I Became a Genius Magician at the Academy

Chapter 3: The Rebel of the Academy

The third stage was about to begin.

Caught between the decision of choosing a sword or a spear, I hesitated, feeling the instructor’s cold gaze. Eventually, I closed my eyes and settled on the sword.

As I grasped the hilt, a refreshing feeling coursed through my hand, causing me to open my eyes wide in surprise.

“Heh.”

As expected, it seemed that I had some kind of protagonist’s advantage, just like in the novels.

Well, I thought there had to be something like that.

Otherwise, surviving in this nightmarish world of the academy without any weapons would be near impossible, wouldn’t it?

Even making it through this place alive with nothing at all would be a daunting task.

“What’s with that expression? Are you rebelling now?” the Instructor asked.

I remained silent; apparently, even my smile was seen as an act of rebellion.

Sigh, my face was going to explode from all the frustration.

Literally.

‘Enough of that. This time, I’ll show them what I’m capable of!’

Swish! Thud!

“Ugh.”

‘Whoa, it’s heavy!’

Were swords always this weighty?

In the movies, everyone wielded them effortlessly with just one hand…

‘Come on, man up!’

I couldn’t wield a one-handed sword with both hands like this!

Trembling with the effort, I tried to steady myself.

“What’s going on?” someone asked.

“Are you okay?” another voice chimed in.

“Huff.”

‘Ugh! It’s so heavy!’

‘Was I always this weak?’

‘But I’d like to think I’m at least average in strength!’

‘Damn it! It’s heavy, but if I add some centrifugal force, maybe I can still score some points!’

Huuung!

Whooosh~!

“Argh! Electricity is surging through my hand!”

“What? Where did my sword go?”

As I looked around, I spotted my sword firmly grasped in the Instructor’s hand.

He fought to control the surge of anger rising within him, his face turning a mix of red and blue.

“Group 8, Number 10. Park. Jin. Woo… You are going too far with this… Deducted 70 points. And an additional -30 points for your irresponsible attitude, making it a total of 100 points!”

What? -100 points for a mere act of rebellion and an irresponsible attitude?

Back in the day, I was an exemplary child who received awards for my diligence!

This was an affront to my achievements!

Apologize!

“It was an accident…”

“Get up here! Show me what you’ve got!”

It felt like I was being scolded for no reason. Maybe it was just my illusion. 

Despite my initial intention to protest against the fiery heat building up inside me, I found myself unable to voice any objections.

Reluctantly, I ascended the training ground where the instructor awaited.

I must keep my fear in check and remain silent.

‘Gosh~ Look at that overwhelming aura. I think I might just faint.’

In this world, even the slightest misstep could be life-threatening. I mustn’t do anything reckless.

I was a meek lamb in front of the instructor. Baa~

Thud! Thud!

“Me?”

“Grab your sword, challenge me! I’ll see if you’re qualified to show off in front of me.”

Seriously… How did it come to this?

I was just trying my best.

But right now, speaking up would only worsen the situation. So I reluctantly held the heavy iron sword in my hand as instructed.

Ugh, it was still as heavy as ever!

There was no other choice. I just gave up and held it with both hands…

“Yes… So, you’re going to wield the black iron sword with one hand? You’re brimming with confidence, aren’t you, as if you could pierce the heavens!”

Wait, what? A black iron sword?

A solid and firm material, black iron. It was several times heavier and harder than solid steel?

This was crazy! No wonder it felt incredibly heavy!

Why on earth would they include something like this in a tutorial!

‘Great! I just found out! The weapon used in the tutorial is a black iron sword!’

“I must be the first one to get this in the world!”

Anyway.

With a black iron sword, it was impossible to wield it with just one hand based on its weight.

Considering its practicality.

So, trying to silently hold the blunt black iron sword with both hands as originally intended, the instructor immediately shouted disapproval.

“So, fight arrogantly with just one hand until the end! Otherwise, I’ll take responsibility and chop off your arms!”

“This…!”

What kind of nonsense was this? Why was the instructor so fiery and hot-tempered!

Was it allowed for academy staff to be like this?

Probably! This world seemed to have a messed-up sense of tolerance!

“I will begin the exam!”

“Wait a moment…!”

Hwoong!

With an intimidating sound that seemed to say he wouldn’t cut any slack, my tip of the nose stung.

A tremendous wind blew, making my hair dance chaotically.

Without even realizing that he moved, suddenly, the instructor’s face was right in front of me.

A chilling sensation ran down my spine, making me feel as if I might die.

At that moment.

Hold on!

My heart suddenly stopped.

No.

It didn’t stop exactly.

Everything seemed to have come to a standstill, and yet, my cognitive speed had increased significantly.

A sense of devastating energy emanated from the entire region around my forehead.

From there, I instinctively comprehended how the small, granular particles gathered and where they were headed.

A similar and unfamiliar sensation spread from my heart, and circulated throughout my entire body.

Understanding it all, I converted this comprehension into electrical signals within my brain and transmitted the translated commands to my body.

Those tiny granules attached themselves to my nervous system, sticking to muscle fibers and skin, supporting me.

Through my nervous system, my muscles begin to move, repeatedly contracting and relaxing, propelling me one step to the right.

Yet, it was not enough.

My movements were fundamentally too slow.

This couldn’t continue.

So, I directed my attention to the overwhelming energy above my head.

‘Can I do this? It seems possible. No, it is possible.’

I interfered with the arrangement of those tiny particles that formed the energy.

Although their willpower bound them tightly, there were still gaps.

I focused my efforts on exploiting these gaps.

Soon, time catched up with me.

Finally, my heart started pounding.

Thump!

Thump! Thump!

Time started moving again.

Thud!

…  And I moved.

Crash!

The ground beneath me cracked deeply, sending dust flying in all directions.

‘Kiyaaek! This human really tried to kill me!’

In shock, I exerted force in my hand, but the heavy black iron sword remained motionless.

Thus, I found myself standing there, feeling utterly drained.

In fact, holding the black iron sword felt nearly impossible, as if my body had lost all its strength.

What was that phenomenon just now?

In a fraction of a second, an exquisitely split sensation filled me.

“Did you see that? Did he manage to dodge it?”

“I don’t know. I just blinked once, that’s all.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! He must have been hit by the instructor. No one’s that fast!”

“Ha! He froze in fear, and couldn’t even move. What a complete idiot! Why did he act so arrogantly during the ranking test?”

“I wonder how he even got admitted…” 

“To attract attention from Proffessor Park Haneol? That guy must be crazy. Does he want to end his academy life before it even begins?”

Amidst the bustling exam hall, a commanding voice echoed.

“… Not even blinking once, that takes some nerve. I’ll give you that point. It’s a perfect score.”

“A perfect score? Seriously, why?”

“Well, at least it’s not a negative score. Even with that, it’s still zero points.”

“Is this supposed to be some kind of mercy? Hahaha!”

Feeling an itch in his ears and suddenly overwhelmed by fatigue, he could barely comprehend what was being said.

“Group 8, Number 10, Park Jinwoo. You have a total of zero points. Congratulations on achieving the first-ever practical score of zero in academy history.”

Certainly, there was nothing to congratulate.

No, they were just blatantly mocking him.

He wanted to say something, but exhaustion and annoyance made it impossible to utter a word.

He just… he just wanted to rest.

“No response, as expected, still rebellious? I’ll be keeping a close eye on you from now on. Dismissed.”

Finally granted permission, he stumbled out of the training ground in a daze.

He thought he heard a voice calling him from behind, but truthfully, he couldn’t be sure.

Uuuhhh… first, he needed to get some sleep…

Come to think of it, the park bench was bathed in warm sunlight…

That seemed like the perfect spot to rest…