Chapter 17: The End of the Month Examination (2)

The End of the Month Examination (2)

The bell rang through the speakers once, and the test papers started to be distributed.

The cadets in front let out their frustration after taking a look.

"Sigh..."

In subjects like Phenomena Analysis and Monstrosity, the problems included in examinations are very difficult, and the test papers remained blank, filled only with fingerprints.

"Look at the test paper, Mr...." someone muttered in a small voice.

It was the kind of a test paper where the question is not even if you can solve the problems on time, but whether you could even read through half of the problems before the duration ends.

'Are you saying this is a test?' someone else in the room uttered.

It was too easy for me, though.

Immediately after reading one question, I wrote the answer in the sheet next to it, then on to the next problem.

There was no need to check, and no further review is needed.

At times, just reading the first line reminded me of what the problem was and what the answer would be.

I wondered if I should get a perfect score.

I must leave a good impression in Theory, but these are problems of difficulty...

[Is it appropriate to just read once and solve it quickly?]

The traveler at the back of my head burst into laughter as he said it.

Phenomena Analysis and Monstrosity - all 30 questions in the examination were all subjective.

Aside from stating a valid answer, I have to defend it with my own analysis and solution.

I'll have to solve it as quickly as possible and get their attention with the speed of completing the exam, I decided.

In the still classroom, only the sound of my pencil crunch echoed. Some of the students were surprised by the sound and turned around and warned the instructor.

I didn't care about that atmosphere, but when I finished the examination, I frowned.

I didn't beat my record... ugh.

I also participated several times in the end-of-month exams in the past, and at finished quicker than I did today.

Some of these problems weren't on the tests before, perhaps that's why I took longer.

Well...

Grumbling a lot, I put down the pencil and arranged a total of 10 test sheets in a neat pile.

I raised my hand and stared at the instructor.

"I'm done with it; can I leave now?"

The mouth of the instructor slowly opened, and an outraged voice came out.

"What?!"

[The expression is really worth seeing.]

* * *

"You said there was a cadet who finished the test in less than 10 minutes?!" a professor scoring the Theory test exclaimed.

"What is the cadet's name?"

"It's Cadet Jeong Si-woo."

The professor nodded thoughtfully after hearing the name. "Hmm... Jung Si-woo, a student..."

Soon, he wrote a score of '40' on the test paper he was looking at and immediately searched for the Si-woo's paper.

Initially, he worried that only a few students could finish the test at the given duration.

A student completing it in less than 10 minutes is unthinkable.

Phenomenon examinations were made to be the most difficult.

The professors reasoned that the higher the difficulty level, the more easily they could find who shined in that field.

Normally, very few could get passing scores, but there were quite a few cadets who can come up with unique answers or solutions to particular problems.

Sometimes, guild officials ask for the name of those cadets and take notes.

But a cadet who finished the examination in just 7 minutes?

'Is it roughly solved, or is it real genius?'

The professor thought that Jeong Si-woo would be closer to the former.

No matter how talented a cadet is, the subjects of Monstrosity and Phenomenological Analysis could not be solved in such a short time.

Perhaps the cadet found the test too difficult and chose to skip most of the questions and try to make up for it on the next exam.

"Well, I thought it was worth looking forward to Cadet Jeong Si-woo, but a test in 7 minutes - I guess it's going to have a bad result," he murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, the other professors checking other papers were chatting around him.

"Yes? Perfect score? Probable professors and incumbent analysts have submitted problems that are considered high-difficulty..."

"He shouldn't be at the cadet level. Even in the first grade, I was surprised to see the answers submitted to professors..."

"Prof. Sung-Hyun Lim also tried to transfer Jeong Si-Woo's cadet from the hunting department to the analysis department."

"He'd probably be scouted with 'Oracle' or 'Monster Analysis Apparatus'..."

What audacity, the professor frowned.

Oracle was the world's top-class guild in terms of analysis and information, while Monster Analysis Apparatus is where elite-of-elite analysts work.

There is no reason for them to scout someone in the second-grade, too far from graduating.

The professor finally traced the test paper of Jeong Si-woo.

He stared at it and...

"Wait, everyone, look at this!" he stood up and caught everyone's attention.

The professors and guild officials were interested and approached him.

"Is this the cadet's writing?" a guild official said after a quick look. He looked amazed.

Next came the answer from another professor. "I couldn't even think of that answer, even if I wanted to..."

The crowd started to buzz around the test paper.

"Don't skip it for a second. I haven't read it yet..."

"Take with your phone camera. I read all the others, but..."

"Find out how many analysts remain in the guild. If so, prepare a contract. With the best treatment."

In the minds of everyone who was there, the cadet named Jeong Si-woo is the most important at the moment.

* * *

"I don't know how to deal with this," I mumbled as I tapped on my little notebook.

I wrote all the information I could remember about Kim Hyuk-joon to prepare myself for fighting him, but it was too difficult to think about.

[What seems to be a lot of trouble. Is it about the information of the opponent you wrote in the notebook?]

"Yeah."

[It's no big deal. Just use what you have properly, and you can win comfortably.]

"I think so," I smiled bitterly and replied to the traveler.

[By the way, is that the strategy you're planning to use later? The ones listed in the notebook?]

"Oh, yes."

[You haven't faced awakened people much, don't you? When you were dealing with the monsters, the strategy I saw you take note of was worth seeing, but the ones written there now are horrible... ]

"..."

What can I do?

[Tear that page off, and I'll let you know what to do.]

"I will listen and think about it," I replied proudly.

The traveler looked confident. Indeed, after hearing only a few words, I hesitantly opened the pages of the notebook.

[Originally when dealing with people with that power...]

The notebook is now filling up with new strategies from the traveler, and in some areas, it has been mixed with admirable advice.

Time passed quickly.

I felt someone clasp my shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing? You've been looking at that notebook for a long time!"

It was Lee Jin-woo.

"Have you done well on the exam? Ah, in Theory, you must have scored well. I'm completely ruined... The duration was over before I even finished reading it," he complained.

"Isn't it easy?"

At my words, Lee Jin-woo smiled. "What is that bullshit? Only a few people were able to answer them."

Well, I'm glad it was difficult for others.

"That's unfortunate... By the way, did you take the battle test?" I asked him.

"I'm done with it."

"And what happened?"

"I was beaten up. You know my abilities. It's only useful for baking a bun," he said.

What was it... I can't remember Lee Jin-woo's ability at the moment.

I definitely know it...

I narrowed my eyes in concentration, trying to use 'View Information' for the stuff I can't remember.

Suddenly, I heard my name being called.

"Jeong Si-woo!", said an instructor, "you're the next turn in the Battle test. Come in and wait."

Well, I have to check it out next time. I remember it wasn't a great ability anyway.'

I walked inside the exam room.

* * *

I followed the instructor into a spacious exam room.

"You're going to go immediately after them," the instructor gestured. "Get ready."

I sat down on a chair and watched the two cadets taking the test before me.

It was a familiar face. Yoo Ji-yeon was taking the test before me.

I looked at her hands to see if she was nervous, but she looked determined. Her face was not as timid as before.

Yoo Ji-yeon's opponent, Lee Seong-cheol, is a cadet who is considered to have quite good skills in the hunting department.

This is going to be difficult, I thought.

Being a magician, she lacked experience in combat and, above all, her magic control is not yet stable.

Other than that, a wizard is weak against this type of opponent.

Lee Seong-cheol's style was called Mutupa: physical attacks, using the body as the weapon.

Unless a wizard had high-level magic that could control the opponent's movements, or create distance, one would be thoroughly beaten up by a Mutupa user.

'At least, there is something to learn while losing,' I thought to myself.

"Ready? Then, start!"

The instructor gave the signal.

Yoo Ji-yeon and Lee Seong-cheol bowed their heads.

Ta-ta!

Immediately, Seong-Cheol jumped to reach Ji-yeon, closing in the gap.

It was a classic way for Mutupa to deal with a wizard.

However, Yoo Ji-yeon did not choose to step back or run away in front of the threatening rush.

She is staring straight at Lee Seong-cheol, taking the posture I taught her earlier.

This could be dangerous. I'm worried that Yoo Ji-yeon might get seriously injured.

The next moment,

Quadang!

Yoo Ji-yeon's fingers moved, and Lee Seong-cheol crashed to the ground helplessly.

Even as he fell, he was unable to understand why he was losing balance.

Pug-!

The fate of the match was decided.

Heavy ice cubes began to form over Lee Seong-cheol's head.

He looked nervous. "Uh... Wait, wait!"

The cubes fell, and relentlessly struck his head.

"Ah, ah, ah! I surrender!" Lee Seong-cheol exclaimed.

The ice ends were blunt, so there was no killing power, but dozens of attacks hitting one's head is not a pain to endure.

He walked out of the exam room with a resigned expression.

The traveler clicked his tongue.

Only

[Sorry for the loss.]

While the traveler sympathized with the loser, I was staring at the victor.

Yoo Ji-yeon was brushing the dust of her sleeves when she noticed me. She shook her tongue.

There was one thought on my mind.

The magic she first used.

It looked effortless, but it was a complicated attack that can only be used with a good understanding of mana.

Could it be that...

Is Yoo Ji-yeon dealing with high-level magic already?