...the exorcist felt the criticism pouring in from the people.
“…Perhaps, did I fail?”
“Do you know what begins when everything ends…”
[The exorcist thought that, and as she collapsed to the ground, people formed a circle around her, preparing to kill her. Her name was Han Bang, a woman with long black hair and black pupils, who for some reason was on the verge of being killed by the enemy.]
[Around her, people were collapsed and exhausted—whether they were allies, enemies, or herself. Among them, Han Bang was in a crisis of death. However, she remembered one of the spells she had—reincarnation magic—and eventually, the body of Han Bang standing in the middle of the people began to emit a bright light. The light, the flash, rose through the clouds, and as the yellow sky cleared, the land split and trembled.]
Several years later…
[Han Bang walks along a path, thinking,]
“It’s about time… Childhood is quite long, but whether long or short, nothing will change. Rather, long is better.”
A little while later.
“Han Bang, it’s about time you had a guard assigned to you. Our family has never once been without one.”
[Han Bang’s mother said.]
[Han Bang slightly shook her head and replied,]
“No, not yet. If you insist, it would be better to assign another to my sister. If you’re going to give one, I won’t keep rejecting it.”
[To Han Bang’s ambiguous, somewhat distanced answer, her mother says she’ll put it on hold.]
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“I already knew it in my previous life, but to enter a good class—one for those with ‘good’ talent—I must prove my ability. I need to gather the necessary supplies right now.”
What Han Bang had in mind was…
Magic stones.
[Stones that invoke magic, divided into grades from 1 to 10. Grade 1 is the highest, and magic stones are mostly single-use or need recharging. To forcibly activate them, they must be either destroyed or affected by natural forces. However, in most cases, the user must touch the stone with their hand or body to use it. They're also useful in combat.]
[Han Bang planned to use a somewhat good magic stone—Grade 6 “Illusion”—to make her talent appear above average.]
[At dawn, secretly from her parents, she goes to the yard. Under the wooden bench in front of the Darami gate, there was a stone. Magic stones form naturally when magic seeps into a stone, or they are found in ore. Han Bang had performed that process, and soon, after parting briefly with her parents, she waits for the selection before entering the class.]
“Take care, Han Bang.”
[Her parents said. Han Bang only responded with a simple thank-you.]
Later, she arrives at the class selection site.
“Please stand in the order of arrival and the number you were given. Men and women should form two lines.”
[The official at the location said. Han Bang saw others enter a dark space and receive a talent score from 1 to 100. She didn’t yet understand what it was, but suspected it was magic.]
[When her turn came, the official said:]
“To enter the black dimension, you must walk into it. The longer you endure both mentally and physically, the higher your talent will be scored. If you have much talent, your magic drains quickly, and even if you’re hit, a child with talent will still score well.”
[Han Bang did not know the current era’s class selection system, and decided to hold off on using the magic stone for now. She began devising another method to achieve the highest talent score possible, although she couldn’t know in advance what would happen.]
[Inside the dark dimension, waves of dark smoke rolled around, and Han Bang thought,]
“Darkness is like a star. A star stands out most in darkness. When the sun rises, even without darkness, the stars hide themselves like shadows. This space may be like that. Truly… truly, I am curious.”
[She plans everything, even up to the moment she steps forward.]
……….
{The End!}