ch 3: The Illusion Test
In the infinite white void, the Goblin lunged at Elias.
The creature was small and fast, its rusty dagger aiming straight for Elias's thigh.
Elias didn’t move. He didn’t raise a hand to defend himself, nor did he attempt to summon any magic.
In his mind, the dialogue with the "Entity" was faster than the Goblin's movement.
[Enemy approaching. Do you wish to purchase "Speed"?]
No, Elias thought coldly. I want to buy his "Timing".
[Price: Sense of touch in your left hand for ten minutes.]
Done.
Nothing physical appeared. No lights flashed. The deal was concluded in the ether.
In that instant, Elias felt his left hand go completely numb, as if it had been severed. But in return, the Goblin seemed to be moving through slow, viscous fluid. Elias saw the opening clearly.
A calm sidestep.
He grabbed the Goblin's neck with his right hand, and with a swift motion... SNAP.
The Goblin vanished, turning into digital dust.
[Level 1: Complete]
He didn't stop. A Gray Wolf (Level 2) materialized, followed by a Skeleton (Level 3).
Elias advanced through the levels like a programmed machine. No wasted movements, no screaming, no fear.
Every move was prepaid. "Hearing the sound of wind" in exchange for a dodge, "Feeling warmth" in exchange for a precise strike.
He reached the ninth level in record time.
Before him stood an Armored Golem. A giant of living steel.
The knight attacked with a massive sword.
[Opponent is fully armored. Your current physical strength will not scratch him. Do you wish to purchase "Brute Force"?]
No, strength is too expensive, Elias thought as he watched the sword descending toward him. I want to buy "Metal Corrosion".
[Price: 10 Gold Coins from your Capital Bank balance.]
Withdraw it.
Miles away from the Academy, inside the bank’s fortified vault, ten gold coins vanished from Elias’s pouch into nothingness.
And in the world of illusion, the Armored Golem’s shoulder joint suddenly turned into brittle orange rust in a split second.
The knight’s arm dislocated and fell before it could strike.
Elias seized the opportunity, sliding under the armor to strike the exposed core.
The knight vanished.
[Level 10: BOSS - Chaos Bear]
The white space shook violently.
A monster standing four meters tall appeared. A massive black bear, eyes glowing with red light, claws as long as sword blades. The aura radiating from it was terrifying, a living embodiment of natural disaster.
The bear roared and charged at Elias with incredible speed for its massive size. The illusionary floor trembled under its weight.
The voice in Elias’s mind whispered with a serious tone:
[This is a calamity-level monster. Its physical and magical defenses are high. Small deals will not work here. It will tear you apart.]
The bear was only a few meters away. Death was inevitable.
I want to buy its "Bad Luck", Elias said quickly in his mind.
[Clarification?]
I want an "Impossible Coincidence". A fatal stumble.
[The price is steep for this level of reality interference... The price is one Platinum Coin... plus the memory of the taste of your fifth birthday cake.]
For a moment, an image of his mother smiling and offering him the cake flashed in his memory. It was a warm, rare, and precious memory.
But the bear’s foul breath had already reached his face.
Sold.
In the bank vault, one platinum coin vanished from the heavy pouch.
And in Elias’s mind, the flavor of the cake vanished forever, leaving a cold void.
But in the illusion...
Just as the bear raised its claw to crush Elias, its hind leg slipped strangely and inexplicably on the perfectly smooth white floor.
The two-ton monster’s balance was thrown off. Driven by the momentum of its charge, its face plummeted straight toward Elias, an uncontrolled fall.
Elias was waiting for this moment. He raised his knee with perfect timing purchased via a small side deal.
CRAAAACK!
The bear’s throat—the weakest point in its armored body—slammed into Elias’s knee with the force of the beast's own momentum.
The bear’s windpipe was completely crushed.
The giant monster fell to the ground choking, kicking its legs for a few seconds, then went still.
[Level 10: Complete. Time Elapsed: 35 Seconds.]
The white world collapsed.
Elias opened his eyes in the real training hall.
Sweat covered his forehead, and his breathing was slightly ragged.
He looked around. The hall was completely still.
The other students were still standing in their places, eyes closed, expressions ranging from pain to intense concentration. Some were waving their hands in the air, fighting invisible enemies.
Elias looked at Cedric. The young noble was frowning, his body surrounded by a faint heat aura, meaning he was still in the middle of a fierce fight.
He looked at Celine. Her features were calm, but her brows were knit in concentration.
"You..."
Elias turned to the source of the voice. Professor Valeria was standing in front of him, staring at the stopwatch in her hand in disbelief, then looking at him.
"Did you... give up? Or did you die in the first round?" she asked suspiciously. It was impossible for anyone to finish the test this quickly unless they lost.
Elias calmly pointed toward the large screen above the platform.
Valeria followed his finger, and her eyes widened behind her glasses.
One word was blinking next to Elias’s name: [COMPLETE].
Elias sat on the floor silently, wiping his sweat, and waited.
Minutes passed slowly.
After 9 minutes, Princess Celine opened her eyes. She exhaled a cold breath, looking quietly satisfied. She had defeated the bear.
And after a full 14 minutes, Cedric let out an enthusiastic shout and opened his eyes, the flames dying down around him.
"Haaa!" Cedric yelled triumphantly, raising his fist. "The bear is down! That damn monster finally burned!"
He looked around with a wide grin, watching the students waking up one by one (most having failed at the intermediate levels).
"Looks like I broke the record, didn't I, Professor?" Cedric said arrogantly, dusting imaginary dust off his shoulder. "I didn't expect the test to be this easy."
Then his eyes fell on Elias, sitting bored in the corner, and saw the exam card that had been distributed earlier bearing the name and student number.
Elias Reinhardt - 404
Cedric smiled mockingly. "Oh, did the Goblin kill you in the first minute, so you woke up early? Don't worry, combat isn't for everyone."
Elias didn't reply. He simply nodded his head toward the massive board that had just lit up to display the final results.
Cedric’s smile froze.
Everyone looked up.
[LEADERBOARD - ILLUSION TEST]
1. Elias Reinhardt | Level: 10 (Complete) | Time: 00:35 Seconds | Rank: SSS
2. Celine von Arcadia | Level: 10 (Complete) | Time: 09:12 Minutes | Rank: S
3. Cedric von Ignis | Level: 10 (Complete) | Time: 14:45 Minutes | Rank: A
A heavy, dead silence fell over the hall.
Cedric rubbed his eyes, sure he was hallucinating.
"Thirty... five seconds?" he whispered hoarsely. "That’s impossible."
Cedric spun toward Professor Valeria, his face flushed with rage.
"This device is broken! Or that bastard used a dirty trick!" he shouted, pointing at Elias. "How can he kill a Chaos Bear in half a minute? It took me fifteen minutes just to burn through its hide! Do you expect me to believe this?"
Valeria looked at Cedric coldly, then pressed a button on her tablet.
"The device doesn't lie, Mr. Cedric. And... frankly, I didn't believe it either until I reviewed the log."
A quick video clip appeared on the large screen showing the final moments of Elias's fight.
Everyone saw the bear suddenly stumble, and they saw the single, precise knee strike that shattered its neck.
There was no magic. There were no explosions. It was just... terrifying efficiency and strange luck.
"It tripped..." Cedric muttered in disbelief, then his shock turned into greater anger. "He won by luck! The bear tripped! That's not fair!"
Elias stood up slowly, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
He passed by Cedric, who was boiling with rage, and said in a low voice only the two of them could hear:
"In a real battlefield, monsters don't care about fairness, Cedric. They only care about who's left standing."
He walked past him toward the exit, while Celine watched him with narrowed eyes, trying to analyze what had happened. The bear’s stumble was too strange, but the strike that followed wasn't luck. That was the strike of a professional killer.
"Elias Reinhardt," Valeria called out before he could leave. "You will be assigned to the Elite Dormitory (S-Class). Your keys will be delivered tonight."
Elias nodded without turning back and walked out of the hall.
He felt hungry, a sudden craving to eat something sweet... though, for some reason, he could no longer remember what sweetness tasted like.
