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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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‘Eternity Academy’, located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is the world’s premier superhuman training institution.
For that reason, countless people from all over the world apply to Eternity each year, and among them, only the 5,000 who pass the preliminaries can take Eternity’s ‘entrance exam’.
But even a reduced number of 5,000 is too many. There’s no way to check each and every one of them. Therefore, Eternity’s practical exam is conducted in a rather simple manner.
How?
A ‘brawl’.
It’s a barbaric method, but since the demonic beasts that superhumans must hunt are the most barbaric of beings, it was a method that had some logic to it.
I scanned the 40 cadet candidates gathered in the practical exam hall. I was looking to see if there were any familiar faces, and I was suddenly taken aback.
‘Of all people…’
A black bob that reached her shoulders. Pale white skin. Rather large eyes. She was a beautiful girl, as if straight out of a drawing.
But that wasn’t the reason I was surprised.
The antique blade at her waist, the way she leaned against the window, tapping her foot while on her smartphone. Even her strangely languid eyes.
That aura, full of annoyance… there was no doubt.
One of the main characters of Eternity Sword Saint Chronicle and an ability user who wields the overpowered Gift of [Gravity].
It was Eun Gaye. A character said to possess the greatest talent with the sword, second only to the protagonist, Cheon Woojin.
What she was doing on her smartphone was surely a game. Eun Gaye had a habit of killing time with games whenever she was bored.
Perhaps because it was the first time I’d seen a familiar face, I was staring intently at Eun Gaye with a strange sense of gladness. That’s when Eun Gaye, feeling my gaze, turned to look at me.
I smiled and waved my hand.
Eun Gaye scowled as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have, then whipped her head away. I awkwardly lowered my hand.
Did I just screw up my first impression?
“Attention!”
As the exam time arrived, the instructor drew everyone’s attention.
“My introduction is late. Nice to meet you all. I am Instructor Han Jin-cheol, and I will be in charge of this practical exam.”
After briefly introducing himself, Han Jin-cheol got straight to the point.
“You all received a number tag when you entered the exam hall. You will form pairs of 20 according to those numbers and engage in a brawl.”
Han Jin-cheol pointed to a large circle drawn on the exam hall floor.
“If you step outside the circle on the floor, you will be considered eliminated. Don’t worry about getting injured. The shield embedded in your number tag will block most attacks. However, if the shield breaks, you are eliminated.”
At that moment, one of the candidates raised his hand and asked.
“How many people have to be left for it to end?”
“One.”
“O-one? Then everyone else is…”
“Eliminated.”
Seeing the questioning candidate’s face turn pale, Han Jin-cheol added.
“Of course, we will gather the losers and select one more, so don’t worry.”
Han Jin-cheol shamelessly said something completely contrary to his words of reassurance, then asked.
“Any more questions? If not, come forward in the order you are called.”
After Han Jin-cheol finished, the roll call began. I let out a sigh of relief. Eun Gaye was assigned to Group 1, and I was in Group 2.
‘Dodged a bullet.’
Even though I had obtained Gram, honestly, what were the chances of me beating Eun Gaye in my current state? There was no way such a thing existed.
Eternity Sword Saint Chronicle may have been a game with broken balance, but it wasn’t so ridiculous that you could beat a main character just by getting one sword.
I watched Eun Gaye enter the circle.
Her skirt seemed uncomfortable, making her walk look awkward.
She looked so fragile that it was doubtful she could even swing a sword properly. But what lurked within her was…
“Begin!”
*Peeeeep!* With the sound of a whistle, the Group 1 brawl began.
And, at the same moment it started, one candidate was sent flying out of the circle.
“#374 Oh Hak-jong, eliminated!”
The eliminated candidate had a dumbfounded expression. It was understandable, since he was sent flying even though he had blocked properly. If it were me, I’d be speechless too.
The one who had swung the sword was none other than Eun Gaye. She didn’t seem to have exerted much effort even after sending her opponent flying out of the circle. And with that first sacrifice, a chaotic battle erupted.
A large-bodied candidate charged at Eun Gaye. He seemed overly confident, perhaps not having gotten a clear look at the candidate who had just been sent flying.
It made sense, as Eun Gaye, on the surface, just looked like a delicate girl who was a bit skilled with a sword.
*Whooosh!*
The sight of a giant greatsword coming down on Eun Gaye was overwhelming for anyone to see.
I silently prayed for his soul.
‘That bastard is committing suicide on his own.’
Sure enough, the candidate who brought down the greatsword was sent flying like a deer hit by a dump truck, crashing into the exam hall wall.
Eun Gaye’s Gift, [Gravity].
She could control gravity to freely reduce the ‘weight’ of herself or any object she touched.
Because of this, no matter how heavy an object she lifted, the weight applied to her was close to ‘0’, so her movements never slowed. On the other hand, she could make others feel the full weight of the object.
For reference, the elegant blade she wielded was a magic sword enchanted with weight magic, and it weighed 4 tons. Her opponent had to endure that 4-ton weight in its entirety.
Thanks to this overpowered trait, she was a martial artist skilled not only in swordsmanship but also in hand-to-hand combat. You could say her entire body was a weapon.
Eun Gaye was a monster whose insane destructive power, far beyond that of a student’s level, would eventually earn her the moniker ‘War Princess’.
‘Though it seems she’s still far from perfecting it.’
Once the big guy was sent flying, the other candidates realized Eun Gaye was a monster and joined forces, but it was useless.
For these nobodies, who were less than extras, to take on Eun Gaye was like an egg hitting a rock.
Every time they clashed, they were sent flying as if hit by a dump truck, a chilling sight to behold.
I was just incredibly fortunate not to be in there with them.
*Peeeeeeeeep!*
The Group 1 match ended in an instant. The winner, naturally, was Eun Gaye.
The defeated members of Group 1 were carried out on stretchers, and the practical exam hall was neatly cleared. Next up was Group 2’s turn.
‘I’m counting on you.’
I gripped Gram tightly and stepped into the circle. And a short while later.
*Peeeeeeeeep!*
With the sound of the whistle, the Group 2 brawl began.
***
“Ah, I died again.”
Eun Gaye clicked her tongue and deleted the RPG game app.
It had been fun for the first few times, but she quickly lost interest.
“When is this going to end?”
The practical exam just wouldn’t end. As Eun Gaye leaned against the window, tapping her foot, someone spoke.
“Gaye-ya~”
Someone wrapped their arm around her neck. Without even looking back, Eun Gaye said.
“Three seconds.”
Two seconds. One second. As she counted down quickly, the person clinging to her detached with a ‘tch’ sound.
When she turned around, her childhood friend and only friend, Han Se-yeon, was smiling faintly.
“Gaye-ya, are you bored?”
“Yeah, I came here with high expectations, but it was a total letdown with only weaklings around.”
“Still, isn’t it nice that there are so many people?”
“Stop pretending to like people.”
When she snorted, Han Se-yeon just smiled silently. Eun Gaye frowned slightly.
“Hey, Han Se-yeon.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t smile like that. You look scary when you do.”
“Everyone but you seems to like it, Gaye.”
“That’s because they don’t know. You’re just playing dumb.”
Han Se-yeon blinked with an innocent expression. Just as Eun Gaye was shaking her head, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.
Eun Gaye turned her gaze to the arena where the brawl was taking place.
The Group 2 brawl was reaching its climax.
Only two people were left standing. Even then, one was unleashing a one-sided assault.
Seeing the person who was dodging, Eun Gaye’s eyes widened.
“Huh? That guy is…”
“You know him?”
“Just his face.”
It was the guy who had waved at her with that greasy smile earlier.
The students who had come to watch the brawl were chattering.
“It’s over. Nothing more to see there.”
“But he’s really good at dodging.”
“What’s the point? He can’t even land a single attack.”
“Well, he does look pitiful.”
Laughter erupted. To anyone watching, it was clearly the attacking candidate’s victory. Eun Gaye, however, frowned.
“What is he doing?”
The other students might not see it, but she could.
She could see that the one dodging was reacting *before* the opponent’s attacks.
This was something only possible if you could completely read your opponent’s moves.
But why was he only dodging? And why was he acting so clumsy about it?
“Ah! Don’t tell me, is he acting?”
“Pfft, looks like it.”
Han Se-yeon giggled, amused. Eun Gaye shook her head.
Even if he was acting, did he have to go as far as rolling on the floor?
“…What a weirdo.”
A laugh escaped her out of disbelief. But as the match continued, Eun Gaye could no longer laugh.
“What is that…”
On the surface, his movements looked not just clumsy, but dangerously close to being hit. But his judgment in choosing which direction to dodge or where to press in was chillingly precise.
In game terms, it was like a Lv1 player taking on a Lv20 player with pure control.
As the match dragged on, the spectating students also began to have their doubts. At this point, it looked like the two were colluding.
“Hey, isn’t he just toying with him on purpose?”
“You’re right. Something felt off.”
“Wow, what was his name, Lee Myeong-hak? I didn’t think he was like that, what a cruel bastard.”
Criticism poured down on Lee Myeong-hak.
Why would he torment an opponent he had already beaten?
Meanwhile, the target of the criticism, Lee Myeong-hak, was on the verge of dying from frustration.
‘Shit, I want to end this too! What am I supposed to do if my attacks don’t land!’
He wasn’t the cruel type to toy with a defeated opponent; on the contrary, he was a coward who would faint at the sight of a demonic beast.
But now he was being branded as human trash. He could even see students holding up their smartphones, recording.
“*Huff, huff*. Please, just get hit. I’m begging you.”
“Why should I?”
Dodging Lee Myeong-hak’s sword, I shrugged.
He looked a little, no, honestly, very pitiful, but that wasn’t my problem.
In fact, the fact that it had dragged on this long was a miscalculation on my part.
‘I can’t believe I can’t use Gram’s Gift.’
Gram’s Gift, [Fission], is literally a ‘flying sword’ technique where the sword splits into multiple blades that fly around. And these split blades boast overpowered performance in a chaotic brawl like this.
My calculation was that I could easily pass the practical exam by using [Fission], but I couldn’t even use it.
The reason was that my physical specs were insufficient to use Gram’s Gift.
I had never experienced this situation when playing as Cheon Woojin, so I didn’t know.
How could I know if it never came up? It made me realize anew that I had really fallen into a game.
Anyway, it was an unexpected situation, but there was no way I would lose.
A Great Noble Armament like Gram didn’t just come with a Gift.
*Swoosh!*
A sword came down. It was quite fast; my usual self wouldn’t even be able to react, let alone dodge it.
And I dodged the sword by moving slightly to the side. The sword that was swung next also grazed past me. It wasn’t me who dodged. ‘Gram’ had moved my body.
[Gram◆Lee Haesol Synchronization Rate 5%]
Well, even that was only 5%, so it was closer to me getting a vague feeling and moving myself, but that was more than enough.
It was tantamount to borrowing the movements of the hero of Norse mythology, Sigmund. On top of that, Gram possessed its own mana. It was more than enough for the level of the entrance exam.
“Die!”
Just then, Lee Myeong-hak brought down his sword, brimming with mana. He must have been so pissed off that he was shamelessly threatening murder during an entrance exam. People were recording this…
Anyway, this was my chance. Lee Myeong-hak’s movements had become larger due to his excitement. At this rate, I could also close in.
*Whooosh!*
I rolled on the floor to dodge the sword and then closed in on Lee Myeong-hak, whose guard was now open.
“Hut!”
Startled, Lee Myeong-hak hastily retrieved his sword, but it was too late.
*Swish!*
The safety shield broke, and Gram was pointed at Lee Myeong-hak’s neck.
“Winner! Candidate #386, Lee Haesol!”
Finally, my name echoed through the hall. I shrugged and turned my body.
An unexpected situation where I couldn’t use Gram’s Gift had occurred, but I managed to get through it somehow.
‘Now, all that’s left is the written exam.’
Well, the written exam should be easier than this.
After clearing the entire game, there’s no way something I don’t know will come up. Admission was guaranteed. I leisurely walked out of the brawl arena.
Meanwhile, a silence fell over the practical exam hall where the brawl had taken place. That silence was broken not long after.
“Wow, what a fluke.”
“Whoa, he won that? For real?”
Most of the reactions were of disbelief.
The flow of the match was one-sided, but the result was the opposite, so it was understandable. However, for Eun Gaye, it was an expected result.
“You know, Se-yeon.”
“Hm?”
“Coming to Eternity, I think it was the right choice.”
“Hut, I’m glad to hear that.”
A light shone in Eun Gaye’s languid eyes. Those eyes were directed at Lee Haesol, who was walking out of the practical exam hall.
He won against his opponent with pure judgment, without revealing any of his skills.
*Are these the kinds of guys who get into Eternity?*
The corners of her mouth curled up into a grin. She was already looking forward to her life at Eternity.
“Ah, that was a good show. Now we just have to take the written exam, right?”
“Ugh.”
At Han Se-yeon’s words, Eun Gaye’s face hardened like a stone. It was an expression that said, ‘what I feared has come’.
“Let’s go, Gaye-ya.”
“W-wait, I’m not mentally prepared yet…!”
“Yeah, yeah, you can prepare yourself all you want when you get there.”
As she was dragged away by Han Se-yeon, Eun Gaye’s face fell.
“Please, just let me pass…”
She was confident in physical activities, but she had no talent for anything involving her head.
She could only hope that it wouldn’t rain.
***
…A while later, after finishing the brawl, I arrived at the written exam hall with a light heart.
Before the exam started, everyone was busy sitting in their chairs, looking at their notes.
It was like watching students before the college entrance exam, and a warm smile naturally formed on my lips.
If I were in that situation, it would be terrifying, but for me, who had cleared the game to the end, it didn’t apply.
However, as soon as I received the test paper, I realized what a huge misunderstanding I had been under.
[The following is about Demonic Beast A. Demonic Beast A is a Grade 6 entity and has consumed a total of 100 demonic creatures. Calculate the amount of mana Demonic Beast A would possess. Also, describe three or more methods to defeat Demonic Beast A.]
“Shit.”
…I didn’t understand a single word.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
As always if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
Feels kinda childish cliche