Chapter 2. Entrance Exam

“There are really a lot of people here, my lord."

“It's because it’s a famous academy."

Although the hanok was in the middle of the forest, it was not as far from the city center as I assumed.

So, relying on the phone's map to find the academy, specifically the exam registration area, I made my way through the crowd.

'So this is the academy.'

To be more precise, 'Ruen Academy' was such a place.

It's a place created with the determination to prevent sacrifices from the 2nd Demon God Invasion 100 years ago from happening again.

As such, it received tremendous support from all over the world.

Without exaggeration, it became a place that could be called the world's best educational institution, having produced numerous heroes.

"Please line up in one line, not two!"

"Hey there! Don't fight, go to another line!"

"Here! This is in front of the school!!"

Of course, as such, there were cases where strange people came as well.

'More than that, is this the entrance exam?'

Was I worried? Not really.

I had read the early parts of the novel so many times that the strategy was ingrained in my head.

The entrance exam was divided into three parts.

The first test was Limit Measurement.

The second test was Time Attack.

The third test was Survival.

The scores obtained from these three tests would determine whether one passed and their ranking after passing.

'Let's just do enough to get into S class.'

No more, no less, just S class.

I needed to get in there if I wished to interfere with or talk about the original story.

Anyway, how much time had passed like this?

After finishing with the exam registration, I immediately headed to the waiting area before taking the exam.

This place was also crowded, but perhaps because it was wider than before, people weren't as tightly packed.

"Hmm, many couples seem to be coming together."

"I don't know why, but you're right. I wonder why couples come together for a school exam."

"Don't worry! You have this concubine, my lord!"

"You're not even visible anyway."

After completing the familiar spirit contract, she could no longer materialize unless I used the 'Summon' skill.

Because of that, she was now literally in a ghost state, floating around me.

And only could hear her voice when she was in this state.

As I observed the surroundings for a while, Hwa-ryeon, who was beside me, opened her mouth.

"Besides, for the best academy... there seems to be a lack of talent."

"Just because it's the best academy doesn't mean all applicants have tremendous talent. And the deviation is especially severe this year."

Even in the original work, it was an established setting that this year had many great talents, so while the high scores were high, the low scores were also very low.

You could say that it was a situation where the basic average was maintained.

Still, the talent of the characters who could be called the protagonists of the original work was certainly outstanding.

"Hey, isn't that the one? The disciple of the Magic Tower."

"Hmm... I think it is?"

At that moment, the surroundings became noisy due to one person passing through the entrance.

The disciple of the Magic Tower.

With just this keyword, I could tell who that person was.

"Is it Karen?"

Hair as dark as the night sky.

Blue eyes as if mana itself had been visualized.

Lastly, a chest that exuded a strong presence even from within the robe.

Commonly known as Karen Astana, the disciple of the Magic Tower.

"Is that girl a talented individual?"

"Yes. She's the disciple of the Magic Tower, one of the Seven Stars."

"Seven Stars? Hmm... quite a big shot. The last Magic Tower Master I knew was just a youngster, I didn't expect they'd have a disciple already."

Seven Stars.

It's a title given to the seven most powerful individuals within the framework of 'mortals', regardless of whether they were human or a different race.

A title bestowed based solely on strength, without distinguishing between good and evil.

And among them, Karen, who was evaluated as one of the top-tier, was right there.

'She's also the protagonist who needs to be interfered with the least.'

While other main characters have tremendous trauma or skill defects, Karen was a complete character from the start.

She's probably one of the main characters who needs the least touching up.

"That girl, isn't she pretty?"

At that moment, someone called out to me from the side.

It was clearly a stranger’s voice, not Hwa-ryeon who was floating above me.

As I turned my head to the side, I saw a girl.

"Karen is definitely pretty, right? Above all, those big breasts! I'm jealous."

Black hair neatly braided to one side.

Green eyes looking straight at me while talking about Karen.

And above all, a unique necklace made from blue curved jade.

She was someone I knew as well, another protagonist of the work.

'Rin?'

Abeno Rin.

The youngest of the 'Abe family', Japan's largest onmyoji family, and a descendant of the famous onmyoji Abe no Seimei.

"This concubine doesn't think this girl has any reason to be jealous of that Karen girl..."

Ignoring Hwa-ryeon's voice coming from the side for a moment, I looked at Rin.

Not long after, she smiled brightly and opened her mouth first.

"I'm Abeno Rin, I wonder if you know me."

"I know. You're the youngest of the Abe family, right?"

I know quite a lot about her, more than I expected.

Even more than Karen.

"Why did you come to me? I'm just a perfect nobody."

"Just felt like you had a similar energy, should I say. Well, that, and your clothes looked interesting?"

Similar energy.

What she probably means is the power called 'Juryoku'.

A power that's mostly similar to magic but shows some differences in fundamental aspects.

ANd as she's an 'onmyoji' who can't be called a complete shaman but is ambiguous to say she isn't, it wasn't strange for her to feel something similar.

"Are my clothes strange?"

"Isn't it strange to wear a hanbok in this modern era?"

"...Not particularly?"

How should I put it, since transmigrating to this body, a hanbok feels more familiar.

I don't know why though.

Rin, saying this, looked at my clothes for a moment and then lightly tapped my stomach with her hand before moving away.

"Anyway, nice to meet you. I hope you pass too."

With those words, Rin disappeared into the crowd in an instant, becoming invisible.

After watching her figure for a moment, I opened my mouth.

"Can you see them too?"

"If you mean the evil spirits attached to that girl, yes. There are so many, it feels terrible even just seeing them."

I didn't mention it during our conversation earlier, but she has one huge peculiarity.

And that was also the reason I knew about her in more detail than Karen.

The reason was those numerous evil spirits that were visible even from here, though her figure wasn't.

The evil spirits, numbering over a hundred, were all making grotesque noises and weighing down on Rin's shoulders.

'The sacrificial lamb of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.'

In the latter part of the original work, a huge event called the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons occurs in Japan.

A disaster that the Abe family, whose fame and talent were gradually disappearing, brought upon themselves to raise their status.

And Rin was the cornerstone sacrifice for that disaster.

She loses her life at the hands of her family members, and her body is taken by evil spirits to cause the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

She was the first death among the main characters that occurred in the latter part of the novel that suddenly turned dark.

Of course, that didn't mean I could help her right away.

I didn't have enough power to exorcise the evil spirits that powerful onmyoji had deliberately attached to her.

"I should start moving now."

"Exam applicants, please gather here in order!!"

For now, what I need to focus on is the present.

It was now time for the exam.

***

The first test in the entrance exam was Limit Measurement.

It was a test that measured how much power one could exert when there's no interference from the surroundings.

The type of test was relative evaluation.

It's an evaluation that accurately measures power and only passes 40%.

'This isn't a favorable test for me.'

I was confident in tests like mock battles or practical simulations.

But rather, this kind of test where I have to show the limit of my power was disadvantageous for me.

It's not that I'm particularly weak, but compared to these monster-like protagonists, the reality is that my peak is a bit lower.

I was the typical type with a high low point and a low high point.

Still, I'm not particularly worried.

At least I've finished calculating that I'll pass the test.

"If this concubine's power was back to normal, I could have given you an overwhelming victory, my lord..."

"It's fine, I don't particularly want that."

Although I took in Hwa-ryeon as a familiar spirit, I won't use her this time.

It's because her condition isn't particularly good right now.

+++

Name: Hwa-ryeon

Species: Golden Nine-Tailed Fox

Description: Originally a yokai with powerful strength even among great yokai, but currently in a fallen state having lost her power.

Having lost her physical body and sealed, she can't even exert 10% of her power from her prime.

Skills: [Fox Fire Lv.9], [Enchantment Lv.MAX], [Fire Body Lv.6] (10 other skills are sealed.)

Feelings towards you: Overwhelming affection!

+++

What happened to her in the past, and why she fell.

I was curious, but it wasn't important right now.

What's important now was that it's better for me to move directly rather than her using her power immediately.

'If I use the Possession skill, my high point becomes higher.'

Hwa-ryeon might be higher in terms of sustainability or other aspects.

But with the assistance of the 'Possession' skill that directly borrows the familiar spirit's skills, my high point will become higher.

So I won't directly summon Hwa-ryeon this time.

"Examinee number 39, Yoon Kang-woo!"

As I made various calculations while waiting in line, the examiner called out a name that sounded quite interesting.

The name of the person I had been waiting for and wanted to meet as soon as possible.

'The protagonist, I guess I'm seeing him quite early.'

Yoon Kang-woo, the unrivaled protagonist of the original work.

The character who was called 'everyone's victim' in the work.

I could finally see him.