"...Insane."
A moment of silence lingered, but contemplation was abruptly cut short. The exclamation from a lone student succinctly captured all that Haru had demonstrated that day.
It was unbelievable. Could an eighteen-year-old really respond so swiftly in a situation like this?
Sihyun's head was spinning with all sorts of questions. As the test commenced, only Haru and Sihyun had unleashed their abilities. Though their reaction time was similar, their skill levels varied significantly. Deploying a basic healing barrier was incomparable to tearing through an irregular.
Sihyun's manifested barrier was a rudimentary healing skill. Despite intending to cast a barrier before the Placement Test, what he managed was a small, fragile shield for self-protection. But Haru...
It was unclear if he even used a skill. He was thrusting and slashing with a knife. Would that be labeled as a skill or attributed simply to physical prowess?
"Kee-yaak!"
His ongoing thoughts were interrupted by other Irregulars. One let out a piercing shout, and others followed suit with their screams. While one irregular's scream had little impact, as more joined in, the ground felt as if it shook like a stadium.
The cacophony from the irregular group felt ear-piercing. The decibels seemed capable of rendering a person unconscious with mere sound.
Someone's whistling cut through the rising screams.
"Wow, your partner is amazing! Did you know he'd be that good when you chose him?"
Haeun's voice resonated. Even amidst this chaos, Haeun, nonchalant, waved his hand and winked.
"Kei-ik!"
Before Haeun's greeting could be acknowledged, the Irregulars began their actual movements. Fortunately, they didn't act as a unified force; each seemed to head in their own direction.
It was a relief that the remaining 29 Warmen didn't automatically gather around Haru after his preemptive attack, yet he couldn't exactly call it a relief when they started to approach Sihyun instead. A pair of blue eyes glanced at the barrier.
With the barrier, at least for the moment, he could hold his ground. But how long this thin barrier would last remained unclear. This was his first time deploying a barrier, and he didn't have the faintest clue of how much damage it could take.
Sihyun checked, but there obviously wasn't anything convenient like a health bar floating above the Wamren's head. He had no idea how much damage his attacks would do, and there was no way to count how much was needed to take them down.
This wasn't a game.
But by recognizing the situation as unreal and game-like, Sihyun was able to detach himself a little and keep his cool. He lacked the talent to confront irregulars with his newly acquired abilities. All he could do was think logically and act calmly compared to other students.
Most awakened individuals used mana, a special power exclusive to them, to activate skills. Depending on the skill, it consumed a certain amount of mana. He had theoretical knowledge about it, but in reality it was difficult for him to gauge how much he was using.
He couldn't accurately measure his mana with numbers, nor could he determine how much mana each ability consumed.
Sihyun keenly felt his lack of experience, understanding the true significance of this Placement Test.
Every student was in a situation similar to his. They had to adapt to unfamiliar abilities and respond to sudden situations. For most people, merely standing still might have been the most they could manage.
However...
"Kei-ak!"
Alone, Haru was different, grappling with two Irregulars at once.
They had been put in the perfect conditions for students to confirm their natural instincts and talent. Sihyun let out a hollow laugh, this really was a military institution.
Once again he thought that this school was completely crazy.
In the midst of his contemplation, an Irregular who had approached closely opened his mouth.
"Kueeak!"
As the Irregular screamed, saliva-like fluids splattered against the barrier.
Sihyun was so disgusted that he wanted to put up a second barrier, but he hesitated to misuse his abilities without knowing how much mana was being consumed.
When he put up the barrier, along with the creation of a transparent shield, he felt something draining from his body. However, he couldn't gauge exactly how much, and as he was lost in thought the Wamren had already closed in on him. There was no time for complacency.
"Keyak," the Wamren in front of him raised it's brown hand.
Thud!
A sharp claw struck the barrier. There was a dent in the seemingly sturdy defense.
Sighing inwardly, Sihyun gripped the pink staff tightly as his mind raced. Could overlapping barriers be possible? If the previously cast barrier vanished and was re-cast, what if the Irregular's attack landed in that brief window? What means did I have to counteract?
As thoughts raced through his mind, providing glimpses into how fast a person's neural circuits operated per second, Sihyun's teeth bit into his red lower lip.
It was a deadlock.
Is he really going to get himself killed like this?
Knowing that the teachers were observing, if it got too dangerous, they would intervene. Sihyun, taking solace in this fact, tightened his grip on the staff, ready to cast the barrier again.
Thud!
-Jejeokjeok.
The Irregular's immediate attack shattered the transparent barrier into pieces, falling to the ground. Keyak! The victorious Irregular who succeeded in breaking the barrier shouted in triumph.
Then...
With a sudden snap sound, it's neck was severed.
"..."
Staring frozen in shock at the scene unfolding before his eyes, Sihyun involuntarily shuddered at the sight of the Irregular's severed neck, which jerked and writhed on the ground, emitting screams.
Only then did Sihyun realize the precarious position he almost found himself in. Recoiling at the sight of the severed head thrashing on the ground, Sihyun swayed and leaned forward. His legs lost their strength.
A boy, unnoticed, firmly held onto Sihyun's swaying body.
"Are you okay?"
The composed voice, unfitting for the situation, worried about him. Meeting a pair of shining silver eyes, Sihyun let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Thud, a black fluid trickled from the tip of the sword held by Yu Seowoo. Despite how careless I had been, Seowoo, who took care of the Wamren with just a sword, looked right at me with a smile that made his eyes crinkle.
That picture perfect smile that stays unwavering, no matter how much I try to run or hide from him. In a surreal situation like this, it was strangely comforting.
Sihyun furrowed his brow, not wanting to admit it.
While Sihyun was wondering if he should thank Seowoo or not, the Wamren's body stirred with it's last remaining life. Sihyun's eyes turned wide as it moved to attack Seowoo, but he just raised his foot and kicked it to the curb.
Kung!
A Wamren several times his size laid sprawled out on the ground. It was dead.
Sihyun's body was shaking a little out of pure instinctual fear. Seeing his discomfort Seowoo took hold of his arm to steady him. The realization of how comforting Seowoo's warmth was, just ended up causing Sihyun even more stress.
"Careful."
Seowoo's whisper tickled my ear. I tried to pull away from his grip, but Seowoo's hold was too strong.
"Let go."
Seowoo's eyes met mine.
"I'll keep you safe."
"… No thanks."
I was grateful for the help, but I had no intention of getting detained by him. Even so I did owe him for saving me. Reluctantly, Sihyun slowly peeled Seowoo's hand off and pulled it down, looking at their overlapping hands Seowoo smiled and happily let go.
"Just close your eyes and hide behind me."
"… Stop talking crap."
He's not a three year old child. Despite getting chewed out, Yu Seowoo just kept smiling.
Being able to smile so happily while getting sworn at, what kind of tastes does this guy have…
Shaking his head, Sihyun moved to the side in order to get a glimpse of Haru. He had severed the first Wamren's throat completely, and was now surrounded by a group of five.
Hesitantly he attempted to copy Haru's skill, but Sihyun found nothing. He thought he might copy an assassination-related skill, but couldn't grasp anything. It was either due to his own lack of proficiency or...
Haru was relying purely on physical prowess. That thought sent shivers down Sihyun's spine, he wrapped his arms around himself while continuing to observe Haru.
Being an Assassin, Haru could jump around like crazy while dealing with the Wamren using only his two daggers. It took a while to cut their throats, but he was leaving multiple wounds every time he lunged.
As we were observing this astonishing feat, suddenly two of the Wamren that had been pushed into the ground folded out a pair of wings.
"… How are we supposed to catch that?"
The Wamren flapped their huge wings and took off into the air. This was no joke.
"Haru hyung…"
Sihyun nervously looked over at Haru. Although Haru could momentarily stay in the air with a single jump, prolonged aerial combat was impossible. Of course what Haru had accomplished up until now was definitely amazing enough.
Being able to take on five Warmen by himself without getting seriously hurt is a superhuman feat, but that's probably because he actually is more than human. Still, he's on a completely different level than others present.
Irregulars who were flying in the air looked down at Haru. The flapping of wings made audible sounds, causing veins to bulge on Haru's hand. There were three on the ground and two up in the air. No matter how you looked at it the situation was not in Haru's favor. Sihyun raised his staff to provide support.
Before Sihyun could cast his barrier, somebody rushed forward to the spot with the most Warmen. It was Hamin.