Chapter 50
Illustration
Even in the fog where nothing is visible, spreading the detection net allowed a certain degree of awareness of the surroundings.
And I had a gift.
Even if I wasn’t aware, an instinctive sense of danger that helps me instinctively avoid dangers immediately.
Focusing on the instinct to dodge.
Crackle!
“Be careful! Something’s coming!”
It’s not difficult to sense danger.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t see ahead.
Feeling as though the current was flowing along my spine, I immediately turned to the right.
Crack! Currur….
I heard the sound of a tree snapping, and a massive boulder was rolling down from the misty distance.
However, it posed no threat to us who had already deviated from the predetermined path.
We passed by the rolling boulder and continued forward.
Ddalkak! Piyung!
Pajik!
Once again, my instinct to evade kicked in.
Something was flying towards us at high speed.
I shouted briskly, “Heavens, shield!”
“Uh, okay!”
Yeonhae seemed unfazed by the situation, but still, one never knows.
Without blindly attempting to dodge, I struck down the things flying at us with my sword.
Ting!
It was an arrow.
The arrows were flying at intervals from the same direction.
There must have been traps set up ahead that automatically fired arrows.
At least one, if not more.
As we had to pass through there, the continuous firing of traps became irritating.
Yeonhae seemed to have reached the same conclusion.
“I’ll take care of that.”
Yeonhae extended her shield and stepped forward.
She reached out her right hand towards the direction the arrows were coming from.
Around her, a magic circle floated, and from her palm, a magical rune materialized in the air.
Chichik!
Light gathered in front of the magic rune.
The black light emitted from the mist turned into a sphere the size she couldn’t hold in one hand.
＜Black Launcher＞
A 1st-rank dark-elemental magic.
A magic that compresses dark mana into a sphere and shoots it straight from the palm in a linear direction.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Until the traps ceased to function.
Yeonhae unleashed her magic.
With each spell leaving her hand, the air seemed to burst.
“It seems they won’t work anymore.”
“Then let’s keep going.”
Thanks to her, the traps were rendered powerless.
We swiftly passed through that place, preparing for another danger.
Thunk!
“Here it comes.”
A sound echoed from somewhere.
Having sensed the danger through past experiences, my senses were on high alert.
Immediately after, the mist on both sides trembled.
Whoooom!
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Logs came crashing down.
Nevertheless, I did not react.
“It’s fine.”
Even though I was aware of this, my instinct to dodge did not register.
It wasn’t a danger.
It was not real but an illusion.
Having encountered illusions several times while climbing the Misty Mountain, I advanced without hesitation into the illusion.
Whoooom!
At times, reality was intertwined with the illusion.
But nothing changed.
If the instinct to dodge was triggered, it was real; if not, it was just an illusion.
“I have no use for illusion magic.”
I affirmed.
I will not be deceived by things like illusions.
However, even the instinct to distinguish illusions was not invincible.
Thunk!
“…!”
“Hey, Gyungwoo!”
The instinct to dodge does not activate unless it becomes a danger.
As a result.
“…Dammit.”
Such incidents also occurred.
I inadvertently stepped on a trap.
Traps that did not pose a threat to life before triggering were not the target of the instinct to dodge.
Especially for traps that were not mines but sent the person who stepped on them flying in the direction they were walking, there was no way to respond.
Soaring into the mist-filled air, I involuntarily cursed.
I hope nothing happens here.
Swish!
Crackle!
As expected, it couldn’t be that easy.
In my vulnerable state in the air, something flew at me from all directions.
Having sensed the danger with my instinct to dodge, I mentally recalled the swordsmanship I could use in this situation.
“I guess that’s better.”
I soar through the air.
My face turns towards the ground.
I release as much tension from my body as possible.
“Hoo.”
It’s not to let go of my hands.
It’s to evade the attack.
I regulate my breathing and envelop my whole body with internal energy.
◈Suwang Style Defense Form 6◈
Lion’s Whirlwind
A swordsmanship blending swiftness and flow.
Something that had been shooting through empty space finally reaches me.
Instinctively evading, I twist my body towards the direction of the incoming attack.
Then, I bring forth my military green sword.
Clang!
The military green sword fails to match the force.
The sword is pushed back in the direction of the attack.
Naturally, my body turns as well.
With nowhere to land, my body falling through the air begins to spin.
Crack!
A lightning-like wall of thunder strikes.
The mana on the military green sword clashes with the ambient mana.
In that moment…
Clang!
I receive a second attack.
Rotational force applied in the opposite direction.
I rotate at an even faster speed, and the thunder from the military green sword intensifies.
The thunder flashes in the mist.
Clang!
Three times.
Clang!
Four times.
Clang!
Five times.
At some point, the thunder wraps around my body, extending along the direction of the sword’s rotation.
Crackle… Crack!
Encountering the thunder swirling around me, something flying disappears.
It no longer reaches me.
By then, the ground is drawing near.
Thud!
Crackle!
I safely landed on the ground.
But my swordsmanship was far from over.
Sarja Seonryu was not only a defensive swordsman but also a counterattacker.
I quickly had to release the gathered energy of the Wall Thunder that had gathered on the Military Blue Sword.
I raised my sword above my head.
Krrr!
Thick strands of Wall Thunder surged forth.
The lion’s roar echoed.
As the mist above my head dispersed, a glimpse of the blue sky appeared momentarily.
Crackle….
Only then did the Military Blue Sword calm down.
The Wall Thunder, swirling around me, seemed to be dissolving into the air.
I could handle this much.
＜Military Blue Sword: Current Convergence＞
The second skill of the Military Blue Sword.
I absorbed the dissipating Wall Thunder.
It seemed wise to reinforce the Military Blue Sword while taking the 2nd test.
“Well, that’s that….”
I looked around.
By spreading the detection net to the ground, I could identify traps that were invisible to the naked eye.
Those were the traps I had stepped on earlier.
“You’re making me nervous…. I should’ve checked the ground more carefully.”
“Oh my.”
“Huh? What’s wrong? Did you hurt yourself somewhere? Let me see! I can cast healing spells….”
“No, I’m not hurt.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s about the traps I stepped on earlier.”
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
I approached Yeonhaneul, who was close enough to recognize faces, and said, “How can we make use of this?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I mean, what if we…?”
Yeonhaneul’s mouth fell open at my explanation.
“What?”
“Could it work? We don’t have time, and if this method could save us some time….”
“Well, it’s not impossible, but… it’s still too reckless….”
“If it’s you and me, can’t we do it? At least lean on me for now.”
“…Are you really gonna do it?”
“I will.”
“Think about it again.”
“Just hurry up and lean on me.”
“Sigh….”
I hunched over, showing my back.
The younger Yeonha, who had been in conflict until then, seemed to finally resign herself.
She cautiously grabbed my shoulder and pressed her body close.
“Ready!”
“Eek! Where are you touching right now!?”
“Your butt. I have to grab it to lift you up.”
“Ugh, it’s so annoying how confidently you say that.”
“More importantly, get ready. Heaven will handle the explosion and landing for you.”
“Got it, you better run well.”
“And hold on tight. What will you do if you fall while you’re at it?”
“Uh, okay….”
The explosion is the butt.
No, it’s art.
***
Summit of Mount Angae.
The examiners, who were recording the arrival times of the test-takers, glanced at the ‘Gate Clock’ installed near the gate.
“….”
03:22:18
3 hours 22 minutes 18 seconds.
It meant that much time had passed since the start of the second practical exam.
“They should be arriving soon.”
The remaining time to achieve a grade of 1 in the exam is now 37 minutes and 42 seconds.
While not a single test-taker had reached the summit yet, it was about time for at least one person to appear.
The examiners waited for that moment.
Not long after.
Rustle.
The bushes on one side shook.
The first test-taker appeared.
It was Cha Eun-sol, from the Circulation Department.
3:29:57
“Ah, we’ve arrived.”
“….”
After several hours of climbing to the peak, one might have expected some sense of accomplishment.
Cha Eun-sol, with her green eyes, showed a rather indifferent response.
Yet, a hint of fatigue was visible on her face.
No matter how much help she received from the spirits, weariness was inevitable.
The evaluators welcomed her.
“Test taker number 11586, Grade 1.”
“Congratulations on being the first to arrive. Test taker number 11586 is in first place.”
“May I leave now?”
“Yes. The second round of the test is over, so you may exit the gate. Perhaps the assistants outside will brief you on the third round scheduled for tomorrow…?”
Not happy about becoming first, and abruptly thinking of leaving.
The evaluators, though smiling wryly, understood Cha Eun-sol’s feelings.
She must be tired and just wanting to rest deeply.
They tried to make way for her to pass through the gate.
And that’s when it happened.
3:34:38
Rustle.
The second test taker emerged.
The evaluators’ eyes turned towards the test taker coming out of the bushes.
“I-I’ve arrived….”
“….”
With leaves sticking to her hair, and hanging onto a staff as if clinging for dear life, the test taker.
It was Mina, from the Mado Village.
Trembling all over, she seemed overwhelmed by having reached the peak, unlike Cha Eun-sol.
But it didn’t last long.
“I… I’m not in first place…?”
“….”
“Ah…”
“I, Mina…?”
Mina, standing among the evaluators, spotted Cha Eun-sol and was taken aback.
Her eyes were shaking visibly even from a distance.
Soon, her gaze changed.
“Ugh.”
Mina clicked her tongue in frustration.
Then, she firmly grasped her staff, swaying her body, and took steps towards Cha Eun-sol.
“You, hey.”
“Ah?”
“Don’t mistake this as a win. The test isn’t over yet.”
Ignoring the presence of the evaluators,
Min Arin suddenly turned to Chae Eun-sol, who had a sausage in her mouth, and said as if shooting an arrow, “In the third test, I will…”
“So, can I go back now?”
Ironically, Chae Eun-sol remained indifferent to Min Arin’s reaction.
“Are you ignoring me!? Just because you came first, you look down on me, but next time, I’ll definitely be first…”
“Yeah, you can be first.”
“…What?”
“I don’t need to. It’s unnecessary.”
“No, what…”
“I said passing is enough.”
…”
Who is this girl?
Min Arin lost her words as she looked into the green eyes, unable to grasp what she was thinking.
It seemed like her existence meant nothing to her.
Thinking this way made her uncomfortable, bruising her pride.
She was about to express her anger when…
“Anyway, can we leave now?”
“Wait! Hold on!”
“Goodbye.”
Chae Eun-sol briskly turned around.
She left through the gate.
“She’s ignoring people…”
…”
“Let’s wait and see. Let’s see…”
Watching Chae Eun-sol leave through the gate, Min Arin ground her teeth.
Now, as if forgetting her fatigue, she briskly entered through the gate.
And she left as well.
“…She’s gone.”
“Yeah. We haven’t even talked yet.”
“Still, well… at least she passed.”
“She did pass as a first-grade.”
The evaluators, dumbfounded, watched Min Arin disappear through the gate.
However, with the arrival of the third test-taker, all thoughts about her vanished.
03:48:52
“Ah, it was more fun than I thought!”
“….”
Yeonsung Namga’s Nam Yoori.
Unlike Chae Eun-sol and Min Arin, she didn’t show any signs of exhaustion.
She even brightened up as if she had been so happy.
With the monster’s blood splattered all over.
“Examinee, are you injured…?”
“Huh? Oh, this isn’t my blood! How could human blood be blue?”
“I know, but the condition right now…”
“There’s no injury?”
“…I see.”
An examinee standing at around 160cm.
With grey hair, pale skin, and wearing all white, the blood splattered on her stood out even more.
As a result, her sunny smile felt somewhat eerie.
Feeling uneasy, the evaluators changed the subject.
“Examinee number 1145, Grade 1.”
“You passed. When you exit, assistants will explain the 3rd practical exam to you.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Nam Yoori left through the gate.
The evaluators finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“What on earth happened? With blood splattered like that…”
“I’ve never seen such a kid before.”
“Don’t try to find out too much. From experience, those types are quite dangerous. It’s better not to get too involved.”
“We should watch carefully.”
“Is Grade 1 the end of this?”
“How much time is left?”
The evaluators checked the remaining time.
03:56:11
There’s only about 3 minutes left to achieve Grade 1.
Once that time passes, the examinees will receive Grade 2.
“There’s not much time left now.”
“Will there be more?”
“I’m scanning, but it doesn’t seem to be nearby.”
“Are there only 3 Grade 1s?”
Having such a conversation.
The evaluators stared at the gate clock, counting down.
03:57:23
About 2 minutes left.
03:58:07
Only about a minute remained.
The chances of an examinee showing up were extremely slim.
And with less than a minute left.
03:59:12
“It looks like it’s over for three of them.”
“Regrettable, but that seems to be the case.”
The evaluators’ attention shifted to the examinees who could receive a grade two.
03:59:20
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Now 40 seconds left.
03:59:30
Now 30 seconds left.
03:59:40
Now 20 seconds left.
That’s when the unexpected happened.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Bang!
“What, what is that!? What’s that sound?”
“Did someone trigger a trap!?”
“It’s a pretty massive trap if it is!?”
Somewhere, a massive explosion occurred.
Startled evaluators turned their heads at the sound.
“…”
03:59:48
Black smoke, born from the explosion in the fog, writhed.
White fog and black smoke intertwined and swirled.
Whoosh!
03:59:50
And within that, something was shooting up towards the evaluators.
03:59:52
“…”
The evaluators widened their eyes.
Initially thinking it was debris from the explosion, they prepared protective magic.
03:59:53
As the evaluators spread out their detection nets, they could discern that the ones plummeting towards them were the examinees.
03:59:54
“…”
Who on earth are these people?
What kind of scheme have they concocted?
The evaluators couldn’t comprehend.
03:59:55
Those examinees who were incomprehensible.
Now, they were visible to the naked eye.
03:59:56
“Heavens, now’s the time!”
“Uh, yeah!”
“…”
A young man carrying a woman with rabbit ears on his back.
The two were about to collide with the ground.
03:59:57
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“We need to assist with the landing….”
“…No, there’s no need for that.”
Suddenly, a fierce wind blew.
03:59:58
The examinee with rabbit ears had conjured up the wind with magic.
Thus, they nullified the impact before colliding with the ground.
03:59:59
They landed safely.
Gate Clark’s alarm went off right at that moment.
04:00:00
Beep beep beep!
The sound indicating that four hours had passed.
The evaluators listened to the sound, gazing at where the sand smoke swirled.
“…What are they doing?”
“Well, that’s…”
Soon, the sand smoke cleared.
The evaluators could see two people lying on the ground.
“Hey, we’re alive, right…?”
“See, I told you I could do it…”
Test-taker 1532, Do Gyunwoo.
And test-taker 5784, Yeon Haneul.
Second-round practical exam, Grade 1, passed.