Chapter 81
Post-Admission Test Gossip
Finding Igahyun wasn’t difficult.
Because she, who had been pushed to the brink of death, hadn’t refined her mana enough, she emitted the unique energy of a mage.
Above all, there were only two presences detected near the gate, including her.
Thanks to that, the trouble of checking each one individually through the status window was lessened.
＜Attack Style No.7 of Suwangryu＞
Lion’s Roar
As soon as I confirmed her identity, I unfolded my swordsmanship without hesitation.
Igahyeon, who transferred her soul into the body of a Rank 1 monster, Picatail, could not escape death this time.
Her body was torn apart by the falling sword strikes, disappearing as it shredded into pieces, revealing the soul stone.
Thus, her end was not only pitiful but also lacking in honor.
“From the start, an honorable death for a villain like her does not exist, but….”
In a way, as the death of a villain, it didn’t seem so bad.
Of course, the Igahyeon I killed was nothing more than a clone.
As long as the original exists, her death is not the end of it.
When I eventually confront her original self in the near future, she will not die so insignificantly.
It will be a fierce battle.
I decided not to boast just because I defeated her clone.
I picked up the soul stone lying in the grass.
“Is this the soul stone.”
Smaller than a fingertip.
The soul stone, shaped like a sphere, emitted a bright light.
It seemed as if a rainbow was embedded in a transparent blue crystal.
[Incomplete Soul Stone of Doll Ghost Igahyeon]
◆ Consumable Classification
―Soul Stone
◆ Detailed Description
―A soul stone with a part of the soul of the Doll Ghost Igahyeon, a member of the Ma’in Council, embedded in it.
―It has value as a material for equipment production, but in its incomplete state, one should not expect much.
◆ Detailed Effects
―When used as a material for equipment production, there is a 2% chance that the equipment being crafted will have a probability of a body enhancement option. (Success rate: 2% / Failure rate: 98%)
It was indeed Igahyeon’s soul stone.
After double-checking in the status window, I could finally relax.
Having killed her clone and weakened the abilities of her original self, my goal of lowering the difficulty level of future storylines was achieved.
I soon turned my gaze to a new direction.
The timing was truly perfect. I never expected her to be here.
Among the two presences I first sensed, excluding Lee Gahyeon, there was one other individual.
A female examinee with emerald eyes as precious as jewels was standing facing the gate.
She was a key figure in the game.
“I only saw you from afar during the second test; this is the first time we’re meeting face to face.”
One of the main party members of the protagonist Kang Hanbyeol.
A prominent family in the lineage of the Spirit Magic Clan, belonging to the Ten Great Families.
Cha Eunsol, the lazy genius of the Cha clan.
I approached her, who had assisted in capturing Lee Mine, thanking her. “Thanks for your help. Because of you, we were able to catch Lee Mine who escaped easily.”
“…”
Cha Eunsol stared at me wordlessly.
Her eyes were bright, and translucent animals surrounded her.
Green eagles, red mice, yellow foxes, blue deer, and more…
The variety of animals was vast.
They were spirits lending her their power.
They seemed ready to attack me at any moment if she commanded them to.
“There have been mentions of many spirits gathering around Cha Eunsol, but seeing it like this, she’s truly remarkable.”
The capability of a Spirit Master depends on how many powerful spirits they command.
How much love they receive, how well they synchronize with them, and how skillfully they can manage them are all crucial.
In that regard, Cha Eunsol’s ability was so outrageous that even someone like me, who knew little about Spirit Magic, could recognize it.
In a different sense from Nam Yoori, she was a monster so far beyond human that one might question if she was truly human.
“And that monster could potentially destroy the world if she were to lose control.”
In the game, there was an ending related to Cha Eunsol.
Naturally, it was a bad ending.
And one that led to destruction.
Recalling the ending in my mind, I decided it was time to introduce myself.
“I am Dogyunwoo. If I say I’m from the Shingeom Do Clan, you’ll understand, right?”
“…”
From Noble mtl dot com
Cha Eunsol remained silent.
She continued to gaze at me quietly.
With her lips tightly sealed, her face illuminating, it was impossible to read her emotions.
It felt threatening.
But knowing her personality, I wasn’t nervous.
“Care to share your name as well?”
“…”
As indicated by her title, “lazy genius,” Cha Eunsol was exceptionally talented but disliked showcasing her abilities. She was inherently lazy.
As a result, she found everything bothersome, disliked moving her body, preferred spending time leisurely, and enjoyed eating and sleeping.
Unless provoked, she didn’t show hostility.
In reality, she wasn’t a dangerous individual.
As if nothing had happened.
“I am Cha Eun-sol.”
Yi Ga-hyun was now dead and gone.
While calming the spirits, Cha Eun-sol extinguished the radiant gleam in her eyes.
Then, she abruptly turned away from me.
“I’m sleepy. I’m going to finish sleeping.”
As if she couldn’t care less, Cha Eun-sol flew up into the sky.
She flew away at a rapid pace and soon disappeared into the distance.
“…That’s Cha Eun-sol for you.”
There would have been many questions about what had happened in the forest and why Main was here.
Without expressing any doubts, she chose to leave.
Perhaps she didn’t want to get entangled in something that could become bothersome.
So, she left without asking or investigating.
On one hand, there was likely a reason behind her prioritizing her feeling of sleepiness in that action.
I chuckled while looking at the dawning sky.
“Finally, you show up.”
Around that time, I felt presences approaching where I was.
It was highly probable that they were evaluators.
The evaluators who had observed the test as Gate Eyes couldn’t have missed the situation.
Perhaps they had just arrived after tidying up the chaos in the forest.
A moment later.
“Sorry for being late, examinee! Are you injured anywhere?”
“The Doll Ghost isn’t visible. Where did it escape to now!?”
As expected, the evaluators appeared.
Covered in the blue blood of monsters, their hair disheveled from running, they urgently asked.
I casually replied, “It’s already dead.”
“…What?”
“I killed it, so it’s gone now.”
“Wait, what… Is that true? Did the Soul Stone come out as well?”
The evaluators, especially the person who seemed to be the supervisor of this test, were bewildered.
They found it hard to believe that I had dealt with Yi Ga-hyun.
To prove the defeat, I showed them the Soul Stone in my hand.
“If it’s the Soul Stone, it’s right here. Okay?”
“….”
The Soul Stone shimmered with ignorance.
After confirming the Soul Stone in my palm, the evaluators were all speechless.
Then, the supervisor, who made an effort to compose himself, stuttered as he spoke.
“Well, nevertheless, it seems we should verify if that’s really the Soul Stone of the Doll Ghost. Examinee, could you hand over the Soul Stone to us for verification?”
Unlike me, who could check the item’s information, others could confirm it emotionally.
So, the supervisor’s idea of thoroughly examining the soul stone to avoid being deceived by Iga Hyun and confusing it with another spirit stone was appropriate.
However, I had no intention of complying.
“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t seem possible. After all, it’s the loot I obtained.”
“We’re not saying we’ll take it, just that we’ll check it briefly and return it…”
“I know, but it’s valuable, and there might be another manifestation of the Doll Maiden. I’m anxious.”
“…”
“So, would it be alright if I entrusted the soul stone to another instructor?”
“Another instructor… Who exactly are you referring to?”
“The Seven-Colored Witch.”
“…Hong Yena, the instructor?”
“Yes, although she’s not in charge of evaluations, isn’t she here to observe the exam? I’ll have her take care of it.”
How could I entrust the soul stone to any of the evaluators present here, in case there might be a spy from the Mine? At times like this, it was best to entrust it to someone trustworthy. In that sense, the Seven-Colored Witch, Hong Yena, was a suitable candidate.
◈
I will entrust the soul stone to Hong Yena.
The evaluators did not oppose my decision.
In the end, I had to find her, the one who had set out to evacuate the examinees.
Perhaps due to the restless movements in the middle of the night, she looked tired.
“Do you have to bother me like this to feel satisfied? You could just ask the other instructors, not me.”
“There’s a witch present, why would I leave it to someone I don’t know? Please, I’m asking you.”
“Hmm. It doesn’t make me feel good that I’m trusted by you at all.”
Despite grumbling outwardly, Hong Yena couldn’t resist my request and accepted the soul stone.
After brushing her short golden hair, she flashed me a look and disappeared beyond the gate.
“Is this finally settled?”
Since Hong Yena had the soul stone, there was no need to worry.
The question was how things would unfold after the emotional assessment of the soul stone was over.
“Director So Hye-ryul will probably find a way to fix things after the assessment, but…”
Considering Director So Hye-ryul’s personality, it seemed plausible, but it couldn’t be entirely certain.
Now, I had to patiently wait to see how she would react.
Meanwhile, there was still some time left until the exam concluded.
It wasn’t over yet.
The evaluators ran through the forest, shouting to inform everyone.
“All chaos has been resolved, so let’s proceed with the exam as planned! Examinees, please check the information relayed through the Gate Watch. And examinee 1532.”
“Yes.”
“Examinees who fought alongside the examinee may be hearing the story by now, but please do not disclose the incident of defeating the Doll Maiden. This applies even after the exam ends. It’s not just to alleviate the examinees’ and the world’s anxiety, but also to prevent examinees from becoming targets of the Mine Council. Do you understand my words?”
“…Yes, I’ll keep it a secret.”
At that moment, the supervisor who had been watching over me gave me advice.
I simply nodded without a word.
It was something I had hoped for as well.
As the game’s story progresses, it was inevitable that I would become entangled with the Guild at some point, but I did not wish for it to happen now.
“Even so, I can’t forever conceal the fact that I killed Lee Gahyun.”
It was inevitable.
Sooner or later, the truth would come to light in this world.
When that time comes, Lee Gahyun would become aware of my existence.
Therefore, I had to hope for delays as much as possible and strengthen myself to be able to confront her physical form when the time comes.
First, I had to finish the exam.
Conveniently, a message related to the exam had arrived on the Gate Watch.
[Please proceed with the exam.]
[End time is 9 a.m.]
[There are no changes to the location of the set gate.]
[Time remaining until the end of the exam]
[03:34:27]
Reading the message, I fell into deep thought.
“What should I do…”
In reality, passing the exam was as good as guaranteed.
With the exam tickets pinned to my clothes, I was easily surpassing 200 points.
Even though the exam tickets I had set aside for the fight with Lee Gahyun were in Goeunbi’s possession, the number I currently had was more than enough.
My grades were likely to be secured.
There was no need to snatch exam tickets from other examinees.
“Also, I don’t have the energy for that…”
I had used up a considerable amount of stamina and mana.
I hadn’t slept properly and was exhausted from fighting.
Given my physical condition, it seemed better to rest comfortably until the exam ended.
And it was at that moment.
“Ah! Found you! Gyenwoo!”
“Huh? Oh… You guys are here.”
“I’m relieved it ended well.”
“Dogyenwoo! I heard the story! They say you defeated her in the end!?”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Goeunbi, Yeonhaneul, Yonghaerang, and Lisa, who had helped me defeat Lee Gahyun, emerged from the forest.
Those who saw me showed welcoming faces.
I, too, was glad to see them.
However, Minarin and Namyuri were nowhere to be seen.
“Where are Minarin and Namyuri? Didn’t they come with you guys?”
“Minarin said she’s going to collect exam tickets for the remaining time, so we parted ways. Namyuri… She said, ‘Since there’s no more Gyeonwoo here, and things seem settled, I’m leaving! Bye, guys!’ and she left.”
Go Eunbi explained the situation.
Her imitation of Namyuri’s tone was witty.
Soon, she handed me the baggage she had been holding.
“And I brought all the exam tickets! Here, Gyeonwoo, these are the ones you collected.”
“Oh, you kept them well. I was regretting not bringing these, so thanks.”
“Come on! Thanks to you, I collected a lot too!”
I took the baggage Go Eunbi handed me.
Inside were the exam tickets I had collected so far.
With this, it seemed like I wouldn’t have to worry about the exams anymore.
Then, Yeonha asked, “You really collected a lot… So, what are you going to do now?”
Yeonha, marveling at the baggage.
With her one question, the others turned their gaze towards me.
‘It seems like I have to make a decision.’
Everyone seemed to be waiting for my opinion.
Even Yongha said, “Hmm, as much as I’d like to challenge you right now, we’re not in the best condition, so we’ll have to postpone it to next time.”
Receiving their gazes, it felt both awkward and not unpleasant.
I spoke up, “It seems like everyone has collected the necessary exam tickets, and we must be exhausted from fighting, so let’s find a place to rest peacefully.”
“Agreed! I’m in favor!”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“If you say so, we have no choice.”
“I agree too.”
The four of them readily agreed.
Although they hadn’t shown it until now, they seemed secretly tired as well.
Well, after fighting fiercely in the middle of the night, they couldn’t help but be tired.
With an appropriate number of people and everyone being exceptionally skilled, we settled in an inconspicuous spot, taking turns to rest.
“Hey, isn’t that Gyeonwoo?”
“Hey! Do you know how much we suffered looking for exam tickets because of you!?”
“Do you understand the pain we went through searching for exam tickets in the middle of the night!?”
“Ah, be quiet… Are you guys alive? Aren’t you tired? Shouldn’t you rest too?”
“…There’s no way we’re not tired. I’m so sleepy I could go crazy right now.”
“Can we rest there too?”
“Of course, there’s only Gyeonwoo! Thank you!”
“It went well. Let’s start with the lookout first.”
“…Was there a hidden agenda behind this?”
“If you think so…”
“Oh my… I came all the way for nothing.”
Midway, the triplets also showed up.
Thanks to them, the burden of standing guard decreased significantly.
I assigned them to keep watch while I slept with the others.
The shade was cool and the breeze was refreshing, making it easy to fall asleep.
As time passed.
[The exam is now over.]
“All examinees, please proceed to the gate with your exam tickets.”
“The exam has concluded. Engaging in combat among examinees post-exam may result in penalties.”
Finally, the exam came to an end.
Upon hearing the Gate Watch’s alarm, we gathered our belongings and got up.
Evaluation officials were checking exam tickets in front of the gate.
We stood in line, waiting our turn and approached the officials.
“Examinee number 1532, you have passed. You’ve worked hard during the exams. Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, you will likely be the top scorer in the 5th practical exam.”
“Is that so? Can I leave through the gate now?”
“Yes, you may leave. However…”
Now, I could return to my original world.
I planned to wash up at the hotel in the Academy City, lie down in bed, and rest.
Just as I was about to confirm my pass and leave through the gate.
The evaluator added.
“Examinee 1532… No, Examinee Do Gyoun.”
“Yes.”
“They said to have you meet the director as soon as you exit.”
The director of Geumgang Academy.
The Witch of the Stars, So Hye Ryul.
Finally, she made her move.