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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, painting the room in a soft, golden hue.
I sat up in bed, my heart pounding with anticipation.
‘Today’s the day.’
The sounds of excited chatter and nervous laughter drifted in from outside.
Aspiring heroes, all gathered for the Hero Academy entrance exam.
‘There are a lot of them.’
I had already gotten a glimpse of the competition last week, when I had registered as a hero candidate.
The registration office had been packed.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
There were always those who returned year after year, determined to pass the exam, as long as they were within the age limit.
‘It’s understandable, considering graduation guarantees hero status.’
There was no reason for a hero candidate to skip the exam.
Of course, most of them would fail.
This was different from the hero candidate registration interview.
Only 64 individuals were accepted into the Hero Academy each year.
And out of those 64, 16 were reserved for magic students from the Mage Tower. That left only 48 spots for martial arts students.
The Hero Academy prided itself on its rigorous standards, its focus on cultivating elite heroes.
To be more specific, the swordsmanship department had 32 spots, divided into four classes of eight students each.
The archery and spear departments each had eight spots.
This was due to the fact that most high-ranking relics were swords.
Out of the 100+ 4-star and higher relics registered with the Order, less than twenty were non-sword relics.
‘So it’s usually best to learn swordsmanship…’
I pulled out a bow and a quiver of arrows from my inventory, my hands moving with practiced ease as I began inspecting them.
I had decided, after careful consideration, to take the entrance exam as an archer, not a swordsman.
I couldn’t risk drawing attention to myself, to the unique nature of my swordsmanship.
‘Libero’s swordsmanship… it’s too distinct.’
If I had to use a sword, I would stick to the Lidval family style.
As Libero had said, it was a high-level swordsmanship style, with its own strengths and complexities.
And while I could no longer perfectly replicate Gwen’s swordsmanship without Absolute Obedience, I could now adapt it, modify it, make it my own.
‘But it’s best to avoid using a sword altogether, if possible.’
I tested the bowstring, pulling it taut.
It felt good, the tension just right.
But why archery?
Compared to my swordsmanship, my archery skills were… mediocre, at best.
If I had any talent for archery, I wouldn’t have chosen to focus on swords.
It was also true that high-ranking archery relics were rare.
But a lack of talent didn’t mean I couldn’t become proficient.
I had the Power of the Wind. It enhanced my swordsmanship, but it was even more effective with projectiles.
The Power of the Wind could also be used to create distance, to gain a strategic advantage.
And most importantly… my third inherited Stigma.
Its inherited trait had excellent synergy with archery.
I had inherited it for a different reason, but it was a fortunate coincidence.
Of course, even with all of that, my archery was still nowhere near the level of my swordsmanship.
But that didn’t matter.
My goal was to graduate from the Hero Academy quietly, without drawing attention to myself, to acquire the status of a hero as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“Time to go.”
I secured the bow and quiver to my back and left my room.
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“There are so many of them…” Elsie murmured, her eyes wide as she scanned the crowd of aspiring hero candidates.
Hundreds of individuals, all vying for a mere 48 spots.
She had never seen this many people gathered in one place, except for royal events.
“They’re all just testing the waters,” Gwen said, her gaze sweeping across the crowd dismissively.
“Most of them have never even faced a Chaos Beast. They’re just here because it’s relatively easy to qualify as a hero candidate, and they think they might have a chance.”
The candidates started entering the building.
“Gwen, you said the exam involves fighting Chaos Beasts, right?” Elsie whispered, lowering her voice. “So are there… Chaos Beasts inside that building?”
“Of course not. Hailen’s barrier is too strong. Most Chaos Beasts wouldn’t even be able to move, let alone fight. The exam doesn’t take place in the real world.”
“What?”
“Remember that lake in Basil? The one where you took the Trial?”
It had been a while, but Elsie could never forget that experience.
It had been a harsh, unforgiving trial, forcing her to confront her deepest fears and regrets.
“That eerie lake shrouded in mist?”
“That’s the one. There’s a similar lake inside that building. The difference is, the Order made a contract with the god who controls that lake, and the Mage Tower can now manipulate the environment within.”
“A contract between humans and a god…”
The concept was foreign to her. She had only encountered a god for the first time during her Trial.
But Gwen, who had learned about such things at the Hero Academy, wasn’t surprised.
“It’s not that strange. The reason you can use Light magic is because of a contract your ancestors made with the God of Light. Such contracts were common before the Age of Chaos.”
“I see…”
Candidates started emerging from the building.
They looked pale, their faces etched with terror.
“That’s a normal reaction for someone who’s seeing a Chaos Beast for the first time.”
For those born and raised within the safety of the barrier, the Chaos Realm was a terrifying unknown.
Chaos Beasts, creatures born from the Chaos-tainted lands…
The fear they inspired was beyond imagination.
“You were like that, too. And so was I.”
Gwen and Elsie had both experienced that terror.
But once they realized that those monsters could be defeated, the fear had subsided.
But Gwen still offered her a word of caution.
“But don’t get complacent, Elsie. Sometimes… even an enemy you think you know can surprise you.”
Her words made sense.
But they didn’t fully resonate with Elsie. She needed to experience it firsthand.
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Inside the examination hall…
A Chaos Beast, its body riddled with wounds, dissolved into particles.
Elsie gasped for breath, her chest heaving.
“Haa…”
The first Chaos Beast had been weak, its attacks easily deflected.
Elsie had even recognized it; it was a common type.
So she had dispatched it without hesitation.
But the Chaos Beasts that followed were stronger, their attacks more ferocious.
She could still cut them down, her swordsmanship honed through months of relentless training.
Even the tougher ones, the ones with thicker hides… she could wear them down, her relentless assault eventually overwhelming their defenses.
But there was a limit.
The eighth Chaos Beast was her limit.
It was clad in thick armor, impervious to her attacks. There were no openings, no weaknesses she could exploit.
And its attacks were powerful, each blow a thunderous impact that sent tremors through her body.
‘I could have cut through its armor with Gwen’s sword.’
[Ignis] would have melted through the armor, allowing her blade to pierce its flesh.
But she didn’t have such a powerful relic.
All she had was [Breezebringer], a 2-star relic whose only ability was to summon a gentle breeze.
‘But…’
Gwen had said that while the ability to use a relic effectively was important, the instructors were looking for more than that.
They were evaluating potential.
She wasn’t sure what her potential was.
But she knew what she had to do.
‘I just have to show them everything I’ve got.’
Her eyes hardened with determination.
She had to pass this exam. It was her only chance to gain the strength she needed, the power to achieve her goal.
Gwen had said she would pass.
But she couldn’t afford to be complacent.
‘I’ll defeat it.’
This wasn’t the real world. It was a simulation.
It didn’t matter if her sword broke, if she got injured.
She would use that to her advantage.
She struck again and again, her attacks relentless.
Her blade couldn’t even scratch its armor.
Her muscles screamed in protest, her bones ached, her body nearing its limit.
But she didn’t stop.
She attacked with a ferocity that bordered on madness, her blade a blur of motion, as if trying to carve through solid rock.
And eventually… the rock crumbled.
Her attacks, while seemingly random, had been focused on a single point.
And then… a crack appeared.
She thrust her sword into the opening, her heart pounding.
‘Please…’
The Chaos Beast froze.
And then, it dissolved into particles.
“I’ll… I’ll cut them all down…” she gasped, her voice ragged, her body trembling with exhaustion.
Just as she was catching her breath, a new Chaos Beast began to materialize.
“Whatever it takes…”
But this one was different.
It was massive, its form growing larger and larger, dwarfing the previous ones.
As she stared at the monstrous creature, its power radiating outwards like a physical force, the meaning of Gwen’s words finally hit her.
‘I understand now, Gwen,’ she thought, a chill running down her spine.
She couldn’t see a way to win, no path to victory.
‘It’s… terrifying.’
But she wouldn’t back down.
She gripped her sword tightly.
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“Elsie. No family name. From Basil.”
Setia, the instructor, glanced up from the form, her eyes fixed on the screen that displayed Elsie’s battle against the Chaos Beasts.
“Not bad,” she murmured.
She was in charge of Swordsmanship Class 2.
Each swordsmanship instructor was responsible for selecting their own students.
She had eight slots to fill.
“Not bad? You’re not going to pick her?”
Huff, the instructor for Swordsmanship Class 3, looked at her, surprised.
He had already lost interest in Elsie.
There were plenty of other candidates from prestigious families, candidates with powerful Stigmas.
He was simply curious about his rival’s assessment.
“I’m still considering her. Her swordsmanship is excellent, her determination is admirable. And she has potential. But her swordsmanship… it’s too emotional. She might hinder the team’s performance.”
Heroes didn’t fight alone.
Team battles were an important part of the evaluation process.
She was taking that into consideration.
“What do you think, Sigrid?”
She turned to Sigrid, the instructor for Swordsmanship Class 1.
He was observing Elsie with a thoughtful expression.
“I agree with your assessment. She’s talented, but… she might be too much for me to handle.”
He glanced at the woman sitting at the far end of the table, her feet propped up, a smirk on her face as she watched Elsie’s battle.
“What about you, Freya?”
Freya, the instructor for Swordsmanship Class 4, didn’t hesitate.
“She seems interesting. I’ll take her.”
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“Another lake?”
I stared at the lake within the building, its surface shrouded in an eerie mist.
Just looking at it was starting to give me PTSD.
‘I don’t want to go in…’
But it wasn’t a Trial this time. Gwen had said the god was under contract. I should be safe.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the water.
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