I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 45

EP.45 Rank Reassessment Exam (1)

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Train as if it’s real, and treat real situations as training.

This was always what the teachers said. And I also thought to myself to treat training as if it were real and real situations as training. But once in the actual situation, all those thoughts would vanish, and I would find myself consumed by tension.

– Beep-! –

[You are eliminated.]

“No! No way!”

[Would you like to attempt a second try?]

“Ugh!!!! Yes, I’ll try again.”

Students who are consumed by tension are given two chances. However, if they fail to complete the first attempt, the second attempt is unlikely to yield good results.

– Beep—! –

[Final result: ‘C-rank’. Grade appeals are being accepted at the department office.]

“No, no… I was aiming to move up to B-rank this time!”

If they couldn’t make the most of their second chance, they didn’t deserve to move up in rank. I was vividly observing how tense the students were when they stepped onto the stage and the kind of despair they faced.

“This is interesting.”

Watching the kids pour their passion into their attempts made me want to cheer for them. And when a student succeeded in their challenge, I even clapped for them. Of course, they couldn’t see what I was doing from over there.

“That one did well in the beginning, though.”

When a student started well but then lost pace due to a lack of stamina later on, I clicked my tongue in disappointment. And the result was another C-rank.

“Come to think of it, all of them have been C-rank so far.”

I began to wonder if all non-character students were C-rank when suddenly—

“Eddy, fighting!!!”

“Kyaaa!!!”

The loud cheers of girls filled the air. Shortly after, a handsome blond boy stepped onto the exam stage.

“Oh.”

Is he someone worth noting? His face and movements exuded the noble elegance typical of aristocrats. His confident expression and skillful hand movements were impressive. While his good looks might have earned him fans, I knew that fans also loved to support those with real talent.

– Beep—! –

Since there were still students waiting for their turn, the exam started quickly. The boy named Eddy, who looked like a dandy, raised both hands into the air and lifted himself off the ground.

‘Wind, perhaps.’

He might be a much higher caliber student than I initially thought. And he didn’t disappoint; he started the exam with impressive movements. He effortlessly dodged various obstacles, destroyed or avoided threatening traps, and finally, showcased his skill by cleanly destroying the target objects.

‘Wow… he must be strong too.’

The sight of the wind blades slicing through the target in an instant was undeniably impressive. It made me think he could jump into real combat right away. He was the most perfect student I had seen taking the exam so far. Since he had one more chance, he completed that exam as well, and the results came out.

As I suspected, he was no ordinary student.

– Beep—! –

[Final result: ‘A-rank’. Grade appeals are being accepted at the department office.]

For the first time, an A-rank appeared. It was a level that could make others feel overwhelmed with emotion. However, the boy who received the grade looked dejected.

“Failed again.”

It seemed he was aiming for an even higher rank.

‘A-rank is still impressive, though.’

With such movements, how easily could he take down monsters? It made me realize once again how incredibly talented awakened beings are.

‘It’s clear now that not only SSRs can reach A-rank in this world.’

With a face like that, he might have appeared as an R-rank character if not an SSR, but it was indeed my first time seeing him.

“Eddy, you’re amazing!!!”

Kyaa!!!

As soon as the exam ended, the cheers from the girls erupted. The boy, Eddy, must have heard the cheers, but he pretended not to and walked out of the exam hall. His movements and expressions clearly showed he was trying to act cool.

“Just a skilled attention-seeker, I guess.”

I’ve met plenty of people like him in my previous life, so it’s nothing special, but it does make me think he’s living an interesting life. Knowing that ordinary people can achieve A-rank and even challenge S-rank made me feel more at ease. It meant this world wasn’t as desperately lacking in talent as I had feared.

‘Still, I need to assemble my squad quickly.’

In the game, the team size was 10 members. Five would be in active combat, and the other five would be reserves. Depending on the stage, you could switch members during battles. My job was to complete the perfect team setup. Additionally, I needed to create practical means to support my squad when they joined the military. Although the graduation times for the characters would vary, Shine and Fran were likely to grow to S-rank soon and enter the field after graduation. Until I summoned more characters to complete the squad, I needed to support them from behind the scenes to increase their survival rates.

After what felt like an eternity, the time finally came.

“Finally, it’s Shine.”

After watching even Shine’s friends finish their exams and leave, Shine finally stepped onto the exam stage. Was it finally time? Would she reach the expected A-rank? Or would she surpass expectations and achieve S-rank? In the game, I couldn’t change the scenario. I was curious to see how much Shine’s fate had changed by connecting her with Rebecca earlier.

‘If she really reaches S-rank… it’ll be a huge deal.’

It would be an unprecedented growth rate. It could be an event that changes all the remaining scenarios for Shine. The girl who was once abandoned by her family or anxiously waiting for a grace period would now be recognized by her family without any painful memories. She would receive treatment on a completely different level than before and would be treated differently when she joined the military.

‘That would be a true success story.’

But that’s a matter for the future. For now, Shine was just a student at the academy. She still had to prove herself continuously, as she hadn’t demonstrated anything significant yet. Before the exam, Shine took a deep breath, perhaps feeling nervous.

‘Is she aiming for S-rank?’

If she were aiming for A-rank, she wouldn’t be this nervous. She had already achieved A-rank multiple times. In her hand was the unique equipment I had sold her. Despite not having used it for long, she handled it as if she had been using it for years.

‘She must have trained intensely.’

She referred to that weapon as ‘our baby,’ so she must have carried it around all day. Her dedication was admirable, and I hoped Shine would do well.

– Beep—! –

Finally, the signal for the start of the exam echoed. Shine dashed forward at an incredible speed.

====

***

====

[Final result: ‘S-rank’. Grade appeals are being accepted at the department office.]

Murmur, murmur, murmur—

When Eddy received an A-rank, there were cheers and applause. But when Shine’s result came out as S-rank, the murmuring grew louder.

“Who is she?”

“She was B-rank, right? How did a B-rank suddenly jump to S-rank?”

The spectators seemed unable to believe the result.

“Which family is she from?”

…or they were intrigued for other reasons. The teachers seemed to share the same disbelief.

“Shine got an S-rank? Was there an error in the exam?”

“I-I’ll check.”

“What error? The exams have been running smoothly so far.”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Shine steadfastly prepared for her second exam. Her first score was just barely an S-rank. Instead of celebrating prematurely, Shine focused on achieving an even better score.

“Right. She must have anticipated this situation. Even she must find her growth unbelievable.”

Calming oneself before an exam is crucial. The noisy chatter around her and the teachers’ visible confusion were undoubtedly distractions. I frowned and crossed my arms, watching the commotion around me. Finally, I turned my attention back to Shine as she began her second exam.

“Prove them all wrong.”

With her unique equipment and early talent blossomed through meeting Rebecca, Shine could definitely do it.

“Haha!”

A while later, I burst into a refreshing laugh. The skeptical looks turned to shock. Shine had magnificently crushed their doubts.

“What do they know? She trained incredibly hard during the break.”

If they dared to question her results, they would need to train even more rigorously than Shine did. Only then would they have the right to doubt her. Of course, even with such qualifications, they wouldn’t be able to deny her growth to S-rank..