Chapter 2: Entrance Ceremony Test-1

Agora Academy.

The setting of the game ‘Agora Academy’. A high school for training Hunters in a game world where Monsters and Hunters exist, located in South Korea.

There are two other similar institutions besides Agora Academy, but Agora Academy has its own unique characteristics. More than 70% of the incoming students are international students. As a result, there is little Korean cultural flavor in the story.

This is a convenience-driven setting by the game developers who wanted to include characters of various nationalities.

However, that’s a matter for the game developers. My current situation, having been transported into this game world, is this:

‘I’m attracting a lot of attention.’

As soon as I appeared in the plaza, all eyes were on me.

“If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.” I am not embarrassed. Ah, this is the traditional Korean outfit, ‘Hanbok.’

「Scholarship Rate Change: 1% (Cultural Pride) (Current Scholarship Rate: 32%)」

Foreigners look at me with curiosity, but the expressions of Koreans are much more serious.

Some of the named characters I had seen in the game began to gaze at me.

The youngest member of the Divine Sword Heavenly House, Cheon Dohwa, and the Black Witch Freya Andersen.

There were a few other named characters, but I deliberately looked away.

Sneaking glances at others is not the behavior of a true scholar.

「Scholarship Rate Change: 1% (Dignified Gaze Handling) (Current Scholarship Rate: 33%)」

「Scholarship Rate Change: 5% (Neat Walking) (Current Scholarship Rate: 38%)」

Arriving exactly on time, there were only a few seats left.

I moved further into the plaza.

I needed to check if the seat where the protagonist always sat in the game was available.

That seat was vacant. It seems that I have indeed taken the role of the protagonist in this world.

Events related to Agora Academy will occur over the next four years after the protagonist’s enrollment. Depending on the protagonist’s efforts, we could have a happy ending, or we might not.

If I could choose a character, I would have picked Sword Saint Dosiwoo or Witch Hunter Enoch, not the unknown character Seonbi Jo seonwoo who I’m seeing for the first time and don’t know if they are good or bad.

While I was waiting, the professor arrived and began hosting the entrance ceremony.

“It’s not teleportation. The professors are late for their meeting, so I had to appear before you via hologram in a hurry.”

Most of the students accepted this explanation. Everyone except me.

I remained indifferent, listening to the hints of what might happen next.

The entrance ceremony proceeded smoothly. This was one of the events in between.

“I have a question for you all. Why do you want to become Hunters?”

The professor scanned the incoming students with a gentle smile. That smile broke the moment our eyes met.

I soon understood why.

Due to the prominence of my scholar’s attire, I caught the professor’s eye.

It was obvious that a question would come my way.

And without seeing the ‘Guide for Apprentice Scholars,’ I could already guess.

“Let’s hear from the student in Hanbok.”

This was an opportunity to increase my scholar rate.

I flashed a confident smile and flicked my wrist to open my fan.

With a swoosh, the fan with an ink wash painting spread open, attracting attention.

“‘The Master said, aim for the Way, hold to Virtue, depend on Benevolence, and flow into Art.’”

The professor’s face turned puzzled, but I didn’t mind.

「Scholarship Rate Change: 15%! (Assertive Statement!) (Current Scholarship Rate: 53%)」

I felt the plaza quiet down and noticed the change in people’s expressions and demeanor.

Eyes were focused on me, but I paid no heed.

It seems I looked a bit more handsome upon closer inspection.

The professor said nothing and handed the speaking rights to other students.

In the game, the professor would usually give a word of encouragement based on the protagonist’s answer.

After a few more exchanges, I prepared to leave my seat.

“Alright. Then the next…”

The professor’s words were cut off abruptly.

The professor’s hologram suddenly disappeared.

At that moment, I sprang to my feet.

“Quest has been triggered.”

“<Emergency Quest: Entrance Ceremony Test>…”

The system window appeared just a step ahead of me.

I had stood up and about a second had passed.

I hurried to the center of the plaza. Just as I was about to climb onto the stage where the professor had been standing,

Boom!

A massive body cast a shadow over the plaza as a hole opened up in the ground.

“What… what is that?”

A voice I didn’t recognize echoed through the plaza.

Standing on the stage, I looked at the creature that had appeared in the plaza.

I knew what that was.

A Monster. The Earth Dragon, Tohugaien.

An A-rank monster. The cause of the Brussels Incident.

Students’ faces turned pale, and screams erupted from all around.

“Help! Help us!”

“What is that!”

The Earth Dragon wriggled on the ground, swallowing students whole.

Students caught in the chaos were being swallowed into the dragon’s belly.

Of course, that’s not a real Earth Dragon. It’s a fake created with magic and holograms.

The students swallowed by the dragon would be teleported out by the professors immediately.

This batch of students is so promising that they are called the “Golden Batch.”

The professors prepared this surprise event to evaluate the new students.

The professors are probably watching this scene from hiding.

Seeing some students calmly responding without panic, they would be receiving good evaluations.

“Move! Get out of the way! I don’t want to die!”

“Stay calm! The professors will be here soon. Everyone, maintain order!”

From my vantage point on the stage, I could see which students would get good evaluations and which wouldn’t. The professors would see even more clearly.

Some students were even trying to fight the Earth Dragon.

Among the named characters in the game, those skilled in hand-to-hand combat were particularly active.

The Earth Dragon is not a creature the professors expect to be defeated.

It’s set up to see how students handle an emergency situation.

In the game, it was possible to defeat the Earth Dragon despite the professors’ intentions.

Yes, this event is essentially a tutorial in game terms.

After practicing skill commands to my heart’s content, I could either escape through an evacuation route or defeat the Earth Dragon to pass this test.

“<Emergency Quest: Entrance Ceremony Test> (In Progress)…”

The system window would likely show similar information.

I unfastened my bow from the quiver and drew it out.

The Korean bow can be concealed in the quiver when unstrung.

Stringing the bow is difficult, but I had practiced a lot with my grandfather.

Since I’m in the game world, it should be much easier. I readied my bow.

A boy, who was frantically fleeing, saw me and said:

The boy pointed at the Earth Dragon. Was he asking if I was going to defeat it?

No. In the game, there are two conditions to defeat the Earth Dragon:

Cumulative damage of over 100,000 and instant damage of over 5,000.

Since it’s a hologram, applying sufficient shock would cause it to disappear due to a system error.

The cumulative damage can be easily achieved with the help of NPCs. The real challenge is the instant damage.

There aren’t many characters who can deliver such high instant damage right from the start.

Naturally, I wasn’t planning to defeat the Earth Dragon.

I had a different goal.

This stage is a tutorial stage.

In the game, for this stage, a damage calculation formula was often provided.

This is not much different from my current situation.

「<Possessed Skill: Scholar’s Archery> └Sniping」

This is a skill I had never seen in the game before.

The name suggests it’s related to archery. It was a unique skill of the Scholar character, Jo seonwoo.

I needed to check the performance of this skill to plan my strategy.

I nocked an arrow.

I had played this stage hundreds of times. I knew the timing perfectly.

When the Earth Dragon struck the left corner of the stage, that was the exact moment I would achieve cumulative damage of 95,000.

It would be great if I could defeat the Earth Dragon. If not, I would immediately evacuate.

In truth, I didn’t have high expectations. Good skills and abilities often have flashy names.

Things like ‘Heavenly Staff Technique’ or ‘Shine Saber.’ In contrast, names like ‘Scholar’s Archery’ and ‘Sniping’ are rather plain.

“You’re crazy! Stop being reckless and let’s get out of here!”

The boy who had spoken to me earlier shouted again. I thought he had already fled. It was unexpected.

But I didn’t respond and drew my bow back.

As soon as I grasped the bow, I instinctively knew the correct posture.

Left foot forward, right foot sideways. Draw the bowstring with the thumb, not three fingers.

I waited for a moment. I knew that using ‘Sniping’ required a long time to aim.

The stage wobbled slightly, but I remained steady.

<Scholar’s Archery. Sniping.>

「<Tutorial-Exclusive Damage Calculation> 36 (Base Attack Power) + 61 (Archery Skill) + 23 (Weapon Performance) + 160 (Mana) = 280」

Base attack power and weapon performance were somewhat disappointing.

My strength stat was low, and my weapon wasn’t great.

My mana stat is 16. I could channel all my mana into this one arrow to gain additional attack power.

And then, I doubted my eyes.

「Damage Adjustment: 400% (Scholar’s Archery – Korean Bow Use)」

「Damage Adjustment: 300% (Sniping – 10 Seconds or More of Aiming)」

Why are the adjustments so generous?

Regardless of my feelings, the system window displaying the damage continued.

「Damage Adjustment: 200% (Scholar’s Archery – Targeting Monsters)」

「Damage Adjustment: 300% (Scholar’s Archery – Non-physical Entities)」

「Damage Adjustment: 200% (Scholar’s Archery – Magical Entities)」

Due to the special nature of the fake Earth Dragon, multiple adjustments applied.

「Damage Adjustment: 110% (Scholar’s Archery – Proper Posture)」

「Damage Adjustment: 115% (Scholar’s Archery – Steady Shooting)」

「Damage Adjustment: 125% (Consumable – Arrow)」

「Damage Adjustment: 125% (Scholar’s Virtue – Moderate Scholar Rate)」

「Total Damage Adjustment: 1225%」

I had never seen a damage adjustment exceed four digits in a tutorial before.

As the arrow was about to hit the Earth Dragon’s neck, the spot I aimed at was a wound caused by someone else’s attack.

「Final Damage Adjustment: 150% (Critical Hit – Re-attack on Impact Point)」

「Final Damage Calculation: 280 * 1225% * 150% =」

「Total Damage: 5,145」

The small, delicate, and seemingly insignificant arrow pierced through the Earth Dragon’s neck.

The Earth Dragon lost its vitality, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

The sound of the impact resonated again, capturing the attention of the panicked students.

The diverted gazes followed the direction of the arrow’s flight and eventually reached me.

There was still a system window shaking me out of my daze.

「Scholarship Rate Change: 50%! (’Passing Scholar’ Achievement!) (Current Scholarship Rate: 100%)」

「Current Scholarship Rate: 100% Current Status: Noble Scholar (Current Change Rate: -5%/h)」

In my dazed state, I could only think one thing.

This… is ridiculously overpowered.