novelraw Chapter 36 : Chapter 36
Chapter 36 : Chapter 36
Chapter 36: Midterm Exams (1)
"It has been a while since I have seen everyone together like this. Have you all been doing well?"
It was the first day back at the Year 1, Class A classroom.
Standing at the podium, Im Seong-cheol opened with a tone that remained unchanged from before.
"Another unpleasant incident occurred at our school. I apologize for sounding like a broken record."
A sense of fatigue lingered in his voice.
It was an understandable exhaustion.
While the cadets had spent their time autonomously without attending school, the instructors certainly had not.
Furthermore, since Im Seong-cheol had been in charge of the total management that day, he must have had an even more difficult time.
"Because of that, many gaps have been created, but the important things will not change, so you do not have to worry."
Im Seong-cheol spoke with a voice that was weary yet still possessed a magnetic pull.
Hearing those words, only one thought came to my mind.
'He is probably talking about the midterm exams.'
The most important thing at Glory is whether or not one can be recognized as a proper player.
And the way to determine that, regardless of the circumstances, is ultimately through exams.
As expected, Im Seong-cheol immediately brought up the topic of the midterm exams.
"At first, there was talk of postponing them, but it has been decided that the midterms will proceed as scheduled. Both the written exams and… the practical exams."
The others did not seem to notice, but I could sense it in Im Seong-cheol’s voice.
When he mentioned the practical exams, there was a significant amount of displeasure embedded in his tone.
'Im Seong-cheol probably objected to it vehemently.'
The practical portion of the midterm exams is structured in a way that inevitably requires inviting outside figures.
In a situation where it has not even been revealed how the villains managed to infiltrate during the last incident, such a move is bound to be a massive risk.
Im Seong-cheol must have raised that issue, but his opinion was likely ignored.
'Because the higher-ups would not have wanted that.'
Although he did not appear much in the novel, the Principal of Glory is also quite a prominent figure as a player.
If I remember correctly, he is definitely an S-Rank player.
'The problem is his personality, though.'
A man who values his own authority and clearly distinguishes between what is a gain and what is a loss whenever something happens.
That materialistic man is the Principal of Glory.
'He probably judged that maintaining the practical exams as they are would be more beneficial.'
Thinking from the perspective of his personality, I would have done the same if I were him.
One of the traditions of Glory that has never changed is the first midterm exam for the first-year cadets.
But now, while he is the Principal, that tradition is going to be broken?
If that happened, not only would his authority as the Principal crumble, but his position would likely become precarious as well.
It was a truly self-centered way of thinking that did not give a damn about the cadets' concerns.
'That is probably why Glory ended up in this state.'
If the water at the source is rotten, how can the water downstream be clean?
Rather, it was close to a miracle that someone like Im Seong-cheol still remained.
If there is one silver lining, it is that the Principal at least does not join hands with villains?
It was truly fortunate that a sliver of conscience remained in that materialistic personality of his.
It was at that moment, while I was lost in my own thoughts.
"First, the midterm exams will begin with the written portion, followed by the practical portion. The written exams will last for two days, and the practical exams will last for three days. Thus, it is a five-day examination period in total."
Im Seong-cheol began a detailed explanation regarding the midterm exams.
I also stopped my wandering thoughts and focused on his words.
"First, a detailed explanation of the written exams should be unnecessary. You only need to study according to the ranges provided by the professors in charge of the written subjects."
That is true.
In any world, written exams are all the same.
You just study the material provided for the exam and solve the problems accordingly.
Therefore, the explanation about the practical exams that followed was the real deal.
"I believe you are all well aware of the contents of the practical exams. However, there may be cadets who do not know, so I will explain."
Im Seong-cheol continued speaking.
"The practical exam is a duel, but it is not a duel between cadets. You will duel against a player with the intent of letting you realize where you currently stand."
The intent.
It is literally just an intent.
In the end, that is nothing more than a plausible excuse; the reality is that it is meant to showcase Glory's prestige to the world.
Im Seong-cheol likely added the word 'intent' because he knew the ulterior motive.
"You will choose the player you will face yourselves. It can be an external player, or it can be an instructor. Regardless, many things will change after the midterm exams anyway."
The cadets sitting in their seats nodded.
I was among them.
Though he spoke fluidly, his last words were incredibly important.
'If I consider the time before the midterm exams as a game, then it is the prologue.'
As soon as the midterm exams end, the cadets gain many benefits and responsibilities simultaneously.
Not only can they officially come into contact with outside figures, but if they perform well in training and exams, they are also free to go out regardless of attendance.
Furthermore, from this point on, Glory cadets are legally treated as adults and are respected as individual players.
They become real players who can participate in Gates, not just players in name only.
'Of course, all their player ranks will be set to E-Rank.'
Moreover, they have to take responsibility for the consequences that follow.
But that is still great.
It means I can steadily build experience with Gates in preparation for the future, and I can earn money in the process.
'Yes. Money.'
At any rate, is money not the thing I need most?
As of now, I feel the necessity for it desperately every single day.
Since I am an E-Rank, the money I can earn will be limited, but that is still fine.
If this were another cadet academy and not Glory, I would have started at F-Rank.
"That is all for today's announcements. Since there is a next class, come find me later if you have any questions left."
While I was distracted by the temptation of money, Im Seong-cheol finished everything he had to say and naturally exited the classroom.
Then, as if they had been waiting, noisy voices burst out from all over the place.
"Hey! Which player are you going to invite?"
"I am going to invite someone close to my father. I should ask them to go easy on me."
"Ah, I am so jealous. I do not know anyone, so I think I will have to designate an instructor……."
As expected, everyone's interest was focused on the practical exam.
Well, that is only natural.
Even if they are about to obtain the status of a player, they are still just immature cadets.
In the midst of that, being able to meet famous players is similar to a fan meeting a celebrity, so they could not help but be excited.
Furthermore, since famous guilds would also be visiting, such a reaction was even more understandable.
'But still, most of the interest is concentrated on a few people.'
Many names were being mentioned by the cadets, but there were names that repeated among them.
"I wonder who Kim Su-hyeok will bring? I cannot even imagine it."
"Still, Ryu Jin-oh is somewhat predictable. He will probably designate a player who is close to his family, right?"
Occasionally, other names were heard, but the greatest interests were Kim Su-hyeok and Ryu Jin-oh.
It was a natural reaction since they were the two most outstanding in Class A and the two most outstanding among the first-year cadets.
I had no great interest since I already knew who those two would call, but it would be different for the other cadets.
'The biggest problem is me.'
Among the cadets who were grinning and agonizing over their choices, I was the only one letting out a sigh.
That was because my designated opponent was already decided.
'To think it is Shin Yu-hwan.'
He is a jovial man with a good personality as long as the opponent is not a villain.
Nevertheless, there was a definite reason why I had no choice but to sigh.
'That man has absolutely no intention of going easy on me.'
He said he would go easy on me last time, but I can confidently say that was a total lie.
There is no way I would not know his personality after reading so much about Shin Yu-hwan in the novel.
Of course, he will start by going easy, but Shin Yu-hwan is the type of person who would probably get serious as the duel continues, saying it is getting fun.
'Whew, what is the point of worrying? The die is already cast.'
Even if I tried to change it now, it would not work.
So, I had no choice but to resign myself and prepare diligently.
'I should contact him later.'
He is the type of man who would show up on his own even without a separate contact, but he would definitely sulk if I did not.
If I had to deal with a sulky Shin Yu-hwan… I did not even want to imagine it.
Therefore, I made up my mind to contact Shin Yu-hwan later and lonely opened my book for the next class.
***
"Now! Everyone, put away all the books you have out!"
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the first day of the midterm exams had begun.
As scheduled, it started with the written exams.
Following the words of the proctor who entered the classroom, we all put away the books we had taken out.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Test papers were distributed in the quiet silence.
I also received my share of the test paper and immediately prepared to take the exam.
'Well, I do not have any particular worries anyway.'
Unlike others, I possess the 'Heterogeneous Gear'.
Thanks to the author who crammed even useless TMI information into the novel, I was confident in the written exams.
'By the way, under what circumstances does the author intervene?'
Suddenly, as I thought about the author, the question surfaced once again.
It had been quite a while now, but I still had not forgotten.
The text message from the author that had been sent with a restricted caller ID.
'It means they can intervene.'
However, no further contact had come after that.
That meant that while they could intervene, there were restrictions.
The problem was that I did not know what those restrictions were.
'It would be nice if I could find out.'
But then, is that something that can be easily known?
Right now, even being dragged into the novel is something that cannot be understood.
It is something that an intellectual living in the 21st century could not even dare to imagine.
'I should investigate this part little by little.'
I do not know if the author is the god of this world or something I am unaware of.
However, if I can get in contact with the author, it will be helpful in some way.
Therefore, I decided that although I could not cling to it, I would at least research it bit by bit.
It was just as I finished organizing my thoughts.
"Now! Everyone, the exam begins now!"
At the perfect timing, the proctor announced the start of the exam.
Then, the classroom, where only silence had flowed, began to be filled with the sound of pens scratching away.
I, too, was a cadet for now, so I immersed myself in that flow and began to solve the exam questions.
***
After seven long hours passed without a break.
"Everyone, stop! We will collect the test papers from the back."
At the proctor's words, the sound of pens that had been heard endlessly stopped all at once.
"Phew."
I let out a long sigh as I submitted the test paper I had completely finished.
Running for seven hours straight without even a 10-minute break—it would have been impossible if not for a player's mental strength.
Since it is quite a difficult thing to maintain focus for seven hours with the concentration of a normal human.
'Still, it seems everyone did well.'
I saw far more refreshed faces than long faces here and there.
It seemed to be because today's exam consisted mainly of common sense and basic questions.
'The problem is tomorrow's written exam.'
The first day is a taste.
From the second day, they give problems on advanced courses.
This also felt like a set formula for Glory's midterm exams.
"Then, shall I head out as well?"
After the exam ended, many people began to move toward the study hall.
Of course, unlike those guys, I was planning to go to the dormitory, not the study hall.
'Because today is the day I contact Shin Yu-hwan, which I have been putting off.'
The practical is in two days.
It was truly time to contact him now.
He is probably waiting for me to contact him as well.
Therefore, I moved my feet with a slightly tired expression.
Although my worries were different from the other kids, I maintained the exact same expression as them.