Chapter 91

EP.91 The Practical Exam Where Screams Echo (2)

I sat alone in the professor's office, leaning back with my head tilted up, staring at the ceiling. My hair, which had fallen down, was almost touching the floor.

I had a lot to think about.

I was assigned to supervise the practical exam. Although I said something about breaking fingers, I can't really go around cutting off students' fingers, can I?

‘If they had asked me to train knights, I would have done it.’

These are students, after all.

So I was a bit troubled.

‘Combat Magic Studies.’

The department that deals with the Battle-mage class.

I used to think it was a class without any foundation, but after learning the truth...

‘If I had known this, I should have left behind at least one paper before retiring.’

Every time I think about it, that thought comes to mind.

When you think about it, it's understandable why the Battle-mage class seems to lack a foundation.

The ancient mage who created the Wizard class left behind dozens, even hundreds of books.

The ancient alchemist who created the Summoner class also left behind his memoirs.

‘Even those creepy sorcerers left something behind.’

In any case, there should be at least one book that lays the foundation for a class. However, there isn't one for the Battle-mage. It couldn't exist.

‘Because I didn't leave anything behind.’

I didn't even realize I had created a class.

“Ugh.”

I leaned back and let out a short groan.

How should I conduct this practical exam to make the students truly understand this combat method?

‘A single practical exam.’

If there's a concept that needs to be ingrained in the students' minds through this exam, what would it be?

“Foundation.”

I muttered to myself.

“What is the foundation?”

Battle-mage.

If I were to write a paper on this class, what would be the foundation to leave as the first sentence?

A word came to mind.

I spoke it out loud.

“How to smash a skull.”

No, that's not it.

It was a combat method for dealing with skeletons, but I decided to broaden my perspective.

After all, this is a class based on me.

What mindset did I have when casting spells on the battlefield? That's what I needed to think about. And when I thought about it, the answer came quickly.

“Flexibility.”

I spoke the word that came to mind.

Indeed, flexibility is the core concept of this magic system. It's not about giving up or sitting down when you hit a wall, but about finding another way immediately.

That's what I valued most on the battlefield.

‘How can I convey this to the students?’

I looked at the paper in front of me.

The paper had the word "Survival" written in large letters, along with an outline of the exam.

- Main Theme: Survival.

- The Battle-mage class primarily operates on the battlefield. In this exam, a battlefield-like environment will be created using an illusion magic tool to test the students.

- A concept similar to "maze" breaking.

...Not bad?

With a little tweaking, it could be perfect.

- The primary goal is to indirectly experience the battlefield through the practical exam. The secondary goal is to naturally make the students realize the strengths of the Battle-mage.

“Oh...”

I couldn't help but exclaim.

McHart, that guy might be a bit strange, but he has a solid foundation. Indeed, he's right.

‘Discussing practical magic without experiencing the battlefield?’

That's ridiculous.

That's exactly what it means to lack a foundation.

‘Not a bad approach.’

However, there was one thing that bothered me.

As I looked at the list of monsters to be projected through the illusion magic tool, I clicked my tongue.

‘Just these?’

This would only result in a mediocre exam.

There was a high chance that it would only instill bad habits, not provide any stimulation.

“If you're going to show something, show it properly.”

I quickly revised the list of monsters to be projected. After all, I'm the one operating the magic tool. It was easy to project the things I had seen and experienced.

The monsters from the Demon King's army.

The things you occasionally see wandering around the Demon Realm.

I wrote them down on the paper one by one.

‘There should be more of these.’

After all, the more realistic the practical exam, the better. I recalled my experiences on the battlefield and wrote down the items.

The Mana Eater, which consumes mana.

The Black Wolf Pack, which detects mana.

The Silent Shadow, which jumps out from the shadows as soon as you draw a circuit.

Yes, there should be at least these.

“Hmm.”

I nodded in satisfaction.

It might be a bit harsh, but it's fine. After all, it's just an illusion; no one will die, right?

‘It might hurt a little...’

But compared to the insights gained, it's nothing.

“I created this by smashing these things.”

After all, this class is based on me.

So what I say is right.

“This should do it.”

I held up the revised paper.

Even to me, it was a very satisfactory practical exam.

2.

The day after the sparring session.

Rak wandered aimlessly around the dormitory early in the morning. He felt a lingering discomfort.

“Hmm.”

He stroked his chin as he walked down the corridor.

His thoughts were not well organized. What should he do in such a situation?

‘Hunting?’

The first thing that came to mind was to climb the snowy mountain and hunt wild beasts, but that was impossible here.

‘...Training?’

That didn't seem right either.

He had already trained to the point of exhaustion after the sparring session yesterday.

“Ugh...”

In the end, Rak went to the garden and sat on a bench. He slowly tried to organize his thoughts under the morning sunlight.

What came to mind was the sparring session with Bellnoa.

All the actions he took during the sparring session naturally played out in his mind. It was more than just a simple replay.

‘If I had done this...’

He made such assumptions.

‘If I had pushed through instead of blocking? If I had dodged instead of parrying...’

Many assumptions ran through his mind, but the conclusion was always the same.

‘No matter what I do, I lose.’

He had been completely defeated.

No matter what strategy he used, Bellnoa had countered. Bellnoa was stronger than him, a bit ahead.

‘Bellnoa is strong. But it wasn't a fight I couldn't win from the start.’

At the beginning of the semester, they were evenly matched.

In fact, during the class assignment exam, Rak had fought Bellnoa on equal terms.

But now, what was the situation?

‘I can't win.’

The more he repeated the sparring sessions, the harder it became to beat Bellnoa. Bellnoa hadn't grown exceptionally, nor was he overwhelmingly stronger than Rak.

Bellnoa was always just a step or two ahead.

Rak couldn't understand the nature of this gap.

“Why did I lose?”

He said it out loud.

“Am I weak? Am I weak?”

With a groan, Rak stroked the handle of the hoe tied to his waist.

‘Is this how I feel because I'm weak?’

He didn't understand why he had felt so strange since yesterday.

As he stroked his chin, a shadow suddenly fell over him.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

Rak suddenly lifted his head.

The first thing he saw was the platinum hair that shimmered in the sunlight. There was only one person in the dormitory with such platinum hair.

“...Princess Ayla?”

“You don't have to call me Princess. I'm Aphia here.”

“What brings you here...?”

She shrugged.

“You looked troubled. I noticed you while passing by and decided to talk to you for a bit. I'm personally interested in you, Rak.”

“You want to talk to me?”

Rak tilted his head.

“I need to build various connections in Aphia. There's a reason for it.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you have any troubles?”

“I do, but I don't know how to explain it...”

“Just tell me. I'll listen and think about it.”

With a thud, she sat down next to Rak.

Rak slowly explained what had happened yesterday. It didn't take long to explain.

“...So, I feel a bit uncomfortable now.”

“Hmm...”

Ayla's expression became very subtle after hearing the explanation. Then, she looked at Rak and bluntly said,

“Maybe you're just annoyed because you lost.”

“Annoyed?”

“Well, you know. Feeling competitive towards people who seem to be on your level. That kind of thing.”

“But why would that make me annoyed?”

Rak tilted his head.

The word "annoyed" didn't easily connect with defeat in his mind.

“I learned that accepting defeat is a warrior's virtue...”

“Rak.”

Ayla's golden eyes looked at Rak.

“Accepting defeat and competing are different things.”

“...”

“Don't you want to beat Bellnoa?”

“I do... want to beat him.”

“But you don't have an answer yet?”

“Yes.”

“Why don't you seek some advice?”

She shrugged.

“There are many excellent professors in Aphia. Some of them are very strong.”

Strong professors.

The moment he heard those words, an image of a certain person flashed through Rak's mind.

‘Professor Rania.’

A professor with the aura of a wild beast.

And the one who fought on equal terms with the famous royal hound.

“Hmm...”

As Rak stroked his chin and groaned, a voice called out.

“Rak!”

“Rak, the notice board... Oh, Princess, Princess?”

A few students who were in the same class as Rak stopped in their tracks as they approached him. They bowed to Ayla.

Ayla shook her head at the sight.

“Talk. I'll leave now.”

“Yes, yes.”

As the princess left, the students urged Rak to go to the notice board.

“The notice for the Combat Magic Studies practical exam is up.”

“But something seems off.”

“Off?”

“Yeah, just go and see.”

As they walked down the corridor, a few students were seen gathered in front of the notice board. Among them was Bellnoa, who pointed to the board with his thumb.

“Hmm.”

Rak nodded and checked the notice.

It was an outline of the practical exam.

- Exam Location: The forest owned by the Crevelt family.

- Exam Theme: Survival.

- Exam Duration: Up to 3 days.

Murmurs of the exam's large scale could be heard, but they gradually died down.

“...Huh?”

“Why is the supervisor...?”

The name at the bottom of the notice.

The students who saw the name expressed their confusion. Rak was no exception.

- Supervisor: Rania von Trias.

Rania von Trias.

The supervisor of the exam was not McHart Crevelt, but Professor Rania.

‘Why Professor Rania?’

Rak blinked at the name.

He didn't understand why Professor Rania, who taught the basics of Mana Trade, was the supervisor.

However, one thing was certain...

‘Something feels ominous.’

It felt like something absurd was about to happen.

This was more of a prediction than an intuition. Predictions are made based on past experiences.

Rania von Trias.

Rak remembered all the incidents that occurred whenever this unique professor was involved.

“Hmm, hmm...”

The more he recalled the incidents, the more ominous he felt. Rak felt a cold sweat run down his spine.

3.

About a week later, the practical exam began.

The exam took place in the forest owned by the Crevelt family, as originally planned.

Chirp chirp.

Early in the morning, the students gathered at the entrance of the forest, where the sounds of birds could be heard. And at the front of the students stood a professor.

A professor with ash-gray hair.

At first glance, she looked like a student, but she stood in front of the students and began to guide them through the exam.

“The theme of the practical exam, as you know, is survival. The main evaluation criterion is adaptability. I hope you can respond calmly in any situation.”

She distributed a bracelet to each student.

“This bracelet records shocks in response to the illusion magic tool. If you receive a shock above a certain level, you will be forcibly ejected from the illusion maze. You can retry after an hour, but it will result in a penalty.”

The bracelet that records and transmits shocks.

As the students put on the bracelets, Professor Rania continued her explanation.

“Before the exam, I advise you to use only the circuits you already have. If you haven't stocked up on circuits, I recommend you do so before entering the forest.”

...Not to engrave new circuits?

The students tilted their heads. Even if you're a Battle-mage, wouldn't you draw circuits as needed?

Clap.

However, there was no time to raise this question.

As the professor clapped her hands, the forest trembled. A massive barrier was erected at the entrance of the forest.

“I will monitor all your positions, and all the monsters that appear during the practical exam are created by the illusion magic tool. Please don't panic.”

She pointed to the forest.

“The exam will now begin.”

One by one, the students started heading into the forest.

The moment they stepped into the forest, a portal activated, and they were randomly dropped into the forest. They slowly began to explore the forest.

The exam had two conditions for completion.

Survive for four days.

Or hunt the boss monster hidden in the forest.

Most students aimed for the latter. They didn't want to endure in the forest for three days.

And then.

“...Huh?”

They soon realized.

“What is all this...?”

They had been mistaken.

They blinked and looked around. The atmosphere of the forest was strange. It was eerie and sinister. A thick fog lay low, and the air was heavy.

Something felt alien.

The students, surprised by the unexpected appearance, took a step back. Some activated their circuits, while others, forgetting the warning, tried to draw circuits.

The exam showed no mercy to those who forgot the warning.

Thud, something fell. The student who had stopped drawing the circuit looked up. The branches were swaying.

Thud, thud.

Something fell from the swaying branches.

It landed on the back of the student's hand who had been trying to draw a circuit.

‘...A bug?’

He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't budge. Soon, he realized it wasn't a simple bug. The student's face turned pale.

‘Mana Eater.’

A monster that reacts to mana and disrupts it.

“Aaah!”

As he screamed, the Mana Eater injected a venomous sting into the back of his hand. The venom from the Mana Eater's sting disrupts mana.

The process of disrupting mana causes severe headaches. At least, it was more than the student, who was experiencing it for the first time, could bear.

Thud.

One student collapsed.

The students who saw this up close held their breath and stopped trying to draw circuits.

The Mana Eater existed in the forest.

This alone significantly increased the difficulty, but it wasn't the only thing. The students looked around.

And they saw something in the fog.

Growl.

Red eyes flashed in the fog.

A low growl spread through the fog. The monsters revealed their forms in the fog.

Monsters specialized in mana tracking.

Black Wolves.

And wolves always travel in packs.

“What the hell.”

The students realized at that moment.

The main theme of the exam was survival, and it truly meant "survival."

And then.

“Aaaah!”

They realized the exam's difficulty was beyond imagination.

“What is all this!”

“Aaaah! Damn, damn!”

“Aaaah!”

“Bugs! Aaaah!”

Screams echoed throughout the forest owned by the Crevelt family.

Author's Note

The practical exam where screams echo.