NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
The ability of “Teleportation” is often brought up in conversations about superpowers, and it’s something everyone dreams of at least once.
Imagine closing your eyes and opening them to find yourself in your room right in the middle of the street—what could be a more convenient and amazing ability than that?
Known also as instantaneous movement, this power has a much wider range of applications than one might think.
Even if used merely as a means to travel from one location to another, it serves its purpose with remarkable convenience, but it can also be applied in other ways beyond just ‘movement.’
The most straightforward method, after all, is to weave this ability into combat.
Whether it’s swordsmanship or magic, it works for either.
“The final exam will test your combat abilities, and this year’s exam is called ‘Golem Hit.’”
Murmurs filled the room.
‘Already at the final one?’
It seemed everyone around me shared the same sentiment, as the mention of the phrase ‘final exam’ from the presenter quickly stirred the atmosphere, making the place buzz with excitement.
It felt a bit like preparing for a college entrance exam only to discover there are actually only 10 questions.
Not that I minded, of course.
“The exam is simple. You will be evaluated on how many hit points you can score against the Automatic Golem developed by the academy. This golem isn’t programmed to attack, but do note that it does possess basic counterattack programming.”
‘Hmm.’
From what the presenter was saying, it appeared this exam wouldn’t be much more challenging than the previous ones.
In short, we’d be fighting a golem that only counterattacks occasionally and does not strike offensively.
“The exam will take place in a specially designed space to prevent cheating or dubious tactics. You will engage in one-on-one combat with the golem, within a space where candidates cannot see each other’s examination. Our examiners will monitor the proceedings in real-time, so please refrain from any potential cheating.”
With the presenter’s mention of the final exam, the earlier buzz of excitement in the room gradually quieted down.
‘The setup isn’t too bad.’
Hearing that the final exam would be a fight against a golem to gauge combat ability helped me understand the structure of the two previous exams conducted.
The first exam was embarrassingly simple, taking less than five seconds.
You merely had to place your hand on a crystal ball, which supposedly checked your mana and potential. If it glowed blue, you passed; if not, you failed.
This exam was designed to weed out those who fell below the academy’s basic qualification standards.
Considering the majority of candidates that came this far would likely pass the first exam, it was surprising to see so many failing by not seeing that blue light.
If the first exam tested a sort of ‘basic capacity,’ the second exam felt more legitimate.
The second exam seemed aimed at identifying candidates’ ‘special skills’ through a test where their most confident technique would be used to strike a barrier.
Some wielded swords, some shot arrows, and others unleashed magic, attacking the barrier in their own way.
If you cracked the barrier, you passed immediately; if not, it was a failure. However, examiners sometimes let those who couldn’t damage the barrier pass.
“This time, your exam scores will depend on the points recorded as you hit the golem, so please give it your all. Let the exam begin!”
‘Ah ha.’
I had been wondering how they would decide the top student when both the first and second exams only classified candidates as pass/fail, but the presenter cleared my confusion.
It turned out those two exams tested the minimum qualifications required to participate in the final exam, which felt like the main event.
‘So I need to perform well here to be top.’
Thinking about needing to compete against someone else to achieve a higher score stirred my competitive spirit.
Not knowing the level of the other candidates made me resolve to put in my utmost effort if I wanted to secure that top spot.
Before long, it was my turn.
“Next ten candidates. I will escort you to the testing area.”
With the presenter’s words, a shimmer flashed beneath my feet, and suddenly there stood a golem made of stone before me.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve used warp magic.’
I quickly scanned my surroundings along with my stray thoughts.
I found myself in what could be described as a circular arena, roughly 15 meters in diameter, with a ceiling about 5 meters overhead.
For someone like me, whose special skill is ‘Teleportation,’ analyzing the details of the space I was in was crucial.
It’s important so I can prepare for any unexpected situations.
As I finished my spatial scan, the Automatic Golem began to move slowly, its eyes lighting up as if it had been waiting for me.
I was standing still, waiting to see how the golem would act, when I suddenly realized—
‘Oh, it doesn’t attack.’
Bam!
I sprang off the ground and charged at the golem.
In a real duel, I wouldn’t throw my body forward so energetically, but I’d likely be under the scrutinizing gaze of numerous examiners right now.
I needed to present myself as a proper student and keep things straightforward.
‘I can’t let anyone find out I can teleport without using mana…’
Even though Arcania is a world filled with an array of powers, at the core of those abilities lies mana.
However, my particular characteristic, ‘Teleportation,’ didn’t require mana at all.
It was simply an ability I could use whenever I wished.
Thus, a bit of acting was necessary.
In a world where having to use mana for even the simplest spell is common knowledge, if anyone caught me teleporting without using mana, it would spell trouble.
So my concept for this exam was that of a ‘martial artist.’
Pow—Clang—Thunk—Clang—
‘How about something like this?’
I coated my fists with a hint of mana and delivered rapid punches to the golem’s abdomen and chest.
Along with a clear sensation of impact from my fists, the delightful ‘cling’ sound echoed from the golem.
WHOOSH—
The golem took two quick hits from me, then swung its arm at me, trying to counterattack.
As I dodged its punch, the golem jumped back, creating distance between us.
That was just one engagement, but I could already predict how this exam would unfold.
The golem would undoubtedly continue to exhibit such reactions to my attacks, and my mission was to score as many points as possible by pummeling it.
Buzz—
Looking at the golem, which was staring at me while emitting a green glow from its face, I thought to myself, ‘I really picked the wrong concept here.’
Because I had chosen the martial artist concept that involved bare-handed combat, I found myself needing to approach the golem closely to deliver my blows.
Surely, candidates who could bombard it from afar without needing to close the distance would rack up points much faster and easier than I could.
Even during the second exam, there were quite a few candidates using magic; one had even broken the barrier in a single shot by shooting fire.
‘Hmm.’
As I reached this realization, anxiety began to creep in.
This was seriously disadvantageous. I need to rank first.
Bam—
Once again, I launched myself at the golem while swiftly brainstorming.
Finding a way to hit the golem as much as possible within the limited time.
“Aha!”
To my surprise, the answer came quickly.
If the issue was that the golem was avoiding my hits after taking one, then I just had to prevent it from being able to dodge.
‘Must stay under the radar, must stay under the radar.’
As the golem, which was staring at me vacantly, slowly approached, I fell into my acting mode.
I drew up my mana and swirled it around me to make it look like I was casting magic, then I set my sights on the golem’s back.
Checking the speed of my movements and my distance from the golem intuitively, I dispersed the mana I had surrounded myself with while concentrating.
In reality, I wasn’t using any mana at all, but anyone watching would likely believe I was using ‘Teleportation Magic.’
In that instant, my body pierced through the empty—the literal space itself.
It was the process of moving through space, something I had become adept at through diligent practice.
Time felt quite leisurely for me at that moment, even though the actual time that passed was probably just a fleeting second.
Whoosh—Clang—
Having come through the space, my body re-emerged behind the golem while maintaining my momentum, and I delivered an upward kick.
Boom—
Since the golem looked quite heavy, I put some extra force into my kick, sending it soaring towards the ceiling.
It was lighter than it looked.
Thud—
Quickly leaping up toward the golem, which was floating higher than expected, I implemented my game plan to prevent the golem from executing its evasive maneuvers.
Keep it in the air and keep pummeling it without giving it room to retaliate.
Clang—Clang—Clang—
‘Oh, that feels great!’
In mid-air, the golem couldn’t dodge my attacks, spreading out its limbs while failing to mount a proper counter, it kept taking hit after hit from me.
The delightful ‘clang’ sound resonated with each hit, making me unconsciously match my rhythm to the beat.
Clang—Clang—Thud—
How many times did I hit it?
Finally, the golem, which had risen high into the air, crashed down to the ground.
As expected from an Automatic Golem, it didn’t feel pain and immediately leaped back up after landing, swinging its fist in a formal gesture of retaliation before jumping back away from me.
For some reason, it seemed like the golem, which was now standing far away, glowing green, looked a little scared.
“Okay. Shall I go for one more?”
Bam—
Though the golem couldn’t possibly comprehend my words, I tossed it a warning while jumping toward it again.
‘Feels like it’s been a while since I’ve been in the field, and I’m enjoying this.’
It looked like it would be a repeat of this routine until the exam concluded.