Chapter 7
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Episode 2 - Admission Examination [3]
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「Everyone seems to be here.」
Before I realized it, there was a man standing at the podium with some papers in his hands.
Blue hair and green eyes, around 27 years old.
「My name is Alex, I believe you already know me.」
Everyone who had taken the test held their breath.
"The one and only famous hero of Raventhal and also an instructor at the Sanctuary of Heroes."
He was well known throughout Raventhal, the only hero to emerge from the previous generation in this place.
He was also recognized in the Hero Registry that everyone at the Royal Academy read.
"So this is someone considered a hero in modern times?"
I focused my eyes intently on Alex.
He had a rather impressive aura, much taller than Grey.
"He's level 7."
Alex then lowered his gaze to the papers in his hands and said:
「A total of 800 students participated in the entrance exam in the western region of the country...」
He continued while slightly raising his gaze to all the students.
「The exam consists of two parts: the first evaluates interpersonal combat, and the second, monster subjugation. Each part of the test must be taken separately and in order. However, let's be honest. I think this is...」
The paper burst into flames.
「Very annoying.」
His voice echoed.
Everyone was stunned by his sudden statement.
「It's too slow and inefficient. So, I thought: what if we combine everything?」
"What?"
Right beside me, Ashly was astonished.
Just like all the other examinees.
But as if that wasn't enough, Alex spoke one last time.
「We will begin the test immediately.」
With a flick of his wrist, a massive pattern appeared on the ground.
The symbols in the pattern seemed incomprehensible.
Wooom!
A bright light emanated from the pattern and pulsed, enveloping the surroundings.
After the light faded, the landscape had transformed.
They were in a dense forest.
It felt as if they had been transported to another world.
"This was created from the Fragmented Dimension."
「You are now in a cursed forest. Your task is to survive. Everything you do to achieve that goal is a legitimate action. Feel free to cooperate with others to defeat monsters or other competitors. Those who wish to surrender can break the beads you have been given.」
The forest was desolate.
Everything was an interpretation of the Fragmented Dimension, like a simulator or something similar.
More precisely, like the Fragmented Dimension itself.
"But it's not just a fantasy."
In this virtual realm, anything that happened had real consequences.
Dying or getting injured... Everything was real here.
"The Fragmented Dimension."
Everything began 5,000 years ago.
More precisely, it was known as the 'Era of the Three Heroes.'
It was the beginning of when the Fragmented Dimension and its entrances appeared all over the world.
Most of them appeared in the four Hero Sanctuaries, which left many baffled and made the event difficult to explain.
Although the Fragmented Dimension was currently controlled by heroes, back when it first arrived, this was a struggle.
Most died.
Or at least, that is what has been recorded in history for the past 10,000 years.
But beyond that, and regarding what the Fragmented Dimension actually is, nothing is known, and nothing has been discovered.
"They say the Fragmented Dimension is another world, the world where the Great Evil Antares comes from."
They don't specify exactly what it is because the information is highly confidential.
Aside from the dangers within the Fragmented Dimension.
"A system designed to produce heroes."
A means to prevent the world's destruction, as almost happened 10,000 years ago.
Resources, artifacts, relics, and skill books are easily found in the Fragmented Dimension.
It is a place full of opportunities to grow in power and reach the rank of hero or knight much faster.
Thanks to the Fragmented Dimension, many heroes have emerged over the past 5,000 years.
It's a shame that none have surpassed the hero rank or reached the monarch rank in all these centuries.
And of course, the entrances in the four Hero Sanctuaries have their own roles.
The Human Hero Sanctuary is essentially responsible for the vanguard.
The Fairy Hero Sanctuary is in charge of surveillance.
The Feralkin (beastmen) Hero Sanctuary serves as the shield.
Finally, the Dwarven Hero Sanctuary handles the creation or unlocking of objects obtained from the Fragmented Dimension.
They were not merely schools for new heroes to be born.
The four Hero Sanctuaries had their own purposes for keeping the Fragmented Dimension in check.
And my goal was to enter the entrances of all four Sanctuaries.
That way, I could find clues about my absence as Liam and the means to completely kill Antares.
"The Fragmented Dimension will give me all my answers."
Sighing, I clenched my fist tightly and lifted my gaze.
"This exam comes first."
Glancing around, I noticed Ashly's absence.
The group had dispersed upon entering this new environment.
"Ugh, anyway, it's just a forest."
Although it wasn't just any forest.
As they say, the Fragmented Dimension reflects this world's past.
"I suppose it's true."
It was just a simulation of the real Fragmented Dimension, but I knew this forest very well.
The Wild Forest of the vast desert located in the southern part of the continent.
Due to its wealth of valuable resources, the four empires undoubtedly coveted it.
Yet, it remained untouched.
Low-level monsters roamed freely, from mounds and goblins to orcs.
The strongest among them were undoubtedly the trolls.
They could be defeated by a group of elite troops.
However, few dared to challenge them, as their numbers were so vast that no matter how persistent one was, their ranks never seemed to dwindle.
"Let's focus on the exam first. The examiner said anything goes, right?"
Whether it was taking down other competitors or monsters, the supervisor had left all options open.
"No one in their right mind would want to start a conflict in this forest."
Even the most seasoned fighters walked cautiously in monster-infested terrain.
"Well, some might not care about that."
Ashly was a clear example.
She was an exceptionally skilled and independent contender who despised comparisons.
Although just a week ago, I had defeated her countless times.
I unsheathed my sword and raised it.
'Should I look for Ashly now?'
Cooperation was also an option.
It was better to be in a group than alone; a horde of trolls would be impossible for me to kill on my own.
"Alright, let's go..."
Before I could take a single step.
Wooom!
The tip of a spear, seemingly made of mana, was hurled past me.
When I looked over my shoulder and turned around.
A figure emerged from behind the trees.
"...."
It was the sister of the guy named Franz Ares. I suppose her name is Charlotte Ares.
'We know each other, don't we?'
Charlotte asked as she positioned herself about ten meters away.
"Of course, but then why the ambush?"
Charlotte smiled at my question and answered.
"Competitors, remember? Though I didn't expect you to dodge that attack just now."
She shrugged and clicked her tongue.
"You face an opponent so naturally, huh?"
Her arrogance was quite interesting; it reminded me of the first time I met Ashly.
"Alright. I'm ready."
She spoke while remaining completely calm.
At the same time, the surroundings near Charlotte rippled unnaturally.
"She's a mage, and the space around her..."
It seemed like gravity magic, and the spear she had thrown was either telekinesis or creation magic one of the two.
I reflected on the evolution of magic for a moment.
While the fundamental principles remained the same, the spells themselves had undergone numerous improvements and changes.
Most of the spells I knew were considered ancient by modern standards.
"Well, the basics probably haven't changed."
I didn't consider myself a mage, but I could use magic.
"Let me make a suggestion."
I asked Charlotte, and she replied:
"What suggestion?"
"Those who survive pass the test, right? Why don't we work together? I think you and I would make a great team; I'm very good in combat."
However, Charlotte simply smiled at my suggestion.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine on my own. I'm more of a 'combat-type mage.' I don't need a partner."
A combat-type mage.
A mage who could engage in direct combat instead of fighting from a distance like most do.
Some are quite strong, while others are weak.
But the real ones are monsters in battle.
"Gravity times ten."
"....."
A heavy pressure fell upon me as Charlotte extended her hand toward me.
"I increased the gravity, and also..."
Charlotte murmured.
"Creation magic."
Several spears were created around her.
"So it was creation magic and not telekinesis."
Even though I thought it might be telekinesis, I expected creation magic more.
Telekinesis is very difficult to use. Considering how fast her first attack was, I doubted it quite a bit.
The magic surged, and Charlotte's eyes gleamed as she spoke.
"Besides, I have no intention of allying with a Sephir affiliate."
I shook my head firmly.
"I'm not strictly aligned with Sephir."
"But you're close to Ashly, right? No cooperation..."
Charlotte stuck out her tongue, signaling the end of the discussion.
Given the rivalry between Sephir and Ares, cooperation seemed out of the question.
"Are you really not interested?"
Charlotte, however, responded immediately.
"Not at all."
It seemed that in this modern era, either everyone was too arrogant or they didn't work together like before.
Wooom!
Dozens of spears flew toward me.
As the pressure increased tenfold on me, it was only limited to a certain range of expansion.
I quickly gripped my sword.
Clank!
I sliced through the spears flying at me as if they were butter.
"The pressure isn't a big deal."
I've trained for things like increased pressure, and in the Fragmented Dimension, there are places with heightened gravity.
Wooom!
All the spears shot at me were easily cut in half.
"Creation magic."
At Charlotte's voice, this time several swords were created.
They were fired toward me.
Reading the magical trajectories, I deflected the swords with precision and ease.
Unless it was an attack with truly overwhelming force, I could counter any physical manifestation of magic.
Of course, it required precise timing and skill to read the trajectory accurately.
But for the first hero like me, it was a relatively simple feat.
"Creation magic, fire rain."
From high above in the sky, dozens of fireballs fell like rain.
Around Charlotte, her hair waved wildly as the mana around her vibrated.
"She has quite a lot of mana and magical power."
Just as the fireballs were about to touch the ground, they suddenly stopped.
"....."
I heard Charlotte's voice shortly after.
"Why don't you surrender before I seriously injure you? It will be hard to defend against this."
"I respect your power."
I spoke while shrugging indifferently.
"But for the magic you use, your attacks are quite predictable."
Charlotte's expression changed.
"Are you giving an Ares a lecture on magic?"
She scoffed, since the Ares family is a family of mages, while Sephir is one of knights.
"If you don't understand, then I'll continue."
The rain of fireballs continued to fall.
Besides that.
"Creation magic."
Dozens of gravity-powered arrows flew at tremendous speed toward me.
"This is annoying."
I gripped my sword tightly and swung it.
Boom!
The fireballs hit the ground as I cut through some, and I also slashed through dozens of arrows.
It was all child's play to me.
Wooom!
In an instant, I tensed the muscles in my legs and vanished from my position.
"Huh? Where did he go?"
Charlotte quickly used mana detection magic.
As expected of a mage who prided herself on being a combat-type mage, she could react quickly to my disappearance.
However, there was something Charlotte didn't expect.
I had no aura at that moment, and aura is mana.
Naturally, I wasn't exuding the mana fluctuations that flow from Aura.
That's how I easily got close to her.
"Huh?"
Charlotte's eyes widened when she saw me right in front of her.
Boom!
I clenched my fist and punched her directly in the abdomen.
My lips curved into a smile as I looked at Charlotte, who lay unconscious.
"Should I try to persuade her?"
On their own, ogres were manageable, but trolls still posed a threat.
"Just in time, I've met a mage with powerful attack magic. Cooperation would be beneficial for both of us."
"How convenient."
I was more than satisfied as I looked at the unconscious Charlotte on the ground. A malicious smile appeared on my face.