Chapter 4
Time passed, and the day of the Korean Academy entrance exam arrived.
I was idly playing with the magic stones in my hand, watching as people swarmed around like bees.
“Phew, there are a lot of people.”
No matter how much they say it’s dangerous, the number of aspiring superhumans increases every year, just as they predicted.
“Well, it makes sense.”
It’s a profession where you can aim for instant riches.
Whether in the past or now, whether in the Empire or on Earth.
If there’s one thing that remains unchanged, it’s the value of money.
In the end, what drives humans is desire, and the most prominent of those desires is the wish to live in a better place, eat better food, and enjoy better things.
Some people may scorn this as vulgar, but personally, I like this kind of desire.
Isn’t it all an effort to live with style?
Those who strive for that.
How admirable it is.
I kept rolling the magic stone in my hand as I watched the never-ending procession of people.
But you know, it’s all good, except that the attention is a bit too much.
Sure, being a head taller than everyone else makes it hard to avoid attention, but the kind of attention I’m talking about isn’t just the looks I’m getting.
“Hey, look over there. It’s really him, the youngest of the Swordsmanship Clan. He actually showed up.”
“How dare he take the Academy exam as a mana-less loser? Does he think superhumans are a joke?”
“Could it be that he cured his Mana Deficiency?”
“No way. If that were true, it would have already been all over the news. ‘The Youngest of the Swordsmanship Clan Overcomes Mana Deficiency! A Great Day for Korea!’ Something like that.”
The air reeks of petty malice.
Envy, jealousy, contempt…
Like hyenas who have spotted a corpse, they’re baring their rotten teeth at me.
To be honest,
It’s pathetic.
They’re using me as a scapegoat to alleviate their anxieties about the exam. I get it.
Trying to cover up one’s own inadequacies by dragging others down—it’s almost a human instinct, so I understand.
After all, isn’t the downfall of a famous person more entertaining than a success story? From their perspective, I’m probably the perfect scapegoat.
I understand it all, but…
‘There should be a limit. This is just too low.’
And by “low,” I’m not talking about their words or actions.
I’m talking about their level of skill.
I was once the Grand Duke of the Black Magic Tower. If I gathered all the talents who passed through my hands, they could fill this entire field. Naturally, I can tell at a glance who’s worth something and who’s not.
The trash and the elite.
“Like that guy, for instance.”
The guy who was talking about me being a joke. Even as he was making those remarks, he was nervously glancing at me, afraid our eyes would meet. He’s trash.
Just looking at the way he takes care of his body, it’s a zero. Need I say more?
“On the other hand, that one over there is decent.”
A girl with bronzed skin standing straight with perfect posture.
Even at a glance, it’s clear she’s not from around here. She’s quite something.
She looks Middle Eastern. Just judging by her body’s balance and how well-trained she seems, she’s clearly put in a lot of effort from a young age.
“But oddly enough, she gives off a vibe similar to the Empire’s royalty.”
At that moment, our eyes met.
I smiled at her, and she smiled back.
She’s quick on her feet. Extra points for that.
As I continued to observe the pathetic hyenas who didn’t know their own limits and a few promising gems, time flew by.
Before I knew it, the moment had arrived.
“The Korean Academy’s second entrance exam will begin shortly. All applicants, please have your application forms ready and follow this way. Once again…”
Following the guide, I headed toward the gate.
Yes, the gate. A literal gate, a mana field in the shape of an oval, glowing with blue mana.
Just like a door, stepping through it opened up an entirely different world.
“Oh, so this is a gate.”
A dense forest.
All I could see were trees and greenery.
It reminded me of the great forests of the old Empire, welcoming me.
‘Dimensional transfer? Spatial transformation? Whichever it is, it’s not man-made.’
This is interesting. I can’t help but smile.
While I was musing, all the applicants had entered, and the guide, after introducing the person in charge, stepped back.
Kuooaaang!!
With an earth-shaking roar, something burst from the ground.
A tree, a massive tree.
• Welcome, everyone. I am Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and I will be overseeing this entrance exam.
The proctor is the World Tree…
“This world is certainly entertaining.”
The Guardian Spirit Yggdrasil has protected Korea for the past 200 years.
She was instrumental in the founding of the Academy and played a crucial role in Korea’s rise as a superhuman powerhouse.
Every year, countless talents knocking on the Academy’s door would meet her at the starting line.
The exam is simple.
Reach Yggdrasil, standing at the center of the field.
The methods are free to choose.
Just reach her with all your might, and whether you pass is entirely up to Yggdrasil.
Out of a hundred points, scoring just ten is enough to pass.
Despite this, the pass rate for the entrance exams held up to the fifth round each year is barely ten percent.
The same goes for the graduation exam. The Korean Academy’s graduation test is infamous for its difficulty, and at its center is Yggdrasil.
In this way, Yggdrasil has witnessed the beginning and end of countless talents on this land.
But even for her, this year’s batch stood out.
• It’s been so long since I’ve seen such brilliance. It’s a truly joyous occasion.
A man inheriting the spirit of a conqueror.
A girl chasing the wings of the Red Phoenix.
A princess who came all the way from the Middle East, a student of the highest-ranking Titan from the United States, and the youngest of Korea’s representative Jinryong Clan.
In any ordinary year, these children would have dazzled and rightfully claimed the top spots, yet here they were, gathered in one place.
What a twist of fate.
Yggdrasil, who found joy in watching the rise of new stars, was always pleased by such twists.
The one who particularly delighted her this time was…
Park Ki-hyuk,
A member of the Swordsmanship Clan.
• How remarkable. How can such a being exist?
An extraordinary body, overwhelming strength.
Unwavering courage and clear judgment.
• Indeed, tigers do beget tigers. Park Geon was exceptional, but his descendants are truly beyond words.
Eight years ago, Park Soo-hyuk scored 82 points on his entrance exam, displaying incredible talent.
And that’s not all. The second child of the Swordsmanship Clan, Park Min-ji, scored 80 points.
Although she lost points for lacking leadership, her extreme speed was enough to threaten even her older brother Park Soo-hyuk.
And now, following the eldest and the second child, even the youngest!
What a truly astonishing bloodline!
Yggdrasil felt a shiver of awe at this extraordinary talent running through their veins.
• But someone said this child couldn’t use mana, didn’t they?
Because what he just did—breaking the illusion magic…
• That looked a lot like magic to me.
I live and die for style.
I’ve heard that the current trend is the protagonist who hides his strength, but that’s not the kind of style I pursue.
Hiding is inherently unbecoming.
The style I pursue is one where you never back down.
Crack!
Where you don’t worry about others’ opinions.
Crunch!!
Where you confidently unleash your full power.
Boom!!!
That’s what I think style and coolness are.
Clatter.
As the shattered remnants of the dolls fell to the ground, I leaped forward.
My targets were the goblin dolls.
They had accurately replicated the goblins, moving in groups and firing paralyzing needles.
But to me, they were just bite-sized snacks.
Crunch!
The one at the front was crushed with a single blow. Instead of blood, splinters of wood flew.
The dolls provide a satisfying impact.
The goblin dolls fell like leaves in the autumn wind.
As soon as I finished off the goblin dolls, what blocked my path next were orc dolls.
Swinging their savage clubs.
I like it… this one’s got spirit!
“Let’s have some fun!”
Crack, crunch! Smash!
I crushed them, pounded them, and destroyed them.
Using my hands, feet, knees, elbows, shoulders, and head, I pulverized every enemy in my way.
Orc dolls, dire wolf dolls, troll dolls, wood golems…
All kinds of dolls made by Yggdrasil tried to block my path, but I kept advancing, unyielding.
This reminds me of the old days.
The first mock battle I had with the old man. Thousands of skeletons clashed, and I charged at the front, splitting a skeleton’s skull with an axe.
The old man’s face was priceless back then. A necromancer fighting like a money-grubbing mercenary—how shocking must that have been?
I got a lot of scolding, too.
He’d say, “I told you to learn strategy, not to break skulls yourself! Fight with dignity, for heaven’s sake! Please, at least don’t bite! You might as well use black magic, you cursed brat!!”
The old man had no end of complaints about my fighting style.
But so what?
This is my style.
A wizard who doesn’t hide but leads from the front.
Who fights more fiercely than anyone else and desires victory more desperately than anyone else.
The Demon King of Battle.
That’s who I am.
“More! Give me more!!”
I roared from the midst of my surging battle lust.
As if in response, the forest trembled, and more dolls appeared.
Good. Very good.
Once again, I bared my teeth and charged.
My target was the leader in the front.
I leaped and split it in two in one blow.
But in that moment…
“Huh?”
Something’s off.
Frowning, I split the next one’s waist.
It’s still off?
There was something subtly twisted in the sensation at my fingertips.
I deliberately left an opening.
The dolls charged at me like mad, their attacks hitting my body from all directions.
In the midst of the pain flooding in, I felt something off.
The pain was real, but something was off about the sensations.
In my extensive experience, there’s only one explanation for this.
“This is an illusion?”
It’s a fairly high-level illusion magic, where even the slightest doubt about its reality could turn the pain into the “truth.”
Conversely, if you’re convinced it’s “false,” the illusion can never become real.
I calmed my racing breath.
“Phew…”
At some point, the dolls’ attacks began to pass through my body. Ignoring the dolls clinging to me, I started to walk.
As much as I love combat, I’m not foolish enough to punch at illusions.
Still, this is pretty interesting in its own way.
Whether in terms of fidelity or immersion, the illusion is impressively well-crafted.
One thing’s for sure: this illusion magic is definitely not something you’d expect in an entrance exam.
In other words…
“I must have caught someone’s eye.”
Yggdrasil, was it? Looks like I’ve piqued her interest.
And as if to confirm my thoughts, the world turned upside down.
The ground I was standing on flipped. The world reversed, revealing the sea?!
Yes, the sea where fish swim. I was standing in the middle of a vast ocean.
My feet were treading on the rippling water’s surface.
Fish swam beneath the clear waves.
Again, if I even momentarily believed this to be “real,” the illusion would become actual, and I’d plunge into the depths of the sea.
“Seriously, you’re overdoing it a bit, don’t you think?”
You’re crossing the line on our first meeting.
But just letting this happen isn’t my style. Plus, I’ve been wanting to show something off.
Did I ever mention the mages who break their mana channels for unavoidable reasons?
Whether due to unforgivable crimes or injuries sustained in battle, do you think those mages who can no longer accept mana simply give up on magic?
I assure you, that never happens.
No mage ever gives up on magic.
Anyone who’s experienced the miracles created by magic could never forsake it.
“Magic is as addictive as a drug.”
Three magic stones were in my hand. These stones, devoid of mana and no different from ordinary rocks, had been in my hands all day, marked with my imprint.
They were the key to overcoming the giant’s curse known as Mana Deficiency.
“Awaken.”
Light flickered within the stones. Mana surged into the previously empty stones, causing them to float in the air.
The three magic stones drifted in the air.
In an instant, the illusionary world around me inverted. A galaxy-like world made of dots and islands.
I had entered the space of mana.
“With this, contact is complete.”
Let’s get started.
The target: the illusion magic.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt mana, so I greet it warmly.
All I have to do is find the illusion within this language of mana.
‘Found it.’
Here it is.
The layout, the structure—everything is tightly woven. Most people wouldn’t even be able to touch it.
But that’s only by Earth’s standards.
For me, who was once the Demon King…
“This is child’s play.”
I trace it.
I reverse-engineer it.
I return the magic back to mana.
Back to nature!
Even though it’s just three walnut-sized magic stones forming a small ‘mana hole,’ with the right resonance, you can…
“Break it.”
A gap opened up in the middle of the sea.
A small rift, just enough for a person to pass through, was the best I could manage.
But don’t be disappointed.
This is just the first step.
As I took a step forward.
The world inverted again.
What appeared before me was…
A tree.
But this tree was far larger than the one I’d seen before the exam started.
The World Tree filled my entire field of vision.
“So this is your true form?”
A voice answered from behind me.
“Yes, that’s correct. This is my true form, the true body of Yggdrasil.”
A woman crowned with laurels smiled brightly.
“Welcome, Park Ki-hyuk.”
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