Luck Comes Unexpectedly - 4

“Haaah… haaah!”

The last student taking the exam collapsed right where he stood, gasping for breath. With that, the Silver promotion exams for the group that had just gathered were officially over. Every single one of them fell short of Lee Hyunwoo.

Calling them watered-down versions of him almost felt like an insult. I had expected as much, but seeing it with my own eyes and feeling it through direct combat made the gap hit even harder.

If I had to point out anything positive, two of them showed some real potential. Not because they’d appeared in the news or had some connection to Irina, but because they genuinely wanted to be tested by an examiner who wouldn’t hold back. They were students who carried the desire to be broken properly, then rise stronger from the ashes.

“Thank you for your hard work. Unfortunately, it looks like you didn’t pass this promotion exam.”

“…Yes. I figured as much.”

“Don’t be too discouraged. If you keep working at it, you’ll improve. I hope to see you again next time.”

I meant every word. This student truly had the will to grow. I didn’t want kids like him to eventually surrender to reality and choose the easy path. Because one day, that choice could lead to fatal consequences.

“Thank you for your time.”

The Bronze-rank student gathered himself and left the examination ground. Even if he went to another examiner, the result would be the same. I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t. If the immediate reality was the problem when trying to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠look toward the future, then it was an unavoidable decision.

Besides, from the students’ perspective right now, I—the Silver Gatekeeper—was the worst possible examiner. They probably thought I could’ve gone a little easier on them. After all, there were Gold promotion exams and even higher ones. Staying stuck in Bronze too long triggered academic warnings. So why was I being such a hardass specifically about the Silver promotion?

Honestly, if someone asked me that, I’d feel pretty guilty.

Blocking the Silver promotion definitely had benefits for me too. I won’t deny it. I need to survive, after all. It’s the only powerful weapon I’ve been given. But that wasn’t my sole purpose or reason.

Since things have come to this, I want the students who keep failing to grow stronger. Being mocked for being Bronze, looked down on for being Silver. But then actually losing to that same Bronze ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or Silver in a real fight. If the overall level of the Academy students rises because of that, it’s a good thing.

You could call it a self-serving rationalization. I wouldn’t argue. But when the great catastrophe begins soon, both veterans and rookies will be thrown in equally and ground down. If even one more of those students survives because of this, I’ll be satisfied.

That part is definitely not a rationalization.

So let’s not go soft. Since I’ve taken on the role of gatekeeper, I need to get even harsher. This is for me, and at the same time for them. So I’ll carry this confidence.

“Still, that wasn’t bad at all.”

“Pardon?”

Kim Suhyun must have thought I was talking to her and answered.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Suhyun. I meant the student from earlier, and the one before that.”

“Ah… I see.”

“They really gave it their all. I almost feel bad about it.”

Having to crush people who are trying their hardest. Forcing those who want to overcome you to fail no matter what. Both they and I have the reward of growth waiting, but that doesn’t make it any less bitter. It’s not exactly a pleasant job.

“Examiner Baek Seojin.”

Kim Suhyun, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly raised her hand. It looked exactly like a student shouting “Me!” during class.

“I… I’d like to take the promotion exam right now.”

“Now?”

“Yes. I want to be tested too.”

It was unexpected, but not a bad idea. The sooner Kim Suhyun did this, the better. The exam could only be taken once per day, and the Sweet After Bitter trait also activated only once a day. Every day that passed was a loss. Doing it immediately was the right call.

“Then shall we start right away? We don’t have much time left before class anyway.”

Kim Suhyun nodded at my words and took her position opposite me.

I immediately triggered the trait and observed her.

Her stance is better than I expected…?

Kim Suhyun was a weapon-type fighter in the Bronze rank. I had assumed she’d take an awkward, half-baked posture. But from what I could see, her stance was already well above average. There were no obvious openings. You could force one if you really tried, but until then, it was flawless.

The problem was that an exam wasn’t just about posture.

“Suhyun.”

“…”

“Suhyun?”

She stood frozen in place, doing nothing. This was an exam. It was the moment she needed to show her true ability to the fullest. Yet Kim Suhyun was completely tense, focusing solely on my movements.

Wondering if she was the type who focused purely on defense, I tested her with a light strike.

Thud—!

The sword in Kim Suhyun’s hand was knocked away and stabbed into the ground. When I stopped attacking and simply stood there, she looked completely lost.

“I-I’m sorry, Examiner! I’ll do it again!”

But the second chance yielded the same result. She couldn’t even swing the sword halfway before dropping it again. Was she lacking strength in her hands? No. That wasn’t the issue.

There was only one reason Kim Suhyun kept getting pushed back so helplessly.

She doesn’t have confidence in what she’s trying to do.

Her sword had clearly reacted to my attack and prepared to defend. She already knew where and when I would strike. And yet she hesitated in that critical instant because she didn’t trust herself. That distrust became hesitation, the hesitation stiffened her body, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and in the end she couldn’t swing properly, causing the sword to drop weakly.

At this rate, I couldn’t even conduct a proper exam. Her actual skill wasn’t at an untestable level, and she clearly had the will. I just hadn’t realized her lack of self-belief ran this deep.

What should I do?

I stared at Kim Suhyun, who looked even more deflated than when we started, and fell into thought. What method could I use to draw out her real ability?

Cheering her on? No. I couldn’t keep doing that forever. An exam was ultimately a form of combat. You couldn’t fight with nothing but encouragement. The foundation of combat was hostility and anger toward your opponent. You planted the will that you must win.

“Suhyun.”

So I decided to try one particular approach.

“What’s the most recent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time you got really angry?”

“When I got… angry?”

“Yeah. Something that made you furious.”

After thinking for a moment, Kim Suhyun carefully opened her mouth.

“Jeong Yuhyeon…”

“What was that?”

“When you got hurt because of Jeong Yuhyeon, Examiner.”

I guess I’d asked a stupid question. The answer was obvious if I thought about when the seed of anger had been planted.

“Hmm. Then, Suhyun… for now, try thinking of me as Jeong Yuhyeon.”

“You, Examiner? How? You’re my examiner.”

She even shook her head as if it were absolutely impossible. This was the first time I’d seen Kim Suhyun react so dramatically. Thanks to that, I became certain this method would work.

“Alright, Suhyun. Close your eyes. Remember that day. The day my clothes were soaked in blood.”

“Blood…”

“Jeong Yuhyeon’s dagger sliced across my side that day. If it had gone just a little deeper, it might have damaged my organs. If that had happened, losing a little blood wouldn’t have been the end of it.”

Sorry, Jeong Yuhyeon. We were never on good terms anyway, so I’m going to use you a bit.

“And he said I was acting like I didn’t have parents.”

I hesitated about ten times on whether I really needed to go that far. But since I’d already started, I might as well go all in. That’s how I said it.

Clang—!

The moment I saw Kim Suhyun’s sword flying straight at me, I knew the plan had worked.

But…

Suhyun. Why are your eyes turning that deep red?

“Jeong Yuhyeon.”

For a second I wondered if I should just call it off right now. Was this really the same Kim Suhyun who had hesitated to even point her sword at me just moments ago?

Now, attacks filled with pure rage were flying at me with razor-thin margins. Swish— Whoosh—!

Are you insane? Are you seriously the same girl who couldn’t even defend properly earlier?

Now she was swinging her sword like she was daring me to get hit. And it wasn’t just wild swinging—her eyes had gone completely red. She was genuinely furious. Yet every strike was terrifyingly precise.

A diagonal slash from the front that suddenly switched into a thrust. The attacks were chillingly sharp. The transitions were so smooth they deserved admiration. I remembered Lee Hyunwoo still couldn’t change his attacks this fluidly. Was this really her?

I could finally understand why the villains had targeted Kim Suhyun. If just a tiny spark of anger produced this much power, she would be incomparably stronger once brainwashed. Just as the title Red Witch suggested, her movements were truly overwhelming.

“Ugh.”

I barely dodged one strike, only for the pommel of her sword to come flying in right after. If that had landed cleanly, it might have torn my face or broken bones. Every single blow was vicious.

Chest, throat, stomach. And the face. All fatal targets. The tip of Kim Suhyun’s blade was aiming exclusively at those spots.

This felt like fighting an entirely different person. The one swinging the sword was Kim Suhyun, but it didn’t feel like her at all.

Her skill is excellent. It’s definitely threatening, but…

After some time passed, Kim Suhyun’s breathing began to grow ragged. It would’ve been strange if she could keep up that insane barrage of rapid attacks and stay fine.

“Haa… haa…”

Right on cue, the red glow slowly faded from her eyes.

That’s enough for the exam.

Her swordsmanship was on par with Lee Hyunwoo. But her stamina couldn’t support it. She also needed time to control her mind before entering combat. Therefore, the result was, naturally, promotion failure.

“Ouch!”

Before she could catch her breath, I closed the distance and gave her a light flick on the forehead. Kim Suhyun yelped and stumbled backward, staring at me in a daze.

“Good work, Suhyun.”

“Examiner…”

“Unfortunately, you failed today’s promotion. Your attacks were excellent, but exhausting yourself completely was the big problem.”

Even at the words “promotion failure,” Kim Suhyun said nothing. She simply stared at me, then suddenly shot up from her spot.

“I-I’m sorry! Examiner! I’m really, really sorry!!”

“Huh? No, you did well! You did great—why are you apologizing?”

“I’m sorry! I… I suddenly got so angry without realizing!”

It seemed she was deeply bothered by the fact that she had swung her sword at me so enthusiastically. I was curious whether any changes had occurred. The chances were very low, but I still checked whenever I could.

Yeah. As expected, there was no change other than that seed thing…

Finally. There it was.