this long."

"True, this test seems to be disadvantageous for mages."

"Not necessarily, there are bunker terrains."

"But are the other two in the next stage?"

"Come on, the next is C-class monsters. Is it even possible that the four-digit candidate killed all the D-class monsters?"

At that moment, another gate turned off.

- Candidate Han Beol: 1,021 Points -

"Wow! Over a thousand points! It's Han Beol, as expected."

"Amazing! Isn't Han Beol from the [Jeongyeon] family, which serves the world-renowned mage family, 'Hwanung'?"

"Right. But he's called a genius in special abilities, not magic."

The cheers were short-lived.

Because the gate in the four-digit area was still on.

Jin Hoon, Han Beol, and even Gil Sung-hyun gathered there, curious if there was a problem with the gate or if someone was still alive inside.

"Is it broken?"

"We should call the instructor, right?"

At that moment, the gate turned off, and the points were revealed.

- Candidate Han Sung: 1,201 Points -

Han Sung walked out confidently, and the candidates, who had gathered, parted to make way for him.

He saw Gil Sung-hyun's scowling face, Jin Hoon's curious expression, and Han Beol's suspicious look pass by.

As soon as Han Sung left the gymnasium, thunderous cheers erupted.

"Wow! What the hell is that?"

"Super cool. Aura explosion."

"Did you see him ignore Gil Sung-hyun, look down on Jin Hoon, and mock Han Beol?"

"Is he a hero candidate raised by a big company? Or another genius? What is he, what is he? What the hell is he!"

"But he's really ugly."

"Right! I thought something was off, he's cool but ugly! Amazing! How can someone look like that?"

In the midst of the cheers, the three who made eye contact wore incomprehensible expressions.

The End

ⓒ [Dongju]

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