Chapter 75
Rumors spread rapidly through those who had been targeted by Do Gyunwoo.
Test-takers who had lost their admission tickets called upon other test-takers to help them retrieve the stolen tickets.
“It’s the fault of the examinee from Shingeom Do!”
“He took all of our admission tickets!”
“Do you know how much he’s collected by now!?”
“It’s said to be at least 1,000 points! 1,000 points!”
Test-takers from all corners of Honrim Island began to gather in one place.
Whether to recover their stolen tickets or to aim for the top spot.
Their purposes for moving were different, but at the heart of their actions was Do Gyunwoo.
“Hmm, Do Gyunwoo of Shingeom Do….”
By evening, it was no exaggeration to say that stories about him had spread throughout the entire island.
Iga-hyun couldn’t have missed it.
Perched high in a tree, observing the flow of test-takers heading towards one place, she became curious about him.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t checked the examinees from Shingeom Do yet.”
Iga-hyun licked her lips with her tongue.
According to the rumors, Do Gyunwoo is called by two contrasting nicknames.
One meaning “cowardly rabbit.”
The other carrying a significant and profound nuance of a lion cub.
Whichever it was, her sentiment remained the same.
“How cute.”
Whether a rabbit or a lion cub.
The nickname attached to the people of Shingeom Do was a surprisingly cute one.
It was bound to pique her interest.
Moreover, considering that Do Gyunwoo was apparently knocking down test-takers left and right, he seemed to possess considerable skill.
That skill, along with that nickname.
It was beyond imagination.
The contrast in images is stark.
“Shall we go see just how strong this rabbit is?”
Who on earth is Do Gyunwoo?
Iga-hyun was extremely curious.
She followed the flow of examinees to find him.
At that moment, he was in the field, engaged in a fierce battle with the examinees.
“….”
He had dark hair and a slender face, a handsome and gentle young man.
He appeared quite obedient to his parents, diligent, and seemed like a model student who had never strayed from the path, at least in Iga-hyun’s view.
“He seems like a face worth seeing cry. It must be rewarding to teach him one by one.”
A face that evoked a sense of superiority.
However, with just a change in his gaze, he showed a completely opposite face.
◈Attack Form 12 of the Water King Style◈
Lion, Bi Seung
Despite being clearly outnumbered.
Do Gyun-woo faced the examinees without a hint of fear.
No, he overwhelmed them.
Confidence overflowed from his face as he skillfully evaded all their attacks.
A face that seemed to enjoy superiority.
One might unknowingly fall into inferiority just by being captivated by that face.
“…s*xy.”
To think there could be a face where superiority and inferiority coexist.
Iga-hyun was struck by a lightning-like shock.
Crackle!
Indeed, lightning was striking.
Every time Do Gyun-woo displayed his swordsmanship, blue currents burst around him with fierce roars.
Lightning strike.
At barely 17 years old, he was already showcasing such proficient lightning strikes, confirming his skills without a doubt.
“Passing, definitely passing. He’s totally my type. Even if he gains a reputation, I must make him part of my collection.”
Perched on a tree, Iga-hyun swung her legs in the air.
She licked her lips, swallowed saliva.
She felt possessive after a long time.
But she had to endure.
Do Gyun-woo was not yet complete.
Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to turn him into a doll only after he fully ripens?
She had to endure. She had to endure.
She made an effort to cool her eagerness to rush in immediately.
And she compromised.
“Not just watching, I also want to assess his skills directly… I should go say hello.”
Iga-hyun barely suppressed his excitement and stood up from the branch he was sitting on.
She, too, was about to leap into the fierce melee where the wall of flames shot up.
But she quickly changed her mind.
“No, that won’t work. I want to play alone, but we can’t enjoy it together, can we?”
Iga-hyun looked up at the sky.
The sun was slowly setting.
Soon, the sky would be dyed dark blue, and night would fall.
By then, the monsters would become ferocious, and the commotion below would temporarily subside.
So…
“We’ll aim for that time.”
Iga-hyun murmured.
The night was anticipated.
* * *
As the test-takers who had been coming relentlessly without a proper break started to retreat as the day faded on the field.
By then, I felt my stamina depleting.
From Noble mtl dot com
Even with drinking the potion obtained as supplies and getting treatment from Goeunbi’s friend, there was a limit to how much I could fight.
[Physical Limit has been exceeded.]
[Stamina has increased by 1.]
[Strength has increased by 1.]
[Endurance has increased by 1.]
[Mana has increased by 1.]
[Luck has increased by 1.]
You might recall the message that all stats except for Agility, which had the highest growth threshold, had increased by 1.
Having pushed my body to the limit, I decided to recover my stamina at this moment.
That’s why I came to the campsite agreed upon with Goeunbi.
“Geonyu, you’re here? You’ve been through a lot…”
“…Goeunbi, you too. Everyone’s been through a lot.”
Goeunbi and her friends all had weary faces.
My face probably wasn’t much different.
We felt a sense of camaraderie with each other.
But when we quickly had dinner and checked the income we earned today, everyone’s spirits rose as if it were a lie.
“Wow, are these all exam tickets!?”
“Even if we split them among five people, how much does each one get?”
In addition to the exam tickets I had pinned to my clothes, there were many more in my bag.
Among them, there were black and blue ones.
As a result, everyone except me couldn’t help but admire.
I chuckled.
“Eunbi, you distribute them as you see fit. Don’t forget to take care of my share.”
“Calculating the value is also a task. Got it. But Gyungwoo, can you really take an equal share with us? You’ve worked the hardest.”
“Where did I work the hardest? We all worked hard together. Eunbi, your role and others’ roles weren’t easy either.”
“If you say so… Thank you! I’ll take them gratefully!”
“Gyungwoo, thank you!”
Goeunbi was delighted.
Others were the same.
I silently nodded in response.
Then I got lost in thought.
“In the end, Iga-hyun didn’t show up.”
Once I had collected a certain number of exam tickets, my focus was elsewhere.
The Doll Ghost Iga-hyun.
Today’s skirmish in the field was to lure her out.
But she didn’t come to evaluate me as I had expected.
She didn’t show up at all.
She did show herself.
“Surely… that was Iga-hyun.”
At some point during the skirmish, I felt eyes on me from afar.
Someone was watching from a distance.
Enhancing my vision to confirm their identity, I could see a woman with a yellow exam ticket.
She resembled the sketch Goeunbi described.
It was undoubtedly Iga-hyun.
However, she only watched from afar and never appeared before me.
“…Maybe she doesn’t think she can fight me properly in that situation.”
It was regrettable for me.
But it was certain that Iga-hyun had taken an interest in me.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been observing me for so long.
Considering her personality, she would undoubtedly reappear.
If I anticipate that moment…
“There’s only tonight.”
The exams will be over tomorrow.
If she comes looking for me within that time, tonight is the only option.
Or maybe early dawn.
Meanwhile, other examinees also had little time left.
Those who were trying to retrieve their admission tickets, who had not yet met the pass requirements, or who wanted to improve their scores would be aiming for the final night.
One could say that the reason they had retreated from the field a while ago was for this purpose.
They were storing up strength to prepare for the battle at night.
Beep!
At that moment, the Gate Watch rang.
I checked the message.
[21:00:00]
[Displaying all admission tickets within a 500m radius.]
Location notifications every 3 hours.
After confirming the location of the admission tickets, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Goeunbi reflected my feelings.
“Wow… We’ve collected quite a lot. Our locations are plastered with dots. And… around us too…”
“…”
In places beyond our detection net.
Examinees were setting up defenses all around, waiting for the second round.
It was as if enemies were laying siege from all directions.
The second round would be even more intense than the battle on the field.
The thought of getting a good night’s sleep had to be abandoned.
It would truly be a noisy night.
“I guess Lee Gahyun is nearby too.”
Among the scattered dots, there would be some pointing to her.
While preparing for the examinees’ ambush, her presence also had to be taken into account.
To make matters worse, the signs of trouble were increasing.
Beep!
An hour had passed since the location notification was sent.
10 p.m.
Once again, the Gate Watch rang.
[22:00:00]
[Notifying the set locations of the gates. The gates will be operational from 9 a.m. tomorrow.]
[From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, evaluators waiting in front of the gates will assess the scores. All examinees are requested to arrive at the gates within the specified time.]
[The exam will conclude at 9 a.m. tomorrow. All examinees are requested to cease the skirmishes after 9 a.m. If not, they may face disadvantages in the exam.]
I scrolled down the message.
At the bottom, along with the entire Honrim Island map, the location of the gates was marked.
I checked the location of the gate and furrowed my brow.
“Gyeongwoo, the gate’s location…”
“I checked it too.”
“What should we do?”
“…We’ll figure something out.”
“Gyeongwoo, I trust you. You’ll surely find a way.”
“Let’s prepare ourselves for the worst.”
“Yeah… seems like there’s no way out.”
Of all times, the gate was set not far from the campsite.
That meant a lot more examinees could gather here than now.
To finish the exam, inevitably, one had to head towards the gate, and the examinee tickets would follow suit.
In that case, the likelihood of a battlefield forming around the gate was high.
“So, don’t even dream of resting well tonight. Do your sleeping outside.”
“Summing up the situation… people will be flocking around Gyeongwoo in hopes of seizing the last chance for a turnaround. Those trying to get near the gate, those hunting them down… and even those hunting the hunters…”
“In short, just assume all examinees on the island will come our way.”
“Yeah, we’re screwed! We’re done for! What do we do…?”
Go Eunbi looked distressed.
Whether her or the others, they seemed lost in the face of the situation that had befallen them.
But being lost in thought wouldn’t solve anything.
I reassured them.
“We’re not done for. We’re not finished yet. We’ll get through this. We need to be prepared.”
“Gyeongwoo, I’ve been thinking, how about sneaking away when we spot an opportunity? If it gets darker around us, examinees might not realize we’re gone.”
“Can we break through the surveillance net around us?”
“…Should we dig and hide underground?”
“Stop giving up and face it. We won’t be the only ones under attack; they’ll fight amongst themselves too. They’re not immune to enemies lurking everywhere. So, pull yourself together, and let’s take turns resting when we can.”
“They said not to dream earlier.”
“That’s just talk. How can we fight without rest? It’s better to have two guards on watch at all times. And Eunbi, I have a request for you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Well…”
Given the uncertainty of how things would unfold, we needed to be fully prepared.
I whispered to Go Eunbi.
And so, the night of the final exam arrived.