The Gatekeeper's Last Stand
My limbs felt like they were about to snap off from the pain. Or maybe they already had. They refused to listen to me anymore. Even when I clenched my teeth and tried to force them, they wouldn't budge. The thought that I'd die if I collapsed here filled my mind, but there was nothing I could do. This was it. Yeah, those words fit the moment perfectly.
Still… well, I succeeded, didn't I?
In that final, final instant—right when Elder Kwak Hyuk's spear came flying at me—I saw the Path of Wind that Kang Minsung had shown me with perfect clarity. I didn't overthink it. I didn't doubt it. I simply moved my body exactly as my memory of that moment dictated.
The principles Kang Minsung demonstrated were as simple as a gentle breeze, yet incredibly resilient. The swordsmanship Lee Hyunwoo had displayed before me was stubborn yet fluid. And Kim Suhyun's blade was fierce, ferocious, and violent like a raging storm. I poured all of it into one strike.
In that instant, I instinctively knew it couldn't possibly be more perfect. I had perfectly reproduced everything Kang Minsung, Lee Hyunwoo, and Kim Suhyun had shown me. So much so that even with death staring me right in the face, I felt a sense of relief.
“You… you son of a bitch…”
But it seemed I couldn't reach the level he had achieved. Nor the time he had spent to get there.
A red gush of blood spurted from the X-shaped wound splitting open across my chest. Yet that damn Elder was still walking toward me, spear in hand. His eyes burned with thick, sticky killing intent—the absolute determination to kill me no matter what.
It wasn't enough. The timing and flow had been perfect, but the depth and power fell short. I couldn't reach him.
Fuck. Can't you just collapse already?
If the protagonist goes through this much hell, the villain is supposed to fall over. Isn't that the golden rule? Or is it because I'm not Lee Hyunwoo? Goddamn it. What a dirty world where only Lee Hyunwoo gets the protagonist buff!
I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood and tried to push myself up. My limbs screamed like they were about to break, but I forced strength into them anyway. My body, however, pushed to its absolute limit, refused to move any further. It wasn't just exhaustion. Every inch of me felt like it was being torn apart. My muscles and tendons were probably all wrecked.
Just then, as the bastard reached right in front of me and tried to grab my throat—something flashed, and ice flowers bloomed in every direction.
“O-over here! Y-you bad guy!”
Even the nation's battle-hardened ability users couldn't move a muscle against him, yet Kang Hana had overcome that terror and somehow managed to cast her magic. It didn't deal any damage, but the fact that she pulled it off was incredible. She was only a Platinum-rank student, after all.
But the situation was bad. Right now, this guy was literally seeing red. His murderous rage toward me could easily shift elsewhere. And I saw the madness swirling in his eyes.
“Get away! Get away from there, Kang Hana!”
I screamed with every ounce of strength I had left. That was suicide. It was no different from throwing pebbles at a mad dog. But Kang Hana kept hurling spells relentlessly. As if trying to draw the Elder's attention to herself. As if buying me even a little time to recover.
The Elder slowly turned toward Kang Hana.
No. Absolutely not. I'd come this far. I couldn't let her be taken. The exam wasn't over yet. So please, just one more time…
“That's enough.”
A spine-chilling sensation ran down my back. I hadn't sensed any presence at all, yet another voice came from behind me. It was a voice I'd heard before—one that had stuck in my memory. Yeah. Hyun Sujin. Of all people, another Elder. What the hell.
I swallowed dryly. My hand gripped the sword beside me so tightly it felt like it might shatter. If I launched a surprise attack here, could I land a meaningful blow? If this woman let her guard down, maybe I could…
“I said that's enough. Do you really want me to kill you?”
The cold woman's voice pierced into my mind. A pitch-black shadow tapped lightly against the hand gripping my sword.
Damn it.
I had no choice but to admit it. In this current situation, I couldn't do anything. Was this really the end? Just like this, without being able to do a single thing…
“Are you alright, Mr. Seojin?”
At the new voice, I reflexively lifted my head. A woman stood between the Elder and Kang Hana. An S-rank ability user. The only person here who could take charge of everything in this mess.
“Professor Han Jiyun.”
“Thank goodness.”
With those words, Han Jiyun leveled the sword in her hand at Kwak Hyuk.
“I'd love to just kill you, but there are too many people on my side and too many injured on yours. How about we both back off for now? There won't be a second negotiation. Refuse, and we all die together.”
“All die together, huh. Yeah, that doesn't sound so bad.”
Wait, hold on! Han Jiyun! What kind of negotiation is that? The guy's already half-crazed—how do you expect him to back down if you say it like that?
I was stunned by Han Jiyun's completely unexpected negotiation style. Was this how S-ranks lived in this world? No wonder. I'd always thought Irina seemed completely insane. Now it made sense.
“Kwak Hyuk.”
I flailed my barely functional arm around, desperately trying to signal Han Jiyun—Why are you doing this! We'll all really die! Please stop!
But the Hyun Sujin standing behind us continued in a dry, emotionless voice.
“Weren't you planning to settle things with that crazy bitch anyway?”
Crazy bitch? Among the villains, there's only one person that title could refer to. Irina. But why was Irina's name coming up at a time like this?
“I guarantee it. If you fight Han Jiyun right now, you'll die. I don't know how you ended up in such a pathetic state, but your spear's already broken, the bleeding won't stop, and somehow you've even lost your left arm.”
“Hyun Sujin.”
“If you're asking whether I'll fight with you, why would I? I don't particularly feel like fighting today. Whether you die or not, I'll just watch. Oh, but if you manage to leave a fatal wound on Han Jiyun, I'll finish her off myself.”
“What the hell are you…”
“So. If you want to fight that crazy bitch, wrap this up today and leave.”
Hyun Sujin pointed toward me with her hand.
“It's embarrassing to even hold an Elder title. To end up looking like that after fighting a guy like him. If it were me, I'd bite my tongue and die from the shame, you pathetic bastard. But you don't plan on doing that, do you? You'll either kill that crazy bitch or die trying. So back off while you still can. I won't try to convince you any further.”
Are you insane? At least make a proper attempt at persuasion! Why do you keep provoking him? There's no way that crazy suicidal bastard would agree to stop after hearing all that.
In my head, I was cursing both Han Jiyun and Hyun Sujin for being so frustrating—
“Understood.”
…What the fuck. Why are you convinced by that?
“Let's call it here.”
Kwak Hyuk turned his body, holding his broken spear, and walked past me and Hyun Sujin. In that brief moment, his gaze locked onto me. Goosebumps erupted all over my skin. It felt exactly like when a senior finally chased away a malicious complainer. That moment when they say, You bastard, we'll meet again.
“I told you to feel ashamed.”
The moment I tensed up, certain Kwak Hyuk would say 'I changed my mind, I'm killing you after all'—
Hyun Sujin, standing beside me, gently waved her shadow and uttered a low warning.
“If you so much as lay a finger on him, I'll kill you myself. Even if it's to protect the honor of the Elders.”
In all my life, I'd never been so grateful for an Elder. And I realized that rumor was true. The one about how the relationships between Elders were absolutely terrible. So bad that people said it would be better to be rivals with S-rank ability users instead. I'd thought it was nonsense at the time, but now it made perfect sense.
“I'm not narrow-minded enough to get worked up over something like that. You keep painting me as some kind of weirdo.”
You are a weirdo. And your mind is insanely narrow. The words almost slipped out. If I'd actually said them, Kwak Hyuk probably would've ground his teeth and glared at me.
“By the way, I have one question for you, Hyun Sujin.”
“I told you to fuck off. What is it?”
“That thing you said earlier. I hope you keep that promise.”
What the hell was this about all of a sudden? Hyun Sujin seemed just as confused as I was, muttering, “What is he on about?”
“You said that if you'd lost to him, you'd be so ashamed you'd bite your tongue and die.”
“So?”
“It sounds like you're saying you won't lose. But let me ask you this. Not now, but later. Who can guarantee that when you fight that guy someday, you won't end up just like me?”
With those final words, Kwak Hyuk's figure vanished in an instant.
Crazy bastard.
What he'd just said wasn't only provoking Hyun Sujin—it was also asking her, Are you okay with leaving behind such a loose end? Was he telling her to kill me instead? If you're going to leave, just leave cleanly. Why say weird shit like that?
And you, Hyun Sujin. Stop looking at me with those strange eyes. Why are you making me anxious? You act all cool and then suddenly stab me in the back with shadows? That's not fair.
“Hyun Sujin.”
Han Jiyun wore a cold expression, apparently thinking the same thing I was. It was a silent question—after cooperating, are you going to stab us in the back now?
“I'm not some rude crazy bitch, you know.”
Fortunately, Hyun Sujin simply let out a cold laugh and stepped back.
“In return for cooperating today, stop chasing me. If you keep doing it, I might break my decision not to fight today. We barely avoided turning this into a funeral. I'm asking nicely, sis.”
“I told you I'd kill you if you call me that one more time.”
Even at Han Jiyun's fierce tone, Hyun Sujin just chuckled. Then she turned to the villains who had been watching from behind.
“If you've read the room, can you all get lost already? Oh, if you still want to fight, go ahead. I won't stop you.”
The conclusion the villains reached was obvious: a full retreat. One Elder had already fled, and the other had no intention of fighting from the start. On the other side, an S-rank who could wipe them all out even if they died and came back to life was waiting. Unless they were insane, there was no way they'd refuse the stage Hyun Sujin had set for them.
“Oh, just in case—don't get your hopes up too much, Jiyun.”
Once all the villains had disappeared, Hyun Sujin took a step back. Then, just like when she appeared, she began turning into a pitch-black shadow.
“I will never come back. So don't hold onto any hope. Until the day I die, I'll always be a bad bitch.”
“I wasn't expecting anything. Traitor.”
At Han Jiyun's cold reply, the shadow that was Hyun Sujin clapped. That was the end.
All the villains had left the area. The practical exam, which had been riddled with every kind of incident and accident imaginable, was finally over.