NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14
Saturday, Student Council Room of Claris Academy.
“Huh… Ha… Ah, hybrid junior… junior…”
Even after a day had passed, the fury of Liris, the second-year president of the Magic Department, had yet to quell.
Her hands trembled, and she felt like she could scream at any moment with a waaaaah!
“Liris… let’s calm down… calm down.”
Devil-worship is no easy task.
In this academy that exists solely for the destruction of evil, one must tread a path that others do not.
Therefore, Liris thought it was reasonable for there to be trials like this.
She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.
“Huh… sniff… I want to pluck out Rev’s eyes…”
Did she underestimate him too much?
Once she found his weakness, unexpected expenses began to arise.
She ended up dancing in the palm of his hand.
Thus, Lev Denec.
She wanted to kill him. Kill him.
She envisioned him screaming in pain, begging for mercy, making him into a demon… and then blowing him to pieces.
And then, to offer him as a sacrifice.
That would bring her closer to Satan’s will.
She clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her palms, thinking, just a little longer…
“Just wait a bit longer… pathetic junior…”
The selection test for the first-year students was this coming Monday.
That day was perfect for demonizing him.
*
Sunday, Fitness Center of Claris Academy.
With my well-toned muscles from the past two days, I headed to the shooting practice room.
“Ugh, ugh…”
It was clear that the fatigue recovery potion from the black market worked wonders, as the usual offerings from within the academy didn’t yield much effect.
This was also due to the game’s judgment since my body was under a closed beta evaluation and not subjected to consumable normalization.
In the early days of being a Reincarnated Hero, the efficiency of consumables varied by region, forcing players to make troublesome trips to gather the best potions.
Looking at this, one could hardly say it was a flawless passive skill.
At the entrance to the shooting range.
Ding!
The crystal ball lit up briefly, granting me entrance.
And what greeted me was…
Swish!
Boom!
Swish!
Kaboom!
Magic attacks, thrown projectiles, memorization, archery, and more…
In the transparent yet tangible arena, students clad in training gear were engrossed in practice, reminiscent of Taereung Training Center.
‘The problem is, um, there’s no space.’
The shooting practice included private rooms and shared practice areas, but all the private rooms were full, likely due to reservations made by senior students.
I was late to rise, and my exhaustion was to blame.
I had no choice but to use the shared area, fortunately, the B shared shooting range was completely empty.
.
.
.
In a dome-shaped space.
I stood at the far end of the shooting line, taking out my crossbow.
Since I had carefully dried it after practice yesterday, it felt good to grip.
The distance to the target was 50m.
Shorter than Olympic archery, but still a challenge for me.
‘Let’s take a shot…’
Swish!
Thwack!
First shot.
It was close to the edge, but I felt I was getting used to hitting the target itself.
I shook my hands and loaded the second shot.
Swish!
Thwack!
This attempt also entered the target. Although I was further away from the center.
That was okay.
My goal was solely to hit.
With the power of the crossbow, just hitting was my primary objective.
That was enough.
As I was about to load my third arrow, someone took position next to me.
“?”
Pale, but not too pale skin, matching platinum hair…
An familiar face…
Selena, the heroine from about Episode 2.
Did she also come to shoot?
She was definitely cynical, but not lazy.
Therefore, she should have a private practice room, so why… in this empty space right next to me?!
Isn’t this like going to the bathroom and standing right next to the urinal I’m using?
Despite my silent screams, she simply stood there with her eyes closed.
It seemed she had no intention of practicing, as she didn’t even take out her bow.
“……”
I quietly watched her, and Selena opened her left eye slightly to check me out, then closed it again.
“…Hey, what’s up?”
“…”
No response.
Thinking back, in the novel, her interests were all about archery, self-management, training, and meditation.
She did glare at me before, didn’t she?
Could it be that she came to check on me because I was aimlessly practicing as a marksman?
What, to see how well I shoot?
Even though it was our first meeting, I had no choice but to ask her.
“…Hey, you’re not here to spy on me, are you?”
In response to my blunt question, she answered nobly.
“…I might.”
Sweat beaded on my hands.
‘Give me a break!’
The problem was that, from the perspective of aspiring marksmen in the academy, I shot like a total novice.
Being a novice, how could I not be self-conscious, right?
“Staring like that makes me nervous…”
“……”
“Alright, forget it.”
Considering Rev’s reputation, she wouldn’t be the type to understand reason.
Reluctantly, I loaded the third arrow.
And just as I assumed the aiming position,
-…
Selena had already left the shooting line.
“Seriously?”
Can she just tell by my form that I suck?
So, I continued to practice in solitude.
*
Breeeze…
The day of the selection test for assigning ranks fortunately greeted us with sunny weather.
The test was held in Lint Forest, the largest area within the academy, ideal for establishing a unique barrier.
Though it was the first agenda of the day, the height of the trees cast a rather dark atmosphere, as it was already past 4 PM.
With the test starting at 5 PM, the outdoor area buzzed with the lively chatter of excited students.
“Hey, did you see that? Someone broke Chamber 1 in third place!”
“Yeah, I saw. Heard it took over 6 hours?”
“That’s insane. Did they pull off some trick? There’s a new 3-hour limit now.”
“The anonymity is suspicious too…”
“The manager is a distinguished professor. No way, right? Could there have been collusion?”
Cough, cough.
This was quite embarrassing.
I was glad I chose to remain anonymous.
I had no idea there would be so much interest.
I opened my status window with a sheepish feeling.
—————————————————
Status
[Strength]: 1.75
[Stamina]: 2.0
[Agility]: 1.4
[Magic Power]: 1.0
[Mana]: 1.0
[Mental Fortitude]: 1.25
[Response]: 1.0
[Specialization]
Circle Magic (1)
Crossbow – Proficiency (3)
—————————————————
Thanks to my weekend training, I achieved some results.
More than anything, with a crossbow proficiency of 3,
—————————————————
[Crossbow Proficiency] [3]
[With 70% of the crossbow’s maximum range, the minimum hit rate is corrected to 95%]
[The crossbow’s critical hit probability is increased by +2%]
—————————————————
The critical hit rate was one thing, but in terms of hitting, there was hardly a chance of missing now.
Though my stats were still nowhere near the main characters, I was confident that I could pass this exam without much trouble.
At that moment, a familiar sound echoed again.
Ding!
—————————————————
[Supporting Role Quest]
[Main Event 2]
[Mission Objective: Supporting roles help other supporting roles. Help alchemist ‘Hazel the Wonder’ pass the selection test.]
[Reward: 100 Supporting Role Points]
[Remaining Time: 11 hours 59 minutes]
—————————————————
‘What the…’
Hazel the Wonder.
I could barely remember her since she had such a low presence.
A lackluster voice and a passive attitude.
Her face was nondescript with glasses, and her overall abilities hadn’t been well-regarded either, and moreover, she was not a main character.
Like all extras and supporting roles, she was used as a catalyst for events.
For example, Rev would have merged with a demon rag and helped Edwin awaken, and Hazel existed as a sort of burden to create a sense of urgency for the main party.
‘Now I see how the system works.’
It seems that the supporting role quests occur just before the main events commence.
At that moment, I heard a female student’s voice nearby.
-Our party is in big trouble… we’re one member short.
-What about that one?
-Who?
Instantly, I felt a chilling gaze directed my way.
-Hey, do you want to die?!
-Quiet, they’ll hear you…
‘What the hell…’
The feeling of having my crush walked by right in front of me was quite the strange sensation.
These things always hit hard when you overhear them.
Yeah, this is all Rev’s fault.
The results of this test would determine ranks, granting various benefits and gems.
So surely, no one would want to team up with someone like me and risk causing a nuisance.
Hazel or whatever her name was likely felt the same.
‘It seems the supporting role quest is a lost cause.’
Just then, I noticed Aria approaching slowly from afar.
I quickly turned my gaze away.
Mellisa might pick at me again, and I didn’t want to create any unnecessary misunderstandings.
‘I wish this test would just start already…’
“Excuse me.”
“…”
“Lev Denec?”
“Oh, me?”
I was shocked, but the surrounding students, including Mellisa, were equally caught off guard, and the area fell silent.
It was an utterly impossible delusion.
The scenario of a beautiful girl talking to the class introvert had unfolded.
This wasn’t something seen in novels, was it?
But Aria definitely spoke to me.
“Let’s party together.”
Her tone was short, direct, and aloof.