"...Insane."
A moment of silence lingered, but contemplation was abruptly cut short. The exclamation from a lone student succinctly captured all that Haru had demonstrated that day.
It was unbelievable. Could eighteen-year-olds really respond so swiftly in such a situation?
Sihyun found himself once again astounded by mounting doubts. As the test commenced, only Haru and Sihyun had unleashed their abilities. Though there were similarities in their approaches, their skill levels varied significantly. Deploying a basic healing barrier was incomparable to tearing through an irregular.
Sihyun's manifested barrier was a rudimentary healing skill. Despite intending to cast a barrier before the Placement Test, what he managed was a small, fragile shield for self-protection. But Haru...
It was unclear if he even used a skill. He was thrusting and slashing with a knife. Was that to be labeled as a skill or attributed simply to physical prowess?
"Kee-yaak!"
His ongoing thoughts were interrupted by other Irregulars. One shouted piercingly, and others followed suit with their screams. While one person's scream had little impact, as more joined in, the ground felt as if it shook like a stadium.
The cacophony from the irregular group felt ear-piercing. The decibels seemed capable of rendering a person unconscious with mere sound.
"Whistle," the sound of a whistle cut through the rising screams.
"Wow, your partner is amazing! Did you know they'd be that good when you chose them?"
Haewoon's voice resonated. Even amidst this chaos, Haewoon, nonchalant, waved his hand and winked.
"Kei-ik!"
Before Haewoon's greeting could be acknowledged, the Irregulars began their actual movements. Fortunately, they didn't act as a unified force; each seemed to head in their own direction.
It was fortunate that the swarm didn't gather around Haru after his preemptive attack, yet it wasn't fortunate to presume that no Irregular was approaching Sihyun. He glanced at the barrier.
With the barrier, at least for the moment, he could hold his ground. But how long this thin barrier would last remained uncertain. This was his first time deploying a barrier, his first time experiencing an attack. He had no information, not even straw-like details, about how much damage his attacks could inflict on an Irregular or how much was needed to kill one.
This wasn't a game.
In a situation where unreal, game-like events were happening, it slightly heightened Sihyun's sense of reality. He lacked the talent to confront irregulars with newly acquired abilities. All he could do was think logically and act calmly compared to other students.
Most awakened individuals used mana, a special power exclusive to them, to activate skills. Depending on the skill, it consumed a certain amount of mana. He had theoretical knowledge about it, but experiencing it made it difficult to gauge how much mana he had used.
This wasn't a game. He couldn't accurately measure his mana, nor could he determine how much mana each ability consumed.
Sihyun keenly felt his lack of experience, understanding the true significance of this Placement Test.
Every student was in a situation similar to his. They had to adapt to unfamiliar abilities and respond to sudden situations. For most people, merely standing still might have been the most they could manage.
However...
"Kei-ak!"
Alone, Haru was different, grappling with two Irregulars at once.
Whether it was a smirk or a hollow laugh, an indiscernible chuckle slipped out. To observe students showcasing such innate talent and sense amidst this chaos was the perfect testament to the fact that I had enrolled in a military training school.
The thought that this was truly a crazy school was an added bonus.
In the midst of his contemplation, an Irregular who had approached closely opened his mouth.
"Kueeak!"
As the Irregular screamed, saliva-like fluids splattered against the barrier. Despite the discomfort it caused momentarily, Sihyun hesitated to misuse his abilities without knowing how much mana was being consumed.
As he cast the barrier, along with the creation of a transparent shield, he felt something draining from his body. However, he couldn't gauge exactly how much or what was draining as he pondered how close the Irregular had gotten. There was no time for complacency.
"Keyak," an Irregular right in front opened his mouth wide.
Thud!
A sharp hand struck the barrier. There was a dent in the seemingly sturdy defense.
Sighing inwardly, Sihyun gripped the pink staff tightly as his mind raced. Could overlapping barriers be possible? If the previously cast barrier vanished and was re-cast, what if the Irregular's attack landed in that brief window? What means did I have to counteract?
As thoughts raced through his mind, providing glimpses into how fast a person's neural circuits operated per second, Sihyun bit his lower lip beneath the pale skin.
It was a deadlock.
Unless he left himself to die for real.
Knowing that the teachers were observing, if it got too dangerous, they would intervene. Sihyun, taking solace in this fact, tightened his grip on the staff, ready to cast the barrier again.
Thud!
-Jejeokjeok.
The Irregular's immediate attack shattered the transparent barrier into pieces, falling to the ground. Keyak! The victorious Irregular who succeeded in breaking the barrier shouted in triumph.
Then...
With a sudden snap sound, a neck was severed.
"......"
Staring frozen in shock at the scene unfolding before his eyes, Sihyun involuntarily shuddered at the sight of the Irregular's severed neck, which jerked and writhed on the ground, emitting screams.
Only then did Sihyun realize the precarious position he almost found himself in. Recoiling at the sight of the severed head thrashing on the ground, Sihyun swayed and leaned forward. His legs lost their strength.
A boy, unnoticed, firmly held onto Sihyun's swaying body.
"Are you okay?"
The composed voice, unfitting for the situation, worried Sihyun. Catching the platinum-colored gaze, Sihyun, belatedly catching his breath, exhaled sharply.
Thud, a black fluid trickled from the tip of the sword held by Seowoo. Despite being caught off guard, the way Seowoo effortlessly took down the Irregular brought a slight smile to his eyes, an unwavering grin, even in the midst of this surreal situation, provided an unexpected sense of reassurance.
Trying to deny this fact, Sihyun furrowed his brows.
He's thanking me for now, but he still seems to find it amusing despite me having sworn at him.
Feeling a sudden chill, Sihyun glanced at Haewoon, then shifted his gaze to Haru. At first, there were five Irregulars, but now Haru was mixed among more than five Irregulars.
Hesitant if he should attempt to copy Haru's skill, Sihyun found nothing. He thought he might copy an assassination-related skill, but he felt no grasp. It was either his lack of proficiency or...
It was just about engaging physically. That thought sent shivers down Sihyun's spine as he held onto Seowoo's arm, embracing it for support.
Even if Haru was
leaping around and engaging five Irregulars with only two daggers, causing multiple wounds even though it was slower to kill, it was still an extraordinary feat.
But real Irregulars had something more than that.
Irregulars who were flying in the air looked down at Haru. The flapping of wings made audible sounds, causing veins to bulge on Haru's hand. There were three on the ground and over two in the air. Although Haru could momentarily stay in the air with a single jump, prolonged aerial combat was impossible. Yet, achieving just that was remarkable.
Before Sihyun could cast his barrier and provide support where most Irregulars gathered, a person leaped in. It was Hamin.
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