novelraw Chapter 37 : Chapter 37
Chapter 37 : Chapter 37
Chapter 37: Midterm Exams (2)
The second day of the midterm exams.
The cadets gathered in small groups in the classroom, creating an atmosphere that was not much different from yesterday.
However, if there was something slightly different, it would be the intensity of that atmosphere.
A much heavier silence was flowing through the room than yesterday.
Thanks to the newly acquired trait 'Response,' I felt as if I could perceive that atmosphere even more clearly.
'It is only natural, since the difficulty level itself will be different from the previous day.'
Of course, I was not part of that atmosphere.
It was a given since I had no fear regarding the exam questions.
Thus, even while I was responding to the mood, I remained unassimilated and thought back to what happened yesterday.
'I was truly exhausted.'
Last night, I finished the phone call with Shin Yu-hwan, which I had been putting off until now.
A series of situations had occurred where, without a single lie, nothing but the words "I am tired" came out.
He said things like, "Is it not too much to only call now?" "You are the first one to treat me like this," and "I am excited to loosen up my body with a junior after such a long time," and so on.
He showed me the magic of conversation by speaking eight or nine sentences for every one word I uttered.
'He was similar to Kim Su-hyeok, yet different.'
They were the same in that they both exhausted people through conversation, but there were also slight differences.
If Kim Su-hyeok was a problem because he kept making me talk even when there was nothing to say, Shin Yu-hwan was a problem because he poured out words like a machine gun without giving me a chance to speak.
It was a truly regrettable part; it would have been nice if they could just mix their strengths a little.
'Well, still, that is just who Shin Yu-hwan is.'
Dealing with him is exhausting, but I still like his current self in many ways.
When dealing with villains, he shows exactly how cruel a human can become.
That side of him is cool too, but above all, I just want the hero I admire to be happy.
It was at that moment, while I was smiling contentedly to myself with such thoughts.
"We will begin the exam now."
The proctor I saw yesterday announced the start of the exam once again.
I had no choice but to stop my thoughts at those words.
Thinking about Shin Yu-hwan is all well and good, but if I want to see the other heroes for a long time, I must not fail, right?
Therefore, I focused and looked into the test paper I received.
'The difficulty is definitely on a different level.'
As if the exam I took yesterday was just a taste, the difficulty of the problems was in a different league.
The very first question, which should have been the easiest, made my head spin.
Question 1: Among the A-Rank Gates that have appeared to date, what is the name and structure of the 34th Gate to appear?
Soaring Dragon’s Nest / Annihilation Type Gate.
Soaring Dragon’s Nest / Normal Type Gate.
Shipwreck in the Raging Waves / Annihilation Type Gate.
Shipwreck in the Raging Waves / Normal Type Gate.
Encroaching Shadow of Death / Annihilation Type Gate.
Even after re-reading the question description, it was absurd.
The name of the 34th gate to appear among A-Rank Gates?
It is not the first or the second, but the 34th? Is this not humanly excessive?
'Where would you even use this information?'
It seems exams are no different in any world.
Asking people to solve problems about things that are utterly useless to know for living.
It was just as I was about to give up on Question 1 and move on.
[Heterogeneous Gear (SSS) is activated.]
'Huh……?'
I was speechless at those words.
The Heterogeneous Gear only allows me to recall things I saw in the novel, which means…….
'He explained the 34th A-Rank Gate to appear in the novel?'
Is this guy truly insane?
This is why I was the only reader.
What kind of person in the world scribbles the name of the 34th A-Rank Gate in a novel?
While I was pouring out a bucket of insults toward the author internally, the system notification appeared before my eyes again.
[Related memories are flowing in.]
The system told me that memories were flowing in.
I nodded slightly at that sound.
Should I not see how this crazy author described it?
Besides, I had to solve the problem.
Therefore, I focused and began to recall the sentences flowing into my head.
After entering the Gate, Kim Su-hyeok looked at the scenery and spoke to Ryu Jin-oh with a smile.
'Jin-oh, do you know? This place seems to resemble that place.'
When Ryu Jin-oh looked at him as if he were talking nonsense, Kim Su-hyeok added a further explanation.
'I mean the 34th A-Rank Gate that was cleared in the past, the Soaring Dragon’s Nest. Though this place is a Normal Type and not an Annihilation Type Gate. Haha.'
'…….'
What did I just recall?
Is it truly correct that this is a proper sentence?
'Is that seriously a sentence I saw?'
It is not even at the level of a "Speedwagon" character who over-explains things.
At least a Speedwagon appears and explains at a plausible timing.
No, even if Kim Su-hyeok is smart regarding Gates, how could he say such a line?
"Crazy man……."
In the end, harsh words burst out of my mouth.
I had thought, 'It is a good work, so why do people not read it?' but there was a reason for everything.
It seems to be a sentence I subconsciously filtered out while reading the work.
I once again thought that this author was not in their right mind.
And just a few seconds later, I had to pay the price for the harsh words that had slipped out unintentionally.
THWACK-!
"AAAGH!"
"Do not mutter strange sounds and just solve the problems."
"Yes……."
The proctor passed by after whacking my head with something like an attendance book.
I felt so wronged, but I had no words to argue back.
It was not as if I could explain my ability to the proctor in detail.
'Ugh, seriously.'
In the end, I had no choice but to swallow my grievance and focus on the problems again.
While internally and incessantly cursing the author who wrote such rotten sentences.
***
"Hey, was the exam not truly insane?"
"I know! This level of difficulty would even make Satan cry!"
Time passed, and the exam was finally over.
The cadets, who had finally finished all their written exams, gathered and were chatting.
The atmosphere was quite different from yesterday.
As expected, since it was difficult, there seemed to be few cadets who did well.
'Not me, though…….'
I thought I would get at least an 80 or higher.
However, despite expecting to receive a good score, my mood was not very good.
"Crazy man… crazy man……."
I recalled too many things I did not want to remember.
I learned too many things that would have been better left unknown.
It was a series of fresh shocks, much like when I first came to this world.
"I wish it had not even activated……."
Every time I looked at the next question, I checked while thinking, 'Surely my talent won't activate here too, right?'
But as they say, "surely" can catch a man off guard.
Sentences that, logically, could not be explained in a novel—no, sentences that should not have been explained—kept popping into my head.
To the point where I wondered if I had truly read such a novel.
"Sigh, well, it is not all bad… yeah, right."
The information itself was good.
Thanks to it, I received good exam grades and could learn several useful tips.
Considering the disadvantage of the talent, which is that I can only recall things when I have the will to do so, it was a truly good thing.
It was just that I did not quite like the route through which I learned them.
"Fine. Since I learned it, that is all that matters."
It is something that has already passed anyway; hanging onto it for long is not very good.
Therefore, I decided to think about what lies ahead.
Now that the written exams are over, I thought about the practical exams waiting next.
'For now, it is better to go back and think.'
The surroundings are still noisy.
That meant it was not a good environment to think about something.
So, now that the exams are all over, would it not be better to go back and think rather than stay here?
Thus, I slung my bag over my shoulder and returned to the dormitory.
***
Soon, it was evening.
After arriving at the dormitory and finishing a neat shower, I sat in my chair with a refreshed mind.
Although I was not physically exhausted, I had suffered some mental attacks from the exam business, so with the mindset of finishing what I had to do and going to bed, I took out the practical exam bracket.
However, those thoughts of mine could not be realized.
"This man, seriously……."
The bracket was only notified this evening.
As soon as I saw it, my hands immediately began to tremble.
The reason was my turn recorded on the bracket.
"This is a bit much……."
Thanks to that, I did not even need to struggle to find it.
I was not so much of a fool that I would fail to see the name written third on the first line.
"Phew."
In the end, a suppressed sigh burst out.
If someone saw me like this, they might ask why.
They might ask if the third slot is not a reasonable turn since it ends early.
"The problem is that it is not."
Think about it; the number of first-year cadets at Glory alone is a thousand.
Even excluding the supporter roles who do not engage in duels for the practical exam, there are hundreds.
Among them, how could the third turn on the first day be a reasonable slot?
"Furthermore, that is not the end of it."
Those hundreds of cadets must take the exam over three days.
Naturally, the practical exam would not take place in only one location.
They would probably take the practical exam in at least ten sparring arenas.
But! There is exactly one exception here…….
'That up until the third turn on the first day, it only takes place in one location.'
What that meant was incredibly significant.
To use a festival as an analogy, it was no different from saying one would decorate the end of the opening ceremony.
Yes, in short, it meant having to play a leading role rather than the role of an extra.
'On top of that, the two people ahead of me make me even more lightheaded.'
With trembling hands, I checked the bracket.
[Bracket]
Cadet Kim Su-hyeok (1st Place)
Cadet Ryu Jin-oh (2nd Place)
Cadet Choi Yu-seong (899th Place)
……
"……."
The order was absurd no matter how many times I looked at it.
The 899th-place cadet decorating the end of the opening ceremony after the 1st-place and 2nd-place cadets.
It was an order that one would normally not be able to imagine.
Would I be lucky if people did not throw cans at me when I stood on the sparring arena?
'Shin Yu-hwan probably insisted on it.'
I think I know how that ridiculous order came to be.
Clearly, Shin Yu-hwan must have given prior notice to the Glory side.
Because Shin Yu-hwan is the type of person who likes to make a grand entrance in places like this.
'It was probably possible because the status of the invited player is more important than the cadet’s rank when it comes to the dueling order.'
As I said, is it not a show-off practical exam?
It was a rule created because it looks better for a player with the highest possible status to decorate the duel first.
Of course, the Glory side probably did not imagine that a high-status player would duel with the 899th-place cadet.
"Sigh, still, except for the fact that I will suffer, it is a good order."
He probably said he would duel third under the pretext that his time was only available then, but I can confidently say he is not a busy man.
He will probably stay and enjoy himself until the last day of the exam.
That brings about good effects in many ways.
First, I think I will be able to obtain a lot of Influence Points.
'Since it is a position that will attract a lot of public attention, and famous guilds will also come.'
This will certainly be a great help to me.
Because the more Influence Points I have, the better.
However, the good effect I consider most important is not about Influence Points.
The most important thing was that Shin Yu-hwan would be staying here at Glory.
'Because Shin Yu-hwan is a deterrent.'
If they see Shin Yu-hwan, even a villain who was planning to cause trouble will change their mind.
Even someone with a few screws loose in their brain will tighten them back up in front of Shin Yu-hwan.
"He may look like a slacker, but he is damn strong."
How could he have obtained the arrogant epithet of Spear God?
It is because the world recognized him.
It is because he is a man who would never be intimidated even before the epithet of the God of Spears.
'If he had just worked a bit harder on Gate clearing activities, he would have definitely been S-Rank.'
The only reason why someone as strong as him is A-Rank is simple.
It is because he does absolutely no Gate clearing activities, which affect player promotion.
It is because he is a man who moves solely for the eradication of villains.
'As far as I know, he has never participated in Gate activities except during his cadet days.'
But to have risen to A-Rank despite that.
Just how much must he have spread his prestige throughout the villain society?
If he were not the hero I admire, I would have surely used the title of monster.
"And tomorrow, I have to fight such a person."
Did I not resolve myself on the day I came to this world?
That I would do anything to protect the hero I admire.
This is also just an extension of that.
Yes, indeed…….
"…Aw, dammit, let's just sleep."
What "extension."
This is just me playing along with Shin Yu-hwan's amusement.
No matter how many good effects come out of it, I could not help this unsettled feeling…….
Thus, I fell asleep with a sorrowful heart while thinking about the upcoming duel.