I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 150: Second Day of the Practical Exam
The second day of the practical exam at Orion Academy dawned.
Rohan, one hour before the exam started, began warming up his body while eating the supplement Clara had prepared and the candy Shion had given him.
‘The atmosphere feels different from yesterday.’
Looking around, there was a clear contrast to the previous day.
More cadets were meditating or standing still, focusing their minds, rather than loosening their muscles.
Perhaps they were preparing for Instructor Marcel’s exam, which over half of the cadets had failed, as he had mentioned.
── The second day of the Orion Academy practical exam begins.
As 9 AM arrived, the same broadcast from yesterday played.
Today, each cadet seemed to be going their separate way, perhaps following their own plans.
Unlike the first day, the area near Juyeon was empty, and the cadets heading toward Instructor Marcel were the most numerous.
‘Our instructor will be bored.’
Unfortunately, Rohan was not going to visit Juyeon today.
He had already decided where he would go since yesterday.
Now, he was heading first to Instructor Falkenhein, who specialized in defensive combat.
The bell that Instructor Falkenhein owned was blue, with a total of 100 bells.
Looking at the community posts, he heard that about 30 bells were distributed on the first day.
Even if that’s true, there could still be some slight discrepancies. Depending on the momentum, it’s possible that all the bells might be gone today, so now seemed like the right time.
‘Shall I go?’
There were quite a few people with plans similar to Rohan’s.
Many cadets were walking in the same direction.
After walking for some time, Rohan spotted the male instructor standing with his arms crossed.
Short hair, tightly shut lips, a large build, and a big scar on his face.
To describe him briefly, he had a solid, robust appearance, like a special forces soldier from the West.
Step. Step.
The cadets stopped in front of a line drawn on the floor.
Instructor Falkenhein, observing the gathered cadets, began explaining as he moved his mana.
“The method to obtain the bell is simple. Break the barrier I’ve set. The cadet who breaks the barrier will receive the bell.”
Instructor Falkenhein used his mana to create a translucent shield.
The physical distance between the cadets and the instructor was now cut off by the barrier.
“Cadets who wish to challenge, please step over the line.”
Since Rohan had secured a spot in the front with a clear view, he decided to observe for a while.
Soon, one cadet stepped forward.
“You may attack at any time. With so many people, the time will be limited to 1 minute from the start.”
“Yes!”
The ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) cadet stepped forward and reached out to touch the defensive barrier that Instructor Falkenhein had created.
A ripple spread from where his palm touched the surface.
Rohan, observing the situation, scratched his chin, continuing to reflect on the part he had been thinking about since yesterday.
‘Will skills work on the barrier? How will the judgment be? If it works, this will essentially be a test for me.’
Given the number of cadets, Instructor Falkenhein must have adjusted the barrier’s resistance with his mana.
As Rohan was continuing his thoughts, the cadet taking the test drew a sword.
As expected of an Orion Academy cadet, his mana was quite impressive.
“Hah!”
With a battle cry, the blade began to strike the barrier relentlessly.
Clang! Clang!
The strikes continued for a full minute without stopping. However, the barrier didn’t break.
At most, the barrier only showed some scratches.
“End.”
“Hah...! Hah...!”
The barrier instantly healed, erasing the scratches.
If the cadet had focused on hitting the same spot for the entire minute, there might have been a better result, but it wasn’t easy for the cadet to minimize the error while exerting maximum strength.
“It’s not that you lack mana. Focus your strength and try again more cleanly.”
Breathing heavily, the cadet bowed his head and stepped back.
A few more cadets attempted the challenge, and while Rohan was watching, two cadets succeeded in obtaining the bells.
‘Shall I try now?’
As soon as one cadet left, Rohan stepped forward.
The instructor’s gaze turned toward him.
“The time limit is 1 minute. You may attack at any time.”
“Yes.”
Rohan drew the pistol, Mark, which had been resting in his holster.
After confirming the chamber was empty, he removed the magazine and replaced the top bullet with a special round.
He replaced it with a bullet that had a high resistance to mana, then pulled back the slide.
Click!
He aimed the barrel of Mark at the barrier.
Since Rohan was using his own weapon, which was not a standard issue, Instructor Falkenhein raised the barrier’s resistance.
“Hoo...”
Rohan focused his mana and carefully imbued the special round with a weakness-inflicting effect. Mana filled the bullet.
Here, the expensive special rounds weren’t the only weapon.
Mark, Rohan’s personal weapon, had a special effect.
‘The internally inserted rounds activate Huo Yin (Fire Seal), which increases mana absorption and resistance.’
The combination of the special round and the weapon’s effect was perfect.
‘This should do it.’
At the moment when mana filled the bullet, accompanied by a skill, Rohan pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang─!
The sound of the shot echoed.
A round hole appeared in the barrier.
...
Rohan collected the bell from Instructor Falkenhein and left the area.
‘I used quite a bit of mana.’
He had planned to rest until the afternoon to focus on recovery. He wasn’t going to rush into anything recklessly.
Rohan made his way toward the location of Instructor Ed, maintaining some distance as he observed the exam.
Instructor Ed hadn’t changed his appearance since the placement test.
His eyes looked like he was struggling to stay awake from boredom, his messy beard, and disheveled hair.
It wasn’t often that someone’s personality was so clearly reflected in their appearance.
“Hmmm.”
Despite his rough exterior, Rohan could still tell that he was highly skilled.
Rohan kept watching Ed's movements but couldn’t catch any clear habits or weaknesses.
Even if there were any, it might be that the cadets weren’t skilled enough to exploit them.
‘Ichinose and Noah passed, right?’
Instructor Ed, like Instructor Carrot, conducted a simple test.
Rohan had been watching the exam all morning, but Instructor Ed hadn’t given the bell to anyone.
‘···.’
Then, something that made Rohan a bit uncomfortable happened.
Perhaps word of his use of explosives had spread, as several cadets had started using explosives during their tests.
But there wasn’t anything particularly unexpected.
It wasn’t something that could be done overnight—using new weapons neatly and in the right timing.
Instead, it tended to get tangled up with the old weapons.
This situation worked to Rohan’s advantage.
The cadets were keeping more distance from each other now.
‘Is there no one who’s buried something on the floor...?’
It wouldn’t be easy to do that without drawing attention.
Even if they targeted the academy during the early hours, they would have to work alone.
‘Alright, time to prepare.’
Rohan got up from his spot and headed toward the academy cafeteria.
He ate an early lunch and took a nap.
At 4 PM, with only one hour remaining before the exam, Rohan went to find Instructor Ed.
The number of cadets had significantly decreased, and the area felt quieter.
Rohan stepped across the line without hesitation and dropped his bag on the floor.
Instructor Ed, who had his hands in his pockets and was staring blankly at the sky, lowered his head.
“It’s been a while.”
“Hmm, Rohan. This is the first time we’re properly meeting since the placement test.”
“Can I take the test?”
“Of course. And I’ve heard enough about you, it’s impressive.”
“Thank you. I’d like to hear the details of the exam.”
“There’s nothing special. Just break the bell I’ve placed here...”
Instructor Ed began to explain the exam.
The details were similar to Instructor Carrot’s, and Rohan already knew everything about the exam.
But this was a cadet’s right.
If he didn’t use his rightful claim and take advantage of the opportunity, he would be a fool.
‘Winning strategy.’
While continuing to observe Instructor Ed’s slow explanation, Rohan pressed the detonator he had hidden.
Boom──!!!
The ground flipped as black smoke began to rise.
Unlike Instructor Carrot, who had stood in one place, Instructor Ed was slightly out of position, but that didn’t stop him from using the bomb he had planted.
“Hah, so the one behind the explosion yesterday was you, Rohan.”
Instructor Ed emerged from the thick smoke.
Rohan, by now, was wearing a gas mask.
“Sometimes, a flashy firework is necessary at the start, right?”
His voice was quiet due to the gas mask, but it was still audible to the instructor’s ears.
“Those two from yesterday and now you, kids are really terrifying.”
“Please continue explaining the exam. I didn’t catch the last part.”
Rohan, asserting his rights as a cadet while claiming the bomb was his, made Ed chuckle.
“Well, I don’t really feel like it, but...”
Just as Ed was about to say something, three cans, like trash, rolled across the floor.
Ed tried to figure out what they were, but the writing on the outside had already been erased by Rohan with paint.
He had even changed the appearance by attaching chemical warfare stickers.
Hiss──!!!
A strange object began to spin, emitting green smoke as it did so.
The colored smoke filled the air.
The gas mask Rohan was wearing naturally led him to guess what kind of smoke it was.
The ominous thought grew stronger.
‘Poison gas? Judging by the lack of concern for the surroundings... Could it be San Gong Toxic from Samhwa?'
But contrary to Ed’s expectations, it wasn’t that high-grade gas.
It was simply colored smoke.
Before the instructor could realize what it was, Rohan, having already prepared, closed the distance quickly.
