Chapter 106
by Jessie@AFNCCChapter 106 [Entrance Exam -Magic Department- (2)]
As soon as all three magic arrows from my triple cast in my first attempt plunged into the ground, a strange sense of crisis began to swirl in my mind.
âWait, did I just failâŠ?â
Even excluding Mana Blast, I had two offensive spells I could use, plus I could utilize triple-casting, and on top of that, I could use Clean as a support spell, so I hadnât been particularly nervous.
But as soon as I started the target destruction test, a sense of crisis began to creep up, sensing that I had failed.
Lilithâs current luck stat is only 2. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]
Converted to the hit rate formula of âLuminor Academy,â it was a measly figure of only about 4-5%.
The number of spells I could use simultaneously was limited to triple-casting at best, so even if I used all five chances with triple-casting, I could only use magic a total of 15 times.
Ah, no. Iâve already messed up once, so I only have 12 chances left. âŠThis is even more desperate, damn it.
If Iâm not careful, thereâs a possibility of a disaster where I keep using triple-casting and fail without destroying even a single target.
âThis wasnât the time to be spouting nonsense about it being a piece of cake.â
It wasnât the time to be complacent, thinking Iâd pass for sure. It was a moment when my possibility of crashing to the ground in the entrance exam, just like the magic arrows that had just flown, was looming.
It was a moment when Lilithâs innate limitation of her terribly low luck stat was truly holding her back.
âŠInstead of regretting this desperate stat that couldnât escape single digits even at Level 9, I should be thinking about how to overcome this situation right now.
The problem I was facing was an entrance exam that wouldnât be strange to fail right away.
âDonât be nervous, take it slowly.â
ââŠYes.â
Itâs not because of nervousness that I canât hit. Itâs just that this character itself wasnât created for offensive magic.
However, having already started the Magic Departmentâs entrance exam, there was no way to back out now.
It was now impossible to enter the academy through another department if things went wrong.
Once I had taken the exam for the Magic Department, applying to other departments would be considered cheating by Luminor Academy.
âŠI guess I have no choice but to rely on luck somehow.
Although relying on luck with Lilith, who had no luck, was insane in itself, I had no other choice at the moment. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]
First, Shockwave was a short-range spell with a slight hit rate correction, so it wasnât a means I could use now.
Also, Mana Blast consumed all magic power the moment it was used, so it was truly a spell with no backup, and strictly speaking, its range wasnât wide enough to guarantee passing.
With really good luck, it could hit about three targets at once; otherwise, the limit was about two.
Moreover, even if I used the nine skill points I had accumulated, I wasnât in a position to learn useful offensive magic right now.
AoE magic would be the only thing I could try with a low hit rate, but it would take more than 9 skill points to learn area-of-effect magic now.
âMagic, dwell in my hand.â
In the end, I made my decision and created three magic arrows through triple-casting just like before.
This time too, I aimed at the three closest scarecrows and cast them as if throwing them, just like before.
âPierce! Arrows of magic!â
Thud, Thud, Thud!
ââŠâŠâ
ââŠAh.â
Ah.
Ah, ah, AHHHHH!!!!!!
Watching the magic arrows fly off course and crash into the ground after barely grazing the targets, I let out all kinds of screams in my mind.
Itâs gotten to the point where the exam supervisor, unable to bear watching, carefully offered advice.
âItâs good to try triple-casting, but wouldnât it be better to focus on hitting with one or two shots? If you pass the entrance exam, youâll be able to learn how to properly triple cast at the academy.â
ââŠThank you for the advice.â
I understand why they would say that. From the academy staffâs perspective, missing out on a talent who can do triple-casting before even entering would be quite painful.
While double casting might be achievable through individual effort, triple-casting was magic that couldnât be used unless one had exceptional magical aptitude.
So, I understand tearfully well the intention behind such advice, thinking to pass me first and then nurture me at the academy.
âŠTo begin with, the problem wasnât the scattered concentration due to triple-casting.
It was just that Lilithâs terrible hit rate limited my attack magic.
âPierce! Arrows of magic!â
Crash!!
âOh!â
ââŠHuh?â
On the third attempt, miraculously, one out of three shots hit and destroyed a target.
Although it was the second target from the front, the fact that it was destroyed was what mattered.
It meant that I had somehow broken through the slim 5% probability and witnessed a small miracle.
âNow, if I can just hit four out of the remaining six shotsâŠâ
If I could destroy just five out of ten, I might barely make it into the passing cut-off line.
That level would mean Iâd be considered an average noble apprentice mage. Unable to use AoE magic or multi-casting, but skilled enough to hit targets steadily without mistakes during the 5 chances. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]
To be precise, I just need to hit one shot on the fourth attempt. If I can do that, I should be able to destroy up to three targets with Mana Blast on the last attempt.
Thinking that, I tried to shoot three magic arrows in a similar way to the third attempt on the fourth try, but the result for Lilith, with a single-digit hit rate and luck, was disastrous.
Thud, Thud, Thud!
âAhâŠâ
ââŠâŠâ
As soon as I saw the magic arrows crashing to the ground, I heard the entrance exam supervisorâs sigh-filled voice.
I started to feel ashamed of myself for not being able to hit even stationary scarecrows.
âApplicant, why donât you try using it after calming down a bit? From what I can see, you seem to have enough talentâŠâ
ââŠâŠâ
Really, if I could just hit one more shot, it seemed like I could somehow make it.
Now, the only means left to me was to throw all my remaining magic power into one Mana Blast.
Even if I was lucky enough to hit three targets, it was already a moment far from the passing range.
If I had just hit one more from the triple-castings Iâve used so far, I could have had some hopeâŠ
ââŠWait.â
Come to think of it, I donât necessarily have to use triple-casting only for magic arrows, right?
Yes, the premise was wrong from the start. The premise that Magic Arrow was the most suitable spell for using triple-casting was wrong.
I hadnât thought of it until now because I was obsessed with the idea that Mana Blast was a last resort, but thinking about it, Mana Blast was actually the most effective spell to use with triple-casting.
Since itâs a spell that consumes all remaining magic power, the power of the three magic spheres should be similarly enhanced.
Even if the power is dispersed and the range is somewhat reduced, Mana Blast itself was already a considerable area-of-effect spell.
If I could hit special targets with three Mana Blasts, or hit two or more at once⊠S~eaÊáŽh the nĂŽvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
âApplicant, with your last attempt, please do your bestâŠâ
âMagic!!!â
ââŠ?!â
The moment that thought occurred to me, I started chanting the spell for the final sure-hit technique, imbuing both hands with the sensation of using Mana Blast.
By chanting Mana Blast, along with triple-casting, three spheres immediately began to form above my hands. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]
The time for being at ease and saying things like I didnât want to stand out, if possible, had already passed.
After all, the most important thing right now is to pass without failing.
âUh, uh?! W-wait a moment, applicant?!â
The exam supervisor called out to me in confusion upon seeing the three growing magic spheres, but it was magic that couldnât be stopped once started.
Whatever I might hear later, for now, I had no choice but to just throw them.
As I was putting about 500 mana into each shot, the power was already certain, and I didnât need to aim for a specific area with a 5-meter wide magic sphere like the Mana Blast I used last time.
I only needed to hit three important targets.
The farthest target, the moving target, and the sturdy target.
If I could definitely destroy these three highest-scoring targets, I should be able to put my name on the passing cut-off line, barring any extreme circumstances.
If Iâm lucky enough to destroy other targets along with them, that would be a bonus.
âExplode!! Bombs of magic!!â
With that thought, I threw the three magic spheres I had raised above my head forward with all my might.
âŠSoon after, three explosion sounds rang out at the Magic Department entrance exam site.
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