Since there was still some time until the exam would begin, I decided to sit down on a wooden bench outside the stadium.
I watched the other applicants already form groups, and I could hear their conversations.
There was a mixture of people who already knew each other, people who were trying to make connections, and others like me... alone.
Unlike them, though, I chose to be alone.
If I wanted to, I'd be socializing with lots of people. I just thought it was a waste of time.
No one approached me, probably because they thought I was too cool sitting alone on this wooden bench.
"Haa..." I shook my head.
'Guess I'm too much for them.'
As I lamented the fact that these peasants were too amazed by my presence to approach me, I caught sight of something in the corner of my eye.
"Hm...?"
There I saw Liam surrounded by... girls all fangirling over him.
"What's your name?" One asked.
"Liam." He answered with a polite smile that I scoffed at.
"Wow, that's such a cool name!" One exclaimed.
"Uh... thanks." He thanked her, his face clearly showing his discomfort with the situation.
"Ha!" I laughed at the sight. 'You're welcome.'
'They're only approaching you because they're too nervous to approach me.'
It's true, I was gracing him with this chance by staying alone on this wooden bench.
-Applicants gather in the main hall
-Applicants gather in the main hall
A rough voice crackled through the intercoms, repeating a few times as all the applicants began moving back inside.
I moved inside as well and walked to the furthest corner, leaning against the wall.
A few people in uniforms began handing out small notes to every applicant.
"Thanks." I thanked the guy who handed me mine and opened the note.
'3?'
This part wasn't mentioned in the novel. The novel basically skipped to the practical for more action, then to the academy.
'Wow, why did I even read this novel again?'
It was lazy writing.
-Applicants
The voice came again.
-You've all been given a number that corresponds to your exam room. If you look toward the end of the main hall, you'll see a door with the number, and all you have to do is enter.
I looked toward the end, where the ballot boxes had been, now replaced with 5 double doors labeled 1-5.
My eyes widened slightly. 'How?'
The doors weren't there before, but now they were suddenly just there, like they were always there...
And we just couldn't see them.
I seemed to be the only one surprised by this, as everyone else entered the door with their number without hesitation.
'Is this common knowledge?'
I remembered that the novel won't be able to tell me everything, and the old Cassian never had much basic knowledge in the first place.
'Haa...' I inwardly sighed. 'Whatever.'
I decided not to dwell on it and entered the door with a big '3' label above it.
My vision blurred, and I felt something pull me.
"...!"
Opening my eyes, my location had changed.
I found myself in a large exam hall with hundreds of desks lined up neatly and distanced perfectly from one another.
All the other applicants and I stood in front of our own desks.
'This... how?'
It was insane. This was spatial manipulation. Spells that manipulate space are some of the most complicated spells there are, and to move hundreds of applicants at once required incredible mana control.
There was one other way, though...
'It's probably a unique trait.'
That made the most sense.
The other students didn't seem very surprised by this, as they were already seated. It was then I realised.
'Shit, I'm the only one still standing.' Snapping out of my daze, I quickly got seated.
In front of me was a stack of papers, a pen, a pencil, an eraser, and other writing tools.
The first page read:
[This Exam Consists Of 25 Questions]
[You may answer how you please and place your answer sheet in the box to your left.]
Looking to my left, I saw a small box with a rectangular hole on the top for the papers.
'Was this thing here the whole time?'
I didn't notice it before.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on the exam.
I read the first question.
[Question 1]
[You encounter a FerroFrog in a wetland environment. Your party is currently 60km away from the nearest rift station, and you've lost your communication devices.]
[What is the best course of action?]
'Why the fuck is this question so vague?'
Although I had expected hard questions, this gave you basically none of the info you need for such a situation.
'Fuck it.'
[Considering a FerroFrog is too sturdy to fight, and the rank is unknown, the best option is to flee using the wetland environment as an escape. Since the party has lost its comm devices, it's best to assume we aren't in a state to challenge any rift creatures. Solution: Use low mana simple stealth spells and hide underneath the water until the FerroFrog leaves.]
I was about to leave it like that, but...
[If the FerroFrog marks the party, the best option is to search for a suitable place to set a trap using the environment to our advantage. Example: Using wetland trees which contain Glissant Sap and malleable bark to set a trap.]
I was pretty satisfied with my answer and decided to move on.
[Question 2]
[You are a rift station chief, and your station has lost half its manpower. The next wave of rift creatures will come in thirty minutes, and reinforcements will arrive in two hours.]
[What's the best course of action?]
'...what the fuck kind of question is this?'
Not only did it not give info on what kind of rift you're dealing with, but the situation itself is fucked.
[Since resources are limited, the best option is to abandon the station. I'd send my remaining personnel to all nearby settlements and start evacuating citizens. If there are refusals or opposition, use of force is permitted.]
To me, this was the best option.
I turned the page.
[Question 3]
[You cast a fire-based spell, and your opponent casts a water-based spell. What is the formulaic equation needed to overcome the opponent's element?]
[Assume same mana usage, control, and cast speed.]
'Ah... fuck.'
I had next to no knowledge about this.
Most of my knowledge came from the novel and Cassian's royal classes, which he never paid attention to, basically ignoring the teachers.
Mana equations are similar to maths back on Earth, just with an almost infinite number of possible outcomes. We use formulas to reduce these possible outcomes and focus on a precise outcome, which takes the form of a circle with complicated lines.
This is spells. It's literally math.
The problem is, I don't know most of these formulas.
'Formulaic equation? Fucking calculus is better than this.'
I thought of many answers, but eventually realised I had no choice but to give a shitty answer. Which really hurt my ego as a nation's best.
[Question 4]
[A wave of rift creatures has broken through the rift station and is heading in the direction of a large settlement. You only have enough motor vehicles to transport 20% of the population.]
[What is the best decision?]
'This...'
It was probably the hardest question in the exam, not from difficulty, but the reality of this world.
[Transport children first, and others who can't fight. Leave the rest commanding them to flee and stand your ground. Do not try to protect the remaining civilians. The main goal is to make sure the wave doesn't spread to other settlements.]