[Hao: Is there some problem today? The connection is a bit slow, and this cursed thing got into my mirror bug again.]
[An image of a wraith clinging to the mirror, staring intently]
[Hao: Didn’t I already deal with this? Why is it crawling out again?]
[Luca: They said Evron went to attend the promotion evaluation.]
[Hao: Oh, really? But this time, the connection hasn’t been interrupted.]
[Luca: Check the notice. It says the connection will remain stable, but there might be minor issues.]
[Hao: So that’s why these wraiths are gathering. There are already five of them.]
[Luca: I don’t have any issues, and neither do the others.]
[Hao: It’s increasing here. Now, it’s filling up the entire screen—]
[Luca: Why did you stop mid-sentence?]
[Luca: Are you gone?]
***
‘How did it end up like this?’
I let out an involuntary sigh.
The heavy atmosphere weighed down on my body, even pressing the magic in the surroundings deep into the ground.
Cautiously, I glanced upward.
Two figures stood on a high platform, watching me closely.
It was their presence that exerted this oppressive force.
A dark, dense aura of magic flowed from them.
These were the evaluators conducting my promotion assessment.
One of them was a particularly familiar figure.
She opened her mouth to speak.
“Evron… This isn’t… a suggestion… it’s a notification.”
Her distinctively drawn-out speech reached my ears, her face still adorned with a soft smile.
She had once helped me with a similar smile.
But now, that smile only added to the pressure.
Slowly, I mulled over her words.
Not a suggestion, but a notification.
She was right—I had no power to refuse their demands.
‘I should have foreseen this. Even Professor Irien left me a warning about this.’
I closed my eyes slowly, retracing what the professor had told me.
Yes, it was about two weeks ago.
***
That day was no different from usual.
About once every two months, Cassian would request a new feature.
This time, she wanted something that would let a bear temporarily tread through the air.
I combined various spells to create it, and the results were quite satisfying.
The bear could twist its body in midair as many as five times.
“I heard you advanced to the second floor after only a year. How was your evaluation conducted back then?”
I asked while setting the bear plush down on the floor.
My promotion assessment was only two weeks away now.
Although I had gathered quite a bit of information, my unease hadn’t subsided.
In fact, the more I learned, the more nervous I became.
The plush bear began moving naturally, and she sent a mirror bug flying into the air.
The bear leaped around, trying to catch the bug, leaving its reflection in the mirror.
The mirror emanated a thick aura of magic.
She would probably upload this to the public forum again.
“Promotion evaluation?”
A faint light flickered in her dreamy eyes as she stared blankly into space, seemingly recalling a distant memory.
Soon, she tilted her head slightly and continued speaking.
“Uh… there were a few people. I swung a sword a few times, and they said I passed. Then they asked me to join some weird group or something. I think I ran away because it was annoying.”
Her recollection was vague and somewhat disjointed.
To illustrate, she infused magic into her finger and playfully flicked it in the air.
It seemed like a light gesture, but the sharp energy from her finger left an invisible scar, slicing partway through the space.
She seemed stronger than the last time I saw her.
“That’s truly impressive.”
“But I failed this time,” she replied, her tone tinged with sadness.
She must have been referring to her attempt to reach the third floor.
Her challenge to the third floor was a well-known topic among the students.
Few advanced as quickly as she did.
It was astounding.
She had entered the academy only a year before me, yet she was already attempting the third-floor assessment.
Although the promotion tests for swordsmen were said to be easier than for other magic users, her speed was exceptional.
She pulled out a sheet of paper from her pocket.
It was the same notification I had received—a promotion evaluation notice.
She gazed down at it and sighed.
“They said… what was it… that my path isn’t clear enough. Told me not to come for another two years.”
“I see… that’s unfortunate.”
I grew a bit tense.
I had heard that such things were common during evaluations.
It wasn’t just about failing the test.
Depending on the evaluator’s discretion, candidates could also be barred from reapplying for a certain period.
She slumped over, seemingly unwilling to talk further.
I left her with a polite farewell and departed from the scene.
Reaching the stairs, I paused for a moment and pulled out the notification from my pocket.
This peculiar paper, which tore through the tower’s space to appear, was said to be delivered automatically to those who met the qualifications.
Of course, having the qualifications didn’t guarantee passing.
In fact, there were more failures than successes.
That’s why I kept seeking advice from others.
Her story wasn’t particularly helpful.
In that case, I should visit Jun.
He had replied to the post I left on the information board.
I sensed the location of his mirror bug.
As his reply indicated, he was waiting for me in his room.
Slowly, I headed there.
***
When I opened the door, the room was bustling with people.
They were all Jun’s associates.
Nodding in greeting, I made my way to the innermost part of the room.
Jun was sitting at a table, peering into his mirror bug.
“Though I’m a bit late, congratulations on your promotion, Jun,” I said as I took a seat across from him.
His advancement to the second floor had happened less than a month ago.
At my words, his face lit up with a wide smile.
“Thank you, Evron. It’s all thanks to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Haha! If I hadn’t been brought to this tower, I’d still be struggling down below, barely getting by. I owe you my thanks for choosing me, Evron.”
“That’s not for me to take credit for. You should thank the professor instead,” I said, waving my hands dismissively.
He only nodded with a faint smile, as if he didn’t quite believe me.
Well, by now, he must have understood the professor’s personality.
That’s likely why he brought it up.
After clearing my throat to break the awkward mood, I brought up the reason for my visit.
“As you mentioned in your post, I’m here to ask about the promotion evaluation. Since you’re the most recent one to advance to the second floor.”
“Ah, I thought that might be the case when I saw your post. Did you receive the notification as well?”
“Yes, luckily enough.”
“Oh, congratulations!” he said with a bright laugh, the confidence of someone who had already passed evident in his tone.
“Then it’s only right that I tell you everything. Let’s see… you’ve probably researched the basics already, so I’ll just share the details of my evaluation.”
He handed me his mirror bug, which displayed a summary in the form of a picture.
As I examined it, I listened closely to his explanation.
“My evaluators were from the fifth floor. They introduced themselves as being from the Throne Society. They said they were impressed by the work I’ve done here in the tower.”
The Throne Society—I’d heard of them before.
They were an organization that governed one of the twelve cities of the university.
It seemed they had taken an interest in him.
I vaguely recalled hearing rumors about various groups showing interest in him.
“Was it Hong Ryeong who mentioned it?”
“There wasn’t much to the evaluation. Advancing to the second floor is straightforward, as long as you meet the criteria. I demonstrated some magic, showed them a treasure I had, and we had a pleasant conversation.”
He shrugged, his every gesture radiating confidence.
“And with that, I was given temporary membership in the Throne Society. If I keep the provisional title for a few years, I might have a chance to join formally.”
“Congratulations,” I said sincerely. I had seen firsthand the effort he had put in.
Having seized this opportunity, he wouldn’t let it slip away.
I found myself curious about how far he would go.
“Thanks. Still, it’s rare for a specific organization to get involved like this. I heard it requires a lot of points to participate in the promotion process. Doesn’t that mean I’m valuable?” he said playfully, his tone laced with mischief.
I exaggeratedly nodded in agreement.
“Haha, you’re amazing,” I replied.
I had heard that recruiting candidates during the second-floor promotion evaluations was a tradition passed down in the university.
Interfering with first-floor magicians was taboo—a rule said to have been established after several past incidents.
“I’m sure some notable individuals will approach you too, Evron.”
“Not a chance. Why would they?” I shook my head, and he merely laughed.
We continued talking, discussing the atmosphere of the evaluation hall, the number of participants, and other details.
***
Time passed as our conversation shifted to lighthearted topics.
Suddenly, my mirror bug began to vibrate.
Its glow turned bright red, and Jun widened his eyes as he noticed it.
I quickly rose to my feet.
“What’s going on?”
“It seems I need to leave. The professor is summoning me.”
“Ah, then I can’t stop you. Go quickly.”
After nodding to him, I left the room and hurried up the stairs.
Reaching the top floor, the first thing I saw was the professor sitting at a table.
I quickly approached her.
She puffed out one cheek, her expression filled with displeasure.
Whatever the reason, she appeared to be in a bad mood.
Tensing slightly, I bowed my head before her.
“You called for me, Professor?”
She stared at me intently, her gaze accompanied by a ripple of magic.
‘Is she going to strike me?’ I readied myself just in case, lightly wrapping my body with magic.
However, the ripple of magic lasted only a moment before subsiding.
The professor spoke, “You’re going to attend the promotion evaluation, right?”
“Yes, I received the notification.”
She clicked her tongue briefly, then gave me a slow once-over.
After a few seconds, she shook her head.
“Fine. Go and struggle a bit. I did leave a warning, so they’ll probably go easy on you.”
Her words were cryptic.
“What warning had she left? Without addressing my confusion,” she continued.
“You brought this upon yourself, so handle the rest on your own. Now, get going.”
“Understood.”
Bewildered, I responded and left.
I couldn’t make sense of her words, though it was clear they were related to the promotion evaluation.
I should have paid closer attention to her warnings.
***
I opened my eyes.
“Have you finished sorting out your thoughts?”
The familiar woman, Myra, sat beside a young man who was smiling.
His smile bore a resemblance to those I had occasionally seen on Hong Ryeong or Hwaryoung.
He was from the Arcana General Guild.
‘Wasn’t he from the eighth floor?’ It seemed excessive for someone of his rank to be involved in a second-floor evaluation, and Myra was even more out of place.
“There’s only one thing we want, Evron: that interesting object you made. We’ve developed a keen interest in it,” he said.
His soft tone exerted an undeniable pressure on me.
Hong Ryeong’s whispered warning echoed faintly in my mind.
‘Could she have anticipated this situation?’
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