Chapter 76
10 p.m., a night illuminated by the moon.
The gate location was set.
Upon receiving a message through the gate watch, Chae Eun-sol proceeded towards the darkness of Honrim Island.
Even though monsters lurked in the darkness, and the path was hard to see, it was not a problem for her.
As long as she had the help of the spirits.
Without experiencing any particular danger, she was able to find the gate.
“Ah, here it is.”
Passing through this gate would allow her to return to her original world.
In her heart, she wanted to leave through the gate and comfortably laze around in her lodgings.
However, as long as she was taking the exam, that was out of the question.
Instead, Chae Eun-sol decided to camp nearby and be the first to leave once the exam was over.
She looked around.
“That tree looks nice.”
Choosing a place where she wouldn’t be attacked by monsters or fellow examinees in the middle of the night.
Chae Eun-sol decided to create an environment where she could sleep comfortably.
She awakened the spirits woven into the island’s ambient mana.
“Please.”
The spirits responded.
The earth spirit created a holey, earthen bed that she could crouch into.
The wind spirit gathered leaves to use as a makeshift bed and laid them down.
The fire spirit lit a fire to warm the surroundings.
Other spirits exerted their powers for her as well.
“Thank you.”
Even the lowest-ranking spirits, lacking a clear sense of self, knew how to express gratitude, albeit faintly.
It was not to be taken for granted that they obeyed her commands.
Chae Eun-sol thanked them and crawled into the bed.
She lay down on the soft ground covered with leaves.
She closed her eyes.
“Sleep well.”
Tired and drowsy.
Thinking about what to eat once the exam was over tomorrow.
Chae Eun-sol fell into a deep sleep.
***
The night on Honrim Island was growing deeper.
Examinees in the forest were increasing gradually after the gate location had been set a while ago.
Everyone was flocking to where the gate was located to pass the exam.
Because of that, a sense of foreboding filled the air.
“…”
To protect their own admission ticket.
To snatch away the opponent’s admission ticket.
They, who had settled in their positions at a certain distance from each other, were tense, anticipating the imminent, possibly final, battle over the admission tickets.
In the blink of an eye, the forest could turn into a battlefield over a trivial matter.
And if a battle erupts that engulfs the entire forest, there was only one person who would be the target of them all.
Dogyunwoo, a test taker from the Divine Sword Academy, rumored to have collected the most admission tickets.
Surely, the battlefield unfolding around him would be nothing short of chaotic.
“We can’t let it go that way.”
Unperturbed by anyone’s interference, Lee Gahyun, who wanted to personally assess Dogyunwoo’s skills, found himself in an uneasy situation.
“What should I do with them…?”
Gahyun, looking down at the test takers from a tree, narrowed her eyes.
Those trying to disrupt her and Dogyunwoo’s battle were nothing but a thorn in her side.
So, she had to put them in a situation where they wouldn’t even dare to face her.
“Ah, that should work.”
A wide grin spread across Gahyun’s lips.
Monsters lurked in the forest, and as test takers flocked in, other monsters followed along.
Currently, the forest was a mix of monsters and test takers.
Moreover, due to the mana unconsciously released by them, the ambient mana became extremely unstable.
Crackle!
Krrr.
Causing dimensional ruptures.
Monsters emerging from those ruptures were intensifying the crisis.
She decided to take advantage of the situation.
“You’ll have to put in some effort.”
Gahyun’s eyes turned crimson.
Her eyes emitted a red light.
A characteristic of Ains and Mains, the red eyes reminiscent of monsters.
She pierced the darkness with those eyes, directing them at the monsters in the forest.
Krrr!
Kieeek!
Main’s compulsion was activated.
The monsters, hearing her voice, collectively let out cries.
Their cries echoed through the forest, as they rose from the darkness.
“aaargh!”
“M-monsters! Monsters are… Gah!”
Monsters pounced on the test takers.
Their screams, under the monsters’ assault, reverberated in all directions.
In an instant, the forest turned into a battlefield, and a war of life and death broke out.
“Should I go now too?”
Igahyeon’s face was filled with satisfaction.
In no time, she leaped into the unending darkness filled with screams.
Thus began a night where no one could sleep.
◈
Unexpectedly, attacks from exhausted students who yawned were not uncommon.
With those around us constantly on edge, holding each other in check, we couldn’t rush into things.
Thanks to that, the attacks were few and far between.
We took turns standing guard, allowing each other to recover from fatigue.
But as someone who had to stay alert for Igahyeon, I couldn’t easily fall asleep.
With eyes closed but ears open, I was ready to respond at any moment.
It was then that the commotion was detected.
Krrr!
Kieek!
The monsters’ cries rang out.
As night fell, the beasts, now more ferocious, were howling fiercely, their cries echoing throughout the forest.
It wasn’t just their voices.
“Screaaam!”
“Support! Who, who can use healing magic…?”
“aaah! Go there! Go there! Go there!”
“These guys are attacking in groups…!”
Amidst the students’ screams and shouts, the whole forest was tumultuous.
Not far away, the sounds of their fighting could be heard.
The monsters, who had been lurking in the darkness, had now gone hunting.
To some extent, it was expected.
Those driven by the instinct to seek mana couldn’t leave a gathering of people undisturbed.
It was rather strange that they hadn’t moved until now.
But one thing was for sure.
‘Isn’t this too excessive?’
The creatures were seething from all directions.
As if all the monsters in the forest were on the move.
It was hardly believable.
It was rare for individuals with strong instincts, sometimes not hesitating to prey on their own kind, to move on such a large scale.
In such cases, there were three main possibilities to consider.
The first was that the large-scale movement of the creatures was to avoid a natural disaster.
The second was if the creatures had a tendency to form groups.
“No. It’s neither of those.”
I denied two possibilities.
I couldn’t grasp at all what kind of sudden natural disaster might occur in the forest, nor did I sense any signs of it.
Furthermore, monsters that form groups belong to the same species, but judging by the sounds coming from the forest, it seemed like their species was not just one.
Therefore, there was only one possibility to consider in this situation.
The third.
“It’s all a scheme by Lee Gahyun.”
When a higher being capable of exerting dominance over monsters appears.
Excluding monsters that fundamentally form groups, monsters are strong-willed independent individuals.
If such individuals move in groups, it can be assumed that there is a being belonging to the upper echelons within that group.
Naturally, the larger the group, the stronger the being in the upper echelons must be in terms of dominance.
However, the highest-ranked beings emerging from the yellow gate, the Honrim Island, are of Rank 3.
It is clearly impossible to dominate at the current level.
It is impossible.
To clarify the situation, it is contradictory to assume that there must be a being of a higher rank than Rank 3.
But when Lee Gahyun’s existence is mentioned, everything falls into place.
As a non-human entity, she can dominate monsters.
Surely, it was her doing.
From Noble mtl dot com
There was no one else.
“Gyunwoo! Get up quickly! Monsters are everywhere right now…!”
“I know too. Tell the kids to grab the necessary items quickly.”
At that moment, Goeunbi rushed into the tent and urgently spoke.
Armed with the military sword, I got up from my seat and gave her instructions.
Stepping outside the tent and surveying the surroundings, I could see faint lights shimmering in the darkness.
It was where the examinees were camping.
“Ahhhhh!”
“N-no, I don’t want to!”
“R-run away, quickly!”
The panicked voices of the examinees under attack by monsters could be heard from there.
It was clear they were under monster assault.
Judging by the proximity of the sounds, they would soon be rushing towards our campsite.
We couldn’t stay here any longer.
We had to leave.
“Gyunwoo, everyone’s packed up.”
“Alright, then let’s make a run for a safe place too.”
Goeunbi wore an anxious expression.
Her friends were no different.
Fear had gripped them in a situation where monsters were everywhere.
Understanding their feelings, I calmly said:
“Let’s get out of the forest for now.”
And right at that moment…
Thud!
Suddenly, a presence was felt from behind, and the ground shook violently right after.
Something had fallen.
“….”
We turned around.
Dirt and dust rose from where the moonlight had settled.
Within that, the outline of a large monster could be seen.
[You have encountered a monster.]
[Mauler Baboon (Rank. 02) x 1]
Mauler Baboon.
A monster with a face like a mix of a baboon and a gorilla, possessing huge arms and hands that created a disproportionate body.
It had a examinee trapped in one hand, with only their upper body visible.
“Hel-help me….”
“….”
The examinee, trapped in the monster’s grip, unable to break free, pleaded desperately to us in pain.
Then, the monster reacted first.
“Hel-help…?”
“Ah… Aah….”
“Ho-how…?”
Struggling to follow human language, the monster stuttered, shoulders trembling.
Shortly after, the monster raised the hand holding the examinee above its head.
“Just… like… this…?”
Crack!
The examinee was slammed onto the ground.
A sound of something breaking echoed.
As the monster raised the hand holding the examinee, their teeth fell out with a clatter, blood streaming down.
Not satisfied, the monster struck them again.
“Or… like… this…?”
Crack!
“Just… like… this…?”
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack…!
It happened in an instant.
Before we could intervene, the examinee perished.
“Dea-dead…?”
The monster let go.
The examinee, head smashed, collapsed to the ground.
The monster chuckled, blood on its fingers.
The man’s gaze turned towards us.
“Wha…t… are… you… gu…ys…?”
“Gye, Gyunwoo….”
“Eek!”
….
The people behind us flinched under the man’s gaze.
Goeunbi’s friend let out a frightened gasp at the tragedy unfolding before her eyes.
The man seemed to be enjoying our reactions, never losing his smile.
“Gyunwoo, it’s a level 2 monster. Not something we can take lightly. Especially at this hour….”
“I know. Don’t worry.”
Goeunbi tried to stop me from stepping towards the man.
But I didn’t stop.
The fact that he was a level 2 monster and that it was nighttime posed no threat to me.
There was no way I couldn’t defeat him.
“Al…one….”
The moment the man blinked, I sprinted forward, kicking the ground.
The startled man swung his fist.
Crack!
My instinct to dodge kicked in.
Having narrowly avoided the massive fist, I leaped straight towards the man.
In the meantime, a friction-inducing Thunderbolt soared into the night sky, scratching the ground.
＜Supreme Dragon Attack Form 10＞
Lion Thunderclap
Kwaaah!
The Thunderbolt-infused strike left deep wounds on the man’s right arm and chest.
With a pained cry, he hastily stepped back.
Descending from the air, I launched the next attack on the man.
Crunch!
The Lion Thunderclap’s second strike.
The embedded Thunderbolt wasn’t as deep this time.
The man raised his left arm to block the attack.
But my target was his eyes.
＜Supreme Dragon Attack Form 2＞
Lion Gaze
Before the man could grab me.
I landed on the guy’s shoulder and swiftly slashed his eyes with my cold military sword.
Kwaaah!
He lost his sight.
With that, victory was mine.
Equipped with the instinct to dodge, I couldn’t fall prey to the blind man’s attacks.
His fists only met empty air, inflicting wounds upon himself.
And as I sought my chance…
＜Water King Style Attack Form 4＞
Lion’s Spit
The moment he showed an opening, I stabbed the sword into the wound I had inflicted on him moments ago.
“Pl… please…”
“How? Like this?”
The man, deeply wounded, could no longer move his body.
In that state, he begged pitifully.
Of course, I couldn’t grant his plea.
“Or like this?”
Kwuk…
“Like this?”
I thrust my military sword into him.
It wasn’t until death was imminent that he closed his mouth.
Thus, the man turned into particles of mana, leaving behind a mana stone, and vanished.
“There, I told you not to worry, right?”
“That’s true…”
I tossed the mana stone to Goeunbi.
Receiving the mana stone reflexively, she had a bewildered expression.
“You’ve been keeping it well. I…”
“I?”
“There’s someone else I have to deal with.”
Turning away from Goeunbi, I looked up at one side.
A familiar presence was sensed from the tree darkened by the night.
“Don’t hide, just come out. I know you’re all there.”
“Oh, caught red-handed, huh?”
Doll Ghost Iga Hyeon.
As if she had been waiting for me to realize her presence, she revealed herself.
A female examinee wearing a yellow exam badge descended on a thread from the sky.
As she landed on the ground and waved her hand, the thread connected to her fingertips snapped, dissolving into the ambient mana.
“Hello? Nice to meet you.”
Borrowing the body of the examinee.
Iga-hyun smiled and greeted.
“Wouldn’t you like to have fun with me, noona?”
“We’re the same age, though.”
“Oh, right. I meant we were the same age. Hey, let’s have fun…!”
Iga-hyun couldn’t finish his sentence.
It was because I had just rushed at her.
He couldn’t afford to be relaxed against her.
I swung my military sword.
She quickly crossed her twin swords to block the incoming attack.
“Tsk! Seems like you’re impatient now?”
“I am a bit impatient.”
“Well, then you won’t be popular with girls, kid.”
“…Yeah, I’m unpopular. Damn it.”
◈
Harassing someone in a group is nothing but a cowardly act.
It’s utterly unjust.
A man shouldn’t stoop so low.
Do Yeon-woo has become the target of the examinees, currently surrounded by them.
Yong-hae-rang, upon hearing the news, couldn’t ignore his plight.
“Hold on until I get there! Wait for me, Do Yeon-woo!”
To help his friend Do Yeon-woo.
Yong-hae-rang scoured the forest, following the rumors that he was currently isolated.
Unfortunately, by the time he arrived in the forest, it was getting dark, and there were so many examinees that he couldn’t pinpoint his presence.
“Psst! Where are you! Do Yeon-woo!”
He had no choice but to search the forest.
Even as the night grew darker and the monsters became more ferocious, Yong-hae-rang never gave up on the search.
If Do Yeon-woo was in danger, was his own risk insignificant?
He didn’t care about the danger.
Falling monsters and examinees in his path, he set out to find Do Yeon-woo.
It was amidst this chaos that the monsters in the forest launched a large-scale attack.
“Why are these guys suddenly…?”
Fighting off the charging monsters.
And at the same time, rescuing the examinees.
Yong-hae-rang found himself caught up in the situation.
“…”
Something was happening.
Yong-hae-rang instinctively sensed that an unexpected change had occurred.
He quickly licked his lips.
Given the circumstances, Dogyun was now in even deeper trouble.
His martial arts friend was in danger.
“I must find him quickly. Out of my way! Don’t hinder me! Shoo!”
He swung his weapon at the emerging monsters.
Yonghaerang dashed through the darkness.
As if calling out to Dogyun somewhere, he roared as if to be heard.
“I’m going! Dogyun! I, Yonghaerang! As a man, I can’t turn away from a friend in trouble! Wait for me!”
Yonghaerang ran off somewhere.
Where he was running off to was unknown.
He simply relied on his instincts as he ran.
By running like that, he would eventually be able to meet Dogyun.
As if the Earth were round.