44
Illusionary Demon Wall.
In order to escape, the Dawn Guardians must find the best of 38 ‘moves’ to kill the demons according to the situation.
Eungaye was already stuck at the first stage.
“Wow, this is tough.”
She had already defeated the giant frog demon that appeared like an illusion five times.
Continuously resetting, the frog demon made Eungaye feel like she was losing her mind.
No matter how she tried this way or that way······
─Gurgle! Gurgle!
“Argh.”
The frog demon, which had reappeared unscathed, belched.
Unable to find an answer to the problem, Eungaye scratched her head in frustration.
This was not just Eungaye’s problem alone.
“Ahh!”
“This is crazy!”
Students everywhere were either screaming in place, falling over, or going wild.
However, since it was their own illusion, Eungaye couldn’t figure out what was happening exactly.
At least, it seemed far more serious than her situation.
─Gurgle! Gurgle!
“Ugh, this frog is driving me crazy.”
Eungaye frowned at the frog demon’s tongue flickering like tentacles.
It bothered her so much that she couldn’t just cut it off.
Tongue, eyes curved in a mocking manner, a protruding belly, wobbly legs…
There were disgustingly numerous factors that triggered impulses. Eungaye swiftly severed them with instinct.
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“Kkeruk! Kkeruk!”
Yet, the frog mask still appeared unscathed.
“…Ah.”
Eungaye had completely abandoned the thought of breaking this.
Just fervently wishing it would end soon and the frog would be cleared away.
With a mindset of letting things happen as they may, she casually swung the sword away from instinct.
The sword pierced the forehead. It would reset again. But.
“…Huh?”
The frog mask didn’t appear anymore. A pelican appeared in the next cell.
“Kkiruk! Kkiruk!”
…How did I just do that?
As she groped for memories of how she caught it, someone tapped her shoulder.
“Use your head, don’t just slash as it seems.”
It was Haesol.
“I’ll go first.”
Eungaye blinked dazedly at Haesol, swiftly advancing three cells.
“…What’s up with her?”
***
The reason I chose the Dawn Guardian for this career counseling was simple.
Unlike others, having experienced it through the game, I already knew the contents of the test.
Naturally, I was well aware of the ‘best move’ based on the behaviors of the 38 types of masks and creatures that would appear in this test.
Not only this time, but I had used this ‘best move’ exhaustively in hunting masks in the future.
“Kieeek!”
The goblin split in half screams and collapses.
Pwooosh!
The orc, swinging the axe down, gets a hole in its throat.
‘Next is the steel pig.’
The steel pig with horns on its forehead charges.
Normally, most would think to dodge those horns and aim for its soft flank, but…
Ssuaaak—
I slide on the ground towards it. The creature’s lower abdomen is cleanly sliced by the sword.
“Kkweeek!”
All of this was the ‘best move’ presented by the Dawn Guardian. I swiftly cleared 7 stages.
“This is so damn hard.”
Puh-uck!
I grumbled as I thrust the dagger of the sword into the lizardman’s forehead. Knowing the answer is one thing, but putting it into practice is another ordeal.
“Kieeek!”
The lizardman, not yet out of life, swung its foreleg. Its sharp claws came down on me as if to tear me apart. Those claws undoubtedly reached me. And.
Paaah······!
Shattered like glass. Starting from the fingernails, the Lizardman was breaking into pieces.
＜Advanced Levitation＞ Lv.3
“The standard technique is a pass.”
As expected, manual labor didn’t suit my constitution.
Even the following demons couldn’t inflict any significant damage on me and shattered into pieces.
Since the illusion of the barrier couldn’t pierce my mental defenses.
Of course, if anyone had seen this from the outside, they would have been shocked, but my actions of demon hunting and the current situation were purely my own illusions, so there was no need for others to worry about it.
To them, I would just appear to be progressing step by step.
However, onlookers outside were amazed by my insane speed, but······
“Well, so what.”
I could slow down a bit and adjust my pace, but honestly, it was bothersome.
Why stand here for hours? It’s a pain in the leg. Sometimes being shameless makes life easier.
“······Hmm, but this is a bit tricky.”
In front of me leaving the barrier, clusters of magical power were floating.
If absorbed, the magical power would increase to an unreal size that even superhumans would be tempted to rush towards with eyes blazing.
Of course, this was fake. What appeared after the illusion of the mental barrier was dispelled were three black magical stones floating in the air.
They were magical stones forming the barrier. I had to break these magical stones to get out.
However, being specialized in ‘massacre of civilians’ and ‘sneak attacks,’ breaking the six magical stones forming the barrier with my strength was difficult. Maybe it would take at least 10 minutes of pounding to break them?
I didn’t see the need to go through that 10 minutes of manual labor.
“Eungaye!”
“······What?”
Eungaye, who was fighting illusions from behind, snapped out of it and looked at me.
“Take this!”
“······What? Ah!”
I threw three magical stones on my side towards Eungaye, making it a total of six magical stones.
Like the ‘Deflecting Rain’ training we did in the park when preparing for the inter-grade competition.
Indeed, whether Eungaye’s body naturally reacted to the familiar pattern, she deflected all the magical stones without leaving one behind. With a ‘Thunderous Strike.’
Pew pew pew······
The magical stones shattered into pieces.
“Ugh······”
Eungaye, surrounded by magical stone dust, kept spitting out dust.
“Neat.”
Since I took care of her share as well, there shouldn’t be any complaints.
I took a step outside the opened barrier.
***
“···He’s insane.”
Yuskal Arcei, with his arms crossed, muttered as he watched the test.
“Your record is completely ruined, are you okay?”
“It’s only not okay if the level isn’t right.”
2nd place in the 2nd year. Yuscal tilted his head at Austin’s words.
“If you were like him, would you be able to feel jealous of that?”
From where Yuscal pointed, Ihaesol was just coming out of the barrier.
It took a mere 20 minutes. It was an astonishing speed that was three times faster than Yuscal’s record of 1 hour. The difference was embarrassingly significant to compare.
Moreover, Ihaesol didn’t even seem to be struggling. He looked as relaxed as someone taking a stroll. That was nothing but proof that if Ihaesol set his mind to it, he could come out even faster.
“That’s just monstrous.”
Yuscal shook his head as if annoyed. Austin also clicked his tongue.
“Well, to see through the illusion of the magic stone, that’s impressive.”
To see through the illusion of the magic stone requires such profound observation, but Ihaesol noticed it at once.
“But why didn’t you solve the magic stone with your own power?”
“Of course.”
“Of course?”
“Yeah. Because you never know what trap might be hidden in the magic stone. Like if it explodes.”
“Are you suspecting something?”
“If it’s a trap of a silver sword, I’ll break whatever it is. You have to use your head if you’re a superhuman.”
“He’s much more cunning than I thought.”
Austin looked at Ihaesol with eyes of amazement at Yuscal’s explanation.
***
“What did you witness?”
Once out of the barrier, there were quite a few freshmen who had come to observe the career counseling of the 1st years.
However, for now, observing was put on hold, and there were heated discussions about me.
“…Crazy, breaking through 38 levels in just 20 minutes.”
“You didn’t already know the answer? Is that even possible?”
“It might be possible if you push through physically.”
If we sum up those opinions, it was the correct answer, but the freshmen’s imagination was too lacking to think like that.
Passing through the noisy hallway, I entered the temporary career counseling room at the back of the auditorium.
“Welcome, student Ihaesol.”
Smiling broadly to greet me, Seoharin.
The vice captain standing beside her, Lee Suhak, couldn’t hide his surprise when he looked at me.
Seoharin let out a soft chuckle.
“I think our team members were surprised by Haesol’s performance.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Suhak, go wait outside.”
“Yes, then.”
As Lee Suhak hesitated and left, only Seoharin and I were left in the counseling room.
“Please, take a seat for now.”
“Yes.”
As I sat across the table, Seoharin raised two cups and asked.
“Coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, please.”
The coffee from the pre-heated coffee pot was poured into my cup and Seo Harin’s cup. Seo Harin extended her hand with a smile.
“I’ll introduce myself properly. I’m Seo Harin, the leader of Team 1, the Guardians of Dawn.”
“I’m Haesol.”
As we shook hands, Seo Harin asked, “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to assess Haesol’s abilities. Would that be alright?”
Then, a notification window appeared.
[Subquest: Knight of the White Silver, Gain Seo Harin’s Approval!]
– Seo Harin, the Knight of the White Silver, is showing strong interest in you. If you gain her approval, you will receive appropriate rewards.
[Reward: 1000 SP, Joining the Vanguard]
This was an event that occurred when one passed the Guardians of Dawn’s test with the highest score.
The reward offered was joining the Vanguard.
As indicated by her title of “Knight,” Seo Harin was a just individual.
While attending the Eternity Academy, she held the position of Vanguard Leader, and her influence within the Vanguard remained strong.
Seo Harin’s goal was to recruit me into the Vanguard.
“It’s not a bad condition.”
The Vanguard at Eternity was the most useful group within the academy, alongside the Student Council.
By resolving incidents at the academy, one could receive rewards such as bonuses and academic credits, as well as gain the freedom to go out during lunchtime on weekdays. Additionally, earning SP through the status window was possible, and one could also receive help from powerful individuals like Seo Harin.
From academic credits to outings, SP, and assistance from strong individuals, the rewards were undoubtedly appealing.
The issue was that the “resolving incidents” part was equivalent to a significant amount of labor.
Dealing with incidents at the Academy for the Exceptionals was on a grand scale and quite challenging to resolve.
While it might be manageable for someone like Cheon Woojin, for a player like Haesol, it was at a “hellish difficulty” level. So, it was like…
“It’s just a point grind, right?”
Earning 1000 SP with a simple test? This was truly a lucrative event.
However, the test was undeniably intense.
The formidable aura emanating from the 356th-ranked Exceptional was overwhelming.
Even for Cheon Woojin, it would take ten tries to barely succeed four times.
It was an event where one had to click the mouse frantically until it almost broke to pass.
In theory, one should let the pressure flow over and endure what couldn’t be let go of, but… I didn’t possess the skill to let the pressure flow over.
However, my strategy was rather straightforward.
＜Unyielding Resolve＞ Level 3
…Endure with sheer willpower.
“It’s not grand, just a simple mental strength test. However, it may be a bit challenging.”
The fact that students foam at the mouth and faint during tests that are not grand but slightly challenging is a not-so-secret secret of the academy.
“Alright.”
“Thank you for understanding. Well then…”
In an instant, the atmosphere around Seo Harin shifted.
“…Let’s begin.”
Centered around Seo Harin, the air in the career counseling room became heavy.
The presence exuded by the 356th-ranked Exceptional pressed down on me.
The intense pressure was so overwhelming that for a moment, I even forgot to breathe.
Head soaked in the terror of death, heart squeezed as if it would burst, eyes feeling like they might pop out.
＜Master of Death＞ Lv.3
As I desperately straightened my waist with superhuman endurance, the pressure that seemed to push my body down as if to say, “When did you ever do that?” vanished in an instant. And then, a notification window popped up.
[Quest Complete: “Knight of Silver, Acknowledged by Seo Harin!”]
[You have been awarded 1000 SP as a reward.]
“…Hoo, hoo.”
Wow, I really thought I was going to die.
Seo Harin, with a smile on her face, looked at me with wide eyes.
“I didn’t know you could endure this much. Truly impressive.”
She was so shocked that her mouth hung open.
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No, how difficult must it have been if she had to open her mouth like that?
I asked myself silently, tongue-tied.
“Is it over now?”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
After a brief moment of relaxation, Seo Harin, taking a sip of coffee, spoke up.
“By the way, Haesol, are you interested in joining the Vanguard?”
“No, I’m not interested in the Vanguard.”
As I bluntly replied, Seo Harin’s expression turned slightly flustered.
Joining the Vanguard was something all academy students avoided.
“Well… what should I do? Since you helped me with the test, I’d like to give you something as a token of my thanks. Ah!”
Scratching her cheek, Seo Harin pulled out a bracelet from her pocket.
“I obtained this magic accessory in the dungeon this time, and I want to give it to Haesol. It’s called the Spider Queen’s Bracelet…”
Seo Harin enthusiastically explained about the bracelet.
[Spider Queen’s Bracelet]
-A bracelet imbued with the charm of the Spider Queen. Wearing it increases affinity with those around you and grants complete resistance to Class 1 poisons.
A magic accessory with the ability to resist Class 1 poisons and increase affinity. When considered in terms of grade alone, it could be said to be equivalent to Grade A, making it a tremendous reward for a simple test.
It was evident that Seo Harin had a great interest in me.
The fact that I possessed anti-magic abilities was well-known throughout the academy. For the Dawn Guardians, who risked their lives against demons and dark magic users, having an anti-magic user was a rare and essential asset. Being able to acquire an anti-magic user with just one Spider Queen’s Bracelet was a good deal.
However, I didn’t need complete immunity to Class 1 poisons. While I did feel a slight desire to increase affinity…
“Instead of that, could you gather the red mana stones placed on the bag next to you?”
“…Red mana stones?”
Seo Harin’s eyes couldn’t understand the value of the red mana stones placed on the handbag.
What I pointed out was far less valuable than the Spider Queen’s Bracelet.
Red mana stones were mana stones that could be obtained with a certain probability when capturing demons or high-level magic beasts. Although they were mana stones with concentrated mana, they were contaminated with magic, making them unusable as they were. To use them, they needed to go through a purification process to remove the magic, but in that process, not only magic but also mana would be lost, making them even more useless than lower-grade mana stones. Moreover, their supply was scarce, making it difficult to collect them unless you were a large guild like the Dawn Guardians. Difficult to acquire and of little value, red mana stones were ignored by everyone. I, too, had no interest in them at first.
Taking them would have been useless anyway.
But then…
[The Phoenix Awakens.]
The Phoenix Seeks the Scarlet Stone
The Phoenix Seeks the Scarlet Stone
The Phoenix Seeks the Scarlet Stone
The Phoenix Heralds on Empty Stomach
Caw─! Caaaw─!
“······Is it mealtime.”