Episode 30 – Proof of Skills (2)

Proof of Skills (2)

“That’s it. I’m done with the evaluation.”

Kain folded his record sheet in half. Elise also nodded her head, checking her wristwatch.

“It’s 12:45, so it should be over soon. Let’s share.”

“Roger.”

Kain and Elise exchanged their record sheets. Elise just skimmed through it, but Kain’s eyes widened.

“Wow…”

It was too meticulous. Not only the one-line reviews, but also the graphs and diagrams were perfectly organized.

“Elise. Can I swap this with mine? It looks like it’s written by an expert.”

“Anyway, each team leader can only see 16 people. It’s more important to see as many as possible without overlapping, rather than the quality of the data.”

Most team leaders went through two cycles of eight people each. Meaning they had a grasp of a total of 16 people.

Except for Soliette.

Soliette only measured once, and that too only in the mana zone.

“…Elly. Is Shion sleeping?”

That’s when Layla pointed somewhere and chuckled.

“…”

Shion Ascal, sprawled out on the mat, fast asleep.

Elise just glanced and didn’t answer, and Kain sneered with contempt.

“That idiot thinks he’s winning. How did he not get kicked out?”

“I feel sorry for him. Oh, should I have called him? But he’s really bad…”

Layla mumbled. Elise asked indifferently.

“Did something happen?”

“Huh? Oh, Soliette picked Shion for the combine, right? I saw how Shion was doing. He was really bad.”

“…Really?”

Elise smiled inwardly. So that’s why Soliette picked that guy first, to give him a proper scolding.

“Oh, right. Hey, guys.”

Then Asher grinned and chimed in as if he had remembered something.

“Do you want to try that, among us team leaders? It looked pretty fun when the kids were doing it.”

He pointed to one side of the gym.

It was a 10-meter rail. At the end of it was a wall of the same height, and below was an air mat for landing.

It’s called [High Jump], the flower of the no-mana zone.

The method is simple. Run at full speed and touch the highest part you can reach. Then the scoreboard at the top will tell you the record.

It’s one of the most dynamic items in the physical evaluation and is popular, but it only measures ‘height’, so those with a tall stature or long arms have an advantage.

But well, physical attributes are also considered talent in this field.

“…Sounds fun?”

It was Kain’s words. With a barefoot height of 192 cm and a wingspan reaching 2 meters, he was bound to be confident.

Kain showed his record sheet and said.

“How about this. The one who jumps the highest gets to share the record sheet.”

“Then I’ll join too.”

At that moment, someone raised their hand.

Everyone turned to look in that direction.

“Soliette?”

It was Soliette. She stood at the starting line of the rail.

“I’ll go right away.”

As soon as she said that, she ran straight away.

One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps. She ran just enough to gain maximum momentum and pushed off at the end of the rail.

Whooooosh——

A graceful takeoff, like an eagle soaring off a cliff.

In the midst of all the seniors staring blankly, she slapped the palm of her hand at the highest point.

Bang——!

With a sound like thunder, the numbers on the scoreboard changed.

[578cm]

“Holy shit!”

Asher gasped. The other team members also let out exclamations close to shock.

“Is Soliette for real? Is that, like, a female powerhouse?”

“…….”

At those admiring words, Elise merely licked her lips.

578cm meant she had jumped at least 4m with a running start. And it didn’t even look like she had given it her all.

A truly unbelievable powerhouse, a monster gene indeed worthy of the ‘Arkne’ bloodline.

“Is there anyone else?”

Soliette asked calmly as she walked off the air mat.

“…….”

“…….”

Asher and Kain subtly averted their eyes. It would be embarrassing if they jumped lower than Soliette. Gerkhen Kal Doon might be able to give it a shot, but he was currently in the mana zone evaluating team members.

——♬♪♩♬.

Thankfully, the lunch bell rang just in time.

“……Ah. It’s lunchtime. Let’s do this later. But I’ll show you my record.”

Kain handed Soliette his record sheet.

“Yes.”

Soliette walked away looking at it, and Elise quietly watched her retreating figure.

“Soliette is amazing… Elly, what do you want to eat?”

Layla asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

“Whatever you want.”

Elise answered vaguely, her gaze drifting somewhere.

“Then let’s go for sushi~”

Rumble…….

Despite the recent commotion, there was still a lunatic snoring and sleeping on the mat.

______________________________________________________________________

“…….”

When I opened my eyes, there was no one around. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock in the empty no-mana zone.

1:20 PM.

Lunchtime.

Gurgle—.

I was starving to death. Even though I eat six meals a day.

“I’m so hungry I could die.”

I quickly got up.

I was about to leave when I noticed the large numbers on the scoreboard.

[571cm]

It was a high jump.

“That’s pretty high.”

In the no-mana zone, 5m 70cm means ‘at least’ double in the mana zone.

“Should I give it a try?”

High jump. I’ve always wanted to try it.

I mean, I haven’t even attempted it.

“Hmm.”

I walked to the starting line of the rail.

Gurgle———.

I tried to ignore the rumbling of my stomach.

“Phew…….”

One deep breath.

Nothing too flashy.

Simply relaxing the body and adjusting the muscles for running.

After getting into position——

“Hup!”

I took a big step.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

And then, I reached the end of the rail. I had covered 10m in just three steps.

“Oh.”

It was faster than I expected. I pushed off in surprise.

**Vroooom—**

I felt my body lift.

My senses were off.

The ground beneath my feet was too soft, and the resistance of the rushing air was too light.

For some reason, it felt like I was rising endlessly.

I glanced down at my feet.

It was dizzying.

The air mat on the ground was as small as a handkerchief, and the scoreboard seemed close enough to touch.

With just my two legs, I had leaped this far.

“…Ah.”

For a moment, I forgot my objective. I was supposed to touch the wall.

In the middle of my descent from the peak, I slapped my palm against it.

Thud—!

My handprint was engraved on the wall, and my body descended for quite a while.

About 3 seconds by my estimation?

Whoosh—

My back hit the soft air mat first. In that position, I looked up at the scoreboard on the wall.

[687cm]

My palm had reached the highest point.

The scoreboard stated that the record was 6m 87cm.

I was more puzzled than amazed.

To be honest, I was confused.

“…Why?”

6m 87cm is almost similar to the new draft record. That’s why it’s even stranger. My athletic ability shouldn’t be this high.

“What the…”

Even if I acquired a natural physique thanks to the Cancer of the Magic’s Core, that’s still a future story. At this point, where my tertiary growth has just begun…

“Could it be…”

My eyes widened. A thought grazed my mind like a needle.

“Embodiment?”

I placed my hand on my stomach.

——.

My pulse, faint but definitely there. My core is still throbbing like a heart, scattering magic throughout my body.

But this mere ‘throbbing’ can hardly explain such a super-physical phenomenon.

After all, the No-Magic Zone evaluates physical strength, not a Magic Body.

“…Ah.”

Then, one of the operating principles of the 「Notepad」 that came to mind.

‘Attunement’.

The process of mastering things that the 「Notepad」 memorizes, by repeating them with my body. A technique attuned once probably won’t be forgotten forever and is not constrained by capacity.

What if that’s not limited to techniques?

It’s still a guess, but what if.

What if.

If the Perion in the 「Notepad」 is naturally integrating with my body?

If that Perion is seeping into my blood vessels, muscles, bones, and other organs through the throbbing of my core, slowly sublimating the property of upgrade into my ‘framework’?

“…It’s not impossible.”

It’s a plausible story.

The 「Notepad」 is a product of the core, and therefore, broadly speaking, the Perion is also memorized in the core.

“…”

I silently spread my palm.

Then clenched it.

Spread it again.

Then clenched it again.

Suddenly, a remark from my master echoed in my ears.

…I know. You know and I know. That embodiment is likely to be useless. But still. It’s better than not doing it.

“Useless…”

A small smile crept onto my lips.

“It might not be.”

______________________________________________________________________

1:40 PM.

Soliette Arkne returned to the No-Magic Zone before lunchtime ended.

She returned to retrieve something she had left behind.

“…Ah.”

Fortunately, it was still in its place.

A duffle bag in the corner of the hall. Soliette slung it over her shoulder.

“…”

She paused as she was about to turn around and leave.

She didn’t trust herself. So, she scanned the area she had just passed, and sure enough.

There was a cell phone where the duffle bag had just been. She had left her phone behind while picking up the duffle bag.

“I should’ve known.”

She cursed herself.

Soliette shook her head as she picked up her phone.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, the scoreboard in her peripheral vision caught her eye.

Something was off.

No, it seemed off.

She stood still in her tracks. She slowly turned her head to look at the scoreboard.

“…?”

Soliette was rarely surprised. Her eyes widened like a cat’s.

The record had changed.

The problem was the number on the scoreboard.

“687cm?”

[687cm]

In the No-Magic Zone, those who are good at high jump usually hit between 5m and 5m 30cm. Even that is an incredible level compared to the average person.

But now, a figure close to 7m was recorded.

It wasn’t fake.

The ‘palm print’ stamped at a position where she had to raise her head for a long time proved it.

7m meant that someone had jumped over a 2-3 story building with just their physical strength.

“Gerkhen Kal Doon?”

Naturally, that name came to Soliette’s mind. She couldn’t think of anyone but Gerkhen Kal Doon. At least not in the current Endex.

“…”

Soliette meticulously examined the high jump track and air mat. To her, who had been chasing Knightmare for nearly a year, deduction had become somewhat of a hobby or a special skill.

“Huh?!”

While she was investigating thoroughly, indeed!

Something shiny on the air mat caught her eye. Soliette quickly crawled over and picked it up with two fingers.

An object that wasn’t there when she was doing the high jump.

A very small and round, button.

Judging by its size, it seemed to have fallen off the sleeve of an Endex uniform.

Probably belonged to the person who hit 687cm. Soliette put the button in her pocket.