Now that I’d passed the toughest test of this year’s Grade-Level Competition, the First Exam: “Theory,” I felt an immediate weight lift off my chest.
“So, we just go straight this way, right?”
“Sure, but hold up a sec!”
“Let’s gooo!”
As soon as the first exam ended and we were warped elsewhere, in front of us was a straight-as-an-arrow path that practically screamed, “Follow me!”
This was clearly obstacle running—thankfully, it wasn’t some confusing maze; the obstacles would appear as we went along, meaning we didn’t have to waste time trying to figure out which way to go.
“Wait, you know what’s coming, right?”
“Yes. It’s best if we form a battle formation and proceed cautiously,” Elaine said, cool and collected.
I, on the other hand, was itching to just sprint ahead, but the rest of my teammates seemed to have other ideas.
Fair point, I guess. If this were just some casual race, then sure, we could’ve charged ahead full-throttle. But this was listed as an “obstacle run,” and rushing in blindly would leave us unprepared for any challenges.
“Right, right. Think like a wizard.”
“Okay then, let’s move out in formation!”
“Agreed. We should prepare as if this is a dungeon crawl. Cynthia will cover the rear while Ryu and I take the lead.”
“Hold on a sec…”
“Yes?”
“Why am I leading again?”
“What? Ryu… Oh.”
Elaine definitely had the makings of a good leader. The way she calmly gave orders radiated a confident authority—despite her slightly misjudging our team’s individual strengths.
“But I’m the wizard!”
“Ah… Hmm. In that case, I’ll take the lead by myself.”
For a moment, panic flickered across Elaine’s face—a fleeting but unmistakable expression that I immediately picked up on.
Nevertheless, according to Elaine’s directions, she took the frontline, Cynthia covered the rear, and Emily and I were positioned side-by-side in the middle.
“But isn’t an obstacle run supposed to involve… running?”
“Well, yes, technically.”
I had envisioned this as a thrilling, action-packed race where we’d skillfully dodge magical traps, leaping over obstacles with speed and grace. But instead, here we were, methodically marching along an open path, carefully watching our surroundings in a slow and deliberate fashion—not exactly the exhilarating experience I’d hoped for.
“Although, I guess it’s not your typical ‘run.’ Honestly, I have no idea what to expect either,” Elaine admitted.
“Uh, watch out! Up ahead!”
Emily’s alarmed shout caught everyone’s attention just in time for us to see what had appeared before us: boulders. Big ones. And they were rolling toward us—not just one, but several.
“Holy—!”
Rolling sound
“Is this what they mean by ‘obstacle run?'”
“Everyone, back behind me!”
Elaine drew her sword despite the boulders rolling toward us like we were on some uncontrollable downhill slide. Emily immediately scurried behind Elaine.
‘If we aren’t careful, someone’s gonna get squished.’
These boulders weren’t illusions—they were solid, actual rocks. They had to have been magically summoned to start rolling towards us.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“I’m cutting them down.”
“You? Really?”
“Yes.”
Instead of retreating, Elaine confidently declared she’d handle the situation. I wasn’t sure I should trust an Academy freshman to slice through these incoming boulders. But her voice carried such determination that even Cynthia, who was initially hesitating, eventually holstered her bow and moved behind Elaine, trusting her judgment fully.
‘This is kinda dangerous,’ I thought nervously.
Granted, I had faith in Elaine’s abilities, but how plausible was it that she could fend off such a powerful attack? After all, this was no stationary rock; these things were hurtling toward us faster than a runaway cart.
Rolling sound
The boulders were now right in front of us, just moments away from impact.
‘Guess there’s no choice.’
Swoosh
I instinctively stepped closer to the others, ready to leap into action if needed. My hand gripped the hilt of my unsheathed sword. Though it had been a while since I’d last held a blade, it felt as familiar as if I’d only set it down yesterday.
Just as I prepared myself to intervene, Elaine unleashed a fierce battle cry.
“Haaah!”
BOOM!
A huge cloud of dust exploded into the air, accompanied by a thunderous crash. Elaine had swung her sword at the boulder racing towards us, and rather than being carried away by the impact, she stood firm. Her posture unwavering.
“Did…did she just cut that rock in half?!”
“No way, that actually worked?”
And indeed, amid the haze of dust, Elaine’s sword gleamed with a shimmering white mana. It was clear she’d sliced through the rock like butter. There was no hesitation in her movements; her technique was flawless.
‘Impressive…’
“Haaaaa! Haaaaa!”
With each powerful swing and battle cry from Elaine, another boulder was cleaved in two. Occasionally, stray rock fragments flew our way, but they were minor enough that I didn’t even need to unsheathe my weapon to deflect them.
It went on like this for several rounds. Finally, the vibrations from the ground ceased.
The boulders had all been defeated.
“Huff… Huff…”
“Wow, Elaine, you’re—”
“It seems to be over.”
“You’re pretty awesome, huh?”
Elaine didn’t respond, instead quietly slipping her sword back into its sheath, a small smirk playing on her lips. Despite her attempts to immediately erase it and return to her usual stoic expression, I saw it.
‘Thank goodness I don’t have to fight anymore—this is working out nicely.’
“Let’s keep moving!”
Her voice was undeniably filled with pride, and it wasn’t just my imagination.
“Wow, that was so cool!”
Thanks to Emily’s heartfelt admiration, Elaine confidently stepped forward.
Swoosh
With a clean, satisfying slice, Elaine effortlessly cut through the barrier blocking our path, creating a loud tearing sound. The barrier dissolved completely, unable to regroup or reform after her slash.
“Yeah, awesome job!”
“Huff… Huff…”
Swoosh
After sheathing her sword, Elaine wiped the sweat from her brow. The so-called “obstacle run,” while technically called running, had nothing to do with actual sprinting. From the onset, we were met with rolling boulders, followed by a maze made of hallucinatory magic, and then those golems from the entrance exam.
Despite these many challenges, we’d managed to overcome them all without any major incidents…or rather, Elaine single-handedly handled them all. Starting with the boulders, Elaine carved her way through every obstacle. She broke through maze walls by slashing them and effortlessly dismantled the golems. During one of those golem encounters, she even glanced at me with a subtle hint of seeking approval.
And just now, she had effortlessly sliced through what appeared to be a sturdy barrier.
“Whoaaa! She did it again!!”
“…Feels like Elaine’s doing all the work here. Are you okay?”
“C-Cough. This is nothing. Let’s move on.”
Elaine’s cheeks turned slightly pink at the praise but quickly regained her composure, moving forward.
‘This is way better than I expected.’
Elaine’s capabilities far surpassed anything I anticipated when I initially joined the Academy. I hadn’t held high expectations for the students, particularly after seeing Cain Hover’s lackluster performance. If such a sub-par magician placed within the top seven, surely the rest were just as mediocre, I’d thought.
But Elaine shattered that assumption. It was evident now that students from the six major families were on a far higher tier.
Her skills weren’t just Academy-level; she could easily handle fieldwork with the Black Shadow Guild. If circumstances were different, if she weren’t here as a student, I’d have made her an offer to join immediately, likely even placing her directly under the Leader.
‘Pity.’
“Um…”
“Is it over?”
At Cynthia’s shout, I snapped out of my thoughts to see the end of the path ahead.
It was unmistakably the finish line.
A warp circle was painted into the ground, confirming the endpoint. Even Cynthia noticed it, her keen eyes leading her to break the formation and rush ahead with excitement.
“Whoa, Cynthia!”
“It’s the end!”
Poof
As Cynthia approached the warp circle, a small orb of light burst in the air, signaling the test’s completion.
“Second exam complete.”
A message appeared in the air, announcing the end of the second trial, the obstacle run.
“Yay, we made it! That was hard!”
“Oh, stop it,” Elaine chuckled, clearly exhausted but happy.
“The third trial begins shortly.”
‘Finally, the last one.’
The third trial was the most anticipated and, according to everyone, the hardest segment—but it was also the one I felt most confident about.
Dungeon exploration.
“Alright, let’s win first place!”
But there was no reply. The moment was interrupted as the light burst again, and the warp magic whisked us away without a moment’s rest.
