Transmigrated as an Extra: Awakening of The Ex‐Class'-Chapter 27 : Mana test part 2

One by one, Veronica called out the students. The atmosphere was charged with intense excitement and nervousness as each student showed off their skills. The magic displays were a fascinating spectacle, and the swordsmen danced with grace and skill. The murmurs among the students increased as the scores began to be revealed.

The most surprising so far was Erwing, the protagonist "a magic swordsman." With a fluid gesture, he enveloped his old sword in translucent mana. In an instant, he added the attribute of lightning to his blade, and the sword began to vibrate with electrical energy. I had a hard time following him with my eyes as he moved towards the rock, so fast that he seemed to dematerialize in mid-air. The clash of the sword against the mana catalyst was so shocking that it resonated throughout the field. The rock trembled, momentarily, but only managed to leave a few scratches.

Veronica quickly wrote down on her scroll and looked up, clearly impressed. Erwing’s score was a 64, the highest yet. The students looked at him in amazement, and the murmuring only intensified. It was evident that it would not be easy to surpass him.

I felt a slight pressure on my chest, the same feeling that always accompanied me when I knew something important was about to happen. My nervousness only increased, and before I could react, a translucent window appeared in front of me, floating in the air with clarity. The message it displayed was surprising, its presence made me pause for a moment, something felt different, although it was the same mission message, it seemed more imposing, the silence surrounding me intensified as I read it.

[System Notification]

- 『Mission

*A king cannot be despised. Prove your worth and secure a place in the top three.

1st place = 10,000 points

2nd place = 5,000 points

3rd place = 2,000 points 』

The system’s words echoed through my mind, but something about them shook me in a different way. A king... That phrase kept repeating itself, like an insistent echo that made me feel a strange pressure. Why had it sent me that message? What did it really mean to be a "king"? Doubts began to pile up, but I didn’t have time to answer them now.

"Student Cyan Vesper, go on," Veronica said, her voice clear and expectant. Interrupting my thoughts.

I shook myself, returning to the present. Despite the confusion I felt, I couldn’t just dwell on it. Everyone’s eyes were on me, and the challenge the system had posed to me wasn’t something I could ignore.

I took a deep breath, gathering my resolve. It didn’t matter that I felt a little out of place. The system points were an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It would give me an advantage that could be crucial to my development. I wasn’t going to be left behind. My goal was clear: first place.

With the scores still fresh in my mind, I remembered how the ranks were classified, although the numbers could vary slightly, it was more or less like this:

E rank (40-50 points): The basics. They barely avoided being expelled, there could be one or two outstanding students.

Although it would be surprising for a 17-year-old to have an E rank, in class A it was the most normal, all the students in it are geniuses and whoever wasn’t, would be expelled.

D rank (51-60 points): For those who achieved something more, the truly talented ones.

C rank (61-70 points): The most outstanding students, all are monstrous geniuses.

B rank was the maximum, and surpassing it was impossible, at least for a first-year student. Not only would it mean destroying the rock, but releasing an amount of mana equivalent to the power of a B-class individual. It was a practically absurd feat.

I walked with firm steps, trying to remain calm as I measured the distance to the rock. I had to admit that it was impressive, at least five meters tall, shining faintly like a ruby. It was the mana catalyst, I couldn’t help myself, it was what would define my performance.

I checked my wrist and adjusted the bracelet. I had already prepared myself. I held the pale gold revolver in my right hand, the best weapon I had for the test.

Around me, murmurs began to grow.

"Look at him? Is he really going to use that thing for the test?" someone commented quietly.

"Does he really think a gun is going to be enough for this?" another voice was heard, full of contempt.

"He’s going to make a fool of himself. Does he even know how to control mana?" —said another with a mocking laugh.

—He probably thinks that because he did well in the last exam by pure luck, this one will be the same—mocked another, right behind me.

The murmurs continued to grow. I could hear their snickers, their comments filled with sarcasm and contempt. They didn’t care about what had happened before; to them, a gun was nothing more than an outdated toy.

I closed my eyes for a moment, ignoring everything around me. Their voices faded into the background as I walked determinedly. I didn’t care what they were saying. I knew I couldn’t afford to be thrown out. The gun was my only option. Unlike the others who used swords, I couldn’t control mana like that. Swordsmen wrap the blade in mana, which is basic for a warrior, but in my previous life, mana didn’t exist. To achieve something like that, it took impeccable concentration, something that, in my case, I couldn’t maintain if I was distracted.

I could try to use magic like Cynthia, but precision, control, and runic calculations weren’t my thing. I was simply not suited for magic. That’s why the gun... was different. It worked like a conductor. All the mana that flows through me, I release it, the gun absorbs it, condenses it and fires it into a magic projectile. I don’t have to do anything but aim and that’s it. Well there are a few more things but that’s the gist.

I took a moment to concentrate, absorbing all the available mana, channeling it into the gun. My hand shook slightly, but I focused all my energy on the target: the center of the rock. The gun in my hand glowed for an instant and I aimed with precision.

BZZZT!

The projectile traveled through the air in a streak of blue energy, the sound of the discharge echoed throughout the training camp, raising a cloud of dust.

THUD!

The impact was so strong that I felt the vibration in my bones. The projectile hit the rock with a rumble that seemed to rumble in the air. But that wasn’t all.

CRACK!