### Chapter 58. Midterm Evaluation (2)
“The difficulty of the questions was somewhat challenging, but it wasn’t bad.”
The written exam of the Department of Magic in the morning ended quicker than expected.
The professors seemingly intended to make the students experience the harshness of reality by significantly increasing the difficulty, hoping to throw them into deep despair.
However, I am the lingering spirit of someone who faced the fiery hell of K-Standardized testing.
Having experienced the infernal difficulty where scoring 80% equated to receiving the highest grade, such high-difficulty application problems feel somehow more familiar to me.
Upon hearing the reactions from others, the exams previously consisted mostly of objective or short-answer questions based on the theories learned throughout the semester. However, starting this year, they switched to application problems that emphasized creativity, significantly raising the exam difficulty.
According to rumors, some unknown individual had been provocatively taunting Academy students, which resulted in the current first-year students becoming more academically motivated, leading to an adjustment in the difficulty of the exams.
Though I do not know who the person is, I can’t help but think of them as truly malevolent while avoiding the students spreading such rumors.
As I was preparing for the practical exam in the afternoon, the students who finished the written exam began to trickle out.
Regardless of when they finished, their common feature was their ashen, disheartened expressions.
Students who fell prey to the trap of the application questions and the sharp blades of subjective questions wandered the campus, looking completely drained.
Even though they should have been preparing for the upcoming practical exam, many had already lost their drive after their failure, their gloomy faces reminiscent of graduate students from my past life, making me somewhat uneasy.
And the last girl to come out stared at me with a look of indignation, almost on the verge of tears. Even now, I have no idea why.
*
Given the large number of students and the variety of departments, the Academy splits the exams over a few days.
There are several departments that require the training fields for their practical exams, and the exams are distributed by department and grade level to manage the students’ conditions properly.
Today was the day of the Department of Magic students’ exams, so the use of the training field for practicals was exclusively ours.
“Alright, I’ll now tell you about the content of the practical exam.”
Professor Claudia greeted the students with a beaming smile and announced the practical exam format.
Of course, most of the students who bombed the written exam were not looking at her too kindly, but she wouldn’t have made such an exam if she had cared about their gazes.
“Do you see the measuring device over there? It’s protected by a magic barrier. Your task is to destroy the barrier by hurling a mana ball at the device.”
The protective magic etched onto the device.
The shield-like protective magic was layered several times around the measuring device.
“However, the only magic you can use is a mana ball.”
The students were all taken aback by the professor’s radical condition.
A mana ball is one of the most basic types of magic, simply gathering mana into a spherical shape and firing it.
Since it doesn’t have any elemental properties or additional spells, the power of the mana ball depends solely on the user’s ability. Typically, the force of a mana ball created by an ordinary mage is equivalent to being hit by a soccer ball kicked by a professional player.
It’s painful, but not life-threatening; a suitable level of force.
However, it is evident that this force is insufficient to break the protective magic.
“The form of the mana ball or how you throw it are not restricted. You will receive points based on how much destruction you cause to the protective magic. You can add techniques to launch the mana ball, but only the mana ball can make contact with the protective magic.”
To enhance a mana ball’s power requires compressing as much mana as possible, maintaining the spherical shape precisely, and devising an innovative way to fire it—a combination of these three elements.
In short, this practical evaluates the students’ mana capacity, mana manipulation skills, and creativity all at once.
“Since there’s no incantation needed to create a mana ball, we won’t give much time. Alright, let’s start with the students called.”
The practical exam proceeded straightforwardly.
Since the mana ball requires no spell or incantation, it can be cast very quickly, but taking too long to think or overloading the mana ball with too much mana can cause it to burst or lose its shape.
Concisely, quickly, and creatively—those who grasped the essence of the test began to show off their own versions of what they considered excellent techniques.
However, whether it was due to the resilience of the protective magic or the inadequacy of the students’ mana balls, no one had yet been able to destroy more than three layers.
Considering the current total layers of protective magic on the device being ten, it was like scratching the surface.
Eventually, it was Estia’s turn.
“The professor said the method of throwing doesn’t matter, right… then!”
Estia, unlike other students who aimed to enlarge their mana balls, compressed hers to the size of a small glass bead.
Though smaller, it held a perfect spherical shape and contained a manageable amount of mana.
Then, using wind magic to manipulate the air around her, she created a shape akin to the rubber band of a slingshot and fitted her mana ball into it.
Though somewhat less elastic than genuine rubber, conjuring inspiration from such a primitive weapon was certainly commendable.
Whooosh!
Clang!
Tia’s mana ball, shot with great force, pierced five layers of protective magic before dissipating.
Her unprecedented record shocked everyone with gasps of admiration.
“Hmm.”
Even the professor grading her performance appeared quite pleased.
Attempting to hide her triumphant expression, Estia returned to her waiting spot and was soon surrounded by friends curious about her creative approach.
Though the etiquette would typically forbid such bold interactions with a princess, her hidden identity allowed her to enjoy the moment, enjoying the respect from her purely admiring classmates.
“Next… Rab Netoire!”
After a few more students, the name of the person everyone was curious about was finally called out.
And it seemed the other students were just as interested, as even those who had finished talking noisily fell silent to watch his practical.
Drrrr…Drrrr…
“What…?”
From somewhere came a dragging sound.
Drrrr…Drrrr…
“What’s that… Rab? What’s that you’re dragging?”
“It’s a stick.”
The source of the dragging sound was a long wooden stick Rab had brought along.
Not only was it uncertain how he managed to bring it in without notice, but the main question on everyone’s mind was obvious.
“So… why did you bring that stick?”
“To use when throwing the mana ball. The professor said the method didn’t matter, right?”
“Well… yes…”
Though it felt a bit strange, they couldn’t go back on their own words.
Most were assuming he’d simply use the stick to smack the mana ball into the air.
It was then that Estia noticed something peculiar.
“Huh? It’s hollow inside?”
If he intended to hit the mana ball, wouldn’t a solid and sturdy stick be more appropriate?
Now noticing, the stick was thinner and longer than normal sticks.
Whooosh…
Rab created a mana ball.
“It’s… small?”
The mana ball he created was indeed small—smaller even than the one Estia made.
Additionally, rather than spherical, his mana ball was elongated. He placed it into the hollow stick and performed some actions on it before raising the stick horizontally, aiming its end at the target.
Though the sight looked somewhat comical, many were more curious than mocking due to the seriousness on his face.
‘What’s he trying to do with it like that? Is he planning to blow air into it like a dart-‘
Moments later.
Bang!
A short thunderous sound echoed as Rab’s mana ball shot out.
“What… what…?”
All ten layers of protective magic surrounding the measuring device were pierced, leaving holes throughout.
“Damn… it’s hot. Maybe using my fingers to ignite it like gunpowder isn’t such a good idea.”
Rab muttered, checking his fingers lightly scorched from apparently casting a fire spell.
But both the professor and the students, before the shocking scene Rab just presented, were left speechless.
The professor hastily checked the stick for any enchantment but found it was just a plain wooden stick.
And as the protective magic triggered no warnings of unauthorized spells hitting it, it was clear that this ‘disaster’ was caused purely by the mana ball.
“It’s… impossible.”
Realizing she had lost the top spot, Estia could only murmur in exasperation at his overwhelming skill difference.
“I wonder if this world has gunpowder. If it does, I might as well try making a gun someday?”
However, Rab, oblivious to the tension, was simply excited about applying firearms to this fantasy world.
—
(End of Chapter)
