Chapter 15: Placement Test (5)

Chapter 15: Placement Test (5)

After the last student completed their placement test, we all moved out of the round arena.

We left the stage empty just like it was in the beginning.

Alright, that settles it. Everyone, gather around me.

Lee Su-dok called the first-year class 3 students to assemble around him.

Some of you may have had bad luck in the draw, resulting in a lower win rate than expected. Remember, the placement test is just a means to minimally differentiate abilities, so dont read too much into it.

Several students looked visibly upset.

They had mid-tier abilities but had faced a string of losses against students from magic towers or prestigious families.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with the placement test system along with the thought, This score doesnt reflect my true skills.

But actually, its fairer than they might think.

Starting off with a different score than your original skill level might seem unfair at first, but <Dragon Slayer Academy> has many mechanisms and events in place to balance this out.

As students continue to participate in duel battles throughout the semester, they eventually find their true level.

And of course, improving their skills can take them even higher.

I too started with a zero score in my first-year placement test, losing every match. I was ridiculed a lot. But I worked hard to improve my skills, silencing one critic after another. By my second year, everyone had quieted down. In my third year, there were hardly any who could beat me in duel battles. Now? Everyone else is dead.

As Lee Su-dok continued his story, the students faces grew increasingly pale.

Especially at the end, when he said, Everyone else is dead whether it was just a feeling or not, it sounded more like I killed them all.

Lee Su-dok revealed his teeth in a menacing grin.

So, if you lost to someone stronger, dont waste time questioning the fairness of the placement test. Get stronger and seek your revenge. Thats the spirit befitting a student of Dragon Slayer Academy. After lunch, well continue with the strategy battle placement test. Dont be late and gather at the dungeon area. Dismissed.

The students hurried towards the cafeteria with very quick steps.

Everyone was physically and mentally exhausted and they must have been quite hungry as a result.

Moreover, with the strategy battle placement test scheduled for after lunch, it was important to eat well and store up energy for good performance.

Hey, Byeong-chul! Arent you coming to eat?

One of Shin Byeong-chuls friends called out to him.

Shin Byeong-chul rested his hand on my shoulder and replied,

You guys go ahead. I need to discuss some business matters with this person.

Business? Alright, got it.

His friends showed an indifferent attitude and they left with a sense of do as you please.

The business Shin Byeong-chul referred to was about passing on the information he had gathered during the recent duel battles.

In place of the 5 silver coins he owed from our bet.

Shin Byeong-cheol lamented half-jokingly.

Ah, what a mistake I made with that bet. Lets go. I heard todays lunch is sandwiches.

Sounds good, sandwiches.

I turned to fetch Go Hyeon-woo and Seo Ye-in.

Perhaps because the afterglow of defeat had not yet completely subsided, both were in poor condition.

Go Hyeon-woo looked especially worse for wear; his complexion was so pale that he seemed on the verge of collapsing.

It was an expected outcome, considering he had expended so much of his magical power in his fight against Jo Byeok.

Moreover, the technique he used at the end, called [Clear Stream] seemed like a monster that voraciously consumed energy just by the looks of it.

He would have reached his limits even if his iron sword hadnt broken.

Hey.

Hmm? What is it, Kim-hyung?

Are you coming? For lunch.

I was lost in thought for a moment. Lets go.

Just then, I stopped the creaking figure that had just begun to move.

No, you should go to the dormitory and rest. Youre in no condition to be here.

I can still endure it.

Enduring isnt the point. We have a strategy battle coming up. Go and recover as much as you can. Ill pack you a sandwich.

Will you really do that? I owe you one, Kim-hyung.

Enough, go on. Dont be late later.

Thank you.

Go Hyeon-woo expressed his gratitude briefly and left.

If he practiced energy cultivation throughout lunchtime, he should be able to restore his depleted [Core] enough to participate in the strategy battle.

I then spoke to Shin Byeong-cheol and Seo Ye-in.

Lets go eat lunch by ourselves.

***

Just like Shin Byeong-cheol said, the lunch menu was sandwiches.

Ham, cheese, egg sandwiches, and crabstick salad sandwiches.

Considering the lovely spring weather, it didnt seem necessary to sit in a cafeteria to eat sandwiches.

So, we laid a mat on the grass.

Quite a few students had gathered in groups on the grass beside us.

It wasnt just because it was the first day of the semester; there was something about todays weather that lifted peoples spirits.

Yet Seo Ye-in was still in a somber mood as she quietly nibbled on her sandwich.

Watching a ladybug crawl across the grass.

In contrast, Shin Byeong-cheol was shoveling sandwiches into his mouth as if he had a bottomless pit for a stomach.

With a mouth full of a mix of ham, cheese, egg, and crabstick salad, he opened his mouth to speak.

Mmm-guah mochuirous-mumshun

Hey, why are you curious about all this?

Its like market research.

Market research? What are you planning to sell?

Something similar.

Once Ive figured out who Im going to focus on in the major powers and what kind of hidden pieces they will need in the future,

Trade is possible.

After identifying the hidden pieces the major powers desired, I planned to secure them for trade.

Whether it involved artifacts of equal value or the rights and privileges they possessed.

As the placement test concluded, a rough sketch of how the game board would be structured started to take shape in my mind.

Ah, come on, tell me a bit more. Youve got me curious now.

Hey, youve got a message.

Huh?

Shin Byeong-cheol, who had been pestering me for information, looked down.

His pocket was shining brightly.

He reached in and, after rummaging around for a moment, pulled out his student ID. He began to read the words appearing on the back in a disjointed manner.

You where are you come to the office now or else your hair Damn, right. I forgot.

Sounds like someones really angry. Who is it?

Our club president. A very very scary person.

He shivered as if the mere thought of the president sent a chill down his spine.

The problem seemed to be that he had somehow upset this frightening person, but that was his issue to deal with.

Shin Byeong-cheol quickly gathered his things and stood up.

I need to go. If I dont hurry, who knows what might happen to me.

Alright, see you later.

And then, he dashed off in a full sprint.

Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in was still quietly nibbling on a sandwich even after Shin Byeong-cheol had left.

Still, she had almost finished it off.

Her gray eyes were gazing at me.

It was still impossible to discern her thoughts, but now there seemed to be an unusually subdued air about her.

Go Hyeon-woo, Seo Ye-in, Shin Byeong-cheol.

Regardless of my ultimate goal of raising EX-rank heroes, these guys were special.

They were the first relationships I had made since entering the world of the game through a reincarnation quest.

It just didnt feel right to leave her so downcast.

So, to lighten the mood, there was one simple yet effective method.

Remember the cookie you dropped on the train yesterday?

?

Caught in the scuffle between the disciplinary committee and Shin Byeong-cheol, there had been an incident where the cookie given by Seo Ye-in ended up on the floor.

What about it? Her eyes seemed to convey to me.

Song Cheon-hye sent a dessert coupon as an apology.

Song Cheon-hye was someone with a clear-cut way of dealing with things.

My reputation had plummeted almost to the level of Shin Byeong-cheols due to forfeiting a duel battle, but it seemed she still thought a promise was a promise to be kept.

The moment lunchtime started, a dessert coupon came flying my way.

A coupon that could be exchanged for any dessert offered in the student cafeteria, regardless of the price.

What I chose using that was,

Ta-daaa.

I pulled out a neatly wrapped paper box from the inventory.

When I opened the box, there emerged a slice of fresh cream cake studded with fruits.

I didnt think much about it when I ordered it, but when I saw it in front of my eyes, it was extraordinary.

It could be said that it was not a cake but a work of art.

Had I bought it with money, a single piece would have cost as much as a meal at a top-tier restaurant.

Moreover, its limited quantity added a premium to its value; I nearly missed the chance to buy it even with the dessert coupon.

Seo Ye-ins eyes were focused on the cake, as it seemed unusual to her eyes.

I handed her a disposable fork, and she took it somewhat bewilderedly.

Technically, it was your cookie that got us this, so you have a share in it too. Lets eat together.

Thank you.

After offering a brief word of gratitude, Seo Ye-ins eyes widened ever so slightly as she carefully removed a corner with her fork and placed it in her mouth.

I too tasted a corner from my side and couldnt help but nod in agreement.

Its worth the price.

The harmony of the sponge, fresh cream, and fruits in the cake was nearly perfect.

Especially with the fresh cream, it felt more like eating clouds than cream.

The sweetness was not too overpowering, which seemed to suit Seo Ye-ins preference for milder flavors.

For a while, we just ate in silence, taking turns with the fork.

By the time only crumbs of the cake were left,

Hey.

Seo Ye-in opened her mouth.