The Special Entrance Exam has begun, and all participants have been teleported to random locations within Mysticwood Forest. As soon as they arrive, rain begins to pour down.
"Hm?" Ryota looks around as soon as he gets spawned in. He swipes the air opens the inventory slot and takes out the paper and ballpen from the inventory slot.
"I have been preparing for this." He looks at the drawing.
<"Art Magic: Enlivening">
A magic that can bring drawings to life by imbuing them with animating energy and allowing them to move and exist as living beings. This magic requires a skilled artist to create the drawing, and the resulting creation is usually imbued with traits and abilities based on the artist's intentions and the nature of the drawing itself.
Twenty eagles burst out of the paper and hover in mid-air, awaiting Ryota's command.
"Find Synthia," he orders. With a series of high-pitched whistles, the eagles understand their mission and take off into the sky.
"I don't need so many to find Synthia, but this forest is too vast for me to handle alone," he thinks to himself before choosing a random direction and setting off on foot.
After a few moments, Ryota comes across another participant engaged in combat with two orcs. One of the adventurers wields a one-handed sword, while the other wields a spear.
"Tsk! Damn it! We're going to die if we keep this up!" the adventurer exclaims in frustration.
"Let's fall back! We have to retreat!"
"But my stamina stats are very low! I can't move much faster than you!"
"This is what you get for spending your stats on vitality and strength!"
The other adventurer runs away, leaving his companion behind.
"Hey! Wait! Don't leave me here!" the abandoned adventurer cries out.
"Graarrghh!" The orc lets out a fierce roar as he grabs the man with his powerful hands, forcing him to gasp in pain. With a gaping maw full of jagged teeth, the orc prepares to deliver a deadly bite.
"Someone! Help!!" the man cries out in desperation.
Meanwhile, Ryota aims his palm at the two orcs.
<"Fire Magic: Twin Inferno!">
The magic conjures two flaming orbs, one in each hand of the caster. These orbs can be launched at two separate targets simultaneously, striking with intense heat and explosive force upon impact. The flames quickly engulf enemies and deal damage over time, making it a potent offensive magic against multiple foes.
After Ryota launches the
The man falls to the ground, gasping for air and clutching his injured arm. Ryota then walks to the man.
"Are you okay?" Ryota asks, helping the man to his feet.
The man nods shakily, still recovering from the shock of the attack. "Thank you... I thought I was done for."
Ryota nods back, a serious expression on his face. "We need to get out of here. It's not safe to stay in one place for too long."
"W-What about my other party member? W-We just got re-group after being teleported."
"Ahhhhh!!" A scream of a man can be heard in the other direction.
"That must be my party member! Please help him!"
"...But he left you behind yet you still want to save him?"
"He is my friend ever since we were kids! Please!"
Ryota pauses for a second and then aims his palms at the man.
<"Light Magic: Radiant Barrier">
(Magic that creates a bright, shimmering wall of light that can protect the caster and their allies from harm. The barrier is imbued with healing energy, which can slowly regenerate the health and stamina of those within its bounds.)
Ryota quickly rushes towards the direction where the man's scream came from, As they make their way through the dense forest, they come across a large ravine, with a wide chasm separating them from the other side.
The man's friend looks at Ryota with worry and uncertainty, "How are we going to cross this?"
Ryota takes a deep breath and focuses his energy on his palms,
<"Light Magic: Illuminating Path!">
(A magic that creates a glowing trail of light that illuminates the path ahead for the caster, allowing them to see in the darkness and navigate through unfamiliar terrain with ease. This magic can also reveal hidden objects or secrets that may be concealed in the environment, making it useful for exploration and discovery.)
With a wave of his hands, a series of glowing orbs emerge from his palms, hovering above the ground and creating a path of light that leads across the ravine.
"Quickly, let's go," Ryota urges as they run across the glowing path.
As they reach the other side, they notice a group of trolls approaching them from the distance. The man's friend looks at Ryota with fear,
"What are we going to do?! We can't take on all of them!"
Ryota takes out the paper with the sword drawing and holds it up in front of him. <"Art Magic: Sword Summon,"> he chants as he concentrates on the paper.
Suddenly, the drawing of the sword on paper comes to life, growing in size until it materializes into a real sword in Ryota's hand. He brandishes the sword and takes a step forward toward the approaching trolls.
he takes a deep breath and focuses his energy on the sword. With a swift motion, he brings the sword up above his head, ready to strike.
The trolls charge at them, but Ryota holds his ground, waiting for the right moment. As they close in,
<"Sword Style: Full Moon Cut!">
he brings the sword down in a powerful arc, slicing through the trolls with ease. The Full Moon Cut lives up to its name, as it cuts through everything in its path like the full moon illuminating the night sky.
The trolls fall to the ground, defeated, as Ryota sheaths his sword back into the paper. The adventurer looks at him in amazement, realizing the true power of Ryota's magic.
"Who...are you... really?"
Ryota then looks at the adventurer. "Me? I'm just a mangaka."
The adventurer's mouth was left open as he notice his friend on the other side.
"Hey! It's you guys!" The adventurer run towards Ryota and his friend (The one who got ditched)
"Ryota aims his sword at the adventurer's friend. "Wh-What are you doing!?"
Ryota's eyes turn green, He is using <"Veritascopic"> magic that can detect lies and deceit. A magical spell or ability that allows the user to detect lies by simply looking into someone's eyes.
"May I ask you something?" Ryota's sword still aims for the adventurer's friend's neck.
"H-Huh?!" The adventurer's friend has a confused expression as his arms are raised.
"If your friend is in danger, What would you do?" Ryota is staring at his eyes with a Veritascopic spell.
"Look, I'm sorry for ditching him... but my plan was to call for help and...I tried to call for one but there was no one nearby. I want to go back, but I don't want to accept that he died."
Ryota's eyes are still green, which means he is not lying. He lowers his sword and puts it back into the paper.
"Huh? Are you not going to do something for me? You know, I have been thinking that I should end up in jail for ditching my friend."
"Say that to your friend, but for now, stay strong till the end."
Ryota notices the eagle flying back to his paper. Only four eagles were on the paper.
"It seems like someone attacked my eagle." Ryota starts walking in the direction from which the eagles came.
"Hey! Where are you going? May I know your name!?"
"...Ryota."
"Ryota, thank you for saving both of us!"
Ryota nods and leaves.
A while later, a screen panel opens by itself in the air in front of Ryota. A call screen appears, and he presses the button to accept the call.
"Ryota-sama, where are you right now?" Synthia's voice comes through the screen.
"Synthia! I'm glad you're doing fine," Ryota replies.
"For now, I'm being hunted by adventurers from the guild," Synthia says, opening a camera panel on Ryota's screen to show him her running from the adventurers.
"I'm coming there," Ryota says.
"Ryota-sama, please check your map. I have scanned the layout of the forest for you," Synthia says.
"Thank you, Synthia. Take care," Ryota says as the call screen panel disappears.
He then opens the map panel, where Synthia's icon can be seen in the northwest.
"I'm coming... Synthia.." He swiftly running towards the icon.