Admission Examination [4]

Chapter 8

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Episode 2 - Admission Examination [4]

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"How much time has passed, Grey?"

"I think the same, Archmage Evangeline."

Grey greeted Evangeline Ares. She was the younger sister of the head of the Ares family, a level 5 mage, an imperial archmage.

"Franz, Charlotte, and Ashly will enter the same grade. Ha! A great event for families from the same empire!"

Franz, the son of the head of the Ares family, was 18 years old, and Charlotte was also 18.

From an imperial point of view, it was good that three people representing the empire could enter the same year at the Sanctuary of Heroes.

However, it marked the inevitable beginning of a family power struggle to be named the greatest family in the empire.

"Although Franz will be the one to achieve the highest score on the entrance exam."

At Evangeline's mockery, Grey said,

"How can you be so sure?"

"Franz and Ashly are formidable contenders for first place."

It was understood that Franz and Ashly were the most promising.

One of the two would obtain first place with the highest score.

Evangeline looked around and found Alex, the examiner, standing on the podium.

"This test is unique, full of unpredictable variables. And in the middle of it all, Franz has Charlotte by his side."

Charlotte was considered one of the top three.

The siblings would surely collaborate against Ashly, another strong contender.

Although Evangeline believed the two siblings would be at the top this time, Grey's thoughts were different.

'It's a disadvantageous situation for Ashly... but not without hope.'

They were talking about Lucius.

Grey remembered that Lucius was participating; of course, he was on Ashly's side.

Grey laughed to himself, without showing it to Evangeline.

Although he clearly wanted to mock Evangeline, he refrained.

Flap!

Suddenly, a massive holographic screen appeared a few meters above the podium where Alex was standing.

The audience was left speechless.

The hologram projected a screen, revealing the events inside the Fragmented Dimension simulation so that the exam conditions could be broadcast to the public.

When the screen revealed what was happening inside the simulation.

"....."

There was a sinister silence among all those present, including Evangeline.

But Grey opened his eyes wide with a big smile, even showing his teeth.

"Ha, Lucius, you're worse than your mother."

The hologram produced no sound or anything else, only displaying everything in real time. But on the screen, a black-haired, violet-eyed girl could be seen.

Charlotte was hanging from a vine tied to the branch of a tree, while below her was a cliff.

And the white-haired boy holding the vines that kept her there smiled maliciously as he tightened them.

***

When Charlotte opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a 20-meter drop.

"Heh, w-what is this...?"

Lucius' voice reached her ears as she spun in the air.

"Oh, she's awake."

Charlotte looked at the calm Lucius sitting on a rock while he held the vine that was suspending her body.

"Let's work together, just a simple temporary cooperation."

"You can't force me! And I'll make you regret tying me up like this!"

Charlotte said while chanting a spell, but the spell never appeared.

"What's happening? Why isn't my magic working?"

She felt as if her magic was being suppressed by something, somehow.

"Is this a magic seal?"

Charlotte asked, looking at Lucius.

"Yes."

"Are you a mage?"

She was confused since only a mage could do this.

"No. I can't use any kind of magic right now. So my seal isn't that strong."

Charlotte was surprised.

"Incredible!"

Lucius waved his hand indifferently.

"Well, I can only make them when I really concentrate."

"What? Ack!"

Suddenly, the vine holding her lowered a few centimeters.

She became aware that the vine wasn't resisting her weight and that she might fall into the cliff.

"Wait! Put me down! Please, let me go!"

Lucius chuckled slightly and said,

"So, will you cooperate with me?"

At his words, Charlotte quickly responded,

"An Ares and a Sephir? Never!"

But Lucius didn't care about her words.

"Think fast, or that vine will break!"

"Stop, please!"

Struggling, Charlotte tried to break the seal.

Unraveling a seal required intense concentration, even for non-magical seals like the one Lucius had created.

She quickly attempted to destroy the seal, but it wasn't easy.

Breaking a magic seal required considerable knowledge of magic.

Of course, it might have worked if Charlotte were a more experienced mage.

However, since she had no experience in that task, she struggled to do it.

Lucius saw right through her.

Her face turned pale.

"Wait! They can see the exam from outside! If other people see this..."

The embarrassment was unbearable for Charlotte at that moment.

Crack!

"....."

"It's breaking... Please, put me down..."

Lucius laughed calmly.

"Cooperation, then you'll come down."

Crack!

The vine was about to snap, so Charlotte shouted,

"I-I... swear by the name of Ares that I will cooperate with you!"

Although it was quite difficult, Lucius had expected this response with his trick.

"As funny as my jokes."

Lucius burst into laughter as he lowered Charlotte.

Charlotte, in tears, fell to the ground on her knees she might have even kissed the ground, but she didn't.

"I hope no one saw that. Not now. N-no one saw it, right? I don't think so. I'm sure they didn't see it. The test just started; I'm sure they haven't even begun broadcasting yet."

But unfortunately for her, Lucius and Charlotte were coincidentally the first ones to be broadcast through the hologram.

***

Alex let out a sigh with an indifferent expression.

His eyes scanned the scene projected before him. A dark, misty forest stretched across the hologram image, where candidates struggled to make their way through.

Here began the story of every aspiring hero.

That was how he himself had become one.

However, what he saw did not impress him.

"They're mediocre."

Alex clicked his tongue in displeasure.

A hero was a being chosen by destiny, an existence admired and revered. Books told stories of radiant warriors, models of nobility and courage.

However, he had never fit that image.

Inefficiencies irritated him the waste of time, the lack of preparation. That was why he took it upon himself to oversee this test.

Survival in a cursed forest.

A simple exam: either eliminate the others or hunt monsters.

Many had chosen the first option.

"What nonsense..."

Alex shook his head.

Eliminating rivals might seem like the quickest way to secure a spot, but most failed to understand the true evaluation criteria.

First, they assumed the competition was merely a fight among themselves.

Second, they underestimated the Wild Forest.

Goblins and orcs were no real threat. Wolves were a problem but manageable. Trolls, however, were another story.

Without cooperation, they would perish.

Unless, of course, someone had the skill to face everything alone.

Alex fixed his gaze on the hologram image.

Among the moving figures, one stood out with intensity.

White hair and blue eyes.

A girl advanced with determination, her sword wrapped in a black glow of blazing aura.

"Ashly Sephir... I've heard a lot about her."

She was relentless, agile each of her strikes cut down enemies without hesitation. Before her, three trolls fell one after another.

Beside her, a young man with black hair and violet eyes skillfully blocked attacks.

"Franz Ares is there too. The Empire's future is promising."

Instead of facing things alone, they had joined forces.

Both had understood the true nature of the test.

Alex allowed a faint smile.

The first and second places were practically secured.

Then, the image in the mirror changed.

An orc roared, swinging its axe at a young man who dodged calmly and precisely.

"Is that...?"

Alex narrowed his eyes.

It was the same one who had appeared at the start, someone who had stood out for his unorthodox approach.

Charlotte Ares, daughter of the Ares family, had almost been thrown off a cliff.

A problematic candidate.

And yet...

"Interesting."

He had chosen a different path.

He had convinced Charlotte to work with him.

It wasn't just brute strength it was strategy.

The orc fell before it had even fully reacted.

"He may not have Ashly Sephir's elegance, but he certainly has talent."

Alex rested his chin on his hand, watching with renewed interest.

"Lucius Behringer..."

Maybe, after all, this test wouldn't be so boring.

***

Thud!

A heart and the blade of a sword were pierced.

Pulling the sword from an orc's heart, I swung it, and the blood on the blade was wiped off slightly.

In front of me stood a group of orcs.

"Creation Magic, Gravity Arrows."

Near me, Charlotte chanted a spell, and several green-colored arrows flew, striking the orcs in the head.

They fell dead easily as I lunged at the last remaining orcs.

Whoom!

The sound of flesh being cut filled the air as the heads of the last orcs were severed and dropped to the ground.

"Fighting in a group is faster."

I expected results like this.

With Charlotte as a combat-type mage, the speed at which we killed monsters was faster.

It would take much longer for a single person like me.

Of course, I'm different from the others, but I am still just one.

In the midst of my thoughts, Charlotte's voice reached me, snapping me out of them.

"How did you kill those orcs without using Aura?"

I sighed and replied.

"I can't use Aura."

Charlotte shouted in surprise.

"What did you say?"

Shaking my hands, I responded more clearly.

"Well, I haven't learned any Aura yet."

Her eyes were wide open, but her expression quickly turned thoughtful.

Just as I thought.

She was thinking about our earlier fight.

Since I defeated her without Aura, she realized how I did it especially because she hadn't sensed my presence, as I didn't use Aura.

She turned to me and said mockingly,

"Revealing your secret like that! What a foolish move!"

"Either way, you still can't defeat me with your skills, so I'm not worried."

"Haha! You're lying!"

She laughed loudly, pointing at me.

"I'm just telling the truth."

Charlotte was weak compared to me. She couldn't defeat me. However...

"But honestly, your skills are impressive."

"What?"

"You have very strong magic, and it's also versatile."

To be honest, complimenting someone wasn't my style.

"But that's the problem."

"What problem?"

"Your skills are so good that you can't grasp the essence of gravity magic."

Charlotte's combat style was based on overpowering her opponent.

This use of magic was inconsistent with the essence of gravity magic.

"Gravity magic is the pride and joy of my family. Talking about the 'essence' of our craft to an Ares is absurd."

Charlotte was mocking me; I understood well that my criticism annoyed her.

"Gravity Magic, Crushing Bind."

Charlotte chanted a spell while extending her hand.

A passing troll suddenly stopped and floated a meter into the air.

Charlotte then clenched her fist, and the troll's body was compressed.

Boom!

It fell to the ground in front of us, its blood spilling out.

It died easily.

"You're nothing but a senseless critic, aren't you? Just because you think you know a little magic! Surprised, huh?"

Charlotte gave me a satisfied smile.

I looked at her without a hint of emotion.

"That's not how you use gravity magic."

Gravity magic was one of the most powerful and versatile types.

Simply applying blunt force through gravity was the antithesis of its innate nature.

Charlotte became irritated at my words.

But I ignored her completely, turning away while shaking my hand.

"You don't know anything. Someone who doesn't use magic shouldn't criticize a mage."

Charlotte's voice rang out strongly.

But suddenly, I stopped.

There were bodies of monsters some crushed terribly, while others had only half of their bodies remaining.

Charlotte seemed to notice my sudden silence and approached.

"What happened to them? There shouldn't be any monster stronger than a troll in this forest, right?"

Charlotte was perplexed by the bodies while I examined them.

At that moment, something clicked in my mind.

"First, let's find Ashly and your brother. I think I know what it takes to pass this test."

Charlotte was suddenly startled.

"Huh? How?"

I laughed, surprising Charlotte even more.

"By killing the owner."