Although there were countless cadets who chose to take the evaluation exam immediately after graduating from the Academy, the number of them passing it the first time and then becoming a Knight were quite low.
That was because most of these new graduates simply lacked in ability compared to the so-called repeat test takers, who were sometimes referred to as ’Nth takers’, and were eliminated during the preliminaries.
So, after graduating from their respective schools and the Academy, quite a few cadets received further private education or trained alone by themselves while continuously applying for the exam for the period between one to four years. Beyond that point, it was tacitly understood the applicant was unable to pass and had to give up there.
And those who were able to attain some form of enlightenment - or even "awaken" a Trait, although possibility of this was extremely low - would pass the exam with a good grade and enter famous a Knights Order such as the Dawn, Raven or Goryeo, etc, etc. But if not, then they would have to give up on being a Knight, or be satisfied with a life as a Low Tier ~ low Mid Tier Knight in a small Order based in some rural backwater towns.
With this backstory in mind, the groups present here at the examination grounds were separated accordingly to the age of the participants.
As the policy dictated, one-third of the test takers were fresh cadets straight out of the Academy’s graduation ceremony, but the rest were the repeat test takers who could understand one another’s hardship and loneliness.
But for Kim Sae-Jin, who was an existence that didn’t fit into either category, all he could do was to sit alone and eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.
Initially, cadets busily berated and mocked Jin Seh-Hahn/Kim Sae-Jin as a person who didn’t even go to the Academy but relied solely on his Trait to pass the preliminary, but soon enough, stopped caring about him and became lost within their own conversations.
"Everyone, atten-hut!!"
As Seh-Hahn (Sae-Jin) was about to get bored of listening in on these kids, Joo Ji-Hyuk appeared with a good timing and announced the beginning of the examination proper. All the participants got up and paid him close attention.
"Follow in the groups of 50 as assigned before. We will be heading to the 3rd floor for your first test."
Speaking up to here, Joo Ji-Hyuk led the groups forward, while three instructors who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere began silently following them.
*
The first day’s evaluation was ’measurement’.
The purpose of this was to measure the current abilities of those who had passed the preliminary and to establish a ranking of the participants, which would prove important moving forward. It would serve as a basis to decide which cadet should go through and who would be disqualified.
Although having a high talent didn’t mean one would be great at the actual combat situations, still, all the cadets’ attitude towards this measurement was very serious, as it was definitely better to start off somewhere near the ’top’ rather than at the ’bottom’.
"Today will be different from the preliminaries when your physical capabilities, talents with Mana, etc, etc, were measured. Today, your actual combat ability will be put to the test." (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing Joo Ji-Hyuk speak, Sae-Jin fell into a slight dilemma. Since he was in the ’Human’ form, he was much weaker compared to the ’Lycanthrope’ appearance, but still, his raw physical strength would easily match a upper Mid Tier Knight.
It was this massive power level that was the cause for his dilemma.
Even though he was trying to become a Knight of Eden... What Eden looked for from a cadet wasn’t the current set of abilities, but the potential for growth and talent. However, wasn’t being a upper Mid Tier from the get-go a bit too much? Sure, their evaluation criteria for the
ability of an applicant was higher than most other Knights Orders, but still.
"And that is the Monster you’ll be facing off today." (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
While he was thinking, the exam got under way. A Wizard on the 3rd floor balcony, tasked with lending an assistance to the exam procedure, summoned a Monster.
*SFX for a dog’s bark*
A Monster that sat on the boundary of between a "normal" difficulty and "slightly hard" within the Low Tier, a Heavy Gnoll was summoned to the testing arena.
Cadets all tensed up, but for Sae-Jin, all enthusiasm left him, instead.
A hollow chuckle even broke out of his lips, after he realised once more the fact that he was in the middle of a children’s playground.
"Who’d like to go first?"
Joo Ji-Hyuk scanned the cadets, smiling. And there was this one girl who energetically reacted to his calling.
"Lemme do it!!"
Hair vividly dyed in vibrant orange brown; razor-sharp eyelines and a nose that could slice a person. A hardened expression as if unsatisfied by something - but she’s was a girl whose beauty could make those features as a charming "plus", instead.
"Name?" (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
"It’s Cadet Yi Yu-Jin."
"Oh-ho." (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
Sae-Jin could see that this girl must have been quite a famous future prospect, judging by the way Joo Ji-Hyuk was reacting towards her.
"Alright. Then go ahead." (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
While her long hair danced with each step taken, Yi Yu-Jin enthusiastically walked towards the prepared stage.
"No need to wait for the signal. Just start whenever you’re ready." (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
She stood before the growling Gnoll and carefully surveyed her surroundings and the Monster itself.
And after maybe three minutes had passed, she finally unsheathed her sword. Funnily enough, though, her well-crafted weapon was an item Sae-Jin was rather intimately familiar with.
’...Isn’t that one of the training swords I made?’
The sword Sae-Jin made in order to use during training; out of ten Knights he had asked to come and spar with him, eight showed much interest in the weapon, so he told them to take it home... There was this rumour he heard that the swords were being sold in the second hand markets. Must’ve been a true story.
"Heup!!"
Right away, Yi Yu-Jin let out a short shout and rushed towards the Gnoll.
"Ho?" (Sae-Jin)
Her swordsmanship was extraordinary enough to even make Sae-Jin let out a light gasp of exclamation.
Her sword seemed to aim at the Gnoll’s neck but then, took a sudden turn and swung towards the Monster’s chest. Her style of wielding the sword, where she would sometimes switch the grip on the weapon and aim for the Gnoll’s ankle, was completely unconventional, to say the least.
Indeed, it was as far from prescribed on the textbooks as one could imagine, but perhaps because of that, her swordsmanship style was lot more valuable than normal.
*SFX for a strange death howl*
A small sweat drop flowed down to Yi Yu-Jin’s chin and fell, and at the same time, Gnoll, with a hole in its chest, ceased breathing after letting out a weird cry.
"Good, very good."
Joo Ji-Hyuk clapped his hands and spoke in admiration after getting charmed by her skills.
"That was commendable. Alright, then. From now on, no more volunteers and the person with the name I call out will go up to the arena." (Joo Ji-Hyuk)
His admiration lasted only for a short while. Joo Ji-Hyuk resumed his duty as a proctor and began calling out different names.
And after around twenty people had their combat abilities measured...
"Next, Jin Seh-Hahn!"
Finally, Jin Seh-Hahn/Kim Sae-Jin’s turn had arrived. Maybe it was due to his already eye-catching outer appearance, all the gazes present focused on him the moment the name left Joo Ji-Hyuk’s mouth.
While tensing up slightly at the possibility of Joo Ji-Hyuk getting suspicious of him, Jin Seh-Hahn/Kim Sae-Jin walked up to the arena.
*SFX for a dog’s growl*
Right away, the Heavy Gnoll showed a particular reaction. All because his nice scent having been blended with that unpleasant odour.
*SFX for a dog’s louder growl*
The Monster stomped on the ground with both of its feet and showed signs of rushing forward. Meanwhile, Sae-Jin was leisurely deliberating on what to do next. How should he win this - act like he was fighting a desperate battle and then pull out the hidden trump card? Or, like Yi Yu-Jin before him, overwhelm the creature from the get-go?
*SFX for a crazed, mad barking of a dog*
Well, he couldn’t stay undecided for a long time anyway. The frenzied Gnoll had already rushed forward and was about to arrive in front of him.
*
Fin.
(TL: There will be one extra sponsored chapter tomorrow.)