Chapter 3: The Exam and a Changed World

After seven days filled with study and training, the long-awaited day of assessment had finally arrived.

Because Rai's ID stated he was a girl, he received a full set of female school uniforms—three formal outfits with pink stripes on the sleeves and short pink skirts, two sets of female sportswear, two swimsuits for girls, and three sets of unisex field gear, which looked like military uniforms but with certain sizes adjusted to fit a more feminine shape.

What terrified Rai the most was when his mother handed him a box filled with bras, women's underwear, makeup kits, scented soap, and even sanitary pads. Everything had been prepared, as if his mother had expected this all along.

"Why do I have to bring all this, Mom?" Rai asked with a pale face.

"Because now you look like a girl. No one must suspect you," his mother answered firmly, before teaching him everything—from how to wear a bra to how to clean his face properly.

All the items were stored inside a storage ring, a practical artifact that could carry many things without adding any weight. Rai could only sigh and accept his fate.

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The exam took place in a massive building that could accommodate over 10,000 students. Due to the overwhelming number of participants, the organizers even had to rent the building next door just to fit everyone in.

Ever since the shaman era began, humanity had undergone drastic changes. For some reason, the desire to reproduce and expand surged. With access to the spiritual realm and endless resources, governments around the world actually encouraged their citizens to grow in numbers.

In science, a universal terraforming theory had been developed—allowing planets to be made habitable. Mars, Venus, even Mercury and Titan now hosted human colonies.

With the invention of planetary teleportation gates, humans were no longer limited by distance. They could travel between planets in mere minutes.

Despite the rising birth rate, it still wasn't enough to populate the countless habitable worlds humanity had created. That's why shaman schools were now the cornerstone of civilization—producing individuals capable of bridging the physical and spiritual realms.

And there stood Rai, among the massive crowd of students, his heart pounding, carrying a huge secret within him.

Thanks to his dedication and tireless study, Rai was able to face each test one by one with growing confidence.

There were six main tests every student had to go through—three in the sciences and three in the mystical arts.

The science-based tests covered the basics:

Mathematics

Physics

Chemistry

The results from these exams would contribute heavily to the overall score, and were considered crucial to placing students into the right shaman schools.

The mystical exams, on the other hand, were far more complex:

1. Spiritual Arts (Magic) – This subject focused on using spiritual energy for various purposes—combat, healing, summoning, and more. It was a vast and complicated field requiring a deep understanding of energy manipulation.

2. Voodoo – In this course, students studied the compression and usage of dark energy, often referred to in modern science as anti-matter. It was a dangerous and controversial art, but incredibly powerful if mastered correctly.

3. Khodam Knowledge – This was perhaps the most intense subject. Students had to learn everything from:

the history of khodams

the types and ranks of khodams

how to create artificial khodams

formulas and theories behind khodam summoning

even the biological structure of khodams

The written examinations lasted for two full days—the first day focused entirely on scientific knowledge, and the second day was dedicated to the mystical subjects.

After completing all the tests, Rai collapsed in exhaustion, mentally drained from the sheer difficulty of the exams. He had studied as hard as he could, but there were still a few questions he couldn't answer. At that point, he simply let it go—he had done his best.

A one-day break was scheduled before the practical exams began.

The practical tests were said to be far more intense—and much more exciting, as participants would be required to use their khodams in real situations.

The first practical test had already been announced in advance.

It would involve entering the spirit realm, more specifically the Haunted Forest of the Tuyuls, and hunting down those creatures. Each participant would be given a special watch that tracked their number of confirmed kills.

Only Tuyuls would be counted—stronger spirits like jins were not part of the test and participants were strictly advised to run if they encountered them.

Each Tuyul killed would count as one point, and only those with the highest kill counts would be considered for the elite schools.

This test wasn't just for show—it was also part of a population control effort. Tuyuls were infamously overpopulated, and the problem had grown out of hand.

A female Tuyul could give birth every month, and each litter could have 1,000 to 3,000 offspring.

Worse, it only took one year for a newborn Tuyul to reach maturity and start reproducing.

Without regular culling, their population could explode uncontrollably.

And now, it was Rai's turn to step into that wild, dangerous forest—armed only with his khodam and everything he'd learned so far.

Although the exam was graded individually, surviving in the Forest of Tuyuls was no easy feat. It was natural for participants to form teams. Rai received messages from two old friends: Alfin and Diana, childhood buddies who used to play with him often.

In this world, humans were considered adults only after they awakened their khodam. That usually happened around the age of 18. Before that, kids were free to play without any school obligations. That's why formal education only started at 18.

Rai, Diana, and Alfin met in a garden to introduce their khodams. Their physical bodies would remain seated in the exam hall, while their souls would enter the spirit realm alongside their khodams.

Diana: A fox-eared woman with nine elegant, pink fox tails.

Alfin: A red-skinned man with bull horns, a long tail with a glowing spear-like tip.

Rai: A beautiful woman with large white wings, surrounded by glowing fireflies that floated in circles.

Alfin rubbed his temples, utterly confused upon seeing Rai's khodam.

> "I feel betrayed…" Alfin muttered.

> "Huh? Why?" Rai asked innocently.

> "Yeah, me too," Diana added.

> "Wait, what? I never lied to you guys," Rai replied, genuinely confused.

Diana explained, "Rai, ever since we were kids, you dressed like a boy, played soccer and basketball, hung out at internet cafés, and even caught bugs with us. So we just assumed you were a boy."

Alfin nodded solemnly, still trying to process the revelation that their long-time "bro" was actually a "sis."

Rai had no idea how to explain herself, so she just turned away awkwardly. "Well… it's not like you ever asked…"

Diana pouted. "Because of that, it was hard to stay close friends. So now you must be punished!"

Rai flinched. "Punished… how?"

Diana smirked and pulled out a pink wig.

> "Try this on," she said while placing the wig on Rai's head.

As soon as the pink wig settled, Rai's appearance transformed drastically. She looked stunning—so feminine, it was almost unfair.

> "No way! I'm not wearing this!" Rai protested, trying to yank it off.

> "But if you don't… I'll be really sad…" Diana said, faking a sob.

With a heavy sigh, Rai gave in.

> "Fine…" she mumbled, adjusting the wig.

Rai now looked so beautiful it stunned the others into silence. Even Alfin couldn't speak.

> "So… she really is a girl? No wonder she always refused to bathe with us…" Alfin thought, still in disbelief.